Milford High School - Eagle Yearbook (Milford, NE)

Page 7 text:

 Such was the case, over a century ago, when the west was still wild, and our midland plains were slowly being settled. A venturesome pio- neer by the name of J. L. Davison happened to discover a ford, or a shallow part in the Blue River. Since bridges were not plentiful in those sparsely settled areas, and pioneer traffic found it necessary to get to the other side of this great stream of water, a ford in the river was the most convenient place to cross. As this location became more popular and travelled upon, settlers preferred to remain there, and assembled themselves into a community. Situated in a fertile farming valley, with the river as an ideal source of power, the settlers erected a mill. This prospering community then became known as none other than Milford.

Page 6 text:

A monument of work well done. There stands the old stone mill. The sentinel of time is he, Undaunted, faithful still — — Isla Paschal Richardson A riverstream and an old mill. Makes a picturesque scene, doesn’t it? A fine subject for a song. (Remember “Down By the Old Mill Stream ?) A romantic spot on a cool summer evening. A nice picture for a magazine advertisement. How about the setting for the beginning of a town?

Page 8 text:

In the early days when our town was growing up, the mill proved to be an important part of the community. For many years, the farmers kept bringing their grain to the miller, who in turn kept grinding it into flour. In an age before modern technology, both the farmers and the townspeople alike depended upon the miller and his work. The years have swiftly passed, though, and time has seen the mill wheel come to a final stop. Farmers no longer make their fre- quent visits to the mill, to bring their sacks of grain and pass the time with friends. The miller is gone, as well as his grind stone, and any few bits of grain left have long been carried off by the mice. All that remains are parts of the old mill and memories for the old timers to reflect upon and pass along to the younger gen- erations.