Milford Township, one of thirteen townships in the county, is located in north-central Butler County between Oxford and Middletown. The township, which contains the village of Somerville, had a population of 3,254 in 2000, up from 2,651 in 1990. Excluding Somerville, 2,960 live in the unincorporated part of the township. It comprises one entire survey township in the Congress Lands and has an area of thirty-six square miles.

The seventh township in order of creation, it was erected from St. Clair Township by the Butler County Commissioners on December 2, 1805, with these boundaries:

Beginning at the southeast corner of the fifth township of the second range west of the Miami; thence north with the east boundary of the said second range to the north boundary of the county; thence west with the northern boundary line to the northwest corner of the county; thence south with the western boundary line of the county to the southwest corner of the fifth township in the first range; thence to the place of beginning.

This area was diminished to the present territory when the western half, another full survey township commonly known as the "college township", was separated from Milford Township by the Butler County Commissioners (James Blackburn, William Robison, and John Wingate) on August 5, 1811, to form Oxford Township.

It is bordered on the west by Oxford Township, on the northwest by Israel Township in Preble County, on the north by Somers Township in Preble County, on the northeast by Gratis Township in Preble County, on the east by Wayne Township, on the southeast by St. Clair Township, on the south by Hanover Township, and on the southwest by Reily Township.

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township clerk, who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the clerkship or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.

The township is served by the Somerville and Collinsville post offices and is in the Talawanda City School District. Major highways include State Routes 73 (the road between Oxford and Middletown), 177, 127 (the road between Hamilton and Eaton), and 744.

Unincorporated places in the township are Darrtown and Collinsville .

Historic population figures

• 1900--1476
• 1910--1397
• 1920--1344
• 1930--1467
• 1940--1532
• 1950--1688
• 1960--2135
• 1970--2350
• 1980--2569
• 1990--2651

References

• Bert S. Barlow, W.H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, and Frederick Schneider, eds. Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio. Hamilton, Ohio: B.F. Bowen, 1905.
• Jim Blount. The 1900's: 100 Years In the History of Butler County, Ohio. Hamilton, Ohio: Past Present Press, 2000.
• Butler County Engineer's Office. Butler County Official Transportation Map, 2003. Fairfield Township, Butler County, Ohio: The Office, 2003.
• A History and Biographical Cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio with Illustrations and Sketches of Its Representative Men and Pioneers. Cincinnati, Ohio: Western Biographical Publishing Company, 1882. [1]
• Ohio. Secretary of State. The Ohio municipal and township roster, 2002-2003. Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 2003.