What do an undertaker and a politician have in common? They both have streets in Milton 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 Casson Point and Kovachik Boulevard. This week, we’re focusing on Gillett Point and Rowe Terrace.
Starting alphabetically with Gillet, Challinor says it’s named after a local undertaker, but not The Undertaker.
He notes that small towns in Ontario still have furniture makers that also specialize in caskets. His family also has a history of casket making in Chatham. Challinor owns a grandfather clock made by his grandfather, that was created from what was once a casket, which was a common trend at one point.
Our other street this week is Rowe Terrace. It was named for an early-20th century politician who championed Ontario agriculture.
Earl Rowe also has a Provincial Park named after him in the Alliston area.
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.
