Local events in Milford Township, Knox County
Nothing is posted for Milford Township itself yet; here is what is on within 10 miles. All local events in Milford Township, Knox County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Milford Township, Knox County began
Milford Township, in the southwestern corner of Knox County, was set off from Hilliar Township in 1823 and named after New Milford, Connecticut, by a settler who had come from there. William H. Smith Sr. walked from Virginia in 1824, crossed the Ohio River by ferry, and settled on government land in the township, later running a hide-tanning operation; Revolutionary War veteran Leander Cyrus Gates, who had moved to Knox County in 1816 on a land deed signed by President James Madison, farmed nearby, and his daughter Sally Ann taught in a one-room schoolhouse from 1849. The township has no incorporated village of its own; the unincorporated crossroads of Mount Liberty sits on its northwestern edge, and the small Martinsburg academy served the area's higher education needs by the mid-1800s.
Settled 1824 (William H. Smith Sr.), incorporated 1823 (set off from Hilliar Township).
Where the name comes from
Milford Township was named after New Milford, Connecticut, by an early settler who had come from that town; it is one of three Milford Townships in Ohio.
Before the town
No source found documents a Native village, mound, or specific encounter within Milford Township's present boundaries. The township lies in southwestern Knox County, part of the broader area that was Wyandot, Shawnee, and Delaware (Lenape) territory before treaty cessions; no site-specific record was found.
Nations recorded here: Wyandot, Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware).
Timeline
- — Leander Cyrus Gates, a Revolutionary War veteran from Vermont, is granted a Knox County land deed signed by President James Madison, dated September 15.
- — Gates moves to Knox County.
- — Milford Township is set off from Hilliar Township.
- — William H. Smith Sr. walks from Virginia, crosses the Ohio River by ferry, and settles on government land in the township; he later marries Esther Dill of Franklin County and builds a hide-tanning operation.
- — A schoolhouse on the south side of Sycamore Road opens, later run by Sally Ann Hawkins.
- — Sally Ann Gates begins teaching at the one-room schoolhouse on her father's property north of Sycamore Creek, near Possum Road.
- — Sally Ann Gates Hawkins dies at age 99.
- — Census records 1,866 residents in the township.
Stories
The Polkberries of Milford Township
William H. Smith Sr. walked all the way from Virginia in 1824, crossed the Ohio River on a ferry, and put down roots on government land in what had just become Milford Township. He built a tanning operation there, digging deep pits lined with heavy planking to hold lime and the vats where hides were cured, work that made him a fixture of the township's early economy. But Smith was a Democrat in a heavily Whig neighborhood, and when his family backed President James K. Polk, their neighbors needled them with the nickname 'Polkberries,' a small, sharp reminder of how political lines could run through a rural township as clearly as any creek. The name survived in local memory long after the political fight that produced it was forgotten.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · knoxpages.com · knoxpages.com
Water
Del-Co's East Knox wellfield at Bryant and Lucerne Rds, Wayne Twp, about 5 miles WSW of Fredericktown The water here
- Del-co Water Company, Inc.69% of residentsOlentangy River, O'Shaughnessy and Alum Creek reservoirs, plus Knox County wells
- Mount Vernon City31% of residentsBuried Valley Aquifer (Kokosing River valley wells)
- Colonial Terrace Mhc Llc0% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Westgate Mobile Home Community0% of residentsBuried Valley Aquifer (Kokosing River valley wells)
- Knox County Water and Wastewater0% of residentsGroundwater wells (4 wells)
- Grandview MHP A0% of residentsGroundwater wells (1 wells)
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Milford Township, Knox County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
| ZIP | Share | Water | Radon | Home value | Schools | Flood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43011 Hilliar Township and Centerburg | 16% | Del-Co's East Knox wellfield at Bryant and Lucerne Rds, Wayne Twp, about 5 miles WSW of Fredericktown | 8.2 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1988 | Centerburg Local · 4 stars overall | 0.9% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43050 Mount Vernon | 2% | Wells drawing groundwater from the buried-valley aquifer along the Kokosing River near Mount Vernon | 7.0 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1956 | Mount Vernon City · 4.5 stars overall | 9.8% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Milford Township, Knox County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2022: 1 of 1 passed; of those asking for new or higher taxes, 1 of 1.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Milford Township (Replacement) MILFORD | 497 | 348 | Passed (58.82% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-04 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Chase T. Cochran 294, 56.65%; Jeremy Charles Netting 225, 43.35% |
| 2023-11-07 | Township Trustee | George Blocker 647, 100.0% |
| 2023-11-07 | Township Fiscal Officer | Crystal L. McElhaney 609, 100.0% |
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee | Peter W. Dickerson 298, 40.22%; Josh Johnson 131, 17.68%; Richard A. Litzenberg 312, 42.11% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee | George Blocker 136, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer | Crystal L. McElhaney 130, 100.0% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Financial Audit, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-08-21
The county
Knox County: 8 ZIP codes, 28 cities, villages and townships, 62,928 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Milford Township, Ohio in?
Milford Township, Knox County is a township in Knox County, Ohio, with 1,866 residents.
When was Milford Township, Ohio founded?
Milford Township, Knox County was settled 1824 (William H. Smith Sr.); incorporated 1823 (set off from Hilliar Township). Source
How did Milford Township, Ohio get its name?
Milford Township was named after New Milford, Connecticut, by an early settler who had come from that town; it is one of three Milford Townships in Ohio. Source
What ZIP code is Milford Township, Ohio?
Milford Township, Knox County is served by ZIP codes 43011 and 43050; 43011 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Milford Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Milford Township, Knox County (Del-co Water Company, Inc.): Del-Co's East Knox wellfield at Bryant and Lucerne Rds, Wayne Twp, about 5 miles WSW of Fredericktown.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Milford Township, Knox County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/milford-township-knox-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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