Editing Milford, Texas (section)

==History==

===Settlement and early history===
Milford dates back to the 1850s, when several men from [[Cherokee County, Texas|Cherokee County]] came to the Mill Creek valley and bought land at 50 cents an acre from Ellis County landowner Arvin Wright. Milford was named by William R. Hudson after the factory town of [[Milford, Massachusetts]]. During 1853 the first house, a combined residence and general store belonging to William R. Hudson, was built, along with a two-story schoolhouse which served as church and community hall until it burned during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. In 1854 Wright, Hudson, and J.M. Higgins laid out town lots atop a ridge. In 1857, a [[gristmill]] began operation at the community. Milford was incorporated in 1888, with W.R. McDaniel serving as the first mayor. In 1890, the tracks of the Dallas and Waco Railway (later acquired by the [[Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad]]) reached the community, which became an important shipping point for area [[cotton]] farmers.

By 1892 Milford had grown to a population of 800, and had three churches, a bank, a hotel, two [[cotton gin]]s, and approximately two dozen other businesses, as well as a weekly newspaper. There were now two schools in Milford, Mollie Poe's private Lone Star Institute and the community-financed Milford Academy. In 1902 the Presbyterian Synod of Texas accepted the town's offer to open the [[Texas Presbyterian College|Texas Presbyterian College for Girls]] in Milford, and by 1925 the [[Texas Electric Railway|Dallas-Waco electric interurban railway]] had reached the town. The town continued to flourish, with the population soaring to 1,200 by 1929, but the population saw a slow decline due to the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], and the Presbyterian college closed due to lagging enrollment. By 1931 the population of Milford was 747, and would continue to decline as the population reached a low of 490 in 1968. The town would grow once again, and by 1990 the population was back up to 711, before dropping to 685 in 2000.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | id=hlm68 | name=Milford, TX | author=David Minor | retrieved=January 8, 2014}}</ref>

===2013 gas pipeline explosion===

====Explosion and fire====
Just after 8:30AM CDT on November 14, 2013, an explosion and resulting fire occurred near the intersection of U.S. 77 and [[List of Farm to Market Roads in Texas (300–399)#FM 308|FM 308]] when a [[Chevron Corporation]] [[liquefied petroleum gas]] pipeline was punctured by a Chevron drilling crew. The five man crew abandoned the rig and escaped the explosion unharmed.

====Aftermath====
Due to concerns about harmful air quality conditions due to the burning pipeline, and the proximity of the fire to another larger gas line, the entire town of approximately 700 residents was forced to evacuate, including Milford ISD staff and students, to the nearby town of [[Italy, Texas|Italy]] as a {{Convert|1.5|mi|adj=on}} evacuation zone was established.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/evacuations-in-milford-after-pipeline-explosion/ Evacuations in Milford After Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion] CBSDFW.COM, November 14, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-15.</ref>

While some residents were permitted to return to the town temporarily under police escort, the town remained evacuated through November 16 as the pipeline continued to burn. The fire also caused the postponement of a six-man football playoff game scheduled for November 15 as the players could not retrieve their gear.<ref>[http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Gas-Line-Explosion-Reported-In-Rural-Central-Texas-231914001.html Residents Briefly Allowed Back Into Evacuated Central Texas Town] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117071818/http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Gas-Line-Explosion-Reported-In-Rural-Central-Texas-231914001.html |date=November 17, 2013 }} KWTX, November 15, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-15.</ref>

====Chevron response====
The company issued several statements through their website expressing their sincere regret to people impacted by this event which included a toll-free claims hotline which residents affected by the incident could call. The company also provided overnight accommodations at local hotels for residents due to conditions not allowing them to return home.<ref>[http://www.chevron.com/news/mediaresources/updates.news Chevron Texas Pipeline Incident Statements] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202100632/http://www.chevron.com/news/mediaresources/updates.news |date=February 2, 2014 }} Chevron.com, January 24, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2014</ref>