Milford, New Hampshire

File:Milford, N.H. (2675825826).jpg of Milford from 1886 by L.R. Burleigh with list of landmarks]]

Milford separated from neighboring Amherst in 1794. Like most towns named Milford in the United States, its name comes from the fact that it grew around a mill built on a ford—in this case on the Souhegan River.{{cite book |last=Coolidge |first=Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield |title=A History and Description of New England|publisher=A.J. Coolidge |year=1859|location=Boston, Massachusetts|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n621 580]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ|quote=coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }}

Milford was once home to numerous granite quarries, which produced a stone that was used, among other things, to make the {{clarification needed span|text=pillars for the U.S. Treasury in Washington, D.C.|reason=It is unclear that well known and prominently used Milford Granite from Milford, Massachusetts, was not used. Complicating this is that the Fletcher Granite Company (of Westford, Mass) owned quarries in both locations. A reliable citation establishing the specific origin of the columns is required; the current link, of uknown utility, is dead.|date=April 2025}} —as seen on the back of the American $10 bill.[http://www.cabinet.com/cabinetcabinetnews/958460-308/milford-granite-used-for-treasury-building-columns.html "Milford granite used for treasury building column"]. Milford Cabinet, April 26, 2012[http://www.cabinet.com/cabinet/cabinetnews/1089846-308/not-carved-in-stone.html Milford Cabinet: "Not carved in stone" Feb. 2, 2017] Its nickname remains "The Granite Town", although only one small quarry is in operation as of 2017.

Like many New England riverside towns, Milford developed several thriving textile mills in the 19th century. That industry left New England by World War II, but Milford remains the commercial and retail center for surrounding towns. Major employers included casting company Hitchiner Manufacturing Co.,{{Cite news |url=http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180624/NEWS0206/180629758/0/SEARCH |title=Mike Cote's Business Editor's Notebook: Bringing high-end training to the workplace |last=Cote |first=Mike |work=Union Leader |access-date=July 17, 2018 |language=en}} a metal cable manufacturer, Hendrix Wire and Cable Inc.,{{Cite web |url=https://westernpower.com.au/media/1292/distribution-design-catalogue-hendrix-covered-conductor.pdf |title=Hendrix Covered Conductor Manual |last=Seiler |first=Paul Steven |date=2013 |website=Western Power |page=7}} and a contract manufacturing solutions company, Cirtronics Corporation.{{Cite news |url=https://www.masstlc.org/cirtronics-wins-award-for-corporate-social-responsibility-practices/ |title=Cirtronics Wins Award for Corporate Social Responsibility Practices |last=Veasey |first=Michelle |date=May 10, 2017 |work=MassTLC - Mass Technology Leadership Council |access-date=July 17, 2018 |language=en-US}} In 2018, local firm Alene Candles became one of the first companies in the state to implement a "conscious leadership" program in a manufacturing production setting.{{Cite news |url=http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180716/NEWS02/180719821/1007/NEWS02 |title=Milford candle company embraces conscious leadership |last=Houghton |first=Kimberly |date=July 15, 2018 |work=Union Leader |access-date=July 17, 2018 |language=en}}

Milford is home to the Milford State Fish Hatchery.{{Cite web |url=https://wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/wma/milford-fish-hatchery.html |title=New Hampshire Wildlife Management Areas |website=New Hampshire Fish and Game Department |language=en |access-date=July 17, 2018}} The town also holds the Souhegan Valley Boys & Girls Club, built on the former home of the now-bankrupt private theater American Stage Festival.

Milford was a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} It was also the home of Harriet E. Wilson, who published the semi-autobiographical novel Our Nig: Or, Sketches in the Life of a Free Black in 1859, making it the first novel by an African-American woman published in the country.

Officially designated "Union Square", the Milford Oval is neither square nor oval in shape, but rather triangular. The "square" name in American parlance denotes a town common irrespective of geometry, and the "oval" name dates from the 19th century, when it was oval in shape. The Oval is the town center, with the Pillsbury Bandstand as its centerpiece and the Souhegan River as the backdrop. The Oval is formed by a modified traffic rotary in which State Highways 13 and 101A intersect, with northbound 13 and eastbound 101A passing straight through and crossing each other at a right angle with a stop sign for traffic on Route 13.

File:Downtown Milford park.JPG|Centennial Park

File:MilfordNH WilliamPeabodyHouse.jpg|William Peabody House

File:Union Square, Milford, NH.jpg|Union Square {{circa|1905}}

File:Milford NH Bandstand.JPG|Union Square in 2006

File:Stone Bridge, Milford, NH.jpg|Stone Bridge {{circa|1905}}

File:Elm Street, Milford, NH.jpg|Elm Street {{circa|1915}}

File:High School, Milford, NH.jpg|Centennial High School {{circa|1905}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|66.0|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|65.8|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.1|sqkm|order=flip|2}} are water, comprising 0.22% of the town. Milford is drained by the Souhegan River, an eastward-flowing tributary of the Merrimack River. The southwestern part of town is drained by Mitchell Brook and Spaulding Brook, which flow south into Brookline and are part of the Nashua River watershed, another tributary of the Merrimack. The town's highest point is near its western border, on the summit of Boynton Hill, at {{convert|814|ft|m}} above sea level.

• Lyndeborough (north)
• Mont Vernon (north)
• Amherst (east)
• Hollis (southeast)
• Brookline (south)
• Mason (southwest)
• Wilton (west)

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Milford has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Milford was {{convert|101|F|C|1}} in July 2011, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-21|F|C|1}} in January 1994.

{{Weather box

|location = Milford, New Hampshire, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 69

|Feb record high F = 76

|Mar record high F = 88

|Apr record high F = 95

|May record high F = 95

|Jun record high F = 99

|Jul record high F = 101

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 96

|Oct record high F = 87

|Nov record high F = 77

|Dec record high F = 71

|Jan avg record high F = 54.6

|Feb avg record high F = 56.2

|Mar avg record high F = 66.2

|Apr avg record high F = 80.9

|May avg record high F = 88.3

|Jun avg record high F = 92.1

|Jul avg record high F = 93.4

|Aug avg record high F = 91.7

|Sep avg record high F = 87.7

|Oct avg record high F = 77.6

|Nov avg record high F = 68.0

|Dec avg record high F = 57.6

|year avg record high F = 95.2

|Jan high F = 33.2

|Feb high F = 36.2

|Mar high F = 44.6

|Apr high F = 58.3

|May high F = 69.2

|Jun high F = 77.5

|Jul high F = 83.4

|Aug high F = 81.2

|Sep high F = 72.7

|Oct high F = 60.4

|Nov high F = 48.9

|Dec high F = 38.1

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 23.7

|Feb mean F = 25.6

|Mar mean F = 34.0

|Apr mean F = 46.3

|May mean F = 57.0

|Jun mean F = 66.1

|Jul mean F = 71.8

|Aug mean F = 69.4

|Sep mean F = 61.3

|Oct mean F = 49.0

|Nov mean F = 38.6

|Dec mean F = 29.1

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 14.3

|Feb low F = 14.9

|Mar low F = 23.5

|Apr low F = 34.3

|May low F = 44.9

|Jun low F = 54.8

|Jul low F = 60.1

|Aug low F = 57.6

|Sep low F = 50.0

|Oct low F = 37.7

|Nov low F = 28.4

|Dec low F = 20.0

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -5.1

|Feb avg record low F = -2.6

|Mar avg record low F = 4.4

|Apr avg record low F = 22.3

|May avg record low F = 31.8

|Jun avg record low F = 41.9

|Jul avg record low F = 49.8

|Aug avg record low F = 46.6

|Sep avg record low F = 35.0

|Oct avg record low F = 24.7

|Nov avg record low F = 15.0

|Dec avg record low F = 3.4

|year avg record low F = -8.3

|Jan record low F = -11

|Feb record low F = -16

|Mar record low F = -6

|Apr record low F = 11

|May record low F = 26

|Jun record low F = 34

|Jul record low F = 43

|Aug record low F = 41

|Sep record low F = 25

|Oct record low F = 17

|Nov record low F = 7

|Dec record low F = -9

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.03

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.99

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.79

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.15

|May precipitation inch = 3.35

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.03

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.73

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.68

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.04

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.88

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.92

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.45

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 11.2

|Feb precipitation days = 8.8

|Mar precipitation days = 11.1

|Apr precipitation days = 11.8

|May precipitation days = 13.6

|Jun precipitation days = 12.1

|Jul precipitation days = 11.1

|Aug precipitation days = 10.9

|Sep precipitation days = 10.5

|Oct precipitation days = 10.2

|Nov precipitation days = 11.4

|Dec precipitation days = 11.1

|Jan snow inch = 15.4

|Feb snow inch = 11.5

|Mar snow inch = 14.4

|Apr snow inch = 2.3

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 1.1

|Dec snow inch = 12.6

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 7.1

|Feb snow days = 6.1

|Mar snow days = 5.4

|Apr snow days = 1.0

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.1

|Nov snow days = 1.4

|Dec snow days = 5.2

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00275412&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Milford, NH

|access-date = March 4, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=gyx

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Gray/Portland

|access-date = March 4, 2023

}}

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS2

|access-date = March 4, 2023

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1800= 939

|1810= 1117

|1820= 1243

|1830= 1303

|1840= 1455

|1850= 2159

|1860= 2223

|1870= 2606

|1880= 2308

|1890= 3014

|1900= 3739

|1910= 3939

|1920= 3783

|1930= 4068

|1940= 3927

|1950= 4159

|1960= 4863

|1970= 6622

|1980= 8685

|1990= 11795

|2000= 13535

|2010= 15115

|2020= 16131

|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 of 2010, there were 15,115 people, 5,929 households, and 4,004 families residing in the town. There were 6,295 housing units, of which 366, or 5.8%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the town was 94.8% white, 1.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.01% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.6% some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. 2.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/0600000US3301148020| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Milford town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=November 2, 2017| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213235343/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/0600000US3301148020| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}

Of the 5,929 households, 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were headed by married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, 25.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.8% was from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $64,576, and the median income for a family was $80,241. Male full-time workers had a median income of $55,313 versus $38,792 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,918. 5.8% of the population and 3.7% of families were below the poverty line. 8.2% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.7% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP03/0600000US3301148020| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Milford town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=November 2, 2017| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213161339/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP03/0600000US3301148020| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}

File:Milford High School, Milford NH.jpg]]

The Milford School District operates Jacques Memorial School (K-1), Heron Pond Elementary School (2-5), Milford Middle School (6-8), and Milford High School & Applied Technology Center (9-12).{{cite web|url=https://www.milfordk12.org/|title=Home|publisher=Milford School District|accessdate=April 24, 2022}} - [https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3304830 Grade breakdown from] National Center for Education Statistics

The town is known for its "Pumpkin Festival", which is normally held in early October.{{cite web |url=http://www.milfordpumpkinfestival.org |website=Milford Pumpkin Festival |title=Milford Pumpkin Festival 2015}} It is held over a three-day weekend (Friday-Sunday) and attracts more than 35,000 people. The festival has many attractions including food vendors, music stages, craft fair, carved pumpkin lighting, a haunted trail, a beer and wine tasting and a fireworks display around the Oval.

• Linda Kasabian (1949–2023), former Manson Family member who participated in the Helter Skelter murders{{cite web|url= http://www.biography.com/people/linda-kasabian-20902739|title= Linda Kasabian biography|publisher= Bio.True Story |access-date= December 14, 2013}}
• John McLane (February 27, 1852 – April 13, 1911), 50th governor of New Hampshire, from 1905 to 1907
• Abby Hutchinson Patton (1829–1892), 19th-century singer, poet
• George A. Ramsdell (1834–1900), 46th governor of New Hampshire
• Harriet E. Wilson (1825–1900), considered the first female African-American novelist, as well as the first African American of any gender to publish a novel on the North American continent
• Bernice Blake Perry (1905-1996), the first woman in New Hampshire to earn a pilot's license.

{{portal|New Hampshire}}

• New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 133: Captain Josiah Crosby (1730–1793) Lieutenant Thompson Maxwell (1742–1832)
• New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 268: Bernice Blake Perry (1905–1996)

{{Clear}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.milford.nh.gov}}
• [http://www.wadleighlibrary.org/ Wadleigh Memorial Library]
• [https://www.milfordhistory.online Milford History Online]
• [https://www.milfordhistory.com Milford Historical Society]
• [https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/milford.htm New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Community Profile]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Milford

| North = Mont Vernon

| Northeast = Amherst

| East = Amherst

| Southeast = Hollis

| South = Brookline

| Southwest = Mason

| West = Wilton

| Northwest = Lyndeborough

}}

{{Hillsborough County, New Hampshire}}

{{Greater_Boston}}

{{Merrimack River}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

Category:Populated places established in 1794

Category:Towns in New Hampshire

Category:1794 establishments in New Hampshire