Keloland.com article
Whitewood asked to change Street Name
If Pastor David Baer has his way, the Whitewood City Council will change the name of one of the northern Black Hills town’s streets.
Baer says Hooker Street doesn’t lend itself to a family atmosphere and is offensive to some residents.
It’s actually named after a Union general from the Civil War. But Baer says even renaming it to “General Hooker Street” might not be much better.
A Whitewood city official says any renaming would affect one resident and six water bill accounts.
The council is expected to discuss it at its December 17th meeting.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
I’m assuming this is a reprint of the article from Sunday’s Rapid City Journal.
I received a call from Laura Aker, a former Whitewood resident, now living in the Seattle, Wash., area Monday night. She said that she heard about this news on Seattle TV.
I then checked the internet. The Associated Press picked up the story from the RC Journal and transmitted it. Now it’s everywhere! Tonight I found it on a Kansas TV station web site, on Yahoo and Google news. I’m sure it will be many more places by morning.
It puts Whitewood in the news. I wish it didn’t put me in the news as much as it did. This idea came from the Horizon’s group (it wasn’t even my idea to begin with). But it is a good idea, so I guess I can take the credit.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
I forgot to add to the above note that the best article on the Hooker Street name change was in last Wednesday’s Lawrence County Journal.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
David,
I actually posted that article on the blog too! I thought it was pretty good too. Look down a few posts and you’ll find it.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I noticed that the Lawrence County Journal is running an online poll about Hooker Street. It is currently running 80-20 to keep Hooker in Whitewood.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:24 am
It’s been interesting to see the different headlines on the internet for the story about Hooker Street.
CBS picked up the story and sent it to its affiliates with this headline:
“South Dakota Reverend Opposed To ‘Hooker Street’
Road Named For Civil War General, Not For… Well, You Know”
They even included a photo of “Fighting Joe” Hooker.
The Kansas City Star ran part of the story with this headline:
“Not that kind of hooker”
A news site from India reported “US town may rename Hooker Street.”
There are about 10 pages of links on Google to the story online. Most of the stories appear to be duplicates of the AP story. They are probably just on the web sites, but some may be making the newspapers and news reports.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Or how about this headline from Australia:
Raging reverend campaigns against Hooker
Tuesday Nov 27 16:00 AEDT
By ninemsn staff
A reverend in the US state of South Dakota is petitioning his local council to change the name of Hooker Street because it could be considered a reference to prostitution.
The street in the suburb of Black Hills — named after Civil War legend General Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker — is offensive to some of the area’s 800 residents, according to Reverend David Baer.
He said even changing the name to General Hooker St wouldn’t work.
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General Hooker, a noted ladies man, served in the Union army for several years and was defeated at the battle of Chancellorsville by Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
His local headquarters for that battle were described by many observers as a bar-cum-brothel.
Many Americans believe use of the word hooker to describe a prostitute came from the general, as a band of “ladies of the night” travelled with his regiment throughout the Civil War.
But noted Civil War historians and linguists alike dispute this, arguing the term was commonly used up to 15 years before the war.
Only six water bills will be affected if the street’s name is changed, according to local finance officer Brenda Lindstrom.
The matter will be considered at a council meeting on December 17.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:38 am
Wow, I didn’t realize that our little town would make such big news in the press over a name change of a street. Even in Australia huh? Very interesting! :0)
November 27th, 2007 at 12:45 am
[…] it out! The Horizons group in Whitewood has made national news with an effort to change the name of one of the streets in […]
November 27th, 2007 at 8:44 am
I see we made Fox News and a whole lot more.
Here’s the story as it is told by the AP for “Morning Prep.” I suppose this is for radio/TV talk folks.
HOOKER STREET WHITEWOOD, S.D. (AP) Would you want to live on Hooker Street? The Reverend David Baer doesn’t think so. He wants the Whitewood, South Dakota, City Council, to change the name of the street. Baer says the name Hooker Street is offensive to some in the Black Hills town. But the street wasn’t named after ladies of the evening. It’s actually named for a Civil War Union general. But Baer suggests even renaming it to General Hooker Street might not be much better.
The city council is expected to take up the street renaming request next month.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Goes to show the power in the press! Amazing to see how far a story can travel.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Have you seen this one? It was on the New York Post web site. It’s funny how they take a story and embellish it…
WEIRD BUT TRUE
By DAVID K. LI, Wire Services
November 27, 2007 — The town of Whitewood, SD, might change the name of Hooker Street.
The Rev. David Baer is pushing legislators for the change, arguing the name goes against the town’s wholesome image.
The street is actually named after famed Civil War Gen. Joseph Hooker, a hard-partying commander who has been linked by myth to the world’s oldest profession.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
WOW! This thing is crazy! My husband just called, Keloland is interviewing people in town to get their opinions on the name change. This news coverage is great for Whitewood!
November 27th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
With all the things of importance the preacher man could be worried about and acting on he chooses the one that gets his name in the paper! Do you think God approves?? I don’t!
November 27th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I talked to reporters from KELO and KNBN today. KOTA was also in town. They interviewed others and were done with the story by the time we connected. I’m glad that the coverage is expanding beyond just me.
According to KELO at 5 p.m. it looks like it’s a debate between Amy’s husband and me.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
The following was posted on a blog called http://www.clusterflock.org/
In the small town (800 residents) of Whitewood, S.D., there is a quiet street named after a civil war general that is causing controversy. “Hooker” Street is named after Civil War General Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker, who was a career U.S. Army officer and a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. However, if the Rev. David Baer has his way, the Whitewood City Council will change the name of the street to something less offensive. He doesn’t like the idea of changing it to “General Hooker” Street either. City council will discuss Reverend Baer’s request at its December 17th meeting.
This story is as bizarre as the one about the Australian Santa Clauses, who were banned from saying “ho, ho, ho” because it might be offensive to women.
Just because a local minister has his mind in the gutter, General Hooker’s good name has to go? It is not clear whether or not there is also a street named after Revolutionary War soldier and President of the Continental Congress of the United States of America, John Hancock.
I posted the following reply:
Thanks for noticing our small town and the serious discussion we are having about our street names.
I’m the pastor you claim “has his mind in the gutter.”
The suggestion for the street name change came from a group of Whitewood citizens who have been meeting for several months to work to better our community. It is part of a program called Horizon’s that seeks to help small communities with a significant percentage of disadvanted citizens.
You can read about Horizon’s at
http://www.nwaf.org/Programs.aspx?pg=Programs/Horizons.htm
You can read about some of the local Horizon’s and other community activities at the Horizon’s Blog:
http://whitewood.communityblogs.us/
This group is working in many areas in our community. One thing they suggested was that this street name was not appropriate or helpful to our community. Among the reasons offered for changing the street’s name, people talked about the hurt caused to a young girl who might have to explain that she lives on Hooker Street.
We consulted our local postmaster and learned that only one person receives mail with a Hooker Street address. Like many small towns, most people receive mail at post office boxes. The postmaster said that the change could be made easily and with little disruption to that one customer.
I agreed to take the concern to the city council. I knew that folks might sensationalize and trivialize this matter — especially with a pastor asking that something called “Hooker” be changed. I felt it was worth the potential personal embarrassment to help our community improve itself. The news media certainly managed to sensationalize and trivialize this matter on a grand scale.
Suggestions for the street name change included using General Hooker’s first name and calling the street Joseph Hooker Street so that he would still be honored but any potentially offensive or embarrassing reference would be eliminated. Children might even learn that he was a general in the Civil War.
If you want to read an accurate portrayal of what is happening, check out this article from our local newspaper.
http://www.lawrencecountyjournal.com/articles/2007/11/27/lawerence_county/headlines/doc4743490cde09d963439868.txt
It may be fun to poke fun at a pastor and to use this opportunity to belittle traditional values and Christianity, but most of those in our community suggesting this change were not thinking from a Christian perspective. They were thinking about what living on a street called Hooker could mean for a young girl and whether a business would want to locate on a street with that name.
The experience in watching the news media and others misrepresent what is happening in Whitewood again shows the power of words to hurt others or to help them. That was the reason we started discussing the possibility of changing the name of the street because some words can be hurtful to others.
Pastor David Baer
Whitewood, SD
November 28th, 2007 at 8:22 am
Pastor Baer…The communities of Artesian, Forestburg, and Letcher have had a similar experience with the media twisting a story and using the power of words to hurt others. I’m not sure why they insist on taking something that is good and positive and turning it around into something hurtful? I guess they feel that controversy and negativity is the stuff that sells newspapers?!?
November 28th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Belle Fourche had a similar experience a few years ago. Some folks had their tender sensibilities abused by the fact that the grammar school on the north side of town was named after the adjacent park which was named after a prominent family in the town’s history. So…the former Gay Park School is now North Park School. Silliness in action.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I wouldn’t call it a true newspaper if the facts aren’t checked and accurate - if it’s twisted and not factual, it’s a gossip rag or blog - not true News Media.