It’s time to learn some local history!
Each week, we speak with Milton Historical Society (MHS) 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.
We previously covered Fullum Landing and Kincardine Terrace. This week, we’re looking at Lear Gate and Reis Place.
Starting alphabetically with Lear, Challinor shares the history of the namesake.
Audrea Lear-Costigan’s husband, James, was also the namesake for Costigan Road.
Reflecting on the life of Lear-Costigan, Challinor remembers her as charming, full-of-life person who worked hard and cared deeply for the Milton community.
Our second street this week is Reis Place. The namesake has ties to an old financial institution in Milton.
Challinor says there will always be a need for a local financial institution because small businesses are what run communities, and a lot of them depend on these kinds of credit unions.
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.
