It’s always interesting to know the origins of local street names.
Each week, we speak with Milton Historical Society President John Challinor to gather information and details about the namesakes of our roads. If you weren’t aware, Challinor and the late great historian, Jim Dills, wrote the book on Milton street names, writing Milton Streets back in 2007.
Recently, we covered Fasken Court and Ostler Gate. This week, we’re focusing on Field Drive and Norrington Place.
Starting with Field Drive, Milton Historical Society President John Challinor says the local street is named after Myrtle Field, a local woman who worked in a male dominated field.
He adds that serving over 50-years in a role is a truly remarkable feat. He says that Field is a person that younger people, especially young girls, should look to as a role model, something to consider with International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8th.
Our second street this week is Norrington Place. Challinor says it’s named after a local farmer-turned-politician who went by the nickname ‘Bus’.
Norrington’s birth name was Walter John, but Challinor notes that no one ever called him either name. To everyone, Norrington was simply Bus. He adds that he’d like to do more personal research into Norrington’s seed of rye and why he deserved the title ‘World Rye King’.
The farm that Bus owned still exists in the Nassagaweya area. Challinor says the Norrington family no longer owns the property, but that it’s still an active piece of farmland.
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.
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