The area now known as Milton was inhabited for more than ten thousand years prior to European colonization. ThePaleo-Indian archaeological site Fowl Meadows lies within the bounds of present-day Milton, with charcoal remains dated to 10,210±60 years before present in 1994, later calibrated to 12,140 years before present.[2]
At the time of European exploration and settlement in the early 1600s, the area was inhabited by the Neponset tribe of theMassachusett, anAlgonquian people,[3] who referred to the area that would become Milton as 'Unquatiquisset,' meaning 'Lower Falls', denoting the place where the rapids of theNeponset River meetMassachusetts Bay.[4]
According to local traditions and 19th-century accounts, several Native American graves and ceremonial pits may have been uncovered during construction along Canton Avenue in Milton. These discoveries, which were reported in local newsletters and oral histories, are believed to have belonged to members of thePonkapoag tribe, who historically inhabited the area. Graves found during roadwork were said to have been oriented east to west, potentially reflecting cultural or religious practices of the tribe. Nearby pits, possibly used for cooking or religious ceremonies, were also reported, and evidence of long-term use, such as fire-scorched rocks and charcoal, was observed.[5]
The namesake of theMassachusett people was the indigenous name for theGreat Blue Hill,Massachusett meaning 'at the great hill'. The hills had a religious significance to theMassachusett, who extensively minedrhyolite to make weaponry thought to be imbued with divine strength from the sacred hills.[6]
Local residents have also shared anecdotal reports of finding arrowheads and other Native American artifacts in the area throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, further corroborating the area’s long-standing significance to Indigenous peoples.[5]
The Ponkapoag tribe largely resided in the surrounding areas, including Canton and Stoughton, though some members, such as Mingo and his descendants, are recorded as having lived in Milton well into the 18th century.
The area that became Milton began to be sparsely settled by English colonists in the late 1620s and early 1630s as a part ofDorchester, formally established as an organized settlement in 1640 byPuritans from England.Richard Collicott, one of the first English settlers, built a trading post near theNeponset River, and negotiated the purchase of Milton fromSachem Cutshamekin.John Eliot, an English missionary, published aMassachusett translation of theBible in 1640, facilitating rapid conversion of indigenous inhabitants to convert toChristianity and assimilate to the ideologies and culture of the colonists.
Many of the initial English settlers arrived during the 1650s, fleeing the aftermath ofOliver Cromwell's deposition from power and theEnglish Civil War.[7]
Several earlyPuritan families of Milton would later become influential in the culture and politics ofMassachusetts Bay Colony, these families including theSumners, Houghtons, Hutchinsons, Stoughtons, Tuckers, Voses, Glovers, and Babcocks.[8] The original name for the area, translated to "Lower Falls" was adapted as "Lower Mills" after the establishment ofIsrael Stoughton's Grist Mill in 1634, the earliest mill in theUnited States. Furthermore, in 1640, English settlers began shipbuilding at Gulliver's Creek, a tributary of theNeponset, using the innumerable quantity ofEastern white pines found in early Milton's dense forests.[9]
In 1662, "that part of the Town of Dorchester which is situated on the south side of the Neponset River commonly called 'Unquatiquisset' was incorporated as an independent town and named Milton in honor ofMilton Abbey,Dorset, England."
After incorporation, the population continued to increase during the late 17th century in the wake ofKing Philip’s War which had devastated much ofNew England. The town was unscathed by the war due to several factors including the strategic location between hills, proximity to the well fortified capitalBoston and most notably, the effective decimation of the indigenous inhabitants of the area by the 1660s as a result of disease and violent encroachment by colonists and the pacification of survivingMassachusett via mass conversions toChristianity and relocation to praying towns. Those who did resist were swiftly executed or sent to theWest Indies as slaves. By the 1670s, the threat of violent resistance from theMassachusett was effectively eliminated, affording the developing town comparative safety and consequent prosperity compared to other regions ofNew England. As a result of this, colonists fleeing the villages and towns destroyed in the war settled in the town, establishing farms and nascent industries. This wave of migration from the rest of the colony marked the settlement of several prominent families in the town. For example, Ralph Houghton, aPuritan fromEngland who had helped establish the town ofLancaster fled to Milton with his family afterLancaster was destroyed by the indigenousNashua people who razed the town and massacred almost every inhabitant during the war. The Houghton family would later become prominent not just in Milton, butMassachusetts as a whole.
Milton's Walter Baker Chocolate Factory to the right
Apowder mill established in 1674 may have been the earliestpowder mill in the colonies, taking advantage of the town'swater 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 industrial area, including an iron slitting mill and sawmills, and the first chocolate factory inNew England (theWalter Baker Chocolate Factory) in 1764, which was converted from the old Stoughton Grist Mill. Through the efforts ofDaniel Henchman the first paper mill to appear in New England was at Milton on theNeponset River in 1729. From its earliest days, Milton's favorable location at the rapids of theNeponset River made it one of the earliest and most active industrial areas in theUnited States.[10][11]
The Suffolk Resolves House
TheSuffolk Resolves, one of the earliest attempts at negotiations by the American colonists with theBritish Empire were signed in Milton in 1774, and were used as a model by the drafters of theDeclaration of Independence in 1776. TheSuffolk Resolves House, where the Resolves were passed, still stands and it is maintained as the headquarters of the Milton Historical Society. At the time of the Resolves it was owned by Capt. Daniel Vose, a well-known businessman, and later a representative to the Provincial Congress.[12] The house was moved to a new location at 1370 Canton Avenue in Western Milton in order to save it from demolition at its previous location in "Milton Village" at Lower Mills. They were the "Suffolk Resolves" because Milton was part ofSuffolk County until 1793, whenNorfolk County split off, leaving only Boston and Chelsea in Suffolk County.
Milton became an active site for important power players in colonialMassachusetts.John Hancock purchased a large hill, today called Hancock Hill, in theBlue Hills Reservation and planted orchards as well as harvested wild blueberries which grow abundantly at the summit. Two royal governors of Massachusetts,Jonathan Belcher andThomas Hutchinson, had houses in Milton. TheGovernor Belcher House dates from 1777, replacing the earlier home destroyed by a fire in 1776, and it is privately owned on Governor Belcher Lane in East Milton.
Thomas Hutchinson maintained a summer estate called Unquity at the peak of Milton Hill, and during the increasingly violent revolutionary insurrections inBoston, he fled to Milton after his townhouse in theNorth End was burned by a mob and he was driven from the city after citizens learned he supported the suppression ofMassachusetts by theBritish following theBoston Tea Party. AlthoughHutchinson's mansion house was demolished in 1947,Governor Hutchinson's Field, owned by theTrustees of Reservations today is a meadow on Milton Hill, with a view of the Neponset River estuary and the skyscrapers of Boston six miles (10 km) away. Both the neighboring house in whichHutchinson lived during the construction of his mansion and the barn of the estate still stand and are both privately owned. The last remnant of Unquity is theha-ha wall, once a part of the estate's opulent gardens. Both Governor Belcher's house and Governor Hutchinson's field are on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Following the revolution, Milton continued to be a thriving agricultural and industrial town, greatly influenced both socially and economically by the prosperity ofBoston and the newly-forgedAmerican identity.
The town grew extremely wealthy in the late 18th and early 19th century with the boomingChina Trade and the industrialization of Massachusetts during the earlyIndustrial Revolution. As a result, much ofBoston's elite built opulent country estates set on vast grounds throughout the idyllic hills and meadows of the town's more rural sections. Like many other coastal American cities,high society would leave the cities for the summer, and in the case ofBoston, many would move to Milton due to its rural qualities, proximity toBoston, its highly active mercantile wharf, and the families' factories inLower Mills which allowed the tycoons to continue business in the summer months. Most of theseestates were concentrated on Milton Hill, Brush Hill, and Upper Canton Avenue. Among the last remaining of these estates that is entirely intact is theW.E.C Eustis Estate at the base of theBlue Hills on Canton Avenue.
The town was also home to America's firstpiano factory. Revolutionary Milton is the setting of the opening of the 1940 bestselling historical novelOliver Wiswell byKenneth Roberts. TheBlue Hill Meteorological Observatory is located in the town, home of the nation's oldest continuously kept meteorological records.[13]
The switch frog of the Granite Railway that was displayed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893
TheGranite Railway passed from granite quarries inQuincy to the wharf of Milton on theNeponset River, beginning in 1826. It is often called the first commercial railroad in the United States, as it was the first chartered railway to evolve into acommon carrier without an intervening closure. A centennial historic plaque from 1926 and an originalswitch frog and section of track from the railway can be found in the gardens on top of the Southeast Expressway (Interstate 93) as it passes under East Milton Square. The frog had been displayed at theChicago World's Fair in 1893.[14]
East Milton Square developed as a direct result of the Granite Railway. Quincy granite was seen as of remarkably high quality, and there was an incredibly high demand for it not only inBoston but abroad. Four sheds in East Milton were used to dress the raw granite stone prior to it being brought by rail to the wharf for transfer to boats to send the stones to thePort of Boston to be sent abroad. East Milton Square was originally termed the "Railway Village" and a train station was located there after 1871 when the Granite Railway became a passenger line of theOld Colony Railroad. The Blue Bell Tavern, which was also a hotel, served as the headquarters of the Granite Railway and it was later named the Russell House. It was located on the site of the current United States Post Office in East Milton Square.
The G.H. Bent Factory
In 1801 Josiah Bent began a baking operation in Milton, selling "water crackers" or biscuits made of flour and water that would not deteriorate during long sea voyages from thePort of Boston. A crackling sound occurred during baking, hence the common American term "cracker". His company later sold the original hardtack crackers used by troops during theAmerican Civil War due to their low potential for spoil. The company,Bent's Cookie Factory, is still located in Milton and continues to sell these items to Civil War reenactors and others. However, the original 1801 mill has been turned into residential and commercial space.
Robert Bennet Forbes, a descendant of an oldMassachusetts family, was a notedChina Trade merchant, sea captain, and philanthropist during theIrish Famine, supporting the large influx of Irish immigrants inBoston despite the elites' distaste for the immigrants. He built a Greek Revival mansion in 1833 at 215 Adams Street on Milton Hill, adjacent to the former site ofThomas Hutchinson's estate. As a prominent example ofGreek Revival architecture and possessing many artifacts from the China Trade period, theCaptain Robert Bennet Forbes House is now listed on theNational Register of Historic Places and is open for tours. The museum's grounds include a log cabin replica and a collection of Lincoln memorabilia acquired by the daughter ofForbes as a result of her adoration and admiration ofAbraham Lincoln.
Milton adopted restrictive zoning regulations in 1913, which were pushed by anti-immigration crusaders and proponents of eugenics.[15] The restrictive regulations sought to prohibit the kind of housing affordable to immigrants and minorities, which would serve to keep undesirable groups out of the town.[15] In 1937, the town adopted a more restrictive zoning regulation to prevent smaller units of housing.[15]
During the mid to late 20th century, the character of the town changed from that of agriculture, industry, and rural retreat for the wealthy to suburban. The population of the town exploded followingWorld War II as the suburbs ofAmerica grew rapidly. By the 1950s, many of the big estates were broken into subdivisions as the town's residential growth continued to this day.
George Herbert Walker Bush was born at 173 Adams Street on Milton Hill on June 12, 1924. He became the 41stPresident of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993, and his son would become the 43rd President. Coincidentally, Adams Street is named for the family of PresidentsJohn Adams andJohn Quincy Adams, who lived on the same street just a few miles southeast inQuincy, Massachusetts. The 19th-century Victorian house where President Bush was born is now privately owned and not open to the public.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.3 sq mi (34.4 km2), of which 13.1 sq mi (33.8 km2) is land and the balance is water. As a result of its glacial geological history, manykettle ponds dot the town.
There are no official wards or neighborhoods defined in the town's governance and community planning processes.[16]
As of thecensus[34] of 2000, the population density was 1,999.1 inhabitants per square mile (771.9/km2). There were 9,161 housing units at an average density of 702.7 per square mile (271.3/km2).
Milton also has been cited as having the highest percentage of residents citing Irish lineage of any town in the United States per capita—38%.[35]
There were 8,982 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. Of all households 21.2% were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
According to a 2010 estimate,[36] the median income for a household in the town was $103,373, wealthy compared toMassachusetts and theUnited States as a whole. The median income for a family was $131,025. Males had a median income of $85,748 versus $61,500 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $47,589. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
With a median house price of $900,000, Milton is the 40th most expensive town of the 153 in the Greater Boston Area.[37] 78% of the housing units in Milton are single-family homes. The town has few renters: 82% of the housing is owner-occupied.[15] Nearly all housing in the town was built before 2000.[15]
After incorporation, Milton was governed by anopen town meeting until 1928. In 1927, citizens voted to adopt arepresentative town meeting form of government.[38] Voters elect 279 representatives, divided among ten precincts, to three year terms in the town's legislative branch.[39] The town's executive branch is made up of a five-member Select Board and a town administrator.[40][41]
Local politicians in Milton have opposed construction of affordable housing such as apartment buildings, and have supported Milton's single-family zoning regulations apartment construction difficult.[15]
The town was sued by Massachusetts Attorney GeneralAndrea Campbell after Milton voters voted in a February 2024 special election for the town to not comply with state law to permit multi-family housing near MBTA stations.[42][43][44][45]
In 1701, Colonial GovernorWilliam Stoughton gifted 40 acres (16 ha) of land to Milton to be used "for the benefit of the poor." In the 2010s, Milton rejected proposals to build affordable housing on the land, and sold it for single-family home construction.[42] Local politicians also objected to building affordable housing on a remaining 4 acres (1.6 ha) of vacant land.[42]
There are six public schools in Milton, including four elementary schools: Collicot, Cunningham, Glover, and Tucker; one middle school, Pierce Middle School; and a public high school,Milton High School. Milton is one of the few school systems in the United States to offer aFrench immersion program, starting in grade 1.[46]
Cycling is a popular form of transportation and recreation in Milton. The opening of theNeponset River Greenway reconnected Milton with Boston Harbor viaPort Norfolk, Dorchester. Other cycling routes and locations include Turner's Pond, Brook Road, Blue Hills Parkway,Milton Cemetery, and the Pine Tree Brook greenway.[48]
The Milton Yacht Club began in 1902, with a small building in the Lower Mills area beside theNeponset River that was formerly the police department for the town of Milton. Various boats continue to be anchored there or stored on the dock during the winter.
^"1950 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1920 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1890 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1870 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1860 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1850 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.