Plethora of Polk

posted by Josh Goodman

The Nashville and Davidson County metro government has a lot going for it -- improving schools, affordable housing and an attractive business location -- but one big problem: a plethora of roads named Polk.

Knowing this, I came armed with information yesterday (I'm in Music City for the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual meeting). I was looking for Metro City Hall, which is in the old Ben West Library, at 225 Polk Avenue, which is the Polk Avenue that's downtown, at the corner of Union and Polk.

Nonetheless, my cabbie was skeptical. "Polk Ave. isn't downtown," he said. "This one is," I replied.

He remained confused and agitated. "There are so many Polk streets," he said. "Why is that?"

To find the one I was talking about, he looked at his map while driving. I'm writing this, so I must have survived. I respect the 11th president of the United States as much as the next person, but Nashville could stand to show Millard Fillmore and Chester Arthur some love.

Comments

[Ingrid Koehler]

Millard Filmore and Chester Arthur didn't come from Middle Tennessee. Nashville also has streets honoring another [adopted] presidential son - Andrew Jackson - e.g. Old Hickory Blvd and doubtless other streets, too.

Had Gore won (or maybe sometime in future) - perhaps some of those Polks could become Gores.

[Josh Goodman]

In fact, the Polk Ave. I was going to was a block from the site of one of President Polk's homes, so I think it's the one that deserves the name.

[Richard Wilson]

If the Truman would step across the Ford and around the Bush(s) we could Taylor names to Fillmore city streets and Grant relief from Polk(ing) fun at our presidents.

[Alan Ehrenhalt]

Native chauvinism aside, there's good reason to name streets after Polk because he was a great president and Arthur and Fillmore really weren't. You might not agree with everything in his program --such as prosecuting the Mexican War -- but he did everything he promised to do and then went home after four years. I can see why Tennessee still shows a little extra pride in him.