Norman Milliken (July 11, 1771

Trenton, Maine Trenton is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States, near Acadia National Park. The population was 1,584 at the 2020 census. Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport is located in Trenton. In January 1969, town voters defeated 144–77 an atte ...

– February 2, 1843 Markham,

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...

) was a

loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

, farmer, lumber mill owner and hotel/tavern keeper in York County, Ontario. The community of Milliken Mills in Markham, Ontario is named after him.

Biography

Early life

Norman Milliken was one of 7 children born to Benjamin and Phebe Milliken. He moved to

Bocabec, New Brunswick Bocabec is a community in Saint Patrick Parish, Charlotte County in the Canadian province of New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the ...

with his father American Loyalist

Benjamin Milliken Benjamin Milliken (born 1728 Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay died 1791 Bocabec, New Brunswick) was an American Loyalist, major landowner, mill and ship owner in Maine in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, British North America. He was the ...

in 1782-1791 after the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. In 1803, he left Bocabec and moved to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He returned to Bocabec in 1805, and then moved to

York, Upper Canada York was a town and second capital of the colony of Upper Canada. It is the predecessor to the Old Toronto, old city of Toronto (1834–1998). It was established in 1793 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe as a "temporary" location for th ...

and began milling. He married Susannah Walton in Bocebec, New Brunswick, Canada. In 1794, his son,

Benjamin Milliken II Benjamin Milliken II U.E. (1794 in Bocabec, New Brunswick – 1863 in Township of Markham, Canada West, Province of Canada) was a United Empire Loyalist, farmer and soldier who lived in Markham Township, York County, Upper Canada in the nineteenth ...

was born in New Brunswick. He had twelve children.

Milliken's Corners

The rural hamlet of "Milliken's Corners" was first settled in 1798 by William Dumont. Norman Milliken settled in the area around 1807. In 1807, he founded a small hamlet in Markham, Ontario. Norman, along with two of his brothers established a lumbering business with a contract that supplied the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

with ship's planking and lumber. For mill work, he used one of the first lumber Mills in the Township of Markham known as "German Mills" and also rented a flour mill on the west side of

Yonge Street Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. Once the southernmost leg of provincial Hi ...

for milling lumber. He subsequently purchased a share in a lumber mill located at

Markham Village Markham Village ( 2006 population 6,090) is the historic town centre of Markham, Ontario, Canada. Originally settled in 1825, the village -- originally named "Reesorville" (reference to the Reesors settlers) sometime after 1804 and also known as ...

. Miiliken and his brothers also built a hotel, reputedly to control the drinking habits of the lumbermen, and livery stables. Norman's daughter Charlotte ran the hotel for her father. 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. The rural hamlet of Milliken's Corners eventually consisted of Milliken's Corners Methodist Church (at south east corner of Brimley and Steeles merged to form Ebenezer Presbyterian Church on northwest corner), a post office which was established 1858 (northeast corner of Old Kennedy Road and Steeles), a hotel and a general store. The hamlet became a postal village in 1858 and was called Milliken after Norman Millken.

Legacy

The communities of

Milliken, Ontario Milliken and Milliken Mills are neighbourhoods in the cities of Toronto and Markham. Milliken is situated in the north west section of Scarborough, whereas Milliken Mills is situated in the south-central portions of Markham. The neighbourhoods a ...

and Milliken Mills (likely referencing to mills owned and/or operated by Milliken) in

Markham Markham may refer to: It may also refer to brand of of clothing which originates from South Africa which saw it's establishment in 1873. Biology * Markham's storm-petrel (''Oceanodroma markhami''), a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia * ...

, and Milliken Mills High-school (were named after various mills owned or operated by Milliken). The Milliken name is also associated with the Township of Markham. The name surname "Millikin" is likely derived from the double diminutive of 'mael-oc-an' meaning "the little bald or shaved one." The hamlet remained a rural community until the 1980s. In the 1980s urbanization had developed in the area and farming stopped.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milliken, Norman United Empire Loyalists People of colonial Maine People from Trenton, Maine 1771 births 1843 deaths Milliken family

Biography

Early life

Milliken's Corners

Legacy

See also

References