The district and the street were originally named for W. Tate Brady, an early Tulsa business owner and active civic promoter. However, Tate Brady's involvement as a leader in the Tulsa Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s led to residents expressing their wish that the name be changed, and on August 15, 2013, the City Council voted to retain the street name, but instead officially honor Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. Street signs have since been changed to reflect the official street name as "M.B. Brady St."