This Hamilton neighborhood has a little something for everyone
Covering a land mass of 1.88 square miles, the Millikin neighborhood is ingrained with mountains of Hamilton history, as well as acres of beautiful public park space. Home to roughly 5,467 people, this neighborhood is unique in that it holds a little bit of everything, from schools and churches to businesses and subdivisions.
The Millikin neighborhood is one of the five suburban neighborhoods in Hamilton. These neighborhoods typically have large areas meant for a single use, such as residences or public space. The boundaries of this neighborhood stretch up Main Street to Old Oxford Road and down to Millville Avenue, with the edge of Millikin Woods to the east and a jagged borderline to the west.
Today, the neighborhood is filled with subdivisions such as Brookwood, West Park, and Twin Brook that surround the neighborhoods primary feature, Millikin Woods, the namesake of the neighborhood. However, back in 1875 things looked vastly different. The land was part of Hanover Township and the woods were originally called Stahlheber Woods, after Henry Stahlheber. Henry was a landowner who operated a large dairy farm on the property. Together with his wife, Elizabeth and he raised eight children on that farm. The Stahlheber family still calls Butler County home.
In 1950, the Woods were renamed to honor Hamilton’s first resident physician, Dr. Daniel Millikin. Arriving in 1807 from Pennsylvania, Dr. Millikin found Hamilton to be the perfect place to practice medicine due to its location next to a large swamp called ‘The Big Pond’. It was believed that this pond was the source of much sickness in the area, therefore creating the need for a resident doctor.
The mid-1900s also brought the end of World War II and an influx of servicemen returning to their families in Hamilton. However, the area was unprepared when it came to housing and this left many families without a place to live. In 1946, a group of veterans were gathered at the YMCA and a solution to the housing problem was devised. The idea for a new subdivision was born that day and this subdivision would later become known as West Park, a name it still carries.
Comprised of 127 homes, West Park began construction in 1947. While each house was under construction, families banded together to help one another purchase stoves and other necessary appliances. The subdivision was completed in 1952.
In today’s Hamilton, the Millikin neighborhood is now home to approximately 2296 households, four schools, and countless businesses. With Millikin Woods Park covering 47 acres of the area, the neighbors find it the perfect place to gather.
Diana Owens, a 47-year resident of the Millikin neighborhood and active 17Strong Board Member, considers the park a vital part of neighborhood engagement.
“The park is beautiful with picnic shelters, a nine-hold disc golf course, playgrounds and spraygrounds,” she said. “I enjoy time with my family there and meet lots of other neighbors.”
Such close proximity to the park provides residents of this neighborhood the unique opportunity to congregate and form lifelong bonds at an early age.
“Our children gravitate toward each other and become playmates,” Diana said. “The neighbors genuinely care about this neighborhood.”
The Millikin neighborhood has welcomed growth and expansion throughout the years while still remembering the path that brought that growth about. The history of the Millikin neighborhood is ingrained in the fabric of this city, making it a unique and vital part of Hamilton.