In the early 1800's, travelers in the area now known as Milton crossed the Mud River by ferry. A covered bridge became more convenient when it was built in 1834. This original bridge was demolished in 1955 and replaced by a more modern structure. A stage coach stop was established and as time progressed to 1870, a post office opened as Mud Bridge, Virginia with John Milton Rece as the first postmaster.

The area now known as Rock Camp Road was the site of Union Baptist Church, where a log building was constructed, thought to be built around 1788, and used until 1810 when Union Missionary Baptist Church was organized. The bricks for the well known Union Baptist Church, constructed in it's present location in 1849, were made in the orchard of the old John Everett farm. Also in the Rock Camp Road area is the site of Union Cemetery, the oldest cemetery around Milton.

From 1861 to 1865, the Civil War brought trying times to the area where families were divided in the support of the North and the South. In 1871, C&O Railway opened to provide a new means of transportation and in 1873, service was officially opened for the railroad from Huntington, WV to Richmond, VA. The railroad service allowed Milton to become a convenient location for shipping lumber, ties, tobacco, etc. as well as receiving goods and materials needed by the community as far away as Mason County.