History of West Milton, Ohio
The founder of the Village of West Milton was Joseph Evans, son of Robert Evans (1740-1784) and Rebecca (Coppock) Evans, daughter of Moses and Martha (Lester) Coppock. Shortly after his arrival, he decided that Section 21 would be ideal for the location of a village, so he purchased this land, had it surveyed and laid it out with two principal streets (Main and Miami) crossed at right angles by a number of street and alleys for a total of 62 lots.
Because of the admiration of a daughter of Mr. Evans had for the writings of the poet, John Milton, it has been said that the name of "Milton" was selected for our Village. It is just as parable that forbearers of the family had come from a town in England by the name of West Milton, as it is mentioned numerous times in "Besse's Sufferings of the Quakers" documenting that many persons from said West Milton had been imprisoned for their religious beliefs and refused to pay tithes, etc.
As the village grew, manufacturing was encouraged. About 1815, Samuel Kelley, from Massachusetts, erected a woolen mill on Section 21, just west of the Stillwater River. At first only carding was done leaving
the weaving to be done on the spinning wheel. This was the first carding machine west of the Alleghenies. The full mill followed later. About 1820, David W. Thayer purchased the mill, enlarged it and introduced the power mill. Mr. Kelley then built a cotton mill on the bluff, which he later converted into a woolen mill. About 1824, Seth Kelley, erected a scythe factory--the first edged tool industry in this part of the Northwest Territory.
It was not until 1817 that Milton had succeeded in luring a sufficient number of settlers on northward to warrant the government to establish a post office. In 1817, Milton became known as West Milton. The town contained the original plot, plus the lots of Benton's two additions. Stage Coaches began to roll through West Milton and by 1850 settlers came on gradually to choose it as a permanent home site.
In 1840, the road (now 48) was constructed. The roads at that time was built by and owned by individual, who borrowed money to have the roads built. The tollhouses were built near the road as a stopping place to pay the fare for the use of the roads. The Harper Tollhouse located just one half mile from the center of Milton, was located just south of what is now the Old Mill Exchange. From 1840 to 1870 Samuel Harper was the keeper.
By 1879, the first train ran (by steam) and the tracks were of narrow gauge, which is 8 inches narrower than standard gauge. In 1890, the tracks were widened.
By 1900, the mood of the country started to change. The horse and buggy was being replaced by the horseless carriage. Little did the people in Milton realize how the village was about to change. This would not be a quiet community anymore. Soon people from all over would be coming to town. In June 1902, the traction line made its first trip from Fairview Park in Dayton to West Milton. They made a trip every hour on the hour for 25c. In July 1902, the line was completed from Ludlow Falls to Covington. In 1902, the bridge in Ludlow Falls was completed and the traction ran in the center of all the towns from Dayton to the edge in Piqua. In 1902, Overlook Park was opened as a promotion for traveling on the traction line. People described this park asWestern Ohio's most beautiful and historic picnic grounds. There was swimming and boating on the Stillwater River picnicking, baseball, band concerts, gambling, partying and dancing. A dance hall was built (80 x 100 feet) and people danced their hearts away to the tunes played on the automatic piano.