Have you ever heard the history of your street?
myFM News is diving into the names behind Milton’s roads. Last week, we covered Thompson Road, which was named after a former mayor. We’re focusing on two streets this week: Anderson Avenue and Yates Drive.
The President of the Milton Historical Society, John Challinor, literally wrote the book on Milton street names, having written ‘Milton Streets‘ back in 2007 with the late local historian, Jim Dills. Challinor says Anderson Avenue is named after a pretty big local figure as well.
While Dr. Anderson was mayor of Milton, he negotiated with PL Robertson to bring his factory to our town. The factory reportedly moved to Milton in 1908. Challinor says the move was a key contributor to Milton’s growth over a century ago.
Taking a look into the history of Yates Drive, the Town Councillor for Ward 2 says Yates was a key contributor to the community back in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
Yates also served as Town Assessor from 1936-1942, notes Challinor. He was a major player in helping the town develop in the 20th century.
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@mbcmedia.ca. Otherwise, we’ll just continue asking about local street names that we find interesting.
