We went looking for a Christmas theme for this week, and we may have stretched it a little too far.
On a weekly basis, 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 refocused on the first street name we ever covered: Steeles Avenue. This week, we’re covering Mary Street and Duignan Crescent.
With next week being Christmas, Challinor says he wanted to talk about Mary Foster.
Hugh Foster named a number of Milton streets after his family members, including himself:
- Hugh Street/Lane — Named for Hugh Foster;
- Sarah Street — Named for Sarah Foster, his second wife;
- Thomas Street — Named for Thomas Foster, his eldest son;
- Mary Street — Named for Mary Foster, his daughter;
- Pearl Street — Named for a relative of Hugh Foster; and,
- Foster Court — Named for Hugh Foster.
Residents may also recognize his name for being the namesake for the Town of Milton’s Hugh Foster Hall, located to the southwest of Town Hall.
Our second Christmas-themed street this week is Duignan Crescent. Challinor explains why it’s exactly Christmas themed.
He adds that he’ll continue to take my recommendation of a Santa Claus Lane into consideration.
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.
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 X account or 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.
