A pair of local veterans have streets named after them.
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.
Recently, we covered Chris Hadfield Way and Woodley Crescent. This week, we’re focusing on two veterans who died fighting in World War I and World War II.
Starting with Baverstock Crescent, Challinor explains how the Milton resident died in battle.
Locally, Baverstock was a labourer. He also used his spare time to serve in the local militia.
Originally born in England, his family came to Canada and settled in Milton. He was buried in Contay British Cemetery in Contay, Somme, France with 1132 other soldiers who died in the Battle of Somme.
Touching on how the death of soldiers affected the Milton community, Challinor praised the work done by the Milton Champion at the time. He says the paper would get regular reports from the military, and would often include letters and first-hand experience from the frontlines.
When a local soldier would die, it was common for the community to hold fundraisers for the grieving family.
Streets named after a veteran are marked with a poppy on the sign. It’s a way for the Town of Milton to honour its residents who served.
Relatives of Baverstock are still in the community, but Challinor notes that they have different surnames through generations of marriage.
Moving on to our second street, Bowring Crescent, Challinor says the street is named after a local soldier who died in World War II.
A Remembrance Day ceremony will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery at 230 Ontario Street South in Milton. It’s expected to start at 11:00 a.m. The Town of Milton also has a moment of silence at the Victoria Park cenotaphs every year, starting at 11:00 a.m.
Challinor notes that if you don’t have time to attend either ceremony, you can always visit the Milton Legion at 21 Charles Street in Milton. He says there is a museum in the building that has collected items from both World Wars, and is open year-round.
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.
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