History of Milton, Massachusetts, USA

Milton, Massachusetts
Norfolk county. This interesting and pleasant town, the Uncataquissit of the Indians, lies 7 miles S. from Boston and 6 E. from Dedham. Neponset river washes its northern border and affords numerous valuable mill sites. This town was taken from Dorchester, in 1662. Population, 1837, 1,772. A large part of the land is a gravelly loam, strong and very productive. The manufactures consist of paper, granite, leather, hats, chairs, cabinet ware, playing cards, &c.: total annual amount, about $100,000. The manufacture of paper from beach grass has recently been commenced, and promises to be a good substitute for rags, for the more common kinds.

The village called the "Mills," comprising a part of Dorchester, at the head of navigation, on the Neponset, is a wild, romantic place, and ever since the first settlement of the country, has been the seat of considerable trade and manufacture.

The village at the rail-road, near the granite quarry, in Quincy, about a mile ...

Milton, called by the Indians, Uncataquisset, was originally a part of Dorchester, and probably not named in honor of John Milton, the Great Author of Paradise Lost, but Mill-ton, from its Mills.

The Blue Hills in this town and Canton, are the highest land in the county, being 710 feet above the level of the sea.

The first paper-mill in the United States was established here, on the Neponset, by some Boston merchants, in 1728.

A house, still standing on what is called Milton Hill, was the residence of Thomas Hutchinson, who wrote a valuable History of Massachusetts, and governed the State just before the Revolution, when he went to England, and died in 1780.

Distance from Dedham, 6 miles ; from Boston, 7.

Milton, a post-township of Norfolk county, Mass., 8 miles S. from Boston. Pop., 2241.

The town of Milton, Mass., with a population of less than 3,000, has voted $5,000 to establish a public library, and an equal amount has been raised by subscription.

Milton is an old suburban town of much scenic beauty, lying in the northeasterly part of Norfolk County. It is bounded on the north by Boston (Dorchester district), east by Quincy, south by the same and Randolph and Canton; by the latter also on the southwest; and on the west by Hyde Park. The assessed area is 8,040 acres.

The forests are chiefly oak. The borders of the town are hilly, except on the north, and there is an extensive elevation in the central part. On the border next Canton is Blue Hill, whose summit is 635 feet above the level of the sea; and the views here obtained are exceedingly beautiful. On this hill is a meteorological observatory whose weather indications are published in the Boston dailies. From the blue tints this and other hills of this group wear when seen from the sea, they have gained their name of Blue Hills. They were formerly the habitat of numerous rattlesnakes. The principal underlying rocks are sienite and granite, and are extensively quarried....