Peter Pond, born in Milford, was a veteran of the French and Indian War, a fur trader, explorer, and cartographer who helped organize expeditions west of the Great Lakes. He became internationally renowned for maps he drew of the Northwest and Canada based on his explorations and information from others, including Native Americans. His exploits ultimately prompted President Thomas Jefferson to send Lewis and Clark to explore the Northwest Region. In 1790, Pond sold his shares of the North West Co., a trading company he helped found, and returned to Milford.