Map of Milford town, Texas

Milford is an incorporated rural community located in North Central Texas, in the southwestern corner of Ellis County, in the United States. The population was 722 at the 2020 census.

The town is located 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Hillsboro and 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Waxahachie. The community received media attention due to a Chevron gas pipeline explosion and resulting town evacuation which occurred in 2013.

Milford town overview:
Name:Milford town
LSAD Code:43
LSAD Description:town (suffix)
State:Texas
County:Ellis County
Elevation:617 ft (188 m)
Total Area:2.47 sq mi (6.39 km²)
Land Area:2.46 sq mi (6.37 km²)
Water Area:0.01 sq mi (0.02 km²)
Total Population:722
Population Density:303.54/sq mi (117.18/km²)
ZIP code:76670
Area code:972
FIPS code:4848408
GNISfeature ID:1341604
Website:cityofmilfordtx.com

Online Interactive Map

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Milford online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Milford location map. Where is Milford town?

Milford location on the U.S. Map. Where is Milford town.
Milford location on the U.S. Map.
Milford location on the Texas map. Where is Milford town.
Location of Milford in Texas.

History

Settlement and early history

Milford dates back to the 1850s, when several men from Cherokee County came to the Mill Creek valley and bought land at 50 cents an acre from Ellis County landowner Arvin Wright. Milford was named by William R. Hudson after the factory town of Milford, Massachusetts. During 1853 the first house, a combined residence and general store belonging to William R. Hudson, was built, along with a two-story schoolhouse which served as church and community hall until it burned during the Civil War. In 1854 Wright, Hudson, and J.M. Higgins laid out town lots atop a ridge. In 1857, a gristmill began operation at the community. Milford was incorporated in 1888, with W.R. McDaniel serving as the first mayor. In 1890, the tracks of the Dallas and Waco Railway (later acquired by the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad) reached the community, which became an important shipping point for area cotton farmers.

By 1892 Milford had grown to a population of 800, and had three churches, a bank, a hotel, two cotton gins, and approximately two dozen other businesses, as well as a weekly newspaper. There were now two schools in Milford, Mollie Poe’s private Lone Star Institute and the community-financed Milford Academy. In 1902 the Presbyterian Synod of Texas accepted the town’s offer to open the Texas Presbyterian College for Girls in Milford, and by 1925 the Dallas-Waco electric interurban railway had reached the town. The town continued to flourish, with the population soaring to 1,200 by 1929, but the population saw a slow decline due to the Great Depression, and the Presbyterian college closed due to lagging enrollment. By 1931 the population of Milford was 747, and would continue to decline as the population reached a low of 490 in 1968. The town would grow once again, and by 1990 the population was back up to 711, before dropping to 685 in 2000.

2013 gas pipeline explosion

Just after 8:30AM CDT on November 14, 2013, an explosion and resulting fire occurred near the intersection of U.S. 77 and FM 308 when a Chevron Corporation liquefied petroleum gas pipeline was punctured by a Chevron drilling crew. The five man crew abandoned the rig and escaped the explosion unharmed.

Due to concerns about harmful air quality conditions due to the burning pipeline, and the proximity of the fire to another larger gas line, the entire town of approximately 700 residents was forced to evacuate, including Milford ISD staff and students, to the nearby town of Italy as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) evacuation zone was established.

While some residents were permitted to return to the town temporarily under police escort, the town remained evacuated through November 16 as the pipeline continued to burn. The fire also caused the postponement of a six-man football playoff game scheduled for November 15 as the players could not retrieve their gear.

The company issued several statements through their website expressing their sincere regret to people impacted by this event which included a toll-free claims hotline which residents affected by the incident could call. The company also provided overnight accommodations at local hotels for residents due to conditions not allowing them to return home.

Milford Road Map

Road map of Milford
Road map of Milford

Milford city Satellite Map

Satellite map of Milford
Satellite map of Milford

Geography

Milford is located at 32°7′22″N 96°56′48″W / 32.12278°N 96.94667°W / 32.12278; -96.94667 (32.122701, –96.946553). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.4 km), of which 0.01 square miles (0.02 km), or 0.29%, is water.

U.S. Route 77 passes through the center of town as Main Street, while Interstate 35E runs along the northern edge of town, with access from Exit 381. Downtown Dallas is 48 miles (77 km) to the north.

See also

Map of Texas State and its subdivision: Map of other states:
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Parent Unit Map

Map of Ellis County, Texas
Ellis County overview: Name: Ellis County FIPS code: 48-139 State: Texas Founded: 1850 Named for: Richard Ellis Seat: Waxahachie Largest city: Waxahachie Total Area: 952 sq mi (2,470 km²) Land Area: 936 sq mi (2,420 km²) Total Population: 192,455 Population Density: 200/sq mi (80/km²) Time zone: UTC−6 (Central) Summer Time Zone (DST): UTC−5 (CDT) Website: www.co.ellis.tx.us Ellis County location map. Where is ... Read more
Map of Ellis County, Texas

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