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A leisurely drive north on Route 7 takes the traveler through rolling landscape, past historic homes, new residential development, and thriving industrial parks. Chartered in 1763, controversy exists over the origin of the town's name. Some say that Benning Wentworth, the New Hampshire governor granting the charter, chose the name in tribute to the famed author of "Paradise Lost," John Milton. Others claim that Wentworth, in a political gesture designed to advance his own power, named the town after the husband of Lady Anne Wentworth, William Fitzwilliam, the First Earl Fitzwilliam and Viscount Milton. Unfortunately for Wentworth, the ploy did not work due to the Earl's early death. Whichever may be true, both tales are intriguing.

Long a bedroom community, Milton has recently experienced both residential and industrial growth. Attractive neighborhoods of single family homes and condominiums have erupted through the countryside without displacing majestic historic homes, such as the Stone House. Catamount Industrial Park covers the 174 acres once the occupied by Catamount Stadium, the scene of Saturday night stock car racing for many years. Built in 1983, the park heralded the beginning of an infusion of manufacturing and much-needed employment into the town. Husky Injection Molding Systems recently moved its manufacturing operation to facilities near Lake Arrowhead, bringing an influx of new employment opportunities into the community.

Agriculture is still of primary concern, although only a few working farms remain. Because it is less than a four-hour drive to all points in Vermont and some locations in Upstate New York, Milton has been chosen as the site for the Vermont Large Animal Clinic, scheduled to open late summer, 2001. Located on Lake Road on part of the Jed Everett estate, the new facility will provide emergency and surgical care to horses, cows, llamas, and small ruminants.

Milton abounds with recreational opportunities. In addition to breathtaking views, Lake Champlain can be accessed for swimming, boating, and fishing at Sand Bar State Park, located at the beginning of the causeway to the Islands. Lake Arrowhead is a popular spot for birdwatchers, as well as those fishing for Bass and Walleyed Pike.

Milton has blossomed over the last decade, resulting in growth that has benefited the town and the communities that surround it.