Let’s look at a popular Milton pathway and a street named after a former Milton Mayor!
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 James Snow Parkway and Jasper Street. This week, we’re focusing on Jaycee Trail and Ledwith Drive.
Starting alphabetically with Jaycee Trail, Challinor describes the unique pathway.
He adds that Jaycee Trail is one of the oldest features of Milton – dating back to the construction of Mill Pond.
The area surrounding it is mostly undeveloped. Challinor says the one building that really stands out in his mind is the John Sproat House, located at 191 Margaret Street. You can learn more about the Sproat family here.
With a major snowstorm expected Friday night, walking the trail is not recommended. Challinor says the best time to go is in the fall.
Also on our list this week is Ledwith Drive. The namesake is Mike Ledwith, who Challinor says was a very busy man who managed to serve as Milton Mayor for one year.
Mike Ledwith lived a long, fulfilled life – passing away in 2010 in his 87th year.
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.
