Milan ( ) is the largest city in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Milan had a population of 8,171. It is home to the Milan Army Ammunition Plant, the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and several historical sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The city was the first in Tennessee to begin no-till farming and to fluoridate its drinking water. The Milan Endowment for Growth in Academics (MEGA) was the first private community financial endowment for public schools in Tennessee.

Name

Pronounced like "My-lunn", the local story is that the source for the name comes from an event in the 1850s. A Louisville & Nashville railroad surveyor asked Beverly A. Williamson: "Who owned the land?" and Williamson replied, "It's my land."

Residents of Milan are usually referred to as Milanites.

Geography and climate

Milan is approximately Northeast of Memphis and West of Nashville, at an elevation of above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Milan has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated as "Cfa". This is characterized by precipitation that is evenly distributed throughout the year and temperatures that are relatively high.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there was a population of 8,171, with 3,336 households and 1,955 families residing in the city, and the median age was 38.8 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 77.1 males age 18 and over.

The 3,336 households in Milan included 31.8% with children under the age of 18 living in them, 39.4% married-couple households, 17.2% households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.2% households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 5,638 || 69.0%

|-

| Black or African American || 1,977 || 24.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 26 || 0.3%

|-

| Asian || 38 || 0.5%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 110 || 1.3%

|-

| Two or more races || 380 || 4.7%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 247 || 3.0%

|}

2010 census

, there were 7,851 people, 3,183 households and 2,057 families residing in the city. The population density was 881.7 per square mile. There were 3,581 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 73.50% White, 22.80% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 1.00% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.50% of the population. Milan's elevation of is the highest point between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico on the former Illinois Central Railroad. In 1949, Milan organized the first little league team in the mid-south.

In 1950, the Milan National Guard became one of the first two in the nation to be federalized into active duty.

In 1981, the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experimentation Station in Milan became the birthplace of no-till farming in Tennessee.

The Mildred G. Fields Library contains 35,000 volumes and is housed in a building on Van Hook Street.

The city cemetery, Oakwood Cemetery, is located on South First Street near Highland Avenue and Ellington Drive.

The U.S. Post Office building is located on Main Street near city hall.

Privately owned services

The city is served by Milan General Hospital, a 70-bed acute care facility located on Highland Avenue. Milan General Hospital became a wholly owned affiliate of West Tennessee Healthcare in 1998.

Two radio stations are licensed in Milan. WHHG (92.3 FM) is a classic rock station. W256AD (99.1 FM) is an American Family Radio station.

A YMCA is located adjacent to the city park.

The Milan Golf and Country Club, a private club, has an 18-hole course.

Milan has no television station, but is within the reach of Jackson and Memphis stations. A cable television service is provided by Charter Communications.

Education

Public education in Milan is provided by the Milan Special School District, which was formed in the 1980s and includes territory immediately adjacent to the Milan city limits. The district is the successor to the Milan City Schools, formed in the 1960s when the Milan schools left the Gibson County Board of Education and became independent. The system is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

There are three schools: Milan High School (which contains the Milan Vo-Tech center) serving grades 9–12, Milan Middle, serving grades 5–8, and Milan Elementary, serving grades K-4. Historically, there were four schools - K.D. McKellar, grades 1–8, Park Avenue, also grades 1–8, Milan High School, 9–12, and Polk-Clark, which served black students in all twelve grades. The McKellar and Park Avenue buildings were demolished; Polk-Clark is now a community center.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is one of the active CTE student organizations which is composed of students in Family and Consumer Science courses. There have been 4 state officers from Milan High and many state and national competitive event winners.

The Milan High School Alumni Association (MHSAA) holds Alumni Day on the third Saturday in June each year. In 2012 the MHSAA presented 19 scholarships totalling over $18,000, and hosted 14 scholarships totalling over $16,500 to graduating seniors that were the natural, adopted, or stepchildren of alumni.

Established in 1989, the Milan Endowment for Growth in Academics (MEGA), is Tennessee's first private community financial endowment for public education. Proceeds provide public school students with opportunities not covered by the school budget. Only the income of the fund is spent. The principal is kept intact to yield proceeds for future years. During the period of 19902012, MEGA has disbursed 663 grants totalling $455,439. In 2012, the total amount of the endowment reached $580,000.

The University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station conducts crop research, crop management and erosion control experiments. The no-till method of farming in Tennessee originated at the Milan facility.

Milan Army Ammunition Plant

In 1945, the Wolf Creek Ordinance Plant and the Milan Ordance Depot combined to become the Milan Arsenal, renamed the Milan Army Ammunition Plant in the 1960s. The combined facility included 88 miles of railroad track and 231 miles of roadway across a tract of land.

The Milan Army Ammunition Plant is nicknamed "Bullet Town" by locals.

Attributed population growth

The Milan Army Ammunition Plant employed over 10,000 during World War II, dropping to 1,500 in 1947. Employment rose again to over 8,000 during the Korean War before falling to less than 500 in 1959. By 1968, employment had risen again to 7,000. During the period 19401971 the population of Milan had increased from 3,000 to 7,000. The growth was largely attributed to the Milan Army Ammunition Plant.

In 1989, the EPA, United States Army and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) signed a Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) for the site. The FFA ensures that the parties would fully investigate environmental impacts associated with past and present activities at the installation and complete appropriate cleanup actions through established schedules and enforceable milestones.

In 2010, the third Five-Year Review found that the cleanup activities were protecting people and the environment. The cleanup of affected soil was completed leaving the cleanup and long-term care of the groundwater contamination plume. The velocities of the plume vary, but the direction is primarily North towards the Rutherford Fork of the Obion River and from the Northwest boundary towards the city.

Notable people

Politics and academia

  • A. P. Barrett, Texas politician and businessman
  • Mary Lee (Harris) Cagle, one of the first influential women and pastors of the Church of the Nazarene. In 1894, she helped found a 14-member New Testament Church of Christ in Milan.
  • Gordon Browning, the Governor of Tennessee 19371939 and 19491953. His childhood home is located on the grounds of the Milan Army Ammunition Plant.
  • Andrew 'Andy' Holt, the 16th president of the University of Tennessee 19591970, was born in Milan.

Sports

  • Benjamin Caldwell Cantwell, the major league baseball pitcher, was born in Milan April 13, 1902.
  • Burnis 'Wild Bill' Wright, the Negro league baseball pitcher and outfielder, was born in Milan June 6, 1914.
  • Avery Williamson, former NFL player.

Entertainment

  • Joe Staton, the illustrator and writer of comic books such as E-Man, graduated from Milan High School in 1966.
  • Kellye Cash-Sheppard, the 1986 Miss Tennessee and 1987 Miss America turned musical artist, resides in Milan.

See also

  • List of cities in Tennessee

References

  • City of Milan
  • Milan Special School District
  • Milan Army Ammunition Plant Environmental Cleanup Program