In 1946, Elizabeth Elliott (1906-1998) – realtor, Covina native, lifelong bachelorette – set up her own 20 acre tract here called Elliott Place. On it she christened three new streets: Elspeth Way, which takes its name from the Scottish form of “Elizabeth”; Griswold Road, for Elliott’s maternal ancestors; and Chester Road, honoring her great-grandfather Chester Griswold (1806-1881). The Griswolds were an East Coast farming clan who came to Covina – back when it was still called “Citrus” – after many years in Wisconsin. Eugene, Chester’s son, got here first: he put down roots at present-day Citrus Avenue and Cypress Street in 1877. Chester and his wife Paulina arrived two years later, accompanying their other son Thomas (1838-1934), his wife Lavenia, and their four kids, including Elizabeth Elliott’s mother Carrie. Thomas, elected postmaster of Covina in 1900, was the most prominent of the Griswolds; his 1886 house sits intact on Covina Blvd. near Citrus Ave., half a block west of its original location.
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