Milton, Vermont

Milton, Vermont
Town
Location in Chittenden County and the state of Vermont.
Milton, Vermont Location in the United States
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Chittenden
Area
• Total	60.9 sq mi (157.7 km2)
• Land	51.5 sq mi (133.3 km2)
• Water	9.4 sq mi (24.4 km2)
Elevation	121 ft (37 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	10,352
• Density	201.0/sq mi (77.7/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	05468
Area code(s)	802
FIPS code	50-45250
GNIS feature ID	1462149
Website	www.miltonvt.org

Milton is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 10,352 at the 2010 census. According to local legend, the town was named for the English poet John Milton, but the name most likely originated from William FitzWilliam, 4th Earl FitzWilliam, who held the title Viscount Milton.

Milton has a municipal building, school system, library, police force, fire department, rescue squad, several churches, and both civic and social organizations.

The town is home to RAF and USAF defense contractor Omni Medical Systems.

History

Milton was chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire on June 8, 1763. In February 1782, the town was first settled by William Irish, Leonard Owen, Amos Mansfield, Absalom Taylor, and Thomas Dewey. There were approximately 300 settlers living in Milton by 1795. It was necessary to build a new meeting place, as meeting in private homes would no longer suffice. The Town House was built in 1849. In 1878 it was destroyed by a fire. Early settlers in Milton made most of their income from lumber and potash until 1840 when dairy became popular and butter and cheese were sold. Eventually milk was also shipped to Boston and New York.

Geography

Milton is located in northern Chittenden County, bordered by Franklin County to the north and Grand Isle County to the northwest, across an arm of Lake Champlain. The town includes the community of Milton in the east, as well as the communities of Cozy Corner, West View, Checkerberry Village, and West Milton from east to west across the center of the town. The Lamoille River flows from northeast to southwest across the town, entering Lake Champlain at the town's southwest corner. U.S. Route 2 crosses the east arm of Lake Champlain to Grand Isle from Sand Point, just north of the Lamoille River delta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Milton has a total area of 60.9 square miles (157.7 km²), of which 51.4 square miles (133.1 km²) is land and 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), or 15.62%, is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	282		—
1800	786		178.7%
1810	1,548		96.9%
1820	1,746		12.8%
1830	2,100		20.3%
1840	2,136		1.7%
1850	2,451		14.7%
1860	1,963		−19.9%
1870	2,062		5.0%
1880	2,006		−2.7%
1890	1,585		−21.0%
1900	1,804		13.8%
1910	1,648		−8.6%
1920	1,523		−7.6%
1930	1,663		9.2%
1940	1,750		5.2%
1950	1,874		7.1%
1960	2,022		7.9%
1970	4,495		122.3%
1980	6,829		51.9%
1990	8,404		23.1%
2000	9,479		12.8%
2010	10,352		9.2%
Est. 2014	10,667		3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,479 people, 3,333 households, and 2,609 families residing in the town. The population density was 184.2 people per square mile (71.1/km²). There were 3,505 housing units at an average density of 68.1 per square mile (26.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.10% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 3,333 households out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,379, and the median income for a family was $50,972. Males had a median income of $36,149 versus $27,256 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,048. About 4.2% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Public safety

In 2008, property crimes increased by 54.9%. The number of incidents for all crime was 706.

Transportation

The Chittenden County Transportation Authority provides weekday commuter bus service. Stops include the Milton Town Office Park & Ride and the Chimney Corner Park & Ride.

Notable people

• George Allen (1808–1876), born in Milton, noted clergyman and academic
• David R. Bean, Wisconsin legislator
• Edwin E. Bryant, Wisconsin legislator, was born in Milton.
• Luther S. Dixon (1825–1891), Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
• John G. Haskell (1832–1907), born in Milton, architect who designed Kansas public buildings including the Kansas State Capitol
• Alson Wood (1828-1904), born in Milton, Wisconsin State Assemblyman

External links

• Milton Vermont Official Town Website
• The Vermont Encyclopedia, page 206.