Bradford, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Bradford is a town in Merrimack County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 1,650 at the 2010 census. The main village of the town, where 356 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Bradford census-designated place
(CDP), and is located west of the junction of New Hampshire routes 103
and 114
. The town also includes the villages of Bradford Center and Melvin Mills.
in 1765 to John Pierce and George Jaffrey of Portsmouth
, it was settled in 1771 by Dea. William Presbury and family. Three years later other settlers arrived, several of them from Bradford
, Massachusetts
, after which the town was named New Bradford. Later, it was called Bradfordton, but upon incorporation by the General Court
on September 27, 1787, it was officially named Bradford.
Parts of the town are hilly, but the largest portion is in a valley with varied soil. Streams provided water power for watermill
s. By 1859, when Bradford's population reached 1,341, industries included one woolen
mill, one sash, blind
and door
factory, one wheelwright
shop, two sawmill
s, one gristmill
, one tannery
, and one clothing
mill. In 1850, the Concord & Claremont Railroad opened from Concord
to Bradford, which would remain its terminus until the line was extended to Claremont
in 1871-1872.
, the town has a total area of 36 square miles (93.2 km²), of which 35.3 sq mi (91.4 km²) is land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²) is water, comprising 1.94% of the town. The village of Bradford is located near the northern border of the town, at the intersection of routes 103
and 114
, just north of the Warner River
and adjacent to the outlet of Todd Lake. The largest water body in the town is Lake Massasecum
, near the town's eastern border.
The highest point in Bradford is an unnamed 2096 feet (638.9 m) summit overlooking Ayers Pond on the town's western border. Knights Hill—1910 ft (582.2 m) above sea level
—and Rowes Hill—1950 ft (594.4 m)—constitute a large, hilly mass occupying the southern portion of town. Bradford lies fully within the Merrimack River
watershed
.
of 2000, there were 1,454 people, 559 households, and 403 families residing in the town. The population density
was 41.2 people per square mile (15.9/km²). There were 762 housing units at an average density of 21.6 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.25% White, 0.28% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.28% from other races
, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.
There were 559 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,018, and the median income for a family was $57,083. Males had a median income of $34,803 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,240. About 2.5% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Merrimack County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 136,225 people, 51,843 households, and 35,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 people per square mile . There were 56,244 housing units at an average density of 60 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 1,650 at the 2010 census. The main village of the town, where 356 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Bradford 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 west of the junction of New Hampshire routes 103
New Hampshire Route 103
New Hampshire Route 103 is a long east–west highway in west-central New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Claremont, near the Vermont border on the Connecticut River, to Hopkinton, west of Concord....
and 114
New Hampshire Route 114
New Hampshire Route 114 is a long secondary north–south highway in central New Hampshire. The highway runs between Bedford, in Hillsborough County and Grantham, in Sullivan County....
. The town also includes the villages of Bradford Center and Melvin Mills.
History
Granted by Governor Benning WentworthBenning 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...
in 1765 to John Pierce and George Jaffrey of 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...
, it was settled in 1771 by Dea. William Presbury and family. Three years later other settlers arrived, several of them from Bradford
Bradford, Massachusetts
Bradford is a former town in Essex County, Massachusetts. The name currently refers to the area on the south side of the Merrimack River in Haverhill, Massachusetts that was once Bradford...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, after which the town was named New Bradford. Later, it was called Bradfordton, but upon incorporation 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...
on September 27, 1787, it was officially named Bradford.
Parts of the town are hilly, but the largest portion is in a valley with varied soil. Streams provided water power for watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s. By 1859, when Bradford's population reached 1,341, industries included one 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...
mill, one sash, blind
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
and door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
factory, one wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
shop, two 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, one 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 :...
, one 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...
, and one clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
mill. In 1850, the Concord & Claremont Railroad opened from Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
to Bradford, which would remain its terminus until the line was extended to Claremont
Claremont, New Hampshire
There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...
in 1871-1872.
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 square miles (93.2 km²), of which 35.3 sq mi (91.4 km²) is land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²) is water, comprising 1.94% of the town. The village of Bradford is located near the northern border of the town, at the intersection of routes 103
New Hampshire Route 103
New Hampshire Route 103 is a long east–west highway in west-central New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Claremont, near the Vermont border on the Connecticut River, to Hopkinton, west of Concord....
and 114
New Hampshire Route 114
New Hampshire Route 114 is a long secondary north–south highway in central New Hampshire. The highway runs between Bedford, in Hillsborough County and Grantham, in Sullivan County....
, just north of the Warner River
Warner River
The Warner River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Contoocook River, part of the Merrimack River watershed....
and adjacent to the outlet of Todd Lake. The largest water body in the town is Lake Massasecum
Lake Massasecum
Lake Massasecum is a water body located in Merrimack County in central New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Bradford. Outflow from the lake travels via the Warner River and the Contoocook River to the Merrimack River.- Milfoil :...
, near the town's eastern border.
The highest point in Bradford is an unnamed 2096 feet (638.9 m) summit overlooking Ayers Pond on the town's western border. Knights Hill—1910 ft (582.2 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...
—and Rowes Hill—1950 ft (594.4 m)—constitute a large, hilly mass occupying the southern portion of town. Bradford 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 1,454 people, 559 households, and 403 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 41.2 people per square mile (15.9/km²). There were 762 housing units at an average density of 21.6 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.25% White, 0.28% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.28% 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 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.
There were 559 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% 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, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,018, and the median income for a family was $57,083. Males had a median income of $34,803 versus $25,938 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 $22,240. About 2.5% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Notable inhabitants
- Odds BodkinOdds BodkinOdds Bodkin , is the pseudonym of an American storyteller and musician based in New Hampshire who has published a number of spoken and/or musical interpretations of traditional tales, as well as a number of original tales. His version of "Little Proto and the Volcano’s Fire" was awarded the...
, storyteller and musician - John Q. A. BrackettJohn Q. A. Brackett- Biography :He was born in Bradford, New Hampshire to Ambrose S. Brackett and Nancy Brackett. He was a 1865 graduate of Harvard College and an 1868 graduate of Harvard Law School and a lawyer by profession, holding the post of Judge Advocate of the Massachusetts Militia's First Brigade at one...
, governor of Massachusetts - Mason TappanMason TappanMason Weare Tappan was a New Hampshire state representative, a U.S. Congressman from 1855 to 1861, a colonel during the American Civil War and the state attorney general....
, congressman and state attorney general - Bainbridge WadleighBainbridge WadleighBainbridge Wadleigh was a United States Senator from New Hampshire. Born in Bradford, he attended the common schools and Kimball Union Academy . He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1850 and commenced practice in Milford...
, senator
External links
- Bradford, NH Official website
- Bradford, NH Town website
- Brown Memorial Library
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile