NORTH HALTON HERITAGE AREA Historical Look at Milton The thud an axe on a solid white pine broke the forest silliness the first settler challenged his new land Here on crown land bordering the Sixteen Mile Creek was to be Hilton The setting been untouched except by nomadic Indian tribes who settled for their agriculturaltype life The first surveyor In the early 1800 s reported the area to be forest unbroken except for the occasional beaver meadow and a few Indian corn fields In the lower To this area came Jasper and Sarah 182 both 1 years of age and Ihelr two sons John three and Joseph months old They had arrived from Northumber land In May of and had spent three years In York be fore they ventured into the wilderness to claim their land The original acres soon became as Jasper Martin obtained another I DO acres from Joseph Whltefleld who returned En gland Although i scattering or settlers was evident In the area they were all isolated from one another and In 1020 when Thomas and Elizabeth Harrison built their log home on lot there were no white women around for socializing for almost The- Will mot ts began the first settlement work on their farm on lot 10 Trafalgar In IB18 There were others as well The early settlers Included the Martins Whltefleld rosters Huffman and Seeing the potential of water me sixteen Mile Creek Jasper Martin had J grist mill In operation by 1822 In he added a sawmill and In 1820 Brown opened a store and post office on what was to become Main Street Dr James Cobban chose Milton to set up the practice of medicine He was one of three doctors between Hamilton and in her year In Martin died Three years later Jasper Martin died and the work of the mills became the responsibility of their two sons John and Joseph By the mid the area was a booming and J public meeting was held to select a name for would be called Milton In the first protcslant church was built and referred to as The Kirk Eliza be I Harrison organized the first school In a log building near the present site of Robertsons manufacturing plant and the same school served for the first Sunday School as well By 1848 organizations began to appear In Milton and the Milton Branch of the Loyal Orange Lodge was esta blished in I8SI he towns first developer Matthias divided property Into lots and offered them for sale A brick school house replaced the log school and the com munity expanded After great controversy In June 1833 legislation was passed separating County from the County Wentworth and Milton was chosen as the scat for county buildings and Judicial matters Hugh roster donated land and in March 1 854 began the building of the Court House Being a County Town became an important community and roads and road systems were established and a stage coach service to twice dally was put Into effect The 1830s brought many changes to Milton The first library was organized the First newspaper was established and John Martin erected a large new Market House to be ready for the recently organized Agricultural Society Fair Brick and stone houses were under construc tion and the main street was developing into smart shops and trading places The first disaster to strike Milton was the burning of a chair and cabinet factory Men lost their Jobs and a public meeting was called to consider help for them Again disaster fell John Martins flour mill burned Within weeks It was rebuilt In stone at a cost of and John White became part owner In June 1837 elections were held for the first time and local government took over from the Trafalgar area governing seat Times were happy and Milton was In a social whirl One such occasion was when the Milton and Acton Brass bands participated at a social party It was held In the town hall People came at six pm tea was served at and the ball commenced at It finally broke up about am the next morning Their stamina has to be admired In 1837 the towns stone school house was built a registry office established at the site of the present health unltorflces several churches were being built and streets and sidewalks being Mall service began on a dally basis between Acton and Milton Milton was also looking Into telegraph connections If ton took an active part In the political scenes con nected with Confederation A new Market House was built the present Town Flail at a cost of and a political battle emerged when they discovered that revenue for had been only Early progressive communities felt that a railway through town was a must and In 1871 Milton agreed to have the Credit Valley Railway CP pass through the com- 197 Main St S Rock wood Ontario Come to out factory outlet store and you will find the best assortment of Christmas candy canes chocolates and fudge for the Holiday season Makers of OldFashioned Homemade Candies and Chocolates Schneiders CHECK THIS SUN DECEMBER ik DECEMBER S 10 15 18 19 X 31 COME TO AN UNIQUE BAZAAR Featuring rides on an antique streetcar Well have Santa Claus with a little gift for tha kids Handcrafts Baked Goods Food of all kinds and The Gift Shop with interesting items SUNDAY DECEMBER 5th 1982 pun You can ride a streetcar of a bygone era at on weekends until Oct 31st Sea map for location HALTON COUNTY RADIAL RAILWAY mn munlty However this was not accomplished until by which time the Hamilton and North Western Line now opened first in 1 The Pioneer Cemetery was outgrowing its location and in today Evergreen Cemetery came Into being In 1687 a waterworks system was installed In Town with water piped from the Niagara Escarpment at a cost or coal oil lights lit the streets of downtown but on Dec electric lights brought a new era Into night lighting Telephone service created an 1893 when 14 subscribers were serviced from a switch board located In a drug store owned by As the century emerged verandahs were being re moved from Main Street stores sidewalks of cement replacing boardwalks and a new station had been com pleted for the Grand Trunk Hallway now the Chamber of Commerce Information centre The town purchased Its own electric light plant in and the question of establishing a Mouse of Refuge for the Indigent was on everyone mind Milton had a population or the early ISOOsand PL Robertson a young man with dream to produce socket headed sere bought land from John Scott and set up a machine shop to perfect his Idea men and lit his shops with acetylene light and ran his machines with horsepower gas engines Between the turn of the century and the Second World War Milton underwent modernization both socially and technically A hospital was In the works and an underpass under the railway at Court 5t was being debated Auto mobiles were being seen on Miltons streets and the need to drive slowly was much apparent when a local man was hilled however It was a buggy and horse accident The Red Cross opened branch In Milton and the Battalion Lome Rifles and the 36th Peel Regiments provided Instant draft for overseas service By 1919 the Jordan Home for orphans was being operated at the northeast corner of Court and Main Street by the Childrens Aid Society and in 192 1 the Martin St School was built as the towns first high school The 1930s were harder for people In Milton the PI Robertson plant closed for 10 days and men were walking the street looking for work Milton today is very different from what the first settlers saw and it reflects the countless contributions of genera tions past who created what we share today The Milton Historical Society seeks to the past In appreciation to all those who went before pics Compete xfmt Snoppe in a balm mow jo rjWojtcea on Ik Hwy 25 miles North of Everyday 9 am to 7 pm TORONTO 2702982