MHS Up on the Hilltop

Found in an early newspaper. 1921 was a jumpin year for Milford.

1909 Flood and the Atkin Hotel

Another early picture of the Atkin Hotel sometime in the late 20′s early 30′s. It is different from the one we have currently on here and comes to us from the Weston’s. Does anyone know when the portico was taken down?

This one is very interesting of the 1909 Milford Flood, it looks like Milford had quite a history with flooding. Double click on the picture and look closely to see if you can tell the location of this picture.

Check the archives for other flood pictures in Sept. 2009 and May, 2011. When was the flood control on the west side of town put in place?

A Parade & a Ball Game, Whats better?

Hi guys,
While I was labeling some more photos, I ran across these two “oldies”. I thought the picture of the 1962 basketball team was fun because it shows the old gym. Notice the ancient score board up on the wall. The other picture is of a early parade in Milford. I don’t have any details on this one nor do I know the men on the horses.
Maybe some one can help us identify them. Good work on the blog. It’s fun to check in and see what has been
posted.  Linda and Brad (Weston).

 

1958 MHS Cagers

This pic was sent to us, yep, by Brad & Linda Weston. It was published in the 1958 yearbook, however the published picture lacked the scanned quality of this photo. Standing L-R are: Coach Lee Pettey (remember the years of just one athletic coach for all sports)? Larry Lofthouse, Gale Anderson, Paul McGinn, David Bown, Paul Wyatt, Boyd Horton, Mack Whittiker & Mgr. Brad Weston. Kneeling: Wayne Hardy, Arden Fowles, Eddie Tomsik, Robert Davis and Denny Belliston.

MHS Football

Its Football Season again! We were looking through our pictures for High School Football teams, we have many, many basketball pictures but very few football ones. We picked these three because it is fun to see how the uniforms have evolved. There are no names on the bottom team, but since it was scanned from a year book, it is signed. It would be great if someone would list the players for us.

Volunteer Firemen?

Another great photo from Brad & Linda (Johnson) Weston…. While awaiting correction comments, I’ll guess it is a group of early volunteer firemen standing at the
rear of the Opera House. If so, they are looking north across 3rd south between
1st west and Main St.
Only wish we had a clue what the buildings in the background are.

Parade Time Again

Growing up in Milford, the parades were a highlight of the summer, Milford always have great parades! Here’s one for the Class of ’51 who is on this float and what is the occasion? Note the old Methodist Church in the background.

Milford Elementary School

Here is another fun picture from Charles Leech, as you can see it is our Elementary School, we think it was taken of the North entrance. Notice the long thing in the foreground, we think we know what it is, what is your opinion?

Leech’s Standard Station

Charles Leech sent us this terrific picture of his Grandfather Eddie Leech’s Standard Oil Station. We love the night shot, the snow on the ground and the Christmas tree. Charles did not give a date of the photo or the location of the station on Main Street. Here is a question for all you Milford historians, where was it located? Can anyone tell us how long it was operating and what is there now?  Thank you Charles for sharing the picture with us all!

The Fitch Family

Larry Fitch sent these  pictures to his old friend Wayne Hardy. Larry  was born in Milford and lived there through the 4th grade, please look in “Sign in and tell us about you” scroll to the bottom and read what he has to say about his family.

Thank you Larry for sending these in and labeling them so nicely! We have several more of his pictures that we will post another time. We hope more of you will be inspired to send yours in!

The Real Ice House

This was tough finding some pictures of the old Ice House. As I said in the previous entry of “The Ice House Fire”, the ice house was no more than 30 feet from our backyard fence so, I dug up some old family photos and hopefully my brother and sister won’t maim me for posting them. To get your bearings, the double photo has one picture looking west to main street,it looks directly at Al Kirks old 5&10 building, the north side of which is showing, (that is 3rd south). The other looks north toward the depot and shows the back /west side of the ice house (see the tennis courts & the tall cottonwoods that were at the northmost depot park near the passenger platform. All other shots are looking toward the tracks (east). Based on Doug’s age the pics were taken between 47 & 49 and his solo is circa 52/53. The Ice House was already being used for other things. you can note that potatoes are being unloaded in one picture. The Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) operated the icehouse and had local agents living in Milford in a PFE company home just to the north of McDonalds. I remember Carlsons and Nailons (ck spelling on Nailon?). I am told that there were fires being built inside the ice house by intruders when it fell to misuse, but alas, it was finally,  just torn down. arden fowles

UPRR Freight Depot Fire

Brad and Linda Weston sent us these great pictures, Brad said the Ice House (now properly identified as the Freight Depot) fire was in the 60″s. Can anyone tell us when it was and how the fire started. Can anyone identify the men in the pictures.

We are always so happy to get these great quality pictures from the Westons!

The Last Ferry South

Another one from the flood of 1951. The boy wading I believe is Butch Williams. Please help us with the Guy offering his “Piggy Back”. Photo looks north from the Drug Store.   Remember, you can click on these pictures to resize them. Once you click on it, it will settle down to  the correct size…

The Rescue

Barber George Litchfield went down in the torrent and Claude Horton (watching from Shay’s) came to his aid. 1951…AF

Milford Flood Waters

Pic comes to us from Lucille. The back says, Gordon Murdock & Bud James, I’m not sure about Bud looks to me like someone else we know R.G.,How about you.  The Murdocks operated the White Market before the Lunds (I worked there for Lamarr).  You can see the J.C. Penney Store & Clyde Mapes’ Bowling (duck pin) Alley. AF

Blizzard of 1949

Who remembers the big storm of “49? The little guy standing on the snow pile is Brad weston.

The second picture is the Section Crew clearing the track, as seen through the engine window.

Merry Christmas and Happy Winter!

Milford Panorama

This is another one of Jerrold Spainhower’s excellent pictures. We had posted a similar photo last February, dated 1914, but this is a much better picture. We think it is interesting that the business along main street face the RR Tracks, can anyone identify the building with the awning? How about the houses on the hill, can you identify them and are any of them still in Milford? 

   Please take some time and go through your old photos like Jerrold did and send them to us so we can keep our blog going. Send them to us at helensimpkins@sbcglobal.net, or Richard Fisher at 2princecharming@sbcglobal.net or Arden Fowles at fouls2@yahoo.com. If you live in Milford, we are sure that Arden will scan and send them for you.

 

Railroad Row 1915

We received this wonderful picture from Jerrold Spainhower, class of 1949. Click on it to get a bigger image, it looks like there might be someone sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch of the first house, do you think so? Scroll down to the post “Company Row” and read more about these homes. Thank you to Jerrold for sharing this excellent picture.

Company Row

We found this great picture of Company Row in Milford, it is not dated and it is small but we love the picture. Please add your memories of the “row” and if you have a picture of your house, or any of the houses, please send it to us to share. We asked Arden Fowles to comment on the picture and he sent in the following:

It was, what I like to think of as part of the glory years of Company Row, having spent the better part of fourteen years there (in a house that was not actually one of the row homes in architecture or design yet it was attached to the row). We called it #16. Company Row was much of the world to many of us for a lot of years.

I’m speaking from my observations not from any other knowledge. The Union Pacific Row Homes were cookie cutter designs generally two floor plans, a single floor and a two story model all framed homes. They were built I’m sure by Union Pacific crews in towns where the railroad had larger yards, maintenance facilities, crews of workers (round house employees, car toads, hostlers, railway express agents, telegraphers, call boys, switchmen, etc) enginemen (engineers & firemen) and trainmen (conductors and brakemen) and local managers (roadmasters, trainmasters, stationmasters, etc).

The houses in Milford all faced the tracks, hence, the fronts of the homes were never (ever) used, however there was a macadam sort of walk in the front as I recall.

The two story model was generally dealt out to company officials. Milford’s framed homes numbered south to north 1 through 15. In this picture which is obviously being taken from the south by south east close to where the water tender shack and water tank were located (the old steamers would stop under the tanks spigot on the main line for refilling as the crews changed) you can discern the two story models by the window over the porch roof. I’m not sure why, but #1 is not in this picture I remember it did sit back some (I think because of the drainage ditch that ran in front). I remember the Bakers and Varleys were in residence at different times.

I can’t find a construction time, but guess the twenties. I have since done a little research and found that the name in the picture E.F. (Ed) Misch was a town board trustee in 1910-11 and board president in 1912 at which point he seems to have left Milford. My money says he was a Union Pacific official during those years.

These homes pictured were centrally located in the city, there were other row homes at the south end of town for road and signal workers I do believe (I don’t remember them well as I didn’t range that direction when I was young).

I know the homes in Milford were not all torn down, they were offered for sale (probably in the 70s ?), but had to be moved off company land, so, there are still some that are in use, most of which were two story models. The Labrums were one family that relocated their home to 10 S 100 E., Nelson Stott (not a row resident) moved two of them to 5^th west across from the AT&T property at 53 & 65 South, two are residences on the flat (south Milford) clearly visible from the highway.

I still get frustrated with “the company” for doing Milford the way they did. I mean that Caliente was allowed the opportunity to retain their Depot (which the city still uses today and is worthy of a visit) and also the company homes were sold in place and still are lived in today (for the most part the homes there are well maintained and tended).  A. Fowles  

Early Milford 1911

We were looking through our old pictures and don’t think that we have posted this wonderful  picture from 1911. The building which became the old Corner Drug was such a landmark in Milford and a building that we all miss. We would love to learn more of its history, weren’t there apartments on the top floor? If you were up there tell us about it.