Named in 1887 when the very first streets of Whittier were laid out. The town was established by Quakers and intended as a Quaker settlement, so Friends Avenue refers to the official name of the Quakers: the Religious Society of Friends. Why “Friends”? The name comes from the Gospel of John, which quotes Jesus as telling his followers, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” The term “Quaker” came about c. 1650 when an English judge noted that some Friends would “tremble at the word of God” – literally quaking with spiritual fervor at their meetings. Initially meant as an insult, it eventually became an acceptable name for the Friends.
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