We know it as Grant

This is in regard to Donn Neal's interesting history lesson to probably most of our area's citizens, relating to us that our very own Grant Street in Downtown Pittsburgh was named for the less-than-stellar British military commander James Grant, who happened to fight a battle in its vicinity way back when ("Let's Call It Steel Avenue," Nov. 1 Forum).

Mr. Neal's suggestion was that most of our citizenry had thought all these many years that the street was named for Ulysses S. Grant, one of our American heroes and 18th president of the United States, and thus were comfortable with the name. Now Mr. Neal would like to have the street renamed Steel Avenue in honor of the steel industry, which made Pittsburgh famous world-over and provided a way of life for most of our folks in one way or another for many lifetimes.

My thoughts are that Pittsburghers probably never gave much thought to how Grant Street got its name. They just were happy to know it as a familiar name they could count on for getting or giving nearby directions or to work in one of the many skyscrapers along it. People know it as the place to seek out for their jury duty or court appearances and in more recent years for finding the first "T" stop Downtown so they could easily traverse our city.

I think we Pittsburghers have known it so well in the past century as Grant Street that it should remain as such. Perhaps putting a "U.S." prefix on the books to honor Ulysses S. would solve Mr. Neal's cry for justice, and it could then still be called good old Grant Street.

JANET M. BABSKI
North Fayette