Milford

History

The Iowa Great Lakes Area was settled in the 1850s. It attracted many colonists because of the rich black soil, water from the lakes, and an abundance of wild game and fish. As the population increased at these times, there was a need for a good flouring mill because the nearest mills were those in Mankato, Minnesota and Fort Dodge, Iowa. In 1861, there was an attempt to build one on Mill Creek, at the outlet of the Great Lakes but the attempt was abandoned after the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862 and the extremely low water level that year. In 1868 one was successfully built, and sawmill was built and put into operation in 1869. The mills began to attract many customers, and the small community began to grow around Old Town. In 1870, the company that operated the mill bought a section of land northwest of Old Town and laid out a plan for the town of Milford. On March 14, 1892, the first Town Council meeting was held. Some buildings were moved from Old Town to New Town and many more businesses and residences were constructed. In 1921, the U.S. flag was flown at the new city hall for the first time and that year a vote approved to pave Okoboji Avenue (Main Street of Milford). The Milwaukee rail line which ran through Milford supplied the town with mail, groceries, clothing, lumber, coal, and machinery before automobiles could get to the Great Lakes. Two passenger trains made daily trips from Des Moines to Spirit Lake, as well as another from Spencer. Until 1910, excursion trains came to the Lakes Area from Des Moines, Algona, and other towns on weekends and holidays. The last passenger train left Milford for Spencer in 1951. The last freight train left Milford for Spencer in 1976. The tracks were dismantled in 1978 and later became a part of the Iowa Great Lakes Recreational…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Spirit Lake Elementary School
  Elementary · Spirit Lake · 537 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Okoboji Elementary School
  Elementary · Milford · 533 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Spirit Lake High School
  High · Spirit Lake · 409 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Okoboji High School
  High · Milford · 365 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Spirit Lake Middle School
  Middle · Spirit Lake · 358 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Okoboji Middle School
  Middle · Milford · 346 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Graettinger-Terril Elementary School
  Elementary · Terril · 147 students · 12.3:1 ratio