In March 1916, after the City of Los Angeles had annexed “The Palms“, the latter’s streets were given new names by civil engineers to avoid postal conflicts with existing L.A. streets. Thus Palms’s First Street became Overland Avenue, Second became Keystone, Third became Mentone, Fourth became Motor, Fifth became Vinton, Sixth became Jasmine, and Seventh became Clarington. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason behind these particular choices: it’s a known fact that civil engineers keep “idea files” of words cribbed from publications, maps, etc., to be consulted whenever a street needs a new and unique name. That was probably the case here. “Overland” could thus owe its name to Overland Park, KS, the Willys-Overland Motor Co., or the Union Pacific Railroad’s Overland Route, among many examples.
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