6 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Thomas Alva Edison Birthplace, a National Historic Landmark, and two historic districts with 16 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1860.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Milan is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Milan’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Milan’s 113 sits above most of its state (93% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 20 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.6 points). Two sources give 1817.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 →
What stands out about Milan’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
People over time
Milan, census by census
Peaked at 1,862 in 1970; 1,371 people lived here in 2020.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Milan’s Wikipedia page.
The story so far
Milan, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Milan yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Milan ( MY-lən) is a village in Erie and Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,371 at the 2020 census. It is best known as the birthplace and childhood home of Thomas Edison. The Erie County portion of Milan is part of the Sandusky metropolitan area, while the Huron County portion is part of the Norwalk Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Milan was established in 1817. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,367 in 2010, 1,371 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Milan, 1889–1916
Passages that mention Milan, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A standard history of Erie County, Ohio1916 · page 974Read the page →
Read the text
Henry Diehl. Many of the best farms in Erie County illustrate the thrift, businesslike management and industry of people of German ancestry and birth. One of the most noteworthy of these is the home of Henry Diehl in Milan Township, situated on Rui-al Route No. 1 out of the Village of Milan. Mr. Diehl and his mother jointly own a splendid farm, and they represent the typical thrift and progressiveness of German agriculturists. This is a fine old German famil.y, and Mrs.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Erie County Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1889Read the page →
Read the text
In their report they selected a site on the farm of David Abbott, in Avery (now Milan) township, and not far distant from the village of Milan. Hon. George Tod held the first Court of Common Pleas at this place, and other courts were held there until the Legislature, in January, 1 8 1 8, appointed three other commissioners, William Wetmore, of Portage, Elias Lee, of Cuyahoga, and Abraham Tappan, of Geauga, to view the locality in Avery township, hear the numerous complaints that were being made against it on account of its inconvenient situation, hear the arguments presented in favor of other
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A standard history of Erie County, Ohio1916 · page 1037Read the page →
Read the text
active members aud still a regular attendant of the Presbyterian Church at Milan. Her niece, Julia M. Hardy, was educated at Milan and in Oberliu College, and is also a woman of thorough culture and together they maintain the fine Winslow home which has stood for so m\ieh in Milan ever since it was occupied by the Winslow family.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Erie County Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1889Read the page →
Read the text
Some of the Moravians accompanied the Shawnees at the time of their earliest immigration into Ohio, but the great body did not come until many years later, the time mentioned above. One branch or body of them made a settlement in Erie county on the Huron River about two miles from Milan, but afterward moved to Milan. The precise date of their coming is not known, but it is supposed to have been soon after the Revolutionary War; still some authorities place their coming at an earlier day.
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.
Timeline
Milan, 1817 to 1970
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Milan’s post office has been open since 1821. Another post office, Merrys Mills, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Merrys Mills
1820–1821
Milan
1821–today
18201920today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Milan’s history
What year was Milan founded?
In 1817, according to Wikidata. Milan’s post office opened in 1820, and the census of 1860 counted 771 people here.
How does Milan rank for history?
Milan is more historic than 94% 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.
What is on the National Register in Milan?
6 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Thomas Alva Edison Birthplace (a National Historic Landmark since 1965), and 2 historic districts, the Milan Historic District and the Mitchell Historic District, with 16 contributing buildings. 20 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Milan?
30% of Milan’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.6 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1956.
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 National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
★ Landmark
