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The Town of Milton is an affluent suburban community between the Neponset River and the Blue Hills. Bordering the city of Boston, Milton has excellent rail service and quick access to major highways, the airport and downtown Boston. Milton may best be described by its wonderful juxtaposition of opposites: rural and urban; traditional and hip; multi-generational residents and new families. For these reasons, and more, Milton was voted by Boston Magazine as one of the best places to live in 2009. In fact, it ranks as one of "The Teflon Ten." Also in 2009, Money Magazine ranked Milton number 5 in the "Top 10 places to live in America."
Although the first English traders used Milton in the 1620's, the earliest permanent settlement occurred in 1634 when colonists created an agricultural community growing barley, rye and Indian corn. A powder mill established in 1674 is thought to be the earliest in the colonies, taking advantage of the town's valuable 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 important industrial site with an iron slitting mill, paper and sawmills and the first chocolate factory in New England in 1764.
Situated at the head of a tidewater, the town became a commercial trading center. Bostonians, including Governor Hutchinson, followed their investments and moved to Milton, creating an early estate district which grew side-by-side with 125 farms. Harvard University built a stone tower on Big Blue, the tallest hill on the coast between Maine and Florida, to mark the meridian in alignment with its observatory in Cambridge. Big Blue assumed an important meteorological role, the state created a reservation including the hill and Milton Academy and Fontbonne Academy were built, all during the 19th century.
Laying of streetcar lines fueled the rapid expansion of residential development and between 1870 and 1915 Milton grew into essentially the community it is now, a wealthy streetcar suburb. Milton now retains a good many 19th century country houses and estates and early 19th century workers' housing.
Facts
Total area: 13.28 square miles
Population: 25,855
Town Government: Town Administrator, Board of Selectmen, Representative Annual Town Meeting
Residential tax rate: $10.95 per $1,000
Milton is a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority community.
For more Information on the Town of Milton, Visit:
Town of Milton: townofmilton.org
The Milton Times: miltontimes.net
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