Franklin McMillan – Rural Diary Archive

A smiling portrait of Franklin McMillan wearing a white shirt and tie. This image is associated with his life as a fruit and market gardener from 1911 to 1961 in Halton County.

Coverage Dates: 1911 to 1961

County: Halton

Township: Nelson

Lot: 2

Concession: 1 N.D.S.

Gender: Male

Year of Birth: 1885

Year of Death: 1966

Ethnicity: English

Religion: Methodist

Occupation: Fruit & Market Gardener

Relationships:

Father: Unknown
Mother: Charlotte Effie McMillan
Grandfather: Alexander McMillan
Grandmother: Charlotte McMillan
Wife 1st marriage: Lillie May Boniface
Daughter: Charlotte

Archive: Archival and Special Collections, University of Guelph and Private Donor

Posted on Rural Diary Archive: Yes

Age During Diary: 26-76

Coverage: 50 years

Biography:

In 1920, Frank is newly married and it’s an exciting year. He becomes a father and is busy hiring pickers for his fruit farm, selling produce at market in Hamilton, and shipping it to Toronto and Collingwood by train. The Burlington area is known as the “Garden of Canada” for its fertile soil and moderate temperatures, with many farmers engaged in market gardening. The McMillans make the best of it, growing apple and plum trees, berries, cauliflower, corn, peas, and many other fruits and vegetables.

A black-and-white photograph of Frank McMillan sitting by the water in San Diego during his honeymoon in January 1920, wearing a coat and hat. — Frank on his honeymoon in San Diego, January 1920

Black-and-white photograph showing Frank McMillan (center), his Uncle John McMillan (far right), and their first truckload of strawberries destined for market in 1922. The truck is marked "A.D. McMillan Burlington Ont." — Frank (center), his Uncle John McMillan (far right) and their first load of strawberries destined for market, 1922

Photos courtesy of Alan Norton

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