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 in 1650, not long after Englishman George Fox founded the group. Fox wrote in his autobiography that, when he was hauled into court on a blasphemy charge, he told magistrate Gervase Bennet to “tremble at the word of the Lord” and Bennet more or less responded, “The only man quaking here is you.” Initially meant as an insult, “Quakers” eventually became an acceptable name for the Friends.
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