Should Fall River rename part of Third Street? A World War I hero's name could live again.

Dan Medeiros, The Herald News
·3 min read

FALL RIVER — Two months after the state Department of Transportation demolished a monument to a slain Fall River soldier, the city could dedicate a memorial to Jean Baptiste LePage again.

On Aug. 9, the city Planning Board will hear a petition forwarded by the City Council, and submitted by Fall River resident Collin Dias, to rename a portion of Third Street between Bedford and Borden streets after LePage.

“I believe today you have an opportunity to bestow a great honor upon a resident of this community from a long time ago," Dias said. “This simple act would hold great significance in our community and serves as a well-deserved tribute to a local hero.”

A local hero: Fall River's Route 79 bridge was named for a man killed in action in WWI. Who was he?

This section of Third Street, from Bedford to Borden streets, could be renamed Jean Baptiste LePage Street if a petition to rename it passes.
This section of Third Street, from Bedford to Borden streets, could be renamed Jean Baptiste LePage Street if a petition to rename it passes.

What's on Third Street now?

The portion of Third Street being considered for renaming passes behind the U.S. Post Office’s main branch and in front of Government Center. It is about 0.17 miles long.

Three properties could be affected by a change of address:

The street is also home to the Third Street Parking Garage, owned and maintained by the city Redevelopment Authority. Lizzies Professional Building, across the street from the garage, has a Sullivan Drive address.

That section of Third Street ends at the Borden Place apartment complex. The rest of Third Street, which continues into Corky Row, would not be affected.

Jean Baptiste LePage, also known as John, was a Fall River native who was killed in Belgium in World War I while fighting for the Canadian Army.
Jean Baptiste LePage, also known as John, was a Fall River native who was killed in Belgium in World War I while fighting for the Canadian Army.

Who was Jean Baptiste LePage?

LePage was a resident of the Flint, born in 1886. He was of French Canadian descent and worked as a doffer in one of the city’s textile mills before enlisting in the U.S. Army, where he served with the 19th Infantry Regiment on the southern United States border with Mexico under Gen. John J. Pershing.

In 1915, with the outbreak of World War I in Europe and the United States not yet entering the fray, LePage traveled to Canada and joined the 5th Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was sent to Europe after training and served on the Western Front. In the fall of 1917, LePage took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the end of a grueling, months-long campaign, and was killed in battle. He was 32.

After the war, he and other soldiers who fought in World War I were honored with a statue on the grounds of what was then Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in the Flint; the statue stands there still.

An overpass carrying Route 79 over President Avenue was also named for LePage in 1977. That overpass was demolished by MassDOT as part of the Route 79 Corridor improvements project.

How do you get there from here? Your Route 79 shutdown and construction questions answered

What was an overpass carrying Route 79 above President Avenue was once dedicated to Jean Baptiste LePage, a Fall River man who in 1917 was killed in World War I.
What was an overpass carrying Route 79 above President Avenue was once dedicated to Jean Baptiste LePage, a Fall River man who in 1917 was killed in World War I.

What happens next?

The Planning Board will research the renaming petition and make a recommendation to the full City Council for either acceptance or rejection. Statements both in favor or opposed to the street renaming are welcome: letters can be emailed to planning@fallriverma.org or sent by mail to Planning Department, One Government Center, Fall River MA, 02722. The Planning Department is also available at 508-324-2561.

Residents can voice their opinion in person by attending the public meeting at Government Center’s First Floor Hearing room at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 9.

The City Council has also voted to ask the Planning Board for alternate suggestions if it deems that section of Third Street unsuitable for renaming.

According to Fall River bylaws, if the Planning Board recommends approval, and the council OKs renaming that section of Third Street, the cost to implement it would have to be paid by Dias, the petitioner. However, the council could waive any costs if they choose.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River could rename street after soldier killed in World War I