Honorary street signs

Aldermen long ago realized that renaming streets could be an effective way to suck up to voters.

And that practice became more and more common as the years went on, as the City Council routinely designated "honorary" names for existing streets, posting brown signs on lamp poles beneath the official street identification.

Starting in 1984, Chicago signposts became littered with the names of celebrities, ethnic and religious officials, neighborhood leaders, local institutions, and various “noteworthy” people.

The 42nd Ward, during the tenure of Ald. Burton Natarus, became home to more than twice as many honorary streets as any other ward, as he insisted on calling attention to people of little renown whom he wished to honor anyway.