Amherst, New Hampshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amherst, New Hampshire
Town
Amherst Town Common in 2006
Seal
Location in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Amherst, New Hampshire Location in New Hampshire Show map of New Hampshire Amherst, New Hampshire Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Hillsborough
Incorporated	1760
Area
• Total	34.4 sq mi (89.1 km2)
• Land	33.9 sq mi (87.8 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)  1.49%
Elevation	259 ft (79 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,753
• Density	347/sq mi (133.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	03031
Area code	603
FIPS code	33-01300
GNIS feature ID	0873531

Amherst is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. In 2020, about 11,753 people lived there. Amherst is known for its beautiful natural areas like Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, the Joe English Reservation, and Baboosic Lake.

The main village of Amherst is a smaller area within the town. About 697 people lived there in 2020. This village is special because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it has important old buildings and history.

History of Amherst

How Amherst Started

Amherst, like many towns in New England, began with a special gift of land. This land was given to soldiers who fought in a war called King Philip's War in 1728. Five years later, in 1733, people started to settle there. They first called it "Narragansett Number 3" and then "Souhegan Number 3."

In 1741, the settlers built a church and hired a minister. On January 18, 1760, the governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth, officially made it a town. He named it after General Jeffery Amherst, a famous leader during the French and Indian War.

Growth and Changes

In 1770, Amherst became the most important town in Hillsborough County. This was because it was located on a major road. The town continued to grow during and after the American Revolutionary War.

However, some parts of Amherst later became separate towns. In 1790, the southwestern part became Milford. In 1803, the northwest part became Mont Vernon. Milford grew a lot because it had water-powered mills. Because of this, the county's main office moved from Amherst to Milford in 1866.

Amherst's population stayed about the same for a long time. But after World War II, many new people moved to Amherst. The town became a part of the larger Greater Boston area.

Famous Connections

Franklin Pierce, who later became the 14th President of the United States, studied in Amherst. He married Jane Means Appleton in a house on the town green. Her father was a former president of Bowdoin College.

The Nashua and Wilton Railroad also passed through Amherst, which helped connect the town to other places.

Geography of Amherst

Amherst covers about 89.1 square kilometers (34.4 square miles). Most of this is land (87.8 square kilometers or 33.9 square miles). A small part, about 1.3 square kilometers (0.5 square miles), is water.

Waterways and Land Features

All of Amherst is part of the Merrimack River watershed. This means that all the rain and water in Amherst eventually flows into the Merrimack River. The Souhegan River flows through the southern part of town. Beaver Brook, which flows through the main village, also feeds into the Souhegan River.

Baboosic Lake is located along the eastern edge of the town. Joe English Brook feeds this lake. The highest point in Amherst is on Chestnut Hill, which is about 264 meters (865 feet) above sea level.

Roads and Nearby Towns

New Hampshire Route 101 goes through Amherst. It connects the town to Bedford and Manchester to the northeast, and Milford to the southwest. Another road, New Hampshire Route 101A, goes through the southern part of Amherst. It links Milford to the west with Nashua to the southeast. New Hampshire Route 122 starts in Amherst village and goes south to Hollis.

Adjacent municipalities

Amherst is next to several other towns:

• 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)

Population of Amherst

In 2010, there were 11,201 people living in Amherst. There were 4,063 households, and 3,322 families. About 37.7% of households had children under 18. Most households (72.2%) were married couples living together.

The average household had 2.76 people, and the average family had 3.06 people. The population's age spread was:

• 26.0% were under 18
• 5.6% were 18 to 24
• 19.4% were 25 to 44
• 36.5% were 45 to 64
• 12.5% were 65 or older

The average age in Amherst was 44.4 years.

Public education in Amherst

Amherst has several schools for its students. Clark and Wilkins are elementary schools for younger children from Amherst. Students from Amherst and nearby Mont Vernon attend Amherst Middle School for seventh and eighth grades. Both towns also share Souhegan High School.

Notable people

Images for kids

• 

  A photograph of Amherst taken in 1910

• 

  Horace Greeley's birthplace around 1905

See also

In Spanish: Amherst (Nuevo Hampshire) para niños