Milford, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Milford is a village
in Oakland County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 6,175 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Milford Township
.
, the village has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 2.39%, is water.
of 2000, there were 6,272 people, 2,427 households, and 1,706 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,560.7 per square mile (988.4/km²). There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 1,017.0 per square mile (392.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.35% White, 0.16% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.35% from other races
, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.
There were 2,427 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $59,688, and the median income for a family was $71,333. Males had a median income of $53,393 versus $31,935 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $26,159. About 6.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.
by Elizur and Stanley Ruggles in 1832. Early county records indicate that the mill was erected in the "Township" at that time, and that formal organization would occur in 1834. That same year, the first gristmill
was erected by Luman Fuller. In 1835, the first post office
was established with Aaron Phelps as postmaster
.
The Lower Mill Pond was created in 1836 to provide waterpower for the various types of mills and factories. The Upper Mill Pond followed in 1845. In 1911, the Hubbell Pond was created by a dam
built on the Huron River
to generate electricity
. The village was incorporated in 1869.
Hydropower made it possible for Milford to become one of the first communities to have electric lights, in 1892. A year later, telephone service was available in the Village. As a point of reference, nearby South Lyon
did not have electric lights until 1932.
By 1939, Henry Ford
built a carburetor
plant and two hydroelectric stations intended to allow residents to maintain their agricultural work while working in the factories. The former carburetor plant was demolished in 2002. The Art Deco
station still remains on Pettibone Creek in the village, and restoration work began in 2004.
(Historical information gathered from the Milford Historical Society, The Oakland Press, "An Account of Oakland County", listed in External Links.)
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The population was 6,175 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Milford Township
Milford Township, Michigan
Milford Charter Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,736 at the 2010 census. The village of Milford is located within the township.-Geography:...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 2.39%, is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,272 people, 2,427 households, and 1,706 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,560.7 per square mile (988.4/km²). There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 1,017.0 per square mile (392.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.35% White, 0.16% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.35% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.
There were 2,427 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $59,688, and the median income for a family was $71,333. Males had a median income of $53,393 versus $31,935 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $26,159. About 6.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.
History
The village of Milford began with the building of a sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
by Elizur and Stanley Ruggles in 1832. Early county records indicate that the mill was erected in the "Township" at that time, and that formal organization would occur in 1834. That same year, the first gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
was erected by Luman Fuller. In 1835, the first post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established with Aaron Phelps as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
.
The Lower Mill Pond was created in 1836 to provide waterpower for the various types of mills and factories. The Upper Mill Pond followed in 1845. In 1911, the Hubbell Pond was created by a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
built on the Huron River
Huron River (Michigan)
The Huron River is a river in southeastern Michigan, rising out of the Huron Swamp in Indian Springs Metropark in northern Oakland County and flowing into Lake Erie on the boundary between Wayne County and Monroe County...
to generate electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. The village was incorporated in 1869.
Hydropower made it possible for Milford to become one of the first communities to have electric lights, in 1892. A year later, telephone service was available in the Village. As a point of reference, nearby South Lyon
South Lyon, Michigan
South Lyon is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,327 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area, which had a population of 106,139 according to the 2000 census...
did not have electric lights until 1932.
By 1939, Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
built a carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
plant and two hydroelectric stations intended to allow residents to maintain their agricultural work while working in the factories. The former carburetor plant was demolished in 2002. The Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
station still remains on Pettibone Creek in the village, and restoration work began in 2004.
(Historical information gathered from the Milford Historical Society, The Oakland Press, "An Account of Oakland County", listed in External Links.)
Schools
Milford is part of the Huron Valley Schools district, the following of which are located in the village: Johnson Elementary, Kurtz Elementary, Margaret E. Muir Middle School.Notable residents
- Mary JacksonMary JacksonMary Jackson was an American actress. She is best known for the role of the lovelorn "Miss Emily Baldwin" in The Waltons and was the original choice to play "Alice Horton" in Days of our Lives...
(1910–2005), actress - Thomas LynchThomas Lynch (poet)Thomas Lynch is an American poet, essayist, and undertaker.-Early life:Lynch was educated by nuns and Christian Brothers at Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Lynch then went to university and mortuary school, from which he graduated in 1973...
, poet - Dax ShepardDax ShepardDax Randall Shepard is an American actor.- Early life :Shepard was born in Milford, Michigan and attended Muir Junior High and Walled Lake Central High School, before enrolling in The Groundlings school. He later received a degree in anthropology at UCLA...
(1975-), actor - Matt WayneMatt WayneMatt S. Wayne is an American writer of comic books and television. Wayne is probably best known for his work on the animated series Justice League Unlimited and The Super Hero Squad Show, and writing and editing comic books for Milestone Media....
(1964-), animation writer
External links
- Village of Milford
- Milford Historical Society
- Milford Downtown Development Authority
- Huron Valley Schools
- Milford Hydroelectric Powerhouse
- Milford Times
- "Remnants Remain of Oakland County's Water Powered Past" - Oakland Press
- An Account of Oakland County - University of Michigan "Michigan County Histories" Collection