Amherst, New Hampshire
Amherst, New Hampshire | ||
---|---|---|
Town | ||
ZIP code 03031 | ||
Area code | 603 | |
FIPS code | 33-01300 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0873531 | |
Website | www |
Amherst is a town in Hillsborough County in the state of New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,753 at the 2020 census.[2] Amherst is home to Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, the Joe English Reservation and Baboosic Lake.
The village of Amherst, where 697 people lived at the 2020 census, is defined as the Amherst census-designated place and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Amherst Village Historic District.
History
Like many towns in
In 1770, Amherst became the county seat of Hillsborough County, due largely to its location on the county's major east-west road. It continued to prosper through the Revolutionary War and afterwards. In 1790, the southwestern section broke off and became the town of Milford, and in 1803, the northwest section departed to become Mont Vernon. The development of water-powered mills allowed Milford to grow at Amherst's expense, and the county seat was moved to Milford in 1866.
The town population remained relatively stagnant until after World War II, when Amherst and many surrounding towns saw an influx of newcomers as the town became part of the Greater Boston region.
The Nashua and Wilton Railroad passed through Amherst.[4]
Government and politics
Year | Democratic | Republican | Third parties
|
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 58.9% 4,796 | 39.4% 3,208 | 1.5% 133 |
2016 | 51.4% 3,777 | 44.5% 3,271 | 4.0% 299 |
2012 | 46.5% 3,501 | 51.9% 3,906 | 1.6% 114 |
2008 | 51.4% 3,822 | 47.6% 3,536 | 1.0% 68 |
Amherst is located in
In the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Amherst has two districts covering the town. Hillsborough 34 is a district with three seats covering just the town of Amherst; it is currently represented by three Democrats: Dan Leclerc, Jennifer Morton, and Dan Veilleux. Amherst also shares Hillsborough 37, a single-member district, with the neighboring town of Milford, New Hampshire; it is represented by Democrat Megan Murray (D-Amherst).[7]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.4 square miles (89.1 km2), of which 33.9 square miles (87.8 km2) are land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km2), or 1.49% of the total area, are water.[1] The entire town is part of the Merrimack River watershed.[8] The Souhegan River, an east-flowing tributary of the Merrimack, passes through the southern part of the town, and the Souhegan's tributary Beaver Brook drains the central part of town and passes through the main village. Baboosic Lake is farther north, along the eastern border of the town and is fed by Joe English Brook. The lake drains to the east into Baboosic Brook, a tributary of the Merrimack. Pulpit Brook, which drains the northeastern corner of the town, flows into Baboosic Brook as well. Witches Brook flows through the southernmost part of the town and is a tributary of Pennichuck Brook, yet another tributary of the Merrimack. Amherst's highest point is on Chestnut Hill at the town's northern border, where the elevation reaches 865 feet (264 m) above sea level.
Adjacent municipalities
- Bedford, New Hampshire (northeast)
- Merrimack, New Hampshire (east)
- Hollis, New Hampshire (south)
- Milford, New Hampshire (southwest)
- Mont Vernon, New Hampshire (west)
- New Boston, New Hampshire (northwest)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 2,369 | — | |
1800 | 1,470 | −37.9% | |
1810 | 1,554 | 5.7% | |
1820 | 1,622 | 4.4% | |
1830 | 1,657 | 2.2% | |
1840 | 1,565 | −5.6% | |
1850 | 1,613 | 3.1% | |
1860 | 1,598 | −0.9% | |
1870 | 1,353 | −15.3% | |
1880 | 1,225 | −9.5% | |
1890 | 1,053 | −14.0% | |
1900 | 1,231 | 16.9% | |
1910 | 1,060 | −13.9% | |
1920 | 868 | −18.1% | |
1930 | 1,115 | 28.5% | |
1940 | 1,174 | 5.3% | |
1950 | 1,461 | 24.4% | |
1960 | 2,051 | 40.4% | |
1970 | 4,605 | 124.5% | |
1980 | 8,243 | 79.0% | |
1990 | 9,068 | 10.0% | |
2000 | 10,769 | 18.8% | |
2010 | 11,201 | 4.0% | |
2020 | 11,753 | 4.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[2][9] |
As of the
There were 4,063 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.2% were headed by married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.06.[10]
In the town, the age distribution of the population was 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 36.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.[10]
For the period 2011-2015, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $121,349, and the median income for a family was $130,278. Male full-time workers had a median income of $102,869, versus $51,473 for females. The
Public education
Amherst is home to Clark and Wilkins elementary schools, Amherst Middle School and Souhegan High School. The elementary schools handle children from Amherst only. Seventh and eighth graders from neighboring Mont Vernon attend the middle school on a tuition basis, while Amherst and Mont Vernon jointly own Souhegan High School, which serves both towns.[12]
Notable people
- Charles G. Atherton (1804–1853), U.S. congressman and senator[13]
- Charles Humphrey Atherton (1773–1853), U.S. congressman[14]
- Courtney Banghart (born 1978), head women's basketball coach at Princeton University. (Souhegan High School, 1996)[15]
- Governor of Michigan[16]
- Governor of New Hampshire[17]
- Moses Billings (1809–1884), portrait artist[18]
- Ainsworth Blunt (1800–1865), missionary to the Cherokee in Georgia[citation needed]
- Hubert Buchanan (born 1941), prisoner of war in Vietnam[19]
- Clifton Clagett (1762–1829), U.S. congressman[20]
- Jonathan Fisk (1778–1832), U.S. congressman from New York[21]
- Horace Greeley (1811–1872), editor, founder of the Liberal Republican Party[22]
- Jon "maddog" Hall (born 1950), programmer, computer scientist, free software advocate[23]
- Joanne Head (1930–2021), member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives[24]
- Neal Huntington (born 1969), General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates (2007–present)[25]
- Tony Labranche (born 2001), youngest member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives as of 2021[26][27]
- Moses Nichols (1740–1790), physician, Revolutionary War era soldier and statesman[28]
- Jane Means (Appleton) Pierce (1806–1863), first lady, wife of Franklin Pierce[29]
- Baseball Hall of Fame[30]
- Jason Sorens (born 1976), founder of the Free State Project[citation needed]
- Rick Wills, bassist of rock band Foreigner[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Amherst town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ Hayward's New England Gazetteer (1839)
- ^ a b Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire (1875)
- ASIN B00CGI3HDQ.
- ^ "NH-SOS - 2020 Election Information".
- ^ "The New Hampshire House of Representatives". www.gencourt.state.nh.us. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Amherst town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Selected Economic Characteristics: 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Amherst town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "School Administrative Unit 39". Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "ATHERTON, Charles Gordon, (1804 - 1853)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "ATHERTON, Charles Humphrey, (1773–1853)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "U.S.A. Basketball". May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017.
- ^ PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF Barry and Eaton Counties, Mich. 1891. p. 113.
- ^ "BELL, Samuel, (1770 - 1850)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ "Best Face Forward Portraits from the Society's Collection April through September 2009". The Stamford Historical Society. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "Buchanan, Hubert Elliot". POW Network. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- ^ "CLAGETT, Clifton, (1762 - 1829)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "FISK, Jonathan, (1778 - 1832)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "Horace Greeley". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "Joanne C. Head 1930-2021". Hollis Brookline News Online. January 15, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "Major League Overhaul". Amherst College. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ Mackin, Jean (November 5, 2020). "18-year-old from Amherst elected to New Hampshire state house". WMUR. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ "Representative Tony Labranche". 2020. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ "Amherst N.H." Hayward's New England Gazetteer (1839) page 28. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "The President's Wife, Jane Means Appleton Pierce: A Woman of Her Time" (PDF). NH History.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "Selee, Frank". National Baseball Hal of Fame Museum. Retrieved January 19, 2014.