Milo, ME

Milo is a Piscataquis County town built around the meeting of the Sebec and Piscataquis Rivers, with the Pleasant River also running within its town lines. That geography gives Milo its long-used nickname, the Town of Three Rivers. The 2020 census counted 2,251 residents, and the town includes the village of Derby and the Milo census-designated place. Milo was settled in 1802 and incorporated in 1823, taking its name from Milo of Croton, the famous athlete of ancient Greece.

Water shaped the early economy. Trafton's Falls powered a sawmill and later mills, while the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad reached town in 1868-69 and helped Milo grow into a lumber and mill center. Penquis Valley Middle School and High School serve the area today, and the Milo Historical Society's local collections are available through the Maine State Library's Digital Maine project. Hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating routes lead into the Maine Highlands, but the town's own map still begins with the three rivers meeting around its streets.