FOREWORD
In writing a history of a school, and its community, it is soon realized that it is very much as writing a biography of an individual. As in the life of an individual, a school is created and born, functions as a living entity, and soon, perhaps all too soon, passes out of existence. That which is remembered and recorded is the perception of the writer or the teller and how that recorder of the memoir wants the reader to envision the remembered individual or place. The new school creates a new community that receives inputs and personality from the residents and conversely, the residents receive enthusiasm, spirit, and energy from the community. Often, that which is the mundane, but yet creates a memory, either good or impassive, is the most difficult to communicate since this memory seems largely to simply evaporate away, but not to naught, just to a faint whisper in the corner of one's memory. Words can't convey the hazy clouds that dwell in the memory. Yet, this type of memory can be the one that creates the overall impression of a place; sitting in the classroom, standing in the lunch line, waiting for the bus, playing at recess, going to seemingly endless study halls, hoping the teacher doesn't say anything when you know you're the guilty one, hoping the teacher doesn't call on you when you haven't been paying attention or haven't prepared a thing for what she's talking about.
Milford Twp, as a community, seems to have been born, in the early twenties with the formation of the Consolidated School and died, or at least fallen apart, in 1961 with the closing of the high school. With the loss of the high school and the removal of the grade school students, the heart seems to have departed from our community. As with a death of a loved one, a longing for the old familiar things develops and even though other things can step forward in an attempt to replace the departed, nothing seems to fit. Alternatives offer themselves and, although they may leave a good memory, the comfortableness of the old happenings and surroundings just will not be replaced. Some might say that it was simply because we were young then.
A word about errors: Much effort, very much effort, has been used to create lists and stories that are 100% free of errors. However, when using other sources of information, they might have errors in them and, unfortunately, we would simply have transposed them. There might be some simple typing errors, as in dates, and only the people involved would be aware of these. When visiting with people about events from their memory, dates and names, for example, are very easily in error and then, when it's in print, the error is very noticeable and unfortunately remains there as long as the record lasts. The human memory, as good as it is, is not infallible. Also, the school year not being the same as the calendar year causes some problems. If a person is reported to have taught in ‘55, does that mean the school year that ended in ‘55 or does it mean she started teaching in fall ‘55? We apologize for any error and ask for your understanding in these matters.
| First Printing May 2007 | Fourth Printing Oct 2007 | |
| Second Printing July 2007 | Fifth Printing Aug 2008 | |
| Third Printing Aug 2007 | Sixth Printing June 2009 | |
| Seventh Printing and Website Edition June 2011 | ||