Blooming-toids

In 1884, Fifth Street, now known as the main drag for the IU campus, almost wasn't named Kirkwood Avenue. Instead, many town folks wanted to name the street University Avenue while East Sixth Street was to be renamed Kirkwood Avenue. \nThe name "Kirkwood" was intended to be a tribute to the chairman of the IU mathematics department, Daniel Kirkwood. Kirkwood was famous for many achievements, including the discovery of spatial gaps that affect the orbit of asteroids. \nA portion of East Fifth Street was renamed Kirkwood in 1885, although it isn't clear why the name University Avenue was abandoned for Kirkwood Avenue. \n(Source: "Bloomington's eclectic avenue," Feb. 10, 2005, Indiana Daily Student)