Darby Ford was the name of a community that arose at the site of present day Milford Center in the early 1800s. Settlers to the area constructed a ford across Darby Creek near the current site of the State Route 4 bridge. After George Reed constructed a mill near this site, the area became known as Mill Ford.
Flint
This is the name that the Milford Center post office was known by in the 1860s.
Milford
This is the precursor to Milford Centre. The word Centre was added to the town's name when the village was lobbying to become the county seat for Union County.
Milford Center
The town of Milford Center has the distinction of being one of the oldest communities in what is now Union County. It is also the oldest town site in the county. The area was called Darby Ford for a while after early settlers cleared trees in the area to create a ford across the creek. This area is where the current State Route 4 bridge crosses the Big Darby Creek in Milford Center today. The area was later called Mill Ford, after George Reed erected the first mill in the area. The town of Milford was platted and recorded in 1816 for George Reed. The original survey of the site called for 40 lots in the village. In 1820, Milford Center became the first county seat of Union County when a small log court house was built here. However the county seat was moved by 1822. The US post office in the village was established, as Milford Center, in 1823 with David Burnham serving as the first postmaster. In 1831 the Methodist Episcopal Church at Milford was established. Their first house of worship was erected in the village in 1835. The Presbyterian Church at Milford was established in 1808 as the Upper Liberty Presbyterian Church. This church was located on present day Orchard Road near the site of the Woods-Reed Cemetery. This congregation erected a brick church structure in Milford in 1834. The village was incorporated as Milford Center on March 3, 1853. Over the next several years the town ceased to operate as an incorporated town, and the village was reincorporated on August 4, 1866. By 1882 Milford Center had approximately 500 residents. At one time the village supported a school, three general stores, four groceries, two drug stores, one hardware store, one grist mill, one saw mill, one carriage factory, two blacksmiths, two livery stables, one grain warehouse, two shoe shops, two hotels, two barber shops, and four churches. This town also once boasted its own newspaper, The Ohioan. Today Milford Center is still home to a school district. The Fairbanks Local School District calls Milford Center and the surrounding area its home. The town also still maintains a US Post office with a zipcode of 43045. There are numerous churches in the area. And there are several businesses located in the village, including a convenience store/gas station and a pizza shop.A small one room schoolhouse was erected in the village prior to 1835. A large school house was erected in the village between 1880-1881. This school contained four rooms and cost approximately $10,000 to build. Prior to this, neighborhood one room schools served the area. This school district later consolidated with the Irwin School District to form the Union Rural School District. In later years, this school would consolidate with the Chuckery-Darby School District and the Watkins School District to form the Fairbanks Local School District.
Hello Rebekah,
ReplyDeleteI am one of George Reed's descendants. I am trying to fill in my family tree. I have no living relatives that have information. My Grandmother was Celia Augusta Reed, born August 30, 1881 in Milford Center, Ohio. Her father was James Reed, born November of 1834 and I believe that her mother was Sarah Elizabeth Jones. My Grandmother had quite a few siblings, including a brother Sam. In her ancestry are the surnames of Carson, Bird, Sager, Starkey, & Jones. I do remember hearing my Grandmother mentioning the Sagers. If you can provide any leads that will help to fill in the blanks it would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards, Susan
Many of the Sagers are buried at Unionville Center.
DeleteGeorge Reed is in my tree as an uncle like you. My email is bwesterns@Hotmail.com. We both may be able to exchange some info.
DeleteSusan, there must be a lot of REEDs there. My husband's grandfather was Edgar REED Brake, his mother was Blanche REED, and her father was Henry Lincoln REED. I know Edgar was born in Milford Center. I haven't spent much time researching that part. The darn thing is we were close by there the 3rd week of August but we didn't go because my record said he was born in Union City which was further west. I would love to find out more history about the area and the families involved. My regular email is tlewingdon at yahoo.com.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Reed is one of my great uncles in my family tree. His brother, Thomas is my 4ggfather. I visited Milford Center a few years ago. I'd like to see it again. Does anyone know if any of the Reeds that would descend from them still live in the area? I've been to the Reed cemetery as well as the one in town.
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan. May be able to help with your tree question.
ReplyDelete