Northumberland, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Northumberland is a town
located in southwestern Coos County
, New Hampshire
, U.S.
, north of Lancaster
. It is part of the Berlin
, NH–VT
micropolitan statistical area
. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,288, a large portion in the village
of Groveton
.
, are the remains of Fort Wentworth
, built by the New Hampshire Militia
in 1755 during the French and Indian War
. The town was granted as Stonington in 1761 to John Hogg and others by Governor Benning Wentworth
, and first settled in 1767 by Thomas Burnside and Daniel Spaulding. It was regranted by Governor John Wentworth
in 1771 as Northumberland, the name derived from Northumberland
in England. The town was incorporated November 16, 1779.
Groveton is the northern terminus of a railroad track owned by the New Hampshire & Vermont Railroad, where it intersects the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad. This was formerly the junction of the Grand Trunk Railway
and the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad -- a major point of access for the northern White Mountains
.
The area was once known for its large corn
and potato
crop, starch
mills, and manufacturing (leather
, shoe pegs). More recently, the town economy centered on the lumber
industry. That changed in 2007, however, when the Wausau Paper Mill
closed, eliminating 300 jobs.
, the town has a total area of 36.5 square miles (94.5 km²), of which 35.7 square miles (92.5 km²) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is water, comprising 2.13% of the town. The Connecticut River
, which forms the New Hampshire–Vermont
border, runs along the western edge of town. The Upper Ammonoosuc River
runs through town in a southwesterly direction to the Connecticut and is crossed by a covered bridge
at Groveton.
There are several mountains in town, including Morse Mountain (1880 feet (573 m) above sea level
), Cape Horn (2040 ft (621.8 m)), Moore Mountain (1522 ft (463.9 m)), and Spaulding Hill (1220 ft (371.9 m)). The town's highest point is 2860 ft (871.7 m) above sea level on a spur of the Pilot Range on the town's eastern boundary.
Cape Horn State Forest is located in the central portion of the town boundaries.
The nucleus of Northumberland (outside of Groveton) is arranged along US 3, which runs along the Connecticut River
. Route 110
intersects US 3 in Northumberland and runs east toward adjacent Stark
.
of 2000, there were 2,438 people, 989 households, and 666 families residing in the town. The population density
was 67.4 people per square mile (26.0/km²). There were 1,112 housing units at an average density of 30.7 per square mile (11.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.44% White, 0.25% Native American, 0.33% Asian, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 989 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,570, and the median income for a family was $34,444. Males had a median income of $33,281 versus $19,464 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,101. About 9.4% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 10.1% 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...
located in southwestern Coos County
Coos County, New Hampshire
-National protected areas:*Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge *Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge *White Mountain National Forest -Demographics:...
, 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...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, north of Lancaster
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
. It is part of the Berlin
Berlin, New Hampshire
Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest...
, NH–VT
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
micropolitan statistical area
Berlin micropolitan area
The Berlin Micropolitan Statistical Area is the core based statistical area centered on the urban cluster associated with the city Berlin, New Hampshire in the United States...
. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,288, a large portion in the village
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...
of Groveton
Groveton, New Hampshire
Groveton is a census-designated place in the town of Northumberland in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2010 census. It is located at the intersection of U.S...
.
History
North of the mountain ridge known as Cape Horn, near the Connecticut RiverConnecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, are the remains of Fort Wentworth
Fort Wentworth
Fort Wentworth was built by order of Benning Wentworth in 1755. The fort was built at the junction of the Upper Ammonoosuc River and Connecticut River, in Northumberland, New Hampshire, by soldiers of Colonel Joseph Blanchard's New Hampshire Provincial Regiment including Robert Rogers. In 1759,...
, built by the New Hampshire Militia
New Hampshire Militia
The New Hampshire Militia was first organized in March 1680, by New Hampshire Colonial President John Cutt. The King of England authorized the Provincial President to give commissions to persons who shall be best qualified for regulating and discipline of the militia. President Cutt placed Major...
in 1755 during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. The town was granted as Stonington in 1761 to John Hogg and others by Governor Benning 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...
, and first settled in 1767 by Thomas Burnside and Daniel Spaulding. It was regranted by Governor John Wentworth
John Wentworth (governor)
Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet was the British colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time of the American Revolution. He was later also Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia.-Early life:...
in 1771 as Northumberland, the name derived from Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
in England. The town was incorporated November 16, 1779.
Groveton is the northern terminus of a railroad track owned by the New Hampshire & Vermont Railroad, where it intersects the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad. This was formerly the junction of the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
and the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad -- a major point of access for the northern 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...
.
The area was once known for its large corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
crop, starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
mills, and manufacturing (leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, shoe pegs). More recently, the town economy centered on 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....
industry. That changed in 2007, however, when the Wausau Paper Mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
closed, eliminating 300 jobs.
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 36.5 square miles (94.5 km²), of which 35.7 square miles (92.5 km²) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is water, comprising 2.13% of the town. The Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, which forms the New Hampshire–Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border, runs along the western edge of town. The Upper Ammonoosuc River
Upper Ammonoosuc River
The Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
runs through town in a southwesterly direction to the Connecticut and is crossed by a covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
at Groveton.
There are several mountains in town, including Morse Mountain (1880 feet (573 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...
), Cape Horn (2040 ft (621.8 m)), Moore Mountain (1522 ft (463.9 m)), and Spaulding Hill (1220 ft (371.9 m)). The town's highest point is 2860 ft (871.7 m) above sea level on a spur of the Pilot Range on the town's eastern boundary.
Cape Horn State Forest is located in the central portion of the town boundaries.
The nucleus of Northumberland (outside of Groveton) is arranged along US 3, which runs along the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
. Route 110
New Hampshire Route 110
New Hampshire Route 110 is a long east–west state highway in Coos County, northern New Hampshire. The road winds through the scenic, mountainous country of New Hampshire north of the White Mountain National Forest. NH 110 is locally named the Berlin-Groveton Highway.The eastern terminus of NH 110...
intersects US 3 in Northumberland and runs east toward adjacent Stark
Stark, New Hampshire
Stark is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 556 at the 2010 census. It has a famous covered bridge. The town includes the villages of Percy and Crystal as well as the village of Stark, located on the Upper Ammonoosuc River. New Hampshire Route 110 runs through...
.
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 2,438 people, 989 households, and 666 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 67.4 people per square mile (26.0/km²). There were 1,112 housing units at an average density of 30.7 per square mile (11.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.44% White, 0.25% Native American, 0.33% Asian, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 989 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,570, and the median income for a family was $34,444. Males had a median income of $33,281 versus $19,464 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 $15,101. About 9.4% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.