Milton, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Milton is a town
in Strafford County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 4,598 at the 2010 census. A manufacturing, resort and residential town, Milton includes the village of Milton Mills
. The primary village in town, where 575 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Milton census-designated place
(CDP), and is located along New Hampshire Route 125
and the Salmon Falls River
, just north of Route 75
.
variously called the "Northeast Parish", "Three Ponds" or "Milton Mills", the town was settled in 1760. It would be set off and incorporated in 1802 as "Milton", the name either a contraction of "mill town
", or else derived from a relative of the Wentworth
colonial
governors -- William Fitzwilliam
, Earl Fitzwilliam
and Viscount Milton
. The town of Fitzwilliam
also bears his name.
Located along the Maine
border, Milton was the location of early industry which used water power from the Salmon Falls River
. Six miles north of Milton, the village of Milton Mills was once called "Shapleigh Mills" and during the 19th century had 4 shoe factories, 2 woolen
mills, 1 felt
mill, 1 carriage
shop and many sawmill
s. In 1872, Henry H. Townsend established The Miltonia Mills, which manufactured fine wool
blanket
s used by Admiral Robert E. Peary on his expedition to the North Pole
, and Admiral Richard E. Byrd at the Antarctic
. The company went bankrupt in 1950. The building then became Greene Tanning, a leather tannery
where the employees of the mill made raw leather into leather known throughout the world as being some of the highest in quality.
In 1893 Jonas Spaulding opened a leatherboard mill in Milton, organizing the business as J. Spaulding and Sons. His sons were Leon C., Huntley N. and Rolland H., of whom Huntley
and Rolland
would serve as governors of New Hampshire. Jonas and his sons would undertake the construction of another leatherboard mill in North Rochester, NH around 1900. Jonas died before the North Rochester mill became operational. The brothers continued to run the business successfully and brought the Spaulding Brothers leatherboard mill in Townsend Harbor, Massachusetts
, under the J. Spaulding and Sons banner in 1902. They were successful with a machine to manufacture shoe counters and with experiments to make vulcanized fibre
. In 1912 they opened a purpose-built facility to make vulcanized fibre in Tonawanda, New York
. In 1913 J. Spaulding and Sons opened a second leatherboard mill in Milton. They also acquired the Kennebunk Manufacturing Company (KEMACO), which made lunch boxes and violin cases using leatherboard and vulcanized fibre and at one time had facilities in Milton as well.
The town contains some distinctive architecture
, particularly the Milton Town House, built in 1808, and the Milton Free Public Library, a Second Empire former schoolhouse built at Milton Mills in 1875.
, the town has a total area of 34.3 square miles (88.8 km²), of which 33.1 sq mi (85.7 km²) is land and 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km²) is water, comprising 3.41% of the town. Milton is drained by the Salmon Falls River. Teneriffe Mountain is the highest point in Milton, with the summit reaching 1090 feet (332.2 m) above sea level
.
of 2000, there were 3,910 people, 1,456 households, and 1,084 families residing in the town. The population density
was 118.1 people per square mile (45.6/km²). There were 1,815 housing units at an average density of 54.8 per square mile (21.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% White, 0.20% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.08% from other races
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 1,456 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,194, and the median income for a family was $48,033. Males had a median income of $31,776 versus $26,134 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,092. About 6.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
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...
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,598 at the 2010 census. A manufacturing, resort and residential town, Milton includes the village of Milton Mills
Milton Mills, New Hampshire
Milton Mills is a census-designated place in the town of Milton in Strafford County, New Hampshire. It had a population of 299 at the 2010 census....
. The primary village in town, where 575 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Milton 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), and is located along New Hampshire Route 125
New Hampshire Route 125
New Hampshire Route 125 is a long north–south state highway in Rockingham and Strafford counties in southeastern New Hampshire. It runs from Plaistow to just north of Milton...
and the Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border between Maine and New Hampshire....
, just north of 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....
.
History
Originally a part of RochesterRochester, 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....
variously called the "Northeast Parish", "Three Ponds" or "Milton Mills", the town was settled in 1760. It would be set off and incorporated in 1802 as "Milton", the name either a contraction of "mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
", or else derived from a relative of the Wentworth
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.-Biography:The eldest child of the John Wentworth who had been Lieutenant Governor, he was born and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wentworth graduated from Harvard College in 1715...
colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
governors -- William Fitzwilliam
William FitzWilliam, 4th Earl FitzWilliam
William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam PC , styled Viscount Milton until 1756, was a British Whig statesman of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1782 he inherited his uncle Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham's estates, making him one of the richest people in...
, Earl Fitzwilliam
Earl FitzWilliam
Earl Fitzwilliam was a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Fitzwilliam family. This family claim descent from William the Conqueror. The Fitzwilliams acquired extensive holdings in South Yorkshire, largely through strategic alliances through...
and Viscount Milton
Viscount Milton
-Sydney family:The first creation was for Henry Sydney, who was created Viscount Sydney of Sheppey and Baron Milton in the Peerage of England on 9 September 1689. He was later further created Earl of Romney...
. The town of Fitzwilliam
Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
Fitzwilliam is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,396 at the 2010 census. Fitzwilliam is home to Rhododendron State Park, a grove of native rhododendrons that bloom in mid-July.-History:...
also bears his name.
Located along the Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
border, Milton was the location of early industry which used water power from the Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border between Maine and New Hampshire....
. Six miles north of Milton, the village of Milton Mills was once called "Shapleigh Mills" and during the 19th century had 4 shoe factories, 2 woolen
Woolen
Woolen or woollen is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn...
mills, 1 felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
mill, 1 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,...
shop and many 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. In 1872, Henry H. Townsend established The Miltonia Mills, which manufactured fine wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
blanket
Blanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
s used by Admiral Robert E. Peary on his expedition to the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, and Admiral Richard E. Byrd at the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
. The company went bankrupt in 1950. The building then became Greene Tanning, a leather tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
where the employees of the mill made raw leather into leather known throughout the world as being some of the highest in quality.
In 1893 Jonas Spaulding opened a leatherboard mill in Milton, organizing the business as J. Spaulding and Sons. His sons were Leon C., Huntley N. and Rolland H., of whom Huntley
Huntley N. Spaulding
Huntley Nowel Spaulding was an American manufacturer and Republican politician from Rochester, New Hampshire. He was elected governor of New Hampshire...
and Rolland
Rolland H. Spaulding
Rolland Harty Spaulding was an American manufacturer and Republican politician. He was elected Governor of Hew Hampshire in 1914, where he served one term.-Early life and education:...
would serve as governors of New Hampshire. Jonas and his sons would undertake the construction of another leatherboard mill in North Rochester, NH around 1900. Jonas died before the North Rochester mill became operational. The brothers continued to run the business successfully and brought the Spaulding Brothers leatherboard mill in Townsend Harbor, Massachusetts
Townsend Harbor, Massachusetts
Townsend Harbor is a village in Townsend, Massachusetts, containing Harbor Pond dammed from the Squannacook River. At this location Jonas Spaulding and his brother Waldo started a mill in 1873 that made leatherboard . They did business as Spaulding Brothers...
, under the J. Spaulding and Sons banner in 1902. They were successful with a machine to manufacture shoe counters and with experiments to make vulcanized fibre
Vulcanized fibre
Vulcanized fibre is a laminated plastic composed of only cellulose. The material is a tough, resilient, hornlike material that is lighter than aluminium, tougher than leather, stiffer than most thermoplastics...
. In 1912 they opened a purpose-built facility to make vulcanized fibre in Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda (city), New York
Tonawanda is a city in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 16,136 at the 2000 census. It is located at the northern edge of Erie County, south across the Erie Canal from North Tonawanda, and north of Buffalo, New York...
. In 1913 J. Spaulding and Sons opened a second leatherboard mill in Milton. They also acquired the Kennebunk Manufacturing Company (KEMACO), which made lunch boxes and violin cases using leatherboard and vulcanized fibre and at one time had facilities in Milton as well.
The town contains some distinctive architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, particularly the Milton Town House, built in 1808, and the Milton Free Public Library, a Second Empire former schoolhouse built at Milton Mills in 1875.
Notable inhabitants
- Louise BoganLouise BoganLouise Bogan was an American poet. She was appointed the fourth Poet Laureate to the Library of Congress in 1945.-Early years:...
, poet & critic - 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
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 34.3 square miles (88.8 km²), of which 33.1 sq mi (85.7 km²) is land and 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km²) is water, comprising 3.41% of the town. Milton is drained by the Salmon Falls River. Teneriffe Mountain is the highest point in Milton, with the summit reaching 1090 feet (332.2 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...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 3,910 people, 1,456 households, and 1,084 families residing in the town. 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 118.1 people per square mile (45.6/km²). There were 1,815 housing units at an average density of 54.8 per square mile (21.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% White, 0.20% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 1,456 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,194, and the median income for a family was $48,033. Males had a median income of $31,776 versus $26,134 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 town was $18,092. About 6.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
- New Hampshire Farm MuseumNew Hampshire Farm MuseumNew Hampshire Farm Museum is a farm museum in Milton, New Hampshire, USA.Three centuries of New Hampshire rural life are presented in the historic farmhouse. The museum includes a three-story great barn with collection of agricultural machinery, farm tools, sleighs and wagons. There are also live...
- Milton Historical Society Museum