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THE STORY OF MILFORD

The land which today comprises Milford, Orange, and West Haven was
“purchased” on February 1, 1639 from Ansantawae, chief of the local
tribe, by English settlers affiliated with the contemporary New Haven
Colony. Originally, the area was known as “Wepawaug”, after the small
river which runs through the town. During the Revolutionary War, the
Milford section of Boston Post Road, a vital route connecting Boston,
New York and other major coastal cities, was blockaded by Continental

forces and Fort Trumbull was constructed to protect the town. The site
of the blockade is commemorated by the Liberty Rock monument.

By 1822, the town had grown large enough that residents chartered
their own independent course as the town of Orange.
During the next century and a half, Milford became known as a
beach resort for residents of New Haven and Bridgeport. In 1903 the

southeastern portion of the town was incorporated as the Borough of
Woodmont. In 1959, the town of Milford was incorporated as the City of
Milford.

Milford’s Devon neighborhood is located at the mouth of the
Housatonic River near Stratford, and features the Connecticut Audubon
Coastal Center overlooking the estuary. Milford also has over 14 miles
of shoreline facing Long Island Sound, the most of any town in
Connecticut. A large portion of Milford’s shoreline forms the Silver

Sands State Park.

A newly built mile-long boardwalk was opened in 2011
that connects Silver Sands to Walnut Beach in Devon.
Charles Island is also a part of the park and is a
protected bird nesting ground. There is a sand
bar (more correctly called a tombolo since

it is perpendicular, not parallel to the
coast) accessible during low tide
that people can walk on from
Silver Sands Beach to
Charles Island.