It’s time to learn a bit about Milton’s history!
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 Gorham Way and McNeil Drive. This week, we’re focusing on Gleeson Road and Merritt Drive. Starting with Gleeson Road, Challinor says the local street is named after a former Citizen of the Year!
He adds that just running a basketball program alone will keep you busy. The additional activities really showcased by Gleeson deserved to be recognized.
Moving on to Merritt Drive, Challinor says the local road is named after a former hardware store operator.
He compares the hardware store shift from the downtown core to grocery stores. Both were in need of more space, which the downtown area could not provide. He says Merritt eventually sold his hardware store as the big brand name stores settled into town (Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Lowes, etc.).
As a teenager, Challinor worked at a grocery store in Milton’s downtown area. He recalls a pair of stories that tie into Merritt’s store.
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.
