Happy Holidays! Let’s learn about Milton’s history.
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 Hutchinson Avenue and Luxton Drive. This week, we’re focusing on Hunter Drive and Lowe Lane.
Starting with Hunter Drive, Challinor says the namesake was a local carpenter in the 1800s.
He adds that Hunter really benefitted from owning a local mill, working hand-in-hand with his carpentry business back then. Hunter also saw a lot of work in the 1800s as Milton was continuously growing.
Our other street this week is Lowe Lane. The street is found in Esquesing and is named for a man who created carriages for local residents.
Challinor says Lowe didn’t have much competition when it came to developing carriages. The business was good for the community as it involved many other professions, whether it be local mills, blacksmiths, and even carpenters.
The introduction of automobiles in the early 1900s significantly impacted the carriage industry, and within a few decades, the business would be essentially obsolete. Challinor says Lowe didn’t move on from carriages like many other in the industry did. He stuck with and continued to make them until the demand was no longer there.
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.