Alexandria, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Alexandria is a town in Grafton County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 1,613 at the 2010 census. Newfound Lake
is in the northeast corner, with Wellington State Park on the western shore. The town is home to Welton Falls State Forest. Cardigan State Park, with Mount Cardigan
, is in the west. Another attraction is Mowglis Mountain, named for Rudyard Kipling's
Jungle Book
hero.
, Virginia
, location of a 1755 conference of governors that resulted in declaration of the French and Indian War
. First settled in 1769 by John Moore Corliss and his brother Jonathan, it was incorporated by the General Court
in 1782. Danbury
was set off and incorporated in 1795.
Although farmer
s found parts of the terrain
mountainous, other parts were level intervale suited for cultivation
. By 1859, when the population was 1,273, agriculture
was a chief occupation. The town also had a carriage
maker, nine sawmill
s and three gristmill
s.
Alexandria was the birthplace of Luther C. Ladd (1843–1861), the first enlisted soldier to lose his life in the Civil War
, shot during the Baltimore Riot
. Today, the town is home to Cardigan Lodge, the Appalachian Mountain Club
facility at the base of Mount Cardigan
.
, the town has a total area of 43.1 square miles (111.6 km²), of which 43 sq mi (111.4 km²) is land and 0.1 sq mi (0.258998811 km²) is water, comprising 0.23% of the town. Alexandria is drained by the Fowler River
. Mount Cardigan
, elevation 3121 feet (951.3 m), is on the western boundary of the town. The summit is in the town of Orange
, while the highest point in Alexandria is on the Firescrew ridge to the north, where the elevation reaches 3040 ft (926.6 m). Alexandria lies fully within the Merrimack River
watershed
.
of 2000, there were 1,329 people, 504 households, and 386 families residing in the town. The population density
was 30.9 people per square mile (11.9/km²). There were 783 housing units at an average density of 18.2 per square mile (7.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.82% White, 0.08% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.38% Asian, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.23% of the population.
There were 504 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,667, and the median income for a family was $45,938. Males had a median income of $31,367 versus $25,163 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,323. About 4.7% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Grafton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2010 census, the population was 89,118. Its county seat is North Haverhill, which is a village within the town of Haverhill. Until 1972, the county courthouse and other offices were located in downtown Woodsville, a...
, 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 1,613 at the 2010 census. Newfound Lake
Newfound Lake
Newfound Lake is located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA, within the towns of Bridgewater, Bristol, Alexandria, and Hebron. The lake is located in a section of New Hampshire known as the Lakes Region. At 4,451 acres, it is the third-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake's...
is in the northeast corner, with Wellington State Park on the western shore. The town is home to Welton Falls State Forest. Cardigan State Park, with Mount Cardigan
Mount Cardigan
Mount Cardigan is a prominent bare-rock summit in the towns of Orange and Alexandria in western New Hampshire. While its peak is only above sea level, it has extensive areas of bare granite ledges and alpine scrub, giving it the feel to hikers of a much higher mountain...
, is in the west. Another attraction is Mowglis Mountain, named for Rudyard Kipling's
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
Jungle Book
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
hero.
History
Granted in 1753 by the Masonian Proprietors, the town was named for AlexandriaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, location of a 1755 conference of governors that resulted in declaration of 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...
. First settled in 1769 by John Moore Corliss and his brother Jonathan, it was incorporated by the General Court
New Hampshire General Court
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 members...
in 1782. Danbury
Danbury, New Hampshire
In 1800, there were 165 people living in Danbury, according to the first official census.As of the 2000 census, there were 1,071 people, 435 households, and 310 families residing in the town. The population density was 28.6 people per square mile . There were 596 housing units at an average...
was set off and incorporated in 1795.
Although farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s found parts of the terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
mountainous, other parts were level intervale suited for cultivation
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
. By 1859, when the population was 1,273, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
was a chief occupation. The town also had a 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,...
maker, nine 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 and three 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.
Alexandria was the birthplace of Luther C. Ladd (1843–1861), the first enlisted soldier to lose his life in 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...
, shot during the Baltimore Riot
Baltimore riot of 1861
The Baltimore riot of 1861 was an incident that took place on April 19, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland between Confederate sympathizers and members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington for Federal service...
. Today, the town is home to Cardigan Lodge, the Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
facility at the base of Mount Cardigan
Mount Cardigan
Mount Cardigan is a prominent bare-rock summit in the towns of Orange and Alexandria in western New Hampshire. While its peak is only above sea level, it has extensive areas of bare granite ledges and alpine scrub, giving it the feel to hikers of a much higher mountain...
.
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 43.1 square miles (111.6 km²), of which 43 sq mi (111.4 km²) is land and 0.1 sq mi (0.258998811 km²) is water, comprising 0.23% of the town. Alexandria is drained by the Fowler River
Fowler River
The Fowler River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is an inflow to Newfound Lake, part of the Pemigewasset River and therefore Merrimack River watersheds...
. Mount Cardigan
Mount Cardigan
Mount Cardigan is a prominent bare-rock summit in the towns of Orange and Alexandria in western New Hampshire. While its peak is only above sea level, it has extensive areas of bare granite ledges and alpine scrub, giving it the feel to hikers of a much higher mountain...
, elevation 3121 feet (951.3 m), is on the western boundary of the town. The summit is in the town of Orange
Orange, New Hampshire
Orange is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 331 at the 2010 census.- History :Orange was granted in 1769 and incorporated in 1790. It was originally named Cardigan, after George Brudenell, fourth Earl of Cardigan. The Cardigan name lives on with Mount...
, while the highest point in Alexandria is on the Firescrew ridge to the north, where the elevation reaches 3040 ft (926.6 m). Alexandria lies fully within 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
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...
.
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 1,329 people, 504 households, and 386 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 30.9 people per square mile (11.9/km²). There were 783 housing units at an average density of 18.2 per square mile (7.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.82% White, 0.08% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.38% Asian, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.23% of the population.
There were 504 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% 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, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,667, and the median income for a family was $45,938. Males had a median income of $31,367 versus $25,163 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 $19,323. About 4.7% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.