Milton College began in 1844 as Du Lac Academy, a select secondary school on the prairie founded by Joseph Goodrich, founder of the community of Milton, in a grout building on the town square. Renamed Milton Academy in 1854, it added Main Hall in 1855 on College Street on two acres donated by Goodrich. Chartered as Milton College in 1867, it became a liberal arts college open to men and women and was known for its music program, athletic accomplishments, and the distinguished public service of many of its teachers. Enrollment peaked at 859 students in 1970 but had fallen to 210 when the college closed in 1982 after 138 years because of low enrollment, loss of accreditation, and financial difficulties. Its historic core, recognized as the Milton College National Register Historic District, includes Main Hall, Goodrich Hall, Whitford Hall, the Gymnasium, and Frasier House, which was bought in 1902 for President Daland’s residence and later used as a music studio and administrative office. The campus expanded in the 1960s with new buildings south of High Street, and after the college closed, building contents were sold at auction and the buildings were eventually sold. Main Hall now serves as a museum of Milton College history. Established very early and successful for more than a century, Milton College was one of Wisconsin’s most influential centers of education, and its leaders helped establish and refine the state’s educational systems.