• There are two beliefs regarding the origin of Smith Street’s name. The first belief is that the street was named after Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, who was the Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1887 to 1893. However, documents show that references to Smith Street appeared as early as 1853. Hence, Smith Street may not be named after him.
• The second belief is that the road is named after John Colson Smith. He arrived in Singapore in 1844 and was the Principal of Singapore Institution (Raffles Institution today). The land on which Smith Street is located was originally owned by a J.T. Dickson, but he appointed Smith as his agent before returning to the United States to recuperate from an illness. A newspaper report in September 1853 mentioned that John Colson Smith was willing to donate $200 to repair Smith Street. As a result, it is believed that Smith Street is named after him.
• The origin of the colloquial name “戏院街” (literally, “theatre street”) is related to Lai Chun Yuen, which was originally located at 36 Smith Street. Established in the 1880s, it was the largest theatre in Chinatown in the early days, primarily showcasing Cantonese opera performances.
• At the beginning of the 20th century, there were at least 25 brothels along Smith Street.
• In 2001, the Singapore Tourism Board developed an outdoor food street stretching 100 metres on Smith Street. It was known as Chinatown Food Street before closing in October 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As in previous years, stalls selling Chinese New Year goods have sprouted up in Chinatown, mainly along Smith Street, Temple Street and the pedestrian street between Outram Park Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station and Pearls Centre. (Lianhe Zaobao, 23/1/1997)