Campton, New Hampshire

Both Campton and adjacent Rumney were granted by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761 to Jabez Spencer of East Haddam, Connecticut, then settled about 1765. But Captain Spencer died before terms of the charter, which required settlement by 50 families, each farming {{convert|5|acre|m2}} for every 50 received, were fulfilled. Two families, named Fox and Taylor, first settled here in 1765.[http://gedcomindex.com/Reference/New_Hampshire_1875/080.html Article in Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire (1875)] In 1767, Governor John Wentworth issued the heirs and others a new grant. Campton got its name when the first proprietors built a camp here to survey the two towns.[https://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&dq=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA431 Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1859]

Although the surface is mountainous and ledgy, farmers found good soil for cultivation in the intervales along the rivers. By 1859, when the population was 1,439, industries included one sawmill, one gristmill, one tannery and a carriage shop. The town has three covered bridges, including Blair Bridge, which is {{convert|292|ft|m}}, 10 inches long, making it the second longest of those entirely within the state.[http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr/bridges/p77.html New Hampshire Covered Bridges -- Blair Bridge]

Image:View of Campton Village, NH.jpg|Campton village {{circa|1910}}

File:Main Street, Campton, New Hampshire.jpg|Main Street in 1908

Image:Scene in Campton, NH.jpg|Watering trough in 1916

Image:Village, Campton, NH.jpg|The village {{circa|1910}}

File:Livermore Falls.jpg at Livermore Falls]]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|136.1|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|134.3|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|1.8|km2|order=flip}} are water, comprising 1.33% of the town. The highest point in Campton is Mount Weetamoo, at {{convert|2548|ft|m}} above sea level. The town is drained by the Pemigewasset River and its tributaries the Mad River, Beebe River, West Branch Brook, and Bog Brook. Campton lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed.{{cite book |title=Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers |url=http://nh.water.usgs.gov/Publications/nh.intro.html |last=Foster |first=Debra H. |author2=Batorfalvy, Tatianna N. |author3= Medalie, Laura |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey |year=1995}}

The town is crossed by Interstate 93, U.S. Route 3, New Hampshire Route 49 and New Hampshire Route 175. Starting with the 2012 election, Campton was redistricted from NH's 2nd Congressional District to New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District; it was the only town in Grafton County to be redistricted.

{{US Census population

|1790= 395

|1800= 635

|1810= 873

|1820= 1047

|1830= 1313

|1840= 1513

|1850= 1439

|1860= 1320

|1870= 1226

|1880= 1163

|1890= 982

|1900= 999

|1910= 845

|1920= 1028

|1930= 1184

|1940= 1130

|1950= 1149

|1960= 1058

|1970= 1171

|1980= 1694

|1990= 2377

|2000= 2719

|2010= 3333

|2020= 3343

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2016 }}

}}

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 2,719 people, 1,128 households, and 759 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|52.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,759 housing units at an average density of {{convert|33.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.01% White, 0.04% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.

There were 1,128 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,213, and the median income for a family was $46,492. Males had a median income of $30,640 versus $24,688 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,189. About 5.8% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

• Henry W. Blair (1834–1920), US congressman, senator
• Chris Devlin-Young (born 1961), ski racer
• Arthur Livermore (1766–1853), US congressman{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000362|title= LIVERMORE, Arthur, (1766 - 1853)|publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date= January 14, 2014}}
• Sylvester Marsh (1803–1884), builder of the Mount Washington Cog Railway

• Blair Bridge (1829, rebuilt 1870)
• [http://www.camptonnh.org/nh/town-directory/historical-society/ Town House (1855), Campton Historical Society]

{{portal|New Hampshire}}

• White Mountain art

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{Official website|www.camptonnh.org}}
• [https://www.camptonhistorical.org/ Campton Historical Society]
• [http://www.camptonnhpd.org/ Campton Police Department]
• [https://camptonnhlibrary.com/ Campton Public Library]
• [https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/campton.htm New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Campton

| North = Thornton

| Northeast = Sandwich

| East = Sandwich

| Southeast = Sandwich

| South = Holderness

| Southwest = Plymouth

| West = Rumney

| Northwest = Ellsworth

}}

{{Grafton County, New Hampshire}}

{{Merrimack River}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Grafton County, New Hampshire

Category:Towns in New Hampshire