History of New York City (1784–1854) surged far beyond its rivals, reaching a population of 1,080,000 in 1860, compared to 566,000 in Philadelphia, 212,000 in Baltimore and 178,000 in Boston. Historian Robert Albion identifies four aggressive moves by New York entrepreneurs and politicians that helped it jump to the top of American cities. Of greatest importance, it sponsored the Erie Canal which began operations in 1825, forming a continuous water route from New York north to Albany via the Hudson River, then west to Buffalo using the new canal to reach the Great Lakes. It opened a large new market in upstate New York and the
Milo, New York area of , of which, of it is land and of it (13.37%) is water. Milo lies between Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake, which define respectively the west and east town lines and are two of the Finger Lakes. The Keuka Lake Outlet flows between the lakes in the north part of the town and helped determine the course of the Crooked Lake Canal. New York State Route 14, New York State Route 14A, and New York State Route 54 are north-south highways in the town. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,026 people, 2,824 households, and 1,790