Milton, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Milton is a city in Rock County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. The population was 5,090 at the 2000 census (2008 estimate, 5,090).
Originally named Prairie du Lac, Milton was settled in 1838 by Joseph Goodrich, who built an inn, the Milton House
, at the intersection of two trade routes. The Milton House is today one of the oldest poured grout
structures in the United States. A noted abolitionist, Goodrich is known to have aided fugitive
slaves escape to freedom via the underground railroad
.
It is believed that Milton is named after poet John Milton
, author of "Paradise Lost
", after a settler remarked that the town was his "Paradise Regained" after leaving his previous home, which he thought of as a paradise lost.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 5,132 people, 2,034 households, and 1,383 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,587.8 people per square mile (613.5/km²). There were 2,129 housing units at an average density of 658.7 per square mile (254.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.07% White, 0.18% Black or African American
, 0.14% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.49% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 2,034 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,201, and the median income for a family was $52,384. Males had a median income of $39,392 versus $22,866 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,058. About 3.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
animal nutrition plant is located in Milton, with a 170-foot (52 m) grain elevator
.
, Milton Middle School, Northside Intermediate School, Milton East Elementary, Milton West Elementary, Consolidated Elementary, Harmony School, and MECAS (Milton Edgerton Clinton Alternative School).
The former Milton College
operated from 1844 to 1982. Milton native, Albert Whitford
, a graduate of the college, became a leading astronomer.
The city is increasingly tied to Janesville
, its larger neighbor to the south, and parts of Janesville are now within the Milton School District as that city expands to the north and east. Students that go to Milton may live in several other districts surrounding Milton such as Janesville and Harmony district.
Rock County, Wisconsin
-Unincorporated communities:-Further reading:* . Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,090 at the 2000 census (2008 estimate, 5,090).
History
The city was formed as a result of the 1967 merger of the villages of Milton and Milton Junction. In November of that year, ballots were cast by 1,093 voters from both villages (Milton: 515 to 47 in favor of the merge; Milton Junction: 322 to 201 in favor of the merge), and the referendum to merge the two was approved by 77%.Originally named Prairie du Lac, Milton was settled in 1838 by Joseph Goodrich, who built an inn, the Milton House
Milton House
Milton House, also known as Joseph Goodrich House and Cabin, is a historic building in Milton, Wisconsin. It is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, which was an informal means of escape for slaves. In addition, the building is believed to be the first grout building built in...
, at the intersection of two trade routes. The Milton House is today one of the oldest poured grout
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
structures in the United States. A noted abolitionist, Goodrich is known to have aided fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
slaves escape to freedom via the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
It is believed that Milton is named after poet John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
, author of "Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
", after a settler remarked that the town was his "Paradise Regained" after leaving his previous home, which he thought of as a paradise lost.
Geography
Milton is located at 42°46′40"N 88°57′18"W (42.777795, -88.955133).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 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all land.
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 5,132 people, 2,034 households, and 1,383 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 1,587.8 people per square mile (613.5/km²). There were 2,129 housing units at an average density of 658.7 per square mile (254.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.07% White, 0.18% Black or African American
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...
, 0.14% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.49% 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 0.82% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There were 2,034 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,201, and the median income for a family was $52,384. Males had a median income of $39,392 versus $22,866 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 $22,058. About 3.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Milton is the site of a $70 million ethanol plant built by United Cooperative. A CargillCargill
Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held, multinational corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded in 1865, it is now the largest privately held corporation in the United States in terms of revenue. If it were a public company, it would rank, as of 2011, number 13 on the Fortune 500,...
animal nutrition plant is located in Milton, with a 170-foot (52 m) grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
.
Education
Milton Schools include Milton High SchoolMilton High School (Milton, Wisconsin)
Milton High School is a public high school located in the small town of Milton, Wisconsin with a population of approximately 5,588 people. Milton High School has about 80 staff members and 1040 students with graduating classes of 250 students. Jeremy Bilhorn is the Principal at MHS...
, Milton Middle School, Northside Intermediate School, Milton East Elementary, Milton West Elementary, Consolidated Elementary, Harmony School, and MECAS (Milton Edgerton Clinton Alternative School).
The former Milton College
Milton College
Milton College was a private college located in Milton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1844 as the Milton Academy, it closed in 1982. Its campus is now part of the Milton Historic District....
operated from 1844 to 1982. Milton native, Albert Whitford
Albert Whitford
Albert Edward Whitford was an American astronomer.Whitford was born in Milton, Wisconsin and attended Milton College. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the director of Washburn Observatory from 1948 to 1958. From 1958 to 1968 he was the director of Lick...
, a graduate of the college, became a leading astronomer.
The city is increasingly tied to Janesville
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
, its larger neighbor to the south, and parts of Janesville are now within the Milton School District as that city expands to the north and east. Students that go to Milton may live in several other districts surrounding Milton such as Janesville and Harmony district.
Notable people
- Willis ColeWillis ColeWillis Russell Cole was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox.-External links:...
, baseball player - Leo CrowleyLeo CrowleyLeo Thomas Crowley was a member of the cabinet of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the head of the Foreign Economic Administration. Previously he had served as Alien Property Custodian and as chief of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation...
, head of the Foreign Economic AdministrationForeign Economic AdministrationIn the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Foreign Economic Administration was formed to relieve friction between US agencies operating abroad. As described by the biographer of the FEA's chief, Leo Crowley, the agency was designed and run by "The Nation's #1 Pinch-hitter".S. L... - Mark NeumannMark NeumannMark W. Neumann is a businessman and politician. He represented from 1995 to 1999. In 2010, Neumann lost a bid to become the Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin. Neumann is currently a candidate for U.S...
, U.S. Representative - Mike Saunders, professional football player
- David RubitskyDavid RubitskyDavid Rubitsky MBE, is an American veteran of World War II who claims he was denied the Medal of Honor because he is Jewish. In 1987, the United States Army began a 23-month investigation and concluded that there was "incontestable evidence" that he had not done what he had claimed.-World War...
, World War II veteran - Albert WhitfordAlbert WhitfordAlbert Edward Whitford was an American astronomer.Whitford was born in Milton, Wisconsin and attended Milton College. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the director of Washburn Observatory from 1948 to 1958. From 1958 to 1968 he was the director of Lick...
, noted astronomer, for whom the asteroid 2301 Whitford2301 Whitford2301 Whitford is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 20, 1965 by the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory.- External links :...
is named. - William Clarke WhitfordWilliam Clarke WhitfordWilliam Clarke Whiford was an American educator, legislator, and pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist Church from Wisconsin....
, educator
External links
- City of Milton website
- Milton House
- Milton - Wisconsin - a special section on cultural geography - The Whole Earth ReviewWhole Earth ReviewWhole Earth was a magazine which was founded in January 1985 after the merger of the Whole Earth Software Review and the CoEvolution Quarterly. All of these periodicals are descendants of Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog...
(1988) - Milton Public Library