Farmington, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Farmington is a town
located in Strafford County
, New Hampshire
, USA. The 2010 census reported that the town had a total population of 6,786. Farmington is home to Blue Job State Forest.
The compact town center, where 3,885 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Farmington census-designated place
and is located at the junction of New Hampshire routes 75
and 153
.
once used the Cochecho River
for transportation, and had a camping ground on Meetinghouse Hill, where they built birch bark
canoe
s. Otherwise, the river valley was wilderness
, through which Indians from the north traveled after crossing Lake Winnipesaukee
on their way to raid settlements in and around Dover
. To stop the raids, in 1721 the Colonial
Assembly
in Portsmouth
approved construction of a fort at the foot of the lake, with a soldiers' road built from Dover to supply it. In 1722, Bay Road was surveyed and completed. Along its course the town of Farmington would grow.
The settlement began as the Northwest Parish of Rochester
, which was chartered in 1722. The last Indian attack in the general region occurred in 1748, but by 1749, Native Americans
had disappeared from war
fare and disease
. Farmers cultivated the rocky soil, and gristmill
s used water power of streams to grind their grain. Sawmill
s cut the abundant timber
, and the first frame house at the village was built in 1782. In 1790, Jonas March from Portsmouth established a store, behind which teamster
s unloaded on his dock the lumber
he traded. The area became known as March's Dock, Farmington Dock, and finally just The Dock.
Inhabitants of the Northwest Parish were taxed to support both the meetinghouse and minister on Rochester Hill about 12 miles away, a distance which made attendance difficult. A movement began in the 1770s to establish a separate township, and in 1783 a petition for charter was submitted to the state legislature. It was denied, but another petition in 1798 was granted. With about 1,000 inhabitants, Farmington was incorporated. In 1800, a 40 by 50 foot, 2 story meetinghouse was erected on Meetinghouse Hill. The same year, John Wingate established a blacksmith
y. He would also become proprietor of Wingate's Tavern.
In the 19th century, the community developed a prime shoemaking
industry, and was one of the first places to use automated machines instead of handwork. In 1836, shoe manufacturing began at a shop on Spring Street built by E. H. Badger, although it was soon abandoned to creditors. Martin Luther Hayes took over the business, and by 1840 was successful enough to enlarge the building. The town would be connected by railroad to Dover in 1849, the line extended to Alton Bay
in 1851. Shoes were shipped to Boston to be sold at semi-annual auctions for 50 cents a pair.
Following the Civil War
, the shoe business boomed and numerous factories were built. Despite a fire in 1875 which destroyed much of the center of town, Farmington was known as "The Shoe Capital of New Hampshire." Other factories produced knives
, knit underwear, wooden boxes, wooden handles and carriage
s. Brush
es were manufactured by the F. W. Browne Company, from which Booker T. Washington
ordered 12 street brooms in 1915 for use at the Tuskegee Institute. The town had 5 blacksmith shops. But the Panic of 1893
closed all but 2 large shoe factories. The industry faded in the 20th century, when most of the town's factories were demolished. Two that survived are now antique shops.
, the town has a total area of 37.5 square miles (97.1 km²), of which 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) is water, comprising 0.85% of the town. The town center (census-designated place
) has a total area of 6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²), all of it land.
Farmington is drained by the Ela River
, Mad River
and Cochecho River
. Part of the Blue Hills Range, foothills
of the White Mountains
, is in the southwest. The highest point in Farmington is Blue Job Mountain
, at 1350 feet (411.5 m) above sea level
. Farmington lies almost fully within the Piscataqua River
(Coastal) watershed
, with the westernmost corner of town located in the Merrimack River
watershed.
The town is crossed by New Hampshire Route 11
, New Hampshire Route 75
and New Hampshire Route 153
.
In 2003, an examination of building permits by a subcommittee of the Farmington Planning Board showed that the town's population had been undercounted in the 2000 U.S. census
by about 9%. Town planning documents were subsequently corrected to use an estimated 2000 population of 6,303. This changed the number of households to 2,343 households, the population density to 65/km² (168/sq mi) and the density of households to 24.1/km² (62.5/sq mi). The number of families was not calculated.
In addition to counting population, the 2000 Census also sets forth population and housing characteristics including rent levels, income, and housing type. This data is based on sampling statistics, meaning that the results are derived from a cross-section of the town's total population, so despite the undercount, these figures may be considered accurate.
The racial makeup of the town is 98.20% White, 0.03% African American
, 0.43% Native American, 0.12% Asia
n, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population are Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There are 2,343 households (2,146 households by 2000 Census
) out of which 37.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 28.8% are non-families. 21.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.09.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $40,971, which is 9% below the county average, and 17% below the state average. The median income for a family is $44,788. Males have a median income of $32,320 versus $24,527 for females. The per capita income for the town is $16,574. 9.5% of the population and 6.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.1% are under the age of 18 and 11.2% are 65 or older.
Although the town has about the same percentage of population below the poverty line as does the county
, the town has a disproportionate share of the county’s low income residents living just above the poverty line, and a disproportionately small share of the county’s affluent households. This means that with changing socio-economic pressures, a larger portion of town's population is at risk of falling into poverty than is the case elsewhere in the county.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 3,468 people, 1,332 households, and 904 families residing in the densely-populated center of town, or census-designated place
(CDP). The population density
was 541.6 people per square mile (209.2/km²). There were 1,440 housing units at an average density of 86.9 persons/km² (224.9 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the community was 98.13% White, 0.00% African American
, 0.55% Native American, 0.12% Asia
n, 0.26% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,332 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
living together, 13.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the community the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village area was $35,313, and the median income for a family was $39,931. Males had a median income of $31,952 versus $24,617 for females. The per capita income
for the community was $15,048. 12.7% of the population and 8.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.0% are under the age of 18 and 15.3% are 65 or older.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
located in Strafford County
Strafford County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 112,233 people, 42,581 households, and 27,762 families residing in the county. The population density was 304 people per square mile . There were 45,539 housing units at an average density of 124 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, USA. The 2010 census reported that the town had a total population of 6,786. Farmington is home to Blue Job State Forest.
The compact town center, where 3,885 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Farmington census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and is located at the junction of New Hampshire routes 75
New Hampshire Route 75
New Hampshire Route 75 is a long secondary east–west highway in Strafford County in southeastern New Hampshire. It runs from Farmington to Milton....
and 153
New Hampshire Route 153
New Hampshire Route 153 is a long secondary north–south highway in Strafford and Carroll counties in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The road runs from Farmington north to Conway....
.
History
Abenaki IndiansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
once used the Cochecho River
Cochecho River
The Cochecho River or Cocheco River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River, 38.3 miles long, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It rises in northern Strafford County and runs southeastward, through the town of Farmington and the cities of Rochester and Dover, where it provides hydroelectric power...
for transportation, and had a camping ground on Meetinghouse Hill, where they built birch bark
Birch bark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus Betula.The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since pre-historic times...
canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s. Otherwise, the river valley was wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
, through which Indians from the north traveled after crossing Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
on their way to raid settlements in and around Dover
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
. To stop the raids, in 1721 the Colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Assembly
Deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the English Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the basic term for a body of...
in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
approved construction of a fort at the foot of the lake, with a soldiers' road built from Dover to supply it. In 1722, Bay Road was surveyed and completed. Along its course the town of Farmington would grow.
The settlement began as the Northwest Parish of Rochester
Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
, which was chartered in 1722. The last Indian attack in the general region occurred in 1748, but by 1749, Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
had disappeared from war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
. Farmers cultivated the rocky soil, and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s used water power of streams to grind their grain. Sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s cut the abundant timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, and the first frame house at the village was built in 1782. In 1790, Jonas March from Portsmouth established a store, behind which teamster
Teamster
A teamster, in modern American English, is a truck driver. The trade union named after them is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , one of the largest unions in the United States....
s unloaded on his dock the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
he traded. The area became known as March's Dock, Farmington Dock, and finally just The Dock.
Inhabitants of the Northwest Parish were taxed to support both the meetinghouse and minister on Rochester Hill about 12 miles away, a distance which made attendance difficult. A movement began in the 1770s to establish a separate township, and in 1783 a petition for charter was submitted to the state legislature. It was denied, but another petition in 1798 was granted. With about 1,000 inhabitants, Farmington was incorporated. In 1800, a 40 by 50 foot, 2 story meetinghouse was erected on Meetinghouse Hill. The same year, John Wingate established a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
y. He would also become proprietor of Wingate's Tavern.
In the 19th century, the community developed a prime shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
industry, and was one of the first places to use automated machines instead of handwork. In 1836, shoe manufacturing began at a shop on Spring Street built by E. H. Badger, although it was soon abandoned to creditors. Martin Luther Hayes took over the business, and by 1840 was successful enough to enlarge the building. The town would be connected by railroad to Dover in 1849, the line extended to Alton Bay
Alton Bay, New Hampshire
Alton Bay is an unincorporated village in the town of Alton, New Hampshire, located on Alton Bay, a cove of Lake Winnipesaukee which forms the southeasternmost point on the lake. The village is part of the Lakes Region, a popular resort area of New Hampshire....
in 1851. Shoes were shipped to Boston to be sold at semi-annual auctions for 50 cents a pair.
Following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the shoe business boomed and numerous factories were built. Despite a fire in 1875 which destroyed much of the center of town, Farmington was known as "The Shoe Capital of New Hampshire." Other factories produced knives
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
, knit underwear, wooden boxes, wooden handles and carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s. Brush
Brush
A brush is a tool with bristles, wire or other filaments, used for cleaning, grooming hair, make up, painting, surface finishing and for many other purposes. It is one of the most basic and versatile tools known to mankind, and the average household may contain several dozen varieties...
es were manufactured by the F. W. Browne Company, from which Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
ordered 12 street brooms in 1915 for use at the Tuskegee Institute. The town had 5 blacksmith shops. But the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
closed all but 2 large shoe factories. The industry faded in the 20th century, when most of the town's factories were demolished. Two that survived are now antique shops.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 37.5 square miles (97.1 km²), of which 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) is water, comprising 0.85% of the town. The town center (census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
) has a total area of 6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²), all of it land.
Farmington is drained by the Ela River
Ela River
The Ela River is a 10.6 mile long river located in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Cocheco River, part of the Piscataqua River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....
, Mad River
Mad River (Cocheco River)
The Mad River is a 5.2 mile long river in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Cocheco River, part of the Piscataqua River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....
and Cochecho River
Cochecho River
The Cochecho River or Cocheco River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River, 38.3 miles long, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It rises in northern Strafford County and runs southeastward, through the town of Farmington and the cities of Rochester and Dover, where it provides hydroelectric power...
. Part of the Blue Hills Range, foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
of the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
, is in the southwest. The highest point in Farmington is Blue Job Mountain
Blue Job Mountain
Blue Job Mountain is a mountain in Farmington, New Hampshire. It has a fire tower at the summit, and numerous trails, most commonly accessed from First Crown Point Road in neighboring Strafford, crisscross the mountain. Blue Job Mountain State Forest occupies around the summit....
, at 1350 feet (411.5 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Farmington lies almost fully within the Piscataqua River
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
(Coastal) watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, with the westernmost corner of town located in the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
watershed.
The town is crossed by New Hampshire Route 11
New Hampshire Route 11
New Hampshire Route 11 is a long east–west state highway in New Hampshire, running westward along the southern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. Its eastern terminus is at the Maine state line in the city of Rochester, where it continues north as Maine State Route 11. U.S. Route 202, which runs...
, New Hampshire Route 75
New Hampshire Route 75
New Hampshire Route 75 is a long secondary east–west highway in Strafford County in southeastern New Hampshire. It runs from Farmington to Milton....
and New Hampshire Route 153
New Hampshire Route 153
New Hampshire Route 153 is a long secondary north–south highway in Strafford and Carroll counties in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The road runs from Farmington north to Conway....
.
Demographics
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
by about 9%. Town planning documents were subsequently corrected to use an estimated 2000 population of 6,303. This changed the number of households to 2,343 households, the population density to 65/km² (168/sq mi) and the density of households to 24.1/km² (62.5/sq mi). The number of families was not calculated.
In addition to counting population, the 2000 Census also sets forth population and housing characteristics including rent levels, income, and housing type. This data is based on sampling statistics, meaning that the results are derived from a cross-section of the town's total population, so despite the undercount, these figures may be considered accurate.
The racial makeup of the town is 98.20% White, 0.03% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.43% Native American, 0.12% Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population are Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There are 2,343 households (2,146 households by 2000 Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
) out of which 37.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 28.8% are non-families. 21.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.09.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $40,971, which is 9% below the county average, and 17% below the state average. The median income for a family is $44,788. Males have a median income of $32,320 versus $24,527 for females. The per capita income for the town is $16,574. 9.5% of the population and 6.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.1% are under the age of 18 and 11.2% are 65 or older.
Although the town has about the same percentage of population below the poverty line as does the county
Strafford County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 112,233 people, 42,581 households, and 27,762 families residing in the county. The population density was 304 people per square mile . There were 45,539 housing units at an average density of 124 per square mile...
, the town has a disproportionate share of the county’s low income residents living just above the poverty line, and a disproportionately small share of the county’s affluent households. This means that with changing socio-economic pressures, a larger portion of town's population is at risk of falling into poverty than is the case elsewhere in the county.
Town center
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,468 people, 1,332 households, and 904 families residing in the densely-populated center of town, or census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP). The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 541.6 people per square mile (209.2/km²). There were 1,440 housing units at an average density of 86.9 persons/km² (224.9 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the community was 98.13% White, 0.00% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.55% Native American, 0.12% Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, 0.26% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There were 1,332 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the community the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village area was $35,313, and the median income for a family was $39,931. Males had a median income of $31,952 versus $24,617 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the community was $15,048. 12.7% of the population and 8.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.0% are under the age of 18 and 15.3% are 65 or older.
Notable residents
- Harry BemisHarry BemisHarry Parker Bemis was a catcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "Handsome Harry," he played with the Cleveland Naps from 1902 to 1910. He batted right and threw right. In his nine-year career, he batted .255, with five home runs, 569 hits, 234 RBIs, 214 runs, and 49 stolen bases...
, baseball player - Nehemiah EastmanNehemiah EastmanNehemiah Eastman was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He attended the local academy in Gilmanton and then studied law. Admitted to the bar in 1807, he practiced in Farmington, New Hampshire.Eastman served as a member of the New Hampshire...
, lawyer and congressman - Joseph HammonsJoseph HammonsJoseph Hammons was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Cornish, Maine and educated by private tutors and in the common schools...
, United States Representative from New Hampshire - Wingate HayesWingate HayesWingate Hayes was Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and U.S. District Attorney for the district of Rhode Island during the American Civil War....
, U.S. Attorney, Speaker of Rhode Island House of Representatives - Alonzo NuteAlonzo NuteAlonzo Nute was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Milton, New Hampshire where he attended the common schools. He moved to Natick, Massachusetts in 1842 but returned to New Hampshire in 1848 and engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes in Farmington...
, United States Representative from New Hampshire - Mary Lemist TitcombMary Lemist TitcombMary Lemist Titcomb was an originator in Library and Information Science. In 1905 she founded the first bookmobile or mobile library in the USA.-Bibliography:Titcomb was born in Farmington, New Hampshire in 1857...
, librarian - Hannah WilsonHannah WilsonHannah Wilson is a Hong Kong amateur swimmer. She is a two-time Olympic swimmer for Hong Kong, having swam at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens and the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in the Water Cube in Beijing. She has won two career Universiade gold medals...
, master weaver - Henry WilsonHenry WilsonHenry Wilson was the 18th Vice President of the United States and a Senator from Massachusetts...
, U.S. vice-president from 1873–1875
Further reading
- The Bicentennial History Committee, The History of Farmington, NH, from the Days of the Northwest Parish to the Present Time, The Foster Press, Farmington, NH 1976