Milton, FL news and local guide

Milton's early fortunes rested on the river, which carried its lumber and farm products to market. The town had a rough reputation: residents nicknamed it "Hell Town," and Escambia County judges were said to sentence criminals to confinement there. During the Civil War, after Union forces took Pensacola in May 1862, retreating Confederates burned much of Milton to keep its industries out of Union hands, and many residents fled to Alabama. The 20th century brought new chapters. Naval Air Station Whiting Field, built during World War II with help from German prisoners of war, was commissioned on July 16, 1943, and named for naval aviation pioneer Captain Kenneth Whiting. On March 31, 1962, a tornado struck the northwest side of town, killing 17 people. In 1987 the Milton Historic District, with 117 historic buildings along the Blackwater River, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Milton also holds Florida's snowfall record: 10 inches fell during the Gulf Coast blizzard of January 21, 2025, more than doubling the previous record of 4 inches, also set in Milton, in 1954. Sources Wikipedia: Milton, Florida (citing the City of Milton and Laurie Green, Santa Rosa County) National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places: Milton Historic District Wikipedia: Santa Rosa County, Florida