Baxter Street, formerly known as Newton Street until 1882, and colloquially referred to as “Hog Alley” until at least 1894, underwent a name change as part of a 1882 ordinance. It is believed to have been named after John Baxter, who once operated a hides and tallow business at the southwest corner of South 6th Street and Kaighn Avenue. Originally, Baxter Street ran east from 1125 South 7th Street to Mount Ephraim Avenue, situated between Kaighn Avenue and Sycamore Street. While homes existed along the 700, 900, and 1000 blocks of Baxter Street as late as 1924, by 1947, only two homes remained standing in the 900 block.
As of 2017, the 700 block of Baxter Street is still present, albeit overgrown, functioning as an alley running from South 7th Street to Maurice Street adjacent to the Harmony House Apartments. The 900 block has been completely cleared and paved over. Satellite images show faint traces of the 1000 block of Baxter Street for a half-block east of South 10th Street. The section of Baxter Street west of Mount Ephraim Avenue toward South 10th Street now exists as an unnamed alley. At present, there are no active addresses on Baxter Street.
Baxter Street earned notoriety over the decades as a hub of illegal activities, including disorderly houses, gambling, drug use, speakeasies, and numerous incidents of violence such as shootings and stabbings. Many of these incidents were reported without specific house numbers. The neighborhood around South 7th and Baxter remains a “hot spot” into the 2020s.
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Baxter Street
Baxter Street, formerly known as Newton Street until 1882, and colloquially referred to as “Hog Alley” until at least 1894, underwent a name change as part of a 1882 ordinance. It is believed to have been named after John Baxter, who once operated a hides and tallow business at the southwest corner of South 6th…
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