Marcus Huling settled here in 1772. At that time the land was covered by a dense forest. He built a log house near the end of Limestone Run and operated a tavern for travelers. His son, Marcus Jr., established a blacksmith shop where we now find the corner of Front Street and Broadway. The British and Seneca Indians attacked Fort Freeland on 28 July 1779, just three days after Huling sold his holdings to George McCandish. Everything in the entire valley was burned and when Andrew Straub arrived, later that same year, he found the settlement in ashes.
The beginning of a log home had survived the attack. It was “logged up and ready for the roof.” The structure was probably started by James Black of Sunbury, who later owned land north of Broadway, which became known as Black’s addition or Upper Milton. Straub built a house for his family near where Milton’s Public Library now stands. He soon erected a second house, with a stable, on the west side of what is now Filbert Street. A third home, the most grand of all, was located at today’s Center Street and Turbot Avenue.
Andrew Straub had purchased a large tract of land from Turbutt Francis. Francis had been awarded the land for military service to Colonel Bouquet. In 1791 he laid out the town of Milton. He also built a log grist mill on Limestone Run which played a large part in the growth and prosperity of the community since settlers from the surrounding countryside flocked to Straub’s mill to avoid the long trek to the Freeland Mill on Warrior Run. The new settlement was named Milton - an abbreviation of Milltown.
In 1795 James Black laid out the portion of town between Broadway and Locust. The two parts became known as Upper and Lower Milton.
By 1860 Milton had a larger population than the County Seat, Sunbury. There was an influx of small factories, shops, distilleries, boot and shoe makers, clock makers, mills, taverns, hotels, etc.
The West Branch Canal opened between Muncy and Northumberland in October of 1830 providing the area better access to major markets. The canal was soon replaced by the railroad. Extending the railroad from Williamsport to Sunbury destroyed Milton’s edge and caused Milton to fall behind the County Seat in growth.
The first train entered the borough on December 18, 1854 and Miltons own, Governor James Pollock was the speaker at the celebration. He was the 13th governor of Pennsylvania and a Miltonian. In 1987, when the new bridge was built, from Milton to West Milton, William R. Buffington won the “Name the Bridge Contest.” His suggestion was “The Governor Pollock Memorial Bridge.”
Milton’s worst disaster hit on 14 May 1880. Although the town has suffered through many floods it was fire that almost destroyed the community. The day began quite peacefully. It was a beautiful spring day even though the area was experiencing a severe drought. There were strong gusts of wind blowing from the northeast. About 11:45AM workmen discovered a fire about the size of a man’s hand on the roof of the framing shop at the Murray, Dougal and Company Car Works.
The building was located above Locust Street, across the canal from Clinger’s Planing Mill. The workmen gave the alarm but the tar and felt roof was a mass of flames by the time they got to the spot. The general alarm was sounded about noon but most Miltonians were not alarmed because they believed it to be the noon whistle. The building burned like a tinder box and was completely destroyed within five minutes. Meanwhile, the wind picked up large chunks of burning wood and hurled them through the air igniting buildings 200 feet away. A man on a horse raced about warning the community of the danger.
By the time the fire company could get to the car works, eleven of their 15 buildings were in flames and their 450 employees were forced to flee for their lives. Before long the structures along Arch Street and the streets north of Broadway were in flames. Fire fighters arrived from Sunbury, Lewisburg, Watsontown and Williamsport but it was impossible to control the inferno and 640 structures burned. Over 600 families were left homeless. The sounds of falling buildings mingled with the cries of the terror stricken populace. Within a few hours one hundred and twenty acres, which had contained churches, stores, thriving industries and palatial residences, were in ashes.
Only a shift in the wind, at the very moment when it seemed that the entire community was doomed, saved the rest of the town. Help began arriving immediately in carriages, buggies and wagons. The generous people of Pennsylvania sent provisions to ease the suffering of the homeless. Rebuilding was in progress before the ashes cooled and an even bigger and better Milton emerged.