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by Melanie cam\oun CHAMPION STAFF Milton‘s 160th birthday makes it evâ€" ident the town has a long history, some may be surprised to learn the community has roots that date back almost two centuries. The year was 1821. Jasper Martin and his wife, Sarah, and two young sons arrived from 9 England and established themselves on 100 acres in the area north of the downtown that‘s now aptly named Martin Street. Jasper built a gristmill that drew its power from 16 Mile Creek, and in turn the gristmill ; drew more settlers to the area that was known Milton | Thursday, June 29, 2017 | 2 at the time as Martin‘s Mills. The first post office was built in 1836, which necessitated the formal selection of a name for the settlement of about 300 people. Milton was chosen in honour of English poet John * Milton, who was thought to be a favourite auâ€" thor of the Martin family. The downtown core was originally divided into the Martin, Foster and Teetzel surveys, named after the town‘s earliest developers. At the land registry office, these survey names *z still stand today. Main Street has long served as a hub of comâ€" merce for the town, with the Gore District Council recognizing it as a street in 1843. By 1855, the United Counties of Halton and Wentworth separated and Halton became Development is booming in Milton, where the population is estimated to reach 238,000 in 2031. a county unto itself. Its council consisted of members representing the townships of Esquesing, Nassagaweya, Trafaigar and Nelâ€" son, along with Acton, Georgetown, Milton, and Oakville. Milton was then named as the county town -ndedsiondmcmmdyauwdaloloflocal 'ThepeopleinOukvflkmvayupsctbe- cause Oakville was an established place with a railway. Milton didn‘t even have a railway," said local historian and author John McDonâ€" ald. "For 25 years there was this great rivalry. Every time they (county council) tried to pass GOWEST REALTY LTD FÂ¥el: HaPPY BROKER oNR ' "I love Canada because we live in a free land where all people are treated equally." DAN JOLIC MM.MWMMMH photo by Nikki Wesloy : Metroland West Media Group something to improve the Milton area, the Oakville councilliors would balk at it." A man named Hugh Foster donated four acres of land to the county to construct its courthouse in Milton, which is still in place onMuySmcttodayandnowusedasd\cMfl- ton Town Hall. In 1857 the community was incorporated as a town and the first meeting of council was held, with George Brown serving as the first mayor of Milton. According to the Milton Historical Society (MHS), the town‘s proximity to the Niagara Barpmenl led to the dcvelopmenl of stone hANCr PP HOUSF & | ") * ‘f* From Martin‘s Mills to Canada‘s fastâ€"growing municipality and clay extraction industries. By the late 1870s, Milton was finally serviced by the railway, which helped foster local growth. MHS records show that a waterworks system was installed in 1887, followed by electricâ€" ity in 1891 and a telephone system in 1893, which initially garnered 14 subscribers. The local economy received a major boost in 1908 when PL. Robertson opened a facâ€" tory that manufactured socket head screws and screwdrivers in Milton, providing jobs for hundreds of local residents over the decades. In 1959, Milton‘s first public hospital opened its doors. Hwy. 401 was also extended to Milton around this time, with the major thoroughfare attracting more development to the town. As Toronto and the surrounding area grew t the years, the Province realized it would have to alter its county system. By 1974, a decision was made to regionalize the area and rename it the Region of Halton, which also saw the Town of Milton‘s borders redrawn to include N Township and parts of Esquesing, and Nelson townships. With the arrival of the ‘Big Pipe‘ in 2000 that pumped water from Lake Ontario to the comâ€" munity, Milton‘s building boom officially beâ€" gan and hasn‘t slowed down since. By 2006, Milton was named the fastest growâ€" ing community in Canada. Under the Provâ€" ince‘s Places to Grow plan, Milton‘s population is expected to reach 238,000 by 2031. E"‘ .w a ~ -.“" a’”“fi ; . .-q*fl"‘ CAnAba is0 sLow our!