MILTON BY STERNBERGER 1969

MILTON

BY

SUSAN STERNBERGER

JANUARY 11, 1969 WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL

Milton is a small town and remember, no two towns are alike, although similar. Each

have a 'story' and this is Milton's .

Milton sits at the western end of the Broadkill River that twists and turns it's way to the

Delaware Bay only six miles away, as the crow flies. Rich farming land, stout forest

and productive marshes lay between. The farm lands in early 1800 were serviced by the

river and the produce shipped from Milton was a everyday happening. Milton was a sailing ship port.

Shipbuilding along the Broadikill became a major industry. Almost every back yard on the

river was a shipbuilding year. Between 1861 to 1880 one would find at least three schooners

on the 'ways' along the Broadkill or one of its creeks.

The railroad along with the silting in of the waterways, the last of the white oak forest, gave

end to shipbuilding.

But Milton still sat in midst of rich farm lands. Canneries to process the vegetables and fruits

of the farms came with the railroad in the 1880's. Draper, King Cole, being one which lasted

a good while and was a large employer. Smaller industries, like button cutting, shirt factories,

nylon stockings, electronics, dotted the towns streets and back yards. There are three ponds in Milton with mills for granaries.

Milton had it's share of governors, David Hazzard, James Ponder, Joe Maull , Samuel

Paynter of Delaware. One of Wyoming's governor's was born Milton, that being Joseph

Carey.

Abstract by Harrison H. May 8, 2018 for facebooks “Positive Milton” page.