Milton, Massachusetts

Milton, Massachusetts
Town
Seal
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Milton Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°15′00″N 71°04′00″W / 42.25000°N 71.06667°W / 42.25000; -71.06667Coordinates: 42°15′00″N 71°04′00″W / 42.25000°N 71.06667°W / 42.25000; -71.06667
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Norfolk
Settled	1640
Incorporated	1662
Government
• Type	Representative town meeting
• Town Administrator	Michael Dennehy
Area
• Total	34.4 km2 (13.3 sq mi)
• Land	33.8 km2 (13.0 sq mi)
• Water	0.6 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
Elevation	40 m (130 ft)
Population  (2010)[1]
• Total	27,003
• Density	780/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	02186
Area code(s)	617 and 857
FIPS code	25-41690
GNIS feature ID	0619459
Website	www.townofmilton.org

Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and an affluent suburb of Boston. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census.^[1] Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. In 2007, 2009, and 2011, Money magazine listed Milton as 7th, 5th, and 2nd, respectively, on its annual list of the "Best Places to Live" in the United States.^[2]

Milton is located between the Neponset River and the Blue Hills. It is bordered by Boston's Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods to the north and its Hyde Park neighborhood to the west; Quincy to the east and south; Randolph to the south, and Canton to the west.

History[]

Before independence[]

Before the Europeans settled in what is now Milton, the area was inhabited by the Neponset tribe of the Massachusett people. During the spring and summer, they would inhabit the marshes of the Neponset River and Squantum, living off the plentiful supply of seafood. In the fall and winter, they would migrate inland to the Blue Hills to hunt game in the thickly forested hills. The Massachusett people named the area 'Unquatiquisset' or alternatively 'Unquity' meaning "Lower Falls", denoting the place where the Neponset River meets the Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.

Milton was settled in the 1630s as a part of Dorchester by Puritans from England. Richard Callicott, one of the first settlers, built a trading post near the Neponset River and negotiated the purchase of Milton from Sachem Cutshamekin. Many of the settlers arrived during the 1650s, fleeing the aftermath of Oliver Cromwell's deposition from power and the English Civil War.^[3] The original name for the area, translated to "Lower Falls" was adapted as "Lower Mills" after the establishment of the Israel Stoughton Grist Mill in 1634. In 1662, "that part of the Town of Dorchester which is situated on the south side of the Neponset River commonly called 'Unquatiquisset' was incorporated as an independent town and named Milton in honor of Milton Abbey, Dorset, England."

Many early Puritan families of Milton became influential in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, such as: the Sumners, Houghtons, Hutchinsons, Stoughtons, Tuckers, Voses, Glovers and Babcocks.^[4]

Milton's Walter Baker Chocolate Factory to the right

A powder mill established in 1674 may have been the first in the earliest in the colonies, taking advantage of the town's water power sites. Boston investors, seeing the potential of the town and its proximity to the city, provided the capital to develop 18th-century Milton as an industrial area, including an iron slitting mill, paper and sawmills, and the first chocolate factory in New England (the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory) in 1764, which was converted from the old Stoughton Grist Mill. Laying of streetcar lines fueled the rapid expansion of residential development.

The Suffolk Resolves House

The Suffolk Resolves were signed in Milton in 1774, and were used as a model by the drafters of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Suffolk Resolves House, where the Resolves were passed, still stands and it is maintained as the headquarters of the Milton Historical Society. At the time of the Resolves it was owned by Capt. Daniel Vose, a well-known businessman, and later a representative to the Provincial Congress.^[5] The house was moved to a new location at 1370 Canton Avenue in West Milton in order to save it from demolition at its previous location in "Milton Village" at Lower Mills. They were the "Suffolk Resolves" because Milton was part of Suffolk County until 1793, when Norfolk County split off, leaving only Boston and Chelsea in Suffolk County.

Two royal governors of Massachusetts, Jonathan Belcher and Thomas Hutchinson, had houses in Milton. The Governor Belcher House dates from 1777, replacing the earlier home destroyed in fire in 1776, and it is privately owned on Governor Belcher Lane in East Milton. Although Hutchinson's house was demolished in the 1940s, Governor Hutchinson's Field, owned by the Trustees of Reservations today is a wide expanse of greenery on Milton Hill, with a view of the Neponset River estuary and the skyscrapers of Boston six miles (10 km) away. Both Governor Belcher's house and Governor Hutchinson's field are on the National Register of Historic Places.

After independence[]

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Milton was a prosperous agricultural town. The town grew wealthy in the 19th century with the booming China Trade and the industrialization of Massachusetts during the early Industrial Revolution. As a result, many wealthy Bostonians built grand country-estates set on vast grounds throughout the former farmlands of Milton. Most of these estates were concentrated on Milton Hill, Brush Hill and Upper Canton Avenue. Among the last remaining of these intact estates is the W.E.C Eustis Estate on Canton Avenue.

During the 20th century, the character of the town changed from that of agriculture and rural retreat for the wealthy to suburban. The population of the town exploded following World War II. By the 1950s, many of the big estates were broken into subdivisions as the town's residential growth continued.

The town was home to America's first piano factory. Revolutionary Milton is the setting of the opening of the 1940 bestselling historical novel Oliver Wiswell by Kenneth Roberts. The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory is located in the town, home of the nation's oldest continuously kept meteorological records.^[6]

The switch frog of the Granite Railway that was displayed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893

The Granite Railway passed from Quincy to the Neponset River in Milton, beginning in 1826. It is often called the first commercial railroad in the United States, as it was the first chartered railway to evolve into a common carrier without an intervening closure. A centennial historic plaque from 1926 and an original switch frog and section of track from the railway can be found in the gardens on top of the Southeast Expressway (Interstate 93) as it passes under East Milton Square. The frog had been displayed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.^[7]

East Milton Square developed as a direct result of the Granite Railway. Four sheds there were used to dress the granite stone prior to it being brought by rail to the wharf for transfer to boats. East Milton Square was originally termed the "Railway Village" and a train station was located there after 1871 when the Granite Railway became a passenger line of the Old Colony Railroad. The Blue Bell Tavern, which was also a hotel, served as the headquarters of the Granite Railway and it was later named the Russell House. It was located on the site of the current United States Post Office in East Milton Square.

The G.H. Bent Factory

In 1801 Josiah Bent began a baking operation in Milton, selling "water crackers" or biscuits made of flour and water that would not deteriorate during long sea voyages from the port of Boston. The crackling sound occurred during baking, hence the name. This is where the American term "cracker" originated. His company later sold the original hardtack crackers used by troops during the American Civil War. The company, Bent's Cookie Factory, is still located in Milton and continues to sell these items to Civil War reenactors and others.

Robert Bennet Forbes was a noted China Trade merchant, sea captain, and philanthropist during the Irish Famine. He built a Greek Revival mansion in 1833 at 215 Adams Street on Milton Hill. The Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours. In addition to artifacts from the China Trade period, the museum's grounds include a log cabin replica and a collection of Lincoln memorabilia.

George Herbert Walker Bush was born at 173 Adams Street on Milton Hill on June 12, 1924. He became the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993, and his son would become the 43rd President. Coincidentally, Adams Street is named for the family of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, who lived on the same street just a few miles southeast in Quincy, Massachusetts. The Bush Family moved from Milton to Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1925. The Victorian house where President Bush was born is now privately owned and not open to the public.

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.3 sq mi (34.4 km²), of which, 13.1 sq mi (33.8 km²) is land and the balance is water.

Great Blue Hill in the Blue Hills Reservation is the highest point in Norfolk County. The summit houses the Blue Hill Observatory, home of the longest continuous weather record in North America, along with multiple radio transmitters.

There are no official wards or neighborhoods defined in the town's governance and community planning processes.^[8]

There are three GNIS populated places located in the town:^[9]

• Milton (42°14'58"N 71°03'58"W),
• Milton Center (42°15'15"N 71°04'48"W), and
• East Milton (42°15'30"N 71°02'33"W).

Although geopolitical lines do not form neighborhoods in Milton, there are many distinct neighborhoods, such as the Columbine Rocks, Indian Cliffs, Scott's Woods, Brush Hill, Milton Village and Edge Hill Park, among others.

Climate[]

Milton is often cited as being the windiest city in the United States, with an annual average wind speed of 15.4 mph (24.8 km/h) measured at the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory.^[10][11][12]

Demographics[]

As of the census^[25] of 2010, there were 27,002 people, 9,274 households, and 6,835 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 77.4% White, 14.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.

As of the census^[25] of 2000, the population density was 1,999.1 people per square mile (771.7/km²). There were 9,161 housing units at an average density of 702.7 per square mile (271.2/km²).

The top six ancestries of Milton are Irish (38.0%), Italian (11.3%), English (8.6%), West Indian (4.8%), and German (4.7%).

Milton also has been cited as having the highest percentage of residents citing Irish lineage of any town in the United States per capita—38%.^[26]

There were 8,982 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. Of all households 21.2% were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

According to a 2010 estimate,^[27] the median income for a household in the town was $103,373, and the median income for a family was $131,025. Males had a median income of $85,748 versus $61,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $47,589. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

There are six public schools in Milton, including four elementary schools: Collicot, Cunningham, Glover, and Tucker; one middle school, Charles S. Pierce; and the Milton High School. There are also private schools, high schools and elementary/middle schools, including the prep school Milton Academy, the girls' school Fontbonne Academy, , St. Agatha's, Thacher Montessori School, Carriage House Schools, and Delphi Academy.

Milton is also home to Curry College, a small liberal arts institution.

Milton is also one of the few school systems to offer a French immersion program, starting in Grade 1. For those students that participate in this program, all classes are taught in French during grades 1 and 2, allowing children to become fluent in this language. In grades 3 - 5, some classes are taught in English as well to prepare for the MCAS. This program continues through grade 12. Spanish/English is taught as well. In the middle school Latin is available for the Spanish/English students.

Transportation[]

Milton lies within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority district. Fixed-route service includes the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line, a light rail extension of the Red Line. Milton has 4 stops: Milton, Central Avenue, Valley Road, and Capen Street. This was originally a steam railway prior to becoming a trolley line. Massachusetts Route 28 and Massachusetts Route 138 run north and south across Milton, and Interstate 93, which is also U.S. Route 1 and Massachusetts Route 3, loops around the town near the southern and eastern borders.^[28]

Cycling is a popular form of transportation and recreation in Milton. The opening of the reconnected Milton with Boston Harbor via Port Norfolk, Dorchester. Other cycling routes and locations include Turner's Pond, Brook Road, Blue Hills Parkway, Milton Cemetery, and the Pine Tree Brook greenway.^[29]

The Milton Yacht Club began in 1902, with a small building in the Lower Mills area beside the Neponset River that was formerly the police department for the town of Milton. Various boats continue to be anchored there or stored on the dock during the winter.

Notable people[]

Points of interest[]

Milton has 30 sites or districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the following:

• Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
• Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House
• Governor Hutchinson's Field
• Granite Railway
• Suffolk Resolves House

Other places of interest include:

• Blue Hills Reservation
• Eustis Estate
• Houghton's Pond
• Milton Academy
• Curry College
• Carriage House School

In popular culture[]

Filming locations featuring Milton[]

• The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)^{[citation needed]}
• Love Story (1970)
• The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
• This Old House TV Series
• The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
• What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)
• Spartan (2005)
• The Box (2009)
• The Social Network (2010)
• The Judge (2013)

Books featuring Milton[]

• Kenneth Roberts — Oliver Wiswell (1940)
• Johnny Tremain

The Late George Apley, by John Marquand

Notes[]

1. "TOTAL POPULATION Survey/Program: Decennial Census, Years: 2010, U.S. Census Bureau." Retrieved 2020-06-03 https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=population%20milton,%20ma&g=1600000US2541725&hidePreview=false&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1&vintage=2018&layer=VT_2018_160_00_PY_D1&cid=DP05_0001E

References[]

• Massachusetts Observed Climate Normals (1981–2010)
• The History of Milton, Mass., 1640–1887 by Albert Kendall Teele, published 1886, 688 pages.
• Milton Records: Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1662–1843. Published 1900.
• Dutton, E.P. Chart of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay with Map of Adjacent Country. Published 1867. A good map of roads and rail lines around Milton including the Granite Railroad.
• Old USGS Maps of Milton area.
• https://web.archive.org/web/20081013100415/http://www.muninetguide.com/schools/MA/Milton/Tucker/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20080907194054/http://www.muninetguide.com/schools/MA/Milton/Collicot/
• https://www.townofmilton.org/people/michael-d-dennehy

External links[]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Milton (Massachusetts).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Milton, Massachusetts.

• Official Milton homepage
• Milton Historical Society homepage