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History in a Pecan
ShellThe history
of Milano began with the railroad.
In 1874 the International-Great Northern Railroad surveyed the site of the community
– about a mile and a half from the present-day site. A post office was granted
that same year.
As for the name, you can choose between an intended misspelling
by the postal authorities because the name submitted was Milam and there was already
a Milam, Texas or it was named
after Milan, Italy.
In 1881 the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built
a town named “Milano Junction” alongside its tracks between Brenham
and Belton. This site, two miles
from the first Milano, was more appealing than the original and for awhile there
was “Old Milan” and Milano Junction. Over time the Junction was dropped
and the new town assumed the role of Milano.
The population reached 500
in the 1880s and Milano became a cotton shipping
point. As cotton prices fell and the boll
weevil infested crops, farmers started growing tomatoes, cantelopes and watermelons.
In
1939 Milano peaked with 920 residents. By the 1970s the population had declined
to 380 and neared 500 in the late 1980s. The population was 400 for the 2000 census. |
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