Milford, Delaware facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milford, Delaware
City
Walnut Street in Milford in 2020
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Location of Milford in Kent County and Sussex County, Delaware.
Milford, Delaware Location in Delaware Show map of Delaware Milford, Delaware Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Kent, Sussex
Settled	1680
Incorporated	February 5, 1807
Government
• Type	Council-manager government
Area
• Total	9.94 sq mi (25.75 km2)
• Land	9.85 sq mi (25.52 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,190
• Density	1,135.58/sq mi (438.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	19963
Area code(s)	302
FIPS code	10-47420
GNIS feature ID	214308
Website	www.cityofmilford.com

Milford is a city in the state of Delaware, USA. It is located in both Kent and Sussex counties. In 2020, about 11,190 people lived in Milford.

History of Milford

Milford's story began in 1680 when Henry Bowan settled on land called Saw Mill Range. About 100 years later, Reverend Sydenham Thorne built a dam. This dam helped power his gristmill and sawmill using the Mispillion River. Around the same time, Joseph Oliver planned the first streets and building lots nearby. Soon, homes and businesses grew along Front Street. Milford officially became a city on February 5, 1807.

Shipbuilding Industry

By the 1770s, Milford was already a busy place for building ships on the Mispillion River. This industry was very important for Milford's growth and wealth, especially up to World War I. A big moment was in 1917 when the Albert F. Paul, a large ship 174 feet long, was launched. At one point, six shipyards were working in the downtown area.

However, the shipbuilding business slowed down in the 1920s. This happened because the large white oak trees, used to build ships, became scarce. Even though the shipyards closed, many Milford-built ships continued to sail for years. For example, the Albert F. Paul was sunk by a German torpedo in 1942. During both World War I and World War II, the Vineyard shipyard helped by building special boats called submarine chasers.

For much of the 1900s, Milford was a main trading center. It supported the large farming communities in southern Delaware.

Milford's Governors

Milford has been home to seven of Delaware's governors. These leaders helped shape the state's history. Some of them include Daniel Rogers (1797–99) and Ruth Ann Minner (2001–09).

Downtown Fire of 2003

On May 30, 2003, a large fire broke out in downtown Milford. It started in an apartment on Walnut Street. Over 200 firefighters from many towns in Delaware and Maryland came to help. The fire destroyed seven businesses, a church, and three apartments. It wiped out an entire city block in the historic area. Luckily, no one died, but one person and six firefighters were hurt.

Geography and Climate

Milford is located along the Mispillion River. This river flows right through the city. The city covers a total area of about 9.87 square miles (25.52 square kilometers).

People in Milford (Demographics)

In 2020, Milford had 11,190 people living in 4,356 homes. About 26.4% of the people were under 18 years old. About 20.6% were 65 years or older.

Most people in Milford were White (62%) or African American (26%). Other groups included Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander people. About 4.5% of residents were from two or more races.

The average household income in 2020 was $47,824. About 14.1% of families lived below the poverty line. This is a bit higher than the national average.

Education

The Milford School District is in charge of the public schools in the city.

City Services (Infrastructure)

Transportation

DE 1 northbound on the south side of Milford

Milford is connected to other parts of Delaware by several state roads. Delaware Route 1 goes around Milford and leads north to Dover and southeast to the Delaware Beaches. A local route, Delaware Route 1 Business, goes through the city center.

Other important roads include U.S. Route 113, which goes south through Milford. Delaware Route 14 runs east and west, connecting to Harrington. Delaware Route 36 also runs east and west, leading to Greenwood and Slaughter Beach.

For public transport, DART First State offers bus services in Milford. These buses connect different parts of the city and go to nearby towns like Dover and Georgetown. A train line, the Indian River Subdivision, also passes through Milford.

Utilities

The City of Milford provides electricity to its residents. It manages a power station and many miles of power lines. The city is part of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC). This group helps Milford buy power from the PJM Power Grid. Milford serves about 6,500 electricity customers.

The Public Works department handles water, sewer, and trash and recycling collection for the city. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas service in Milford.

Milford is also home to the Milford Solar Farm. This is a large solar power farm that helps create clean energy. It is owned by the Public Service Enterprise Group and is the biggest solar farm in Delaware.

Famous People from Milford

Milford has been home to many interesting people:

• Mike Bagley – A sports commentator for car racing.
• Robert Crumb – A well-known cartoonist who lived in Milford for a few years.
• Albert Jackson – The first Black letter carrier in Canada.
• Simmie Knox – He taught himself to paint in Milford. He later became the first African-American to paint an official portrait of a U.S. President (Bill Clinton).
• John Lofland – Known as the "Milford Bard," he was a famous writer of poems and speeches.
• Ruth Ann Minner – She served as the Governor of Delaware from 2001 to 2009.
• Luke Petitgout – A former professional American football player for the New York Giants.
• Chris Short – A star baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1960s.
• Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert – A Union General during the Civil War and a diplomat.
• William T. Watson – The 49th Governor of Delaware.

See also

In Spanish: Milford (Delaware) para niños