| »Milan was founded in 1816 as Merry's Mill,
after Ebenezzer Merry who settled here and built a flour and
sawmill. In 1839, the completion
of the man-made canal linking Milan
to the Huron River launched a trade boom. At one time, Milan's
wheat export volume ranked second only to Odessa, Russia with
out two million dollars worth of commodities exported in 1847.
Canal usage was eventually replaced by the railroad, and when
a flood destroyed the dam, the canal was never rebuilt.
Milan's history includes an era of ship
building when 75 schooners up to 125 were built. It was
also during this time that Milan served as the formation site
of wagon trains headed West.
Milan's largest potato farmer, Isaac Hoover, invented and
manufactured the "Hoover Potato
Digger."
But Milan's most famous inventor was Thomas
Alva Edison. Born February 11, 1847 in the home now open
for tour, Edison spent his early childhood here. During the
course of his career, Edison was granted over 1,000 patents.
Of all his great inventions, it is the incandescent light
to which his name is most often linked to. Milan's history
is rich and varied and is still visible to today's visitor.
Come spend a day and learn even more in Milan, OH.
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