Founded 1818 · From indigenous settlement to the community it is today.
The Town of Milo is the most populous of Yates County's nine towns, with approximately 7,006 residents. It is the only town in the county with shoreline on both Keuka Lake to the west and Seneca Lake to the east. Milo occupies 48 square miles in the eastern half of the county. Benton and Torrey border to the north; Barrington and Starkey to the south. The Village of Penn Yan — the county seat — is located within the Town of Milo.
Long before white settlers arrived in the 1700s, the land was home to Native Americans who named the principal waterway — now known as the Keuka Lake Outlet — Minneseta. Traces of these early inhabitants have been found in trails and burial grounds at locations including the Swarthout Farm on Bath Road.
In 1788, the Society of Universal Friends, led by Jemima Wilkinson, established the settlement of New Jerusalem in what is now the Town of Jerusalem — the neighboring town that shares the Keuka Lake shoreline with Milo. Their influence shaped the early character of the region.
As land became available following the Revolutionary War, settlers from Pennsylvania and New England migrated to the area. The first wood frame house in Penn Yan was built by Abraham Wagener in 1800.
The Town of Milo was carved from the Town of Benton in 1818, when Samuel Lawrence — then representing Ontario County in the New York State Assembly — proposed calling the new township Milan. Because that name had already been taken by a town in Dutchess County, the name was changed to Milo — widely believed to honor Milo of Croton, the legendary ancient Greek wrestler.
The first Town of Milo meeting was held on April 7, 1818 at the home of Isaac Nichols. Those present agreed to raise $150 for the poor. First officers included: Supervisor Avery Smith, Town Clerk Charles Roberts, Collectors George Nichols and George Youngs, and Overseers of the Poor Richard Henderson and Roger Sutherland.
The area now known as Milo Center was originally called Nichols' Corners, named for pioneer settlers Isaac Nichols and his wife Anna Boon.
Much of Milo's early development occurred along the Keuka Lake Outlet, where water-powered mills processed locally grown raw materials including corn, wheat, timber, flaxseed, and wool.
Himrod, on Plum Point Brook, became a busy community after the first store was established there in 1831 by Wilhelmus M. Himrod. The first post office opened in 1832. Richard Mathews built the area's first distillery around 1794 on the John Davis farm near a mineral spring west of what later became Himrod's Corners.
The Crooked Lake Canal, completed in 1833, connected Keuka Lake to Seneca Lake through a series of locks along the outlet. It operated until 1877, when the railroad made it obsolete. A blacksmith shed from the canal era (1833) still stands on Outlet Road.
Today the Town of Milo retains its agricultural roots while serving as the civic and commercial center of Yates County through the Village of Penn Yan. The Keuka Lake Outlet Trail — a 6.8-mile rail-trail following the historic outlet — passes through the town connecting Penn Yan to Dresden.
Seneca Mills Falls and Cascade Falls are two natural landmarks along the trail that draw visitors from across the region. The waterfall at Seneca Mill Site remains a popular gathering spot for residents and visitors.
20 documented sites in the Town of Milo
U.S. Decennial Census · 1820–2020
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1820 | 2,612 |
| 1830 | 3,620 |
| 1840 | 3,986 |
| 1850 | 4,791 |
| 1860 | 2,028 ⚠ |
| 1870 | 4,779 |
| 1880 | 5,755 |
| 1890 | 6,028 |
| 1900 | 6,318 |
| 1910 | 6,088 |
| 1920 | 5,817 |
| 1930 | 6,561 |
| 1940 | 6,377 |
| 1950 | 6,576 |
| 1960 | 6,965 |
| 1970 | 6,654 |
| 1980 | 6,732 |
| 1990 | 7,023 |
| 2000 | 7,026 |
| 2010 | 7,006 |
| 2020 | 6,803 |
⚠ The 1860 figure reflects a sharp drop following the 1833 incorporation of the Village of Penn Yan, which removed village residents from the town count in certain census years. The 1870 rebound reflects a return to unified counting methodology.
Source: U.S. Decennial Census · Wikipedia, Milo, New York · Verified March 2026
Sources: 2019 Yates County Fact Book · U.S. Census Bureau · townofmilo.com · Wikipedia · NYS Board of Elections. Historical data verified March 2026. Population figure from 2019 Fact Book.
Yates County, New York
Community information resource for Penn Yan and Yates County, NY