It’s time for your weekly Milton history lesson!
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 Jelinek Terrace and Wettlaufer Terrace. This week, we’re focusing on Fitzgerald Crescent and Zelinsky Crescent.
Challinor says that Mr. Fitzgerald was a local resident who managed to serve in both World Wars.
Fitzgerald Insurance can still be found at 216 Main Street East in Milton. The business was originally taken over by Fitzgerald’s son-in-law, and is now run by his grandson, John Duignan.
Our second street this week is Zelinsky Crescent. Obviously, the street was not named after the Ukrainian President.
Challinor adds that Zelinsky really helped establish the Salvation Army and its food bank, making it a key part of our community.
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.
Hey, things are changing for us here at MiltonNow.ca! 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.
