The community of Milton was first known as King’s Cove. The origin of the first name is unknown but was changed to Milton in the early 1920’s. Local information says the name was changed because of an existing community with the same name further down the Bonavista Penisula. Two communities with the same name created problems with mail delivery so the community was renamed Milton.

William James Adams was the to inhabit Milton. The Adam’s family were fishermen in the Trinity Bay region but were experiencing bad fishing seasons. Around 1865, a merchant by the name of Bursey from Old Perlican, hired William James Adams and his four sons to cut spars for the Labrador schooners. They would cut and saw during the winter and return to the Old Pelican area during the summer months. After the second winter, William Adam decided to move his family and settle permanently to the timber rich area and started the new community.

Newfoundland communities were self sufficient for the most part with raising animals and growing vegetables to provide food for their families. Residents had two vegetable gardens, one was used to grow vegetables for family use and the other was grown for “export”. They would load the vegetables from the second garden on what they called the “Bully Boat” and take them to Ireland’s Eye and the vegetables were traded for fish, to secure for their winter food supply.

Milton is well known for the fact that William Epps Cormack started his journey from this community, on November 4, 1822, to explore the interior of Newfoundland. Accompanied by his Micmac guide Joseph Sylvester, he set out to make contact with the Beothuk Indians in an attempt to establish friendly relationships with the few remaining Beothuk. A plaque commemorating this historic event is located in Milton near the Hefferton Causeway leading to Random Island.

Residents of Milton work in nearby communities and commute to Clarenville for shopping, banking and medical services. Milton has the services of a local Volunteer Fire Department and Local Service District, which coordinates garbage removal.