Norman Milliken

Norman Milliken (b.1771 Trenton, Maine d.1843 Markham Township, York County, Canada West, Province of Canada) was a farmer, lumber mill owner and hotel/tavern keeper in York County.

The communities of Milliken, in Toronto and Milliken Mills in Markham (Milliken, Ontario) were named for either Norman Milliken, or for his family at large.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]}

He moved to Bocabec , New Brunswick with his father American Loyalist Benjamin Milliken in 1782-4 after the American War of Independence. During the period 1803-1805 he lived in Pennsylvania and then returned to Bocabec. He moved to York, Upper Canada in 1805.

He used a flour mill on the west side of Yonge Street opposite Steeles Avenue for milling lumber (before Steeles Avenue was opened west of Yonge).^[16][17] Milliken operated the first lumber mill in the Township of Markham at German Mills, Ontario. He subsequently purchased a share in a lumber mill located at Markham Village in 1807 and supplied the Royal Navy^[18] with ship's planking.^[19]

The community now called "Milliken" formerly the rural hamlet of "Milliken's Corner" was first settled in 1798 by William Dumont. Norman Milliken settled in the area around 1807.^[20] In 1814 Norman Milliken received the deed for 200 acres of land at lot 1, concession 5, Markham Township which was the location of Milliken Corners. Norman Milliken built a hotel/tavern and livery stables there. The rural hamlet of Milliken's Corners eventually consisted of Milliken's Corners Methodist Church,^[21] a post office established 1858,^[20][22] a hotel^[19][23] and a general store.^[24] The hamlet became a postal village in 1858 and was called Milliken after Norman Millken.^[25]

See also

• Milliken, Ontario
• Milliken Mills High School
• Benjamin Milliken II

References