How much of Milton’s history do you know?
You can find the town’s history littered throughout its road through the street names. Each week, we speak with Milton Historical Society President John Challinor II to gather information and details about the namesakes of our roads. If you weren’t aware, he and the late great historian, Jim Dills, wrote the book on Milton street names, writing Milton Streets back in 2007.
Recently, we covered Henderson Road and Matheson Gate. This week, we’re focusing on Bowes Street and Heslop Road. Starting with Bowes, Challinor says the former Milton family dedicated their lives to the education system, and they have a street named after them to show for it.
He notes that none of the Historical Society’s records show the family still having a presence in Milton. That could be do to marriages and name changes or it could be that descendants eventually moved away over the last two centuries.
Our other street this week is Heslop Road. The subject of the street name is someone that Challinor was quite fond of, and remembers quite well.
He adds that Heslop always came to the aid of the community when called upon, and that’s what made him so special.
If you’re looking to understand how Milton’s streets are named, you should check out the book written by Challinor and Dills. Published by the Milton Historical Society back in 2007, it sold out in about six weeks and has since been long out of print. That said, according to Challinor, you can still find a copy at the Milton Public Library. With nearly 15-years having passed since the initial publication, and the extensive town growth in that time, an updated book is likely to come.
You can also take a walk with the late Jim Dills down Milton’s Main Street in 2002.
If you have a suggestion on what you’d like to learn about next week, let us know! We’re currently working on names that we find interesting. You can message our Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram page, or even email us at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. Otherwise, we’ll just continue asking about local street names that we find interesting.
If you have a news tip or story idea, you can now send us a heads up via email at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.
