Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: 2 old photos and papers from 1910 on and old-book passages.
The Milford post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name.
Milford was named for a mill which stood near a ford.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Milford is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Milford’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Milford’s history is told.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveHigh schoolFrom Wikipedia’s history of Milford.
Milford was laid out by Judge Aaron M. Perine on April 10, 1836, who had settled the area with his family in 1834. It was named for a mill which stood near a ford. The post office at Milford has been in operation since 1837. In 1880, Milford was officially incorporated as a town.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Milford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
bridge, crossing Indian river on the old country road, 1706, King's bridge in 1711, a bridge from a point of rocks a few rods below the Episcopal church, not now kept up, in 1723, Oyster river bridge, built by Milford and New Haven, 1753, North street foot bridge, 1768, bridge by Jehiel Bristols, 1819, Gulf bridge, 1810. Jefferson's bridge, over the Mill river, was built and is supported by the turnpike company.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A part of Orange, North Milford parish, originally belonged to Milford. Orange was incorporated by the general assembly holden at New Haven in May, 1822, and was formed by the union of North Milford parish and West Haven, a parish of New Haven. The first town meeting was holden at the meeting-house in the parish of North Milford, on the second Monday in June, of which meeting Charles H. Pond, Esq., of Milford, was previously appointed moderator by the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
I have not the records of the town of Milford, which probably contain fuller mention. Milford was incorporated as a town in 17S0 — it was formerly a part of Mendon. Perhaps Mendon may contain the births of these children.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Milford’s page.
Retake this view · +15The Milford post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Milford is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
37% of Milford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.7 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1961.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1910