The crossroads hamlet was originally dubbed Hammondsville after local early settler David Hammond, who settled in this area prior to 1820. At the suggestion of Stephen Oughtred, the local blacksmith, the name was changed to Sheridan (in honour of British playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan). On March 1, 1857, the name was officially adopted, and the post office opened and functioned under the name Sheridan until 1956. But the name did not die with the closure of the post office. Sheridan, as a name, continued: Sheridan Nurseries (1913), Sheridan College (1967), Sheridan Research Park (1965), Sheridan Mall (1968), Sheridan Homelands (1964), Sheridan Park Public School (1966), and more, perpetuated the name. When it came time to name the new town in 1967, the Sheridan name was a finalist (it, of course, lost out to Mississauga). You can find Sheridan listed in the Council Chambers at the Mississauga Civic Centre, along with other founding villages of Mississauga. Sheridan as a name has not died out. You can still find it scattered across our city’s landscape and it offers a subtle nod to our history.
But let’s focus. This story is about an anniversary.