Milford, Ohio

Milford, Ohio
City
Motto: "On the Little Miami"

Location of Milford, Ohio
Coordinates: 39°10′30″N 84°17′4″W / 39.17500°N 84.28444°WCoordinates: 39°10′30″N 84°17′4″W / 39.17500°N 84.28444°W
Country United States
State Ohio
Counties Clermont, Hamilton
Area[1]
 • Total 3.85 sq mi (9.97 km2)
 • Land 3.73 sq mi (9.66 km2)
 • Water 0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2)
Elevation[2] 548 ft (167 m)
Population (2010)[3]
 • Total 6,709
 • Estimate (2012[4]) 6,681
 • Density 1,798.7/sq mi (694.5/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 45150
Area code(s) 513
FIPS code 39-50176[5]
GNIS feature ID 1061523[2]
Website www.milfordohio.org

Milford is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties[6] 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 6,709 at the 2010 census.[7] 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. The city is served by the Milford Exempted Village Schools.

History

Overview of the Gatch Site, 2010

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 artifacts 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."[8]

The areas known as Milford, Old Milford, and Miami Township were built on a survey by John Nancarrow, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia. 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 acres (0.93 km2) of land to Philip Gatch on December 20, 1802, for a total of $920.00. Four years later, Gatch decided to sell 125 acres (0.51 km2) to Ambrose Ranson who, soon after, sold 64 acres (260,000 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 seeks to maintain its own urban identity, having developed into a suburb of nearby Cincinnati throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with many of its residents working in Cincinnati. Milford remains Clermont County's only city besides Loveland, which includes parts of Hamilton County.

Present day

Milford Main Street, 2007

Events

Environment

Milford is home to an EPA Superfund site currently on the National Priorities List, the Milford Contaminated Aquifer. The site was added to the NPL in December 2011, after volatile organic compounds such as PCE were found in municipal drinking water supplies.[9]

Business

Area businesses and groups with substantial operations in Milford or adjacent townships include the headquarters of Penn Station sandwiches, Total Quality Logistics, Melink alternative energy corporation, Lykins Oil, Overhoff Technology the North American headquarters of Tata,Christopher George Salon, and the United Church of God.

Geography

Little Miami River, 2007

Milford is located at 39°10′30″N 84°17′4″W / 39.17500°N 84.28444°W (39.174883, -84.284383).[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.85 square miles (9.97 km2), of which 3.73 square miles (9.66 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.31 km2) is water.[1]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1890995—
19001,14915.5%
19101,32115.0%
19201,52515.4%
19301,91525.6%
19402,13911.7%
19502,44814.4%
19604,13168.8%
19704,82816.9%
19805,2328.4%
19905,6608.2%
20006,28411.0%
20106,7096.8%
Est. 20126,681−0.4%
Sources:[11][12][13][14][15][16][5][17]

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 6,709 people, 3,019 households, and 1,572 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,798.7 inhabitants per square mile (694.5/km2). There were 3,291 housing units at an average density of 882.3 per square mile (340.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.6% White, 2.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 3,019 households of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.9% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.92.

The median age in the city was 43.2 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.2% male and 54.8% female.

2000 census

First Methodist Church, 2012

As of the census[5] 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.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  4. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ Zoning map showing that a small portion of Milford is on the Hamilton County side of the river
  7. ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Milford city, Ohio". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  8. ↑ Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 142-143.
  9. ↑ "Milford Contanimated Acquifer". December 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. ↑ "Population of Civil Divisions Less than Counties". Statistics of the Population of the United States at the Tenth Census. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Population of Civil Divisions Less than Counties". Statistics of the Population of the United States at the Tenth Census. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Population: Ohio". 1910 U.S. Census. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "Population: Ohio". 1930 US Census. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Number of Inhabitants: Ohio". 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "Ohio: Population and Housing Unit Counts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 25 November 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Milford, Ohio.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Milford-Miami Township.