One a Car Ran Free Here

Back in 1940, authorities in the DMV (long before it was known as that) came up with what they felt was a plan necessary to ensuring speedy emergency response for fire, police, and other services. They changed all the street names. Not all the names, but for the suburbs that had grown up in Montgomery and Prince George's counties the plan was to extend the street naming system used in the District. The problem was that the actual grid didn't always connect the city with the suburbs. That didn't stop them form developing a rough overlay with the occasional additional new street name that sort-of fit the pattern. They didn't all line up, the definitely didn't connect, but the system was put into place with street signs starting to change in 1941.

I haven't found records with our house's original street number, but when it was built (at least for a few months) the house was on Bayly Avenue. In searching for that name in old newspapers, I turned up one wild tale.

That version is from the Washington Evening Star, but the Washington Times–Herald also ran a version of the story. The the ditch where the car ended up coming to rest is likely the old creek bed that once ran through our side lot.