Milton is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Chittenden County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,723. According to local legend, the town was named for the English poet

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and politica ...

, but the name most likely originated from William FitzWilliam, 4th Earl FitzWilliam, who held the title

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

Milton and was a supporter of independence for the colonies during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

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

History

Milton was chartered by Governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the List of colonial governors of New Hampshire, governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, W ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

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 Potash () includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.

until 1840, when dairy became popular and butter and cheese were sold. Eventually, milk was also shipped to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Milton was home of the Catamount Speedway, which operated until 1988. Many racers who have gone through there went on to

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

fame, including Shelburne native

Kevin Lepage Kevin Paul Lepage (born June 26, 1962) is a retired American professional stock car racing driver, who last drove in NASCAR in 2014. Racing career Early career Lepage spent the 1980s driving in both the Busch North series and the Vermont-based ...

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 , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/ Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type ...

. 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 The Lamoille River is a river which runs through northern Vermont and drains into Lake Champlain. It is about in length, and has a drainage area of around . The river generally flows southwest, and then northwest, from the water divide of the Gre ...

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. Sand Bar State Park is located along Route 2. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town of Milton has a total area of , of which is land and , or 15.62%, is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 9,479 people, 3,333 households, and 2,609 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

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). There were 3,333 households. Of these, 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. Of all households, 15.3% 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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,048. About 4.2% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, 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. The town of Milton maintains a Volunteer

Fire Department A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...

, a Volunteer

Rescue Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an accident or a dangerous situation. Tools used might include search and rescue dogs, mounted search and rescue ...

squad, and a fulltime

Police Department The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest ...

serving the town 24/7. The fire department was established in 1937, originally operating out of a small station on Main St. In 2003, they were moved to a large new station on Bombardier Rd next to the Town Offices and Rescue Squad. The Milton Rescue Service was established in 1966 by members of the Fire Department for providing transport to the hospital. Today they operate two ambulances for in town and mutual aid calls to neighboring towns and are licensed up to the Advanced EMT level. They are located on Bombardier Rd next to the Fire Department. The Milton Police Department was established in 1968 and provides 24hr 911 assistance and policing to the Town of Milton. Included in their operations is a K-9 units, School Resource officers, and 17 full-time Officers.

Transportation

The

Chittenden County Transportation Authority Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) was the public transit system headquartered in Burlington in Chittenden County, Vermont. CCTA served the communities of Burlington, Essex, South Burlington, Winooski, Shelburne, Williston and ...

provides weekday commuter bus service. Stops include the Milton Town Office Park & Ride and the Chimney Corner Park & Ride.

Major highways

Interstate 89 Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all odd-numbered p ...

* U.S. Route 2 * U.S. Route 7

Education

Milton Elementary School (MES): * In May 2012, the Odyssey of the Mind team participated in the World Finals. * In March 2013, a group of students and teachers from the elementary school were invited to the White House to join

First Lady Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

in planting the

kitchen garden The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager (from the French ) or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for grow ...

in early April. This was, in part, related to the initiatives the school food service director Steve Marinelli implemented that support ''

Let's Move! Let's Move! is a public health campaign in the United States led by First Lady Michelle Obama. The campaign aimed to reduce childhood obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle in children. The initiative had the initially stated goal of "so ...

'', as well as his blog. Milton Middle School (MMS): * The Odyssey of the Mind team participated in the World Finals in 2010 and 2015. Milton High School (MHS): * The

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

Company produces a musical in the fall and a

one-act play A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in wri ...

in the spring. The one-act is presented at the regional level. Milton's has been chosen to advance to the state level multiple times where it then competes to be selected as one of two schools to represent Vermont at the New England Drama Festival showcase. Milton has done so in 2002 (The Drowned and the Saved), 2004 (Women and Wallace), 2011 ( MacBeth), 2012 ( A Midsummer Night's Dream), 2014 ( Oedipus Rex), and 2015 ( Beowulf). * Milton hosted the New England Drama Festival in 2003. * In 2016, Milton seniors won first (Meredith Holbrook) and third (Ryan Racicot) place in

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Bernie Sanders' annual State of the Union essay contest. Two other Milton seniors (Megan Bromley and Sara Manfredi) were top twenty finalists. Essays of the winners and finalists will be entered into the Congressional Record. * Since the beginning of the school year of 2014, Milton High School has participated in the production and creation of a series of videos on Youtube that are structured in the format of a television show or news channel named Yellow Jacket Television, named after the district mascot. In this program, students film, edit, and produce their own segments collaboratively in an effort to present a "TV show" to be presented in front of the student body on a monthly basis. Some segments are based around sports, music, news, events, and other various topics and interests.

Businesses

The town is home to the warehouse for Gardener's Supply and a manufacturing facility for Husky Injection Molding Systems.

Auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

oval Catamount Stadium was located in Milton and many drivers, including

, raced here during their racing careers.

In popular culture

Milton was a filming location for some of the scenes in the

Farrelly brothers Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, collectively referred to as the Farrelly brothers, are American screenwriters and directors. They have made eleven films together, including ''Dumb and Dumber'', '' Outside Providence'', and '' There's Somethin ...

movie ''

Me, Myself & Irene ''Me, Myself & Irene'' is a 2000 American slapstick black comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, and starring Jim Carrey and Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins, Daniel Greene, Anthony Anderson, Jerod Mixon an ...

'', which starred Jim Carrey and

Renée Zellweger Renée Kathleen Zellweger (; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid ...

. On May 25, 2016, American singer-songwriter Daya performed an exclusive concert at Milton High School; fellow Artbeatz recording artist Symon performed in the concert as well.

Notable people

George Allen George Allen may refer to: Politics and law * George E. Allen (1896–1973), American political operative and one-time head coach of the Cumberland University football team * George Allen (Australian politician) (1800–1877), Mayor of Sydney and ...

, born in Milton, noted clergyman and academic * Heman Allen, U.S. Congressman * David R. Bean, Wisconsin legislator; was born in Milton * Edwin E. Bryant, Wisconsin legislator; was born in Milton *

Jean-Paul Cyr Jean-Paul Cyr (born December 8, 1965 in Milton, Vermont, United States) is an American racing driver. He competes in the American Canadian Tour. Seven times Champion of the ACT Tour in 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He won 19 races ...

, stock car racer * Luther S. Dixon, Chief Justice of the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...

John G. Haskell John Gideon Haskell (February 5, 1832 – November 25, 1907) was an architect who designed portions of the Kansas State Capitol and other public buildings in the state. Haskell was born in Milton, Vermont. His father moved to Lawrence, Kansas i ...

, born in Milton, architect who designed Kansas public buildings including the

Kansas State Capitol The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in the city of Topeka, which has served as the capital of Kansas sin ...

* Michael Hastings, journalist and author * George LeClair,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher *

John Palasik John Eugene Palasik (February 5, 1954 – November 15, 2022) was an American Vermont Republican Party, Republican politician who represented the Chittenden-10 district in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2019 until his death in 2022. He ...

, Vermont state legislator *

Apollos Smith Apollos "Paul" Smith (1825–1912) was an American hunting and fishing guide from Vermont who founded the Saint Regis House in the Town of Brighton, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. It was known universally as Paul Smith's Hotel, one of th ...

, born in Milton, wilderness guide, founder of wilderness resort, eponym of

Paul Smiths, New York Paul Smiths is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Brighton in Franklin County, New York, United States. It is located on Lower Saint Regis Lake in the Adirondacks, northwest of Saranac Lake, located at 44°26' North 74°1 ...

* Noah Smith, one of the founders of Vermont and a justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

* Donald H. Turner, Minority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives * Alson Wood, born in Milton, Wisconsin State Assemblyman * Amaziah Church, founder of Churchville, Peel Regional Municipality, Ontario, was noted in the 1790 census as living in Milton

References

External links

Milton, Vermont Official Town Website

''The Vermont Encyclopedia'', page 206.
{{Authority control Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area Towns in Chittenden County, Vermont Towns in Vermont