Washington street renamed for community leader Frances Vactor
Brad Hundt/Observer-Reporter
Washington’s Sixth Street was renamed Frances Vactor Way Saturday.
Brad Hundt/Observer-Reporter
Washington Mayor Scott Putnam, right, hands proclamations to Ted Vactor at the Saturday afternoon ceremony marking the renaming of Sixth Street to Frances Vactor Way.
Standing on what was once Sixth Street in Washington, Ted Vactor remarked, “You don’t know how many times I ran up and down this street.”
He had no way of envisioning then that one day that street would bear his mother’s name.
On Saturday afternoon, Vactor, other family members and friends who were inspired and influenced by Frances Vactor were on hand when Sixth Street offically became Frances Vactor Way.
“You hit the ball out of the park on this,” Vactor said.
Vactor’s mother was a vital leader in the Washington community for decades. During her busy life, she was the president of the Washington branch of the NAACP, was a board member for the LeMoyne Community Center, manager of Washington High School’s cafeteria, and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and the March of Dimes. She juggled all this while raising five children with her husband, Harold. She died in 2003 at age 88.
“Her imprint and legacy span generations,” said Bob Griffin, a member of the committee that advocated for the street name to be changed. “And now it will be permanent.”
Ken Westcott, a member of Washington City Council and onetime mayor of the city, remembered Frances Vactor as being “strong-willed” and “an outstanding leader in the community.”
“This is for all the strong women in the community who stood up and did an outstanding job,” Westcott explained.
Washington City Council approved the name change in March. Frances Vactor Way is located between Central and Forrest avenues.