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is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, along the Little Miami River in the southwestern part of the state. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill ford, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami north of the Ohio River, and was the only way for many people to reach the local oil mill. The population was 6,284 at the 2000 census. The Little Miami Bike Trail, which runs to Spring Valley, Ohio, begins here. The current Mayor of Milford is David Hunter.
The areas known as Milford, Old Milford, and Miami Township were built on a survey by John Nancarrow, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia. The area known as Miami Township was named after the Little Miami River and the tribe of Native Americans who once controlled this area. Miami Township was originally named O'Bannon Township in honor of the county's first surveyor. The first United Methodist Church in the Northwest Territory was founded in Milford by Robert J. Gaible in 1798.
Because of financial troubles, Nancarrow never visited Milford, and instead sold his share of of land to Phillip Gatch December 20, 1802, for a total of $920.00. Four years later, Gatch decided to sell to Ambrose Ransom who, soon after, sold to John Hageman. Hageman became the first permanent settler and named the area Hageman's Mills.
By 1815, Hageman had left for Indiana, and the name "Milford" had come into popular use. In 1818 a wooden bridge across the Little Miami was completed, making the ford obsolete. More than a century later, on January 1, 1920, the mill that was the city's namesake burned down.
About 40 years ago Milford was the typical American small town. The photo (top left) is of the bustling Main Street on a Saturday morning. Small grocery stores, a butcher shop, five & dime, drug store, barber shop and a taxi company that doubled as the fire dispatcher for the volunteer fire department, served as the hub of community activity. Today (top right) these buildings remain busy as antique and collectible shops. Bottom left: The Little Miami River has been declared both a State and National Scenic River. This recent photo was taken from the bridge spanning the river at Milford. Bottom right: The old bridge at rush hour approximately 40 years ago.
Today, Milford is developing into a suburb of nearby Cincinnati. While it still retains its small-town charm, many of its residents work in the city of Cincinnati or its other suburbs.