Like many North Redondo streets, Ford Avenue pays tribute to a famous American industrialist: Henry Ford (1863-1947), who needs no introduction. But whereas most of the nearby roadways were named in 1906 by devious developer William Carlson, Ford Avenue didn’t obtain its current moniker until 1949, when residents petitioned City Council to ditch the old one: Kruttschnitt Lane. The original honoree was Julius Kruttschnitt (1854-1925), a longtime Southern Pacific executive. (Carlson christened several of his streets after railroad men, e.g., Harriman, Pullman, Ripley.) The 1949 petitioners requested a “more American” name that would be easier to spell and pronounce. Ford fit the bill.
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