Milford, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Milford is a city in Clermont
and Hamilton
counties in the U.S. state
of Ohio
, along the Little Miami River
in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of Greater Cincinnati. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill
ford
, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami north of the Ohio River
, and was the only way for many people to reach the local mill. The population was 6,284 at the 2000 census. The Little Miami Bike Trail
, which runs from Newtown to Springfield, Ohio
, runs through Milford where several major hiking trails converge including the American Discovery Trail, the Sea to Sea Long Distance Hiking Route, and the Underground Railroad Cycling Route.
for several generations; it is now believed to have been the site of a Native American village during the Woodland period
. Today, the field is an archaeological site
known as the "Gatch Site
."
The areas known as Milford, Old Milford, and Miami Township
were built on a survey by John Nancarrow, a American Revolutionary War
veteran from Virginia
. The area known as Miami Township was named after the Little Miami River and the tribe of Native Americans
who once controlled this area. Miami Township was originally named O'Bannon Township in honor of the county's first surveyor. The first United Methodist Church
in the Northwest Territory was founded in Milford by Robert J. Gaible in 1798.
Because of financial troubles, Nancarrow never visited Milford, and instead sold his share of 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) of land to Phillip Gatch December 20, 1802, for a total of $920.00. Four years later, Gatch decided to sell 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) to Ambrose Ransom who, soon after, sold 64 acres (258,999 m²) to John Hageman. Hageman became the first permanent settler and named the area Hageman's Mills.
By 1815, Hageman had left for Indiana
, and the name "Milford" had come into popular use. In 1818 a wooden bridge across the Little Miami was completed, making the ford obsolete. More than a century later, on January 1, 1920, the mill that was the city's namesake burned down.
At the end of the 1960s Milford was the typical American small town. Small grocery stores, a butcher shop, five & dime, drug store, barber shop and a taxi company that doubled as the fire dispatcher for the volunteer fire department, served as the hub of community activity.
Today, Milford is developing into a suburb of nearby Cincinnati; many of its residents work in the city of Cincinnati or its other suburbs.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.9 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.83%) is water.
of 2000, there were 6,284 people, 2,945 households, and 1,534 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,672.1 people per square mile (645.3/km²). There were 3,112 housing units at an average density of 828.0 per square mile (319.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.08% White, 3.33% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.91% of the population.
There were 2,945 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 43.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 81.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,923, and the median income for a family was $51,919. Males had a median income of $36,538 versus $25,873 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,529. About 4.1% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Clermont County, Ohio
Clermont County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, just east of Cincinnati. As of 2010, the population was 197,363. Its county seat is Batavia...
and Hamilton
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
counties 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 Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, along the Little Miami River
Little Miami River
The Little Miami River is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows through five counties in southwestern Ohio in the United States. The Little Miami joins the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. It forms parts of the borders between Hamilton and Clermont counties and between Hamilton and Warren...
in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of Greater Cincinnati. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami north of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, and was the only way for many people to reach the local mill. The population was 6,284 at the 2000 census. The Little Miami Bike Trail
Little Miami Bike Trail
The Little Miami Scenic Trail, also known as the Little Miami Scenic River Trail and Little Miami Bike Trail, is a rail trail that runs though five southwestern counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The multi-use trail sees frequent use by hikers and bicyclists, as well as the occasional horseback...
, which runs from Newtown to Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, runs through Milford where several major hiking trails converge including the American Discovery Trail, the Sea to Sea Long Distance Hiking Route, and the Underground Railroad Cycling Route.
History
Milford has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A field along Gatch Avenue on what was once the farm of John Gatch has yielded large numbers of artifactsArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
for several generations; it is now believed to have been the site of a Native American village during the Woodland period
Woodland period
The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the...
. Today, the field is an archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
known as the "Gatch Site
Gatch Site
The Gatch Site is an archaeological site located near Milford, Ohio, United States. One of the largest archaeological sites in Clermont County, it is believed to have been a Native American village site during the Middle Woodland period.-Site:...
."
The areas known as Milford, Old Milford, and Miami Township
Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio
Miami Township is one of the fourteen townships of Clermont County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 36,632 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
were built on a survey by John Nancarrow, a American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veteran from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The area known as Miami Township was named after the Little Miami River and the tribe of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
who once controlled this area. Miami Township was originally named O'Bannon Township in honor of the county's first surveyor. The first United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
in the Northwest Territory was founded in Milford by Robert J. Gaible in 1798.
Because of financial troubles, Nancarrow never visited Milford, and instead sold his share of 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) of land to Phillip Gatch December 20, 1802, for a total of $920.00. Four years later, Gatch decided to sell 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) to Ambrose Ransom who, soon after, sold 64 acres (258,999 m²) to John Hageman. Hageman became the first permanent settler and named the area Hageman's Mills.
By 1815, Hageman had left for Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and the name "Milford" had come into popular use. In 1818 a wooden bridge across the Little Miami was completed, making the ford obsolete. More than a century later, on January 1, 1920, the mill that was the city's namesake burned down.
At the end of the 1960s Milford was the typical American small town. Small grocery stores, a butcher shop, five & dime, drug store, barber shop and a taxi company that doubled as the fire dispatcher for the volunteer fire department, served as the hub of community activity.
Today, Milford is developing into a suburb of nearby Cincinnati; many of its residents work in the city of Cincinnati or its other suburbs.
Geography
Milford is located at 39°10′30"N 84°17′4"W (39.174883, -84.284383).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.9 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.83%) 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 6,284 people, 2,945 households, and 1,534 families residing in the city. 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 1,672.1 people per square mile (645.3/km²). There were 3,112 housing units at an average density of 828.0 per square mile (319.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.08% White, 3.33% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.32% 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 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.91% of the population.
There were 2,945 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 43.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 81.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,923, and the median income for a family was $51,919. Males had a median income of $36,538 versus $25,873 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 city was $22,529. About 4.1% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.