This week’s street name segment is another reminder of large and how old Milton is as a municipality.
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 Joyce Boulevard and Kerr Trail. This week, we’re focusing on Kean Hill Drive and Knight Trail.
Starting alphabetically with Kean, Challinor says the street is named after a notable local farmer from 150 years ago.
He adds that not many Nassagaweya Township councillors have been recognized or honoured in the same way that Kean has, mostly down to how the area has been amalgamated over the years.
Many residents only see Milton as the physical town that a lot of us live and work in. They don’t realize that many of the surrounding areas like Moffat, Brookville, and Campbellville also make up the municipality of Milton. Challinor says the area of Nassagaweya Township was first surveyed in the early 1800’s and settlers began living in the area shortly after. That’s what allowed Kean to eventually farm on the land 150 years ago.
Moving on to Knight Trail, Challinor says the street is named after former Milton politician, Don Knight.
He only served a two-year term as Milton’s Member of Provincial Parliament. When that role came to an end in 1987, Challinor says Knight moved out of the area, likely to central Ontario, where he continued his insurance business.
Challinor began serving his first term on Milton’s Town Council in 1991, so he and Knight were like two ships passing in the night when it relates to their political careers. However, from what he remembers, Knight was a well-liked person in the 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.
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.
