Alstead, New Hampshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alstead, New Hampshire
Town
Shedd-Porter Memorial Library
Location in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Cheshire
Incorporated	1763
Villages	Alstead Alstead Center East Alstead Mill Hollow
Area
• Total	39.4 sq mi (102.0 km2)
• Land	38.8 sq mi (100.6 km2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2)  1.44%
Elevation	479 ft (146 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,864
• Density	48/sq mi (18.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	03602
Area code(s)	603
FIPS code	33-00820
GNIS feature ID	0873529

Alstead is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. It is a small community with a population of 1,864 people, based on the 2020 census. Alstead is also home to the beautiful Feuer State Forest.

History of Alstead

Early Beginnings

Alstead was first planned in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts. It was one of nine forts meant to protect southwestern New Hampshire. These forts helped against attacks from Native American groups.

In 1752, Governor Benning Wentworth officially granted the land as "Newton" or "Newtown". However, in 1763, it became an official town called Alstead. The town was named after Johann Heinrich Alsted. He wrote an early encyclopedia that was very popular at Harvard College. People started settling here around 1764.

Revolutionary War and Beyond

After the Revolutionary War, Alstead faced a choice. It was unsure whether to stay with New Hampshire or join Vermont. In April 1781, the town decided to join Vermont. But George Washington insisted it return to New Hampshire. So, Alstead became part of New Hampshire again early the next year.

Paper Mills and Industry

Alstead was once known as "Paper Mill Village". It had one of New Hampshire's first paper mills. This mill started in 1793 on the Cold River. Ephraim and Elisha Kingsbury built it. Paper was very rare and costly back then. It was made by grinding up old linen and cotton rags. A fire destroyed the mill in 1880.

Even though Alstead was mostly a farming town, its rivers and ponds powered many small mills. Today, a special water mill at East Alstead might be the last of its kind.

Community Gifts

The Shedd-Porter Memorial Library was built in 1909–1910. It was a gift to Alstead and Langdon. John G. Shedd, who grew up in Alstead, gave this gift. He was the president of Marshall Field's department store in Chicago.

Another generous person from Alstead was Charles M. Vilas. He gave the town a large public recreation area. He also gave a school building and the only carillon (a set of bells played like an instrument) in Cheshire County.

The 2005 Flood

In October 2005, Alstead experienced a very serious flood. Heavy rain fell in Cheshire County, with about 7 inches in 30 hours. This caused the Cold River and its smaller streams to overflow. The water levels were extremely high.

The storm caused a lot of damage in Alstead and nearby towns. Homes and cars were washed away. About 4 miles of Route 123 were also destroyed. The community worked hard to recover from this event. The Alstead Historical Society and local high school students even wrote a book about it. The book is called Too Much Water, Too Much Rain. It tells the story of the disaster and what happened afterward.

Geography of Alstead

Alstead covers a total area of about 102.0 square kilometers (39.4 square miles). Most of this is land, about 100.6 square kilometers (38.8 square miles). The rest, about 1.5 square kilometers (0.6 square miles), is water. Water makes up about 1.44% of the town's total area.

The Cold River flows through Alstead. Lake Warren is located in the eastern part of the town. The highest point in Alstead is Smith Hill. It stands at 479 meters (1,795 feet) above sea level. All of Alstead is part of the Connecticut River watershed. This means all its water flows into the Connecticut River.

Roads and Routes

Several state roads serve the town. These include Route 123, Route 123A, and Route 12A.

Neighboring Towns

Alstead shares its borders with several other towns:

• Acworth (to the north)
• Marlow (to the east)
• Gilsum (to the southeast)
• Surry (to the southwest)
• Walpole (to the west)
• Langdon (to the northwest)

Population Information

In 2000, Alstead had 1,944 people living in 771 households. About 534 of these were families. The average household had 2.51 people. The average family had 2.99 people.

About 26.0% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age in the town was 40 years.

Police Department

The Alstead Police Department helps keep the town safe. It has a full-time chief and one full-time officer. There is also a part-time officer and a part-time assistant. The department uses two police SUVs. One of these was a gift from an Alstead citizen.

Places to Visit

• Alstead Historical Society Museum
• Shedd Porter Memorial Library
• Vilas Pool and its carillon of bells

Notable People from Alstead

Many interesting people have come from Alstead:

• Sarah Hall Boardman (1803–1845), a missionary
• Titus Brown (1786–1849), a US congressman
• John Curtis Chamberlain (1772–1834), a US congressman
• Thomas Fletcher (1787–1866), a silversmith and retailer
• Salma Hale (1787–1866), a printer and US congressman
• Corrina Sephora Mensoff (born 1971), an artist
• Marion Nicholl Rawson (1878–1956), an author, lecturer, and illustrator
• John G. Shedd (1850–1926), former chairman of Marshall Field & Co. and founder of Shedd Aquarium in Chicago
• Samuel Thomson (1769–1843), who started the Thomsonion System of Medicine
• Allen Wardner (1786–1877), a businessman and banker from Windsor, Vermont
• Asa Wentworth Jr. (1797–1882), a businessman and politician

Images for kids

• 

  Langdon Road in 1910

• 

  Street scene around 1912

• 

  Lake Warren in 1910

See also

In Spanish: Alstead (Nuevo Hampshire) para niños