Thirty Three Orientals

This street is near my apartment and when I see it I always wonder who came up with the name and why. In English it translates to thirty three oriental people...

UPDATE: thanks to a fellow Twitter-er who informed me of the reason behind the name!  As wikipedia tells me

"The Treinta y Tres Orientales (English: thirty-three orientals or thirty-three easterners) was a militant revolutionary group led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja against the Empire of Brazil. Their actions culminated in the foundation of modern Uruguay. They became famous by the name of the Treinta y Tres Orientales when, in 1825, they began an insurrection for the independence of Oriental Province, a historical territory encompassing modern Uruguay and part of modern Brazilian Rio Grande do Sul State, from Brazilian control."

What was life like before the internet and Wikipedia? I try to block it out.