Wilton, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Like many towns in New England, Wilton first grew because of mills that used water power to make cloth. Today, it's a quiet, rural town where many people live and work in nearby cities. It also has some factories and service jobs. Wilton is also home to the High Mowing School, which is a private school.

The main part of town, called the Wilton census-designated place, had 1,324 people in 2020. This area is where two roads, New Hampshire Routes 31 and 101, meet. It's also where Stony Brook flows into the Souhegan River.

Wilton's Early History
- First Sunday School
Wilton's Geography
- Neighboring Towns
Wilton's Population
Places to Visit in Wilton
Famous People from Wilton
See also

Wilton's Early History

The area that is now Wilton was first part of a larger land grant called "Salem-Canada" in 1735. This grant was made by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts, who claimed this land at the time. It was given to soldiers from Salem, Massachusetts, who had fought in a war against Canada in 1690. "Salem-Canada" was one of the towns built along the state's borders to help protect against attacks from Native American groups.

In 1749, the land was granted again by New Hampshire's Governor Benning Wentworth and called "Number Two." Then, in 1762, it officially became a town named "Wilton." The town might have been named after Wilton in England, or after Sir Joseph Wilton, a famous English sculptor. Sir Wilton designed a special carriage for King George III's coronation, and this design was later used as a model for the famous Concord coach. Later, the town of Wilton, Maine, was named after Wilton, New Hampshire.

First Sunday School

In May 1816, the first Sunday school in Wilton was started. It was connected to the Congregational church and held in the Centre schoolhouse. Two women, Phebe Abbot and Sarah White Livermore, were key leaders in starting this school. It was one of the very first schools in the U.S. to focus only on religious teaching. Seventy children attended the first year, and the only book they used was the Bible.

The Souhegan River was very important because it provided water power for the town's mills. Today, Wilton is a rural town with many orchards, farms, and forests.

Wilton in 1880
Town Hall
Wilton Woolen Co. mill in 1912
Livermore Bridge over Blood Brook
Aunt Mary Ann Cottage c. 1915

Wilton's Geography

The Souhegan River winds its way through downtown Wilton after a rare October snowfall.

Wilton covers about 66.6 square kilometers (about 25.7 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part (about 0.35%) being water. The town is shaped by the Souhegan River and its smaller streams, Stony Brook and Blood Brook. All the water in Wilton eventually flows into the Merrimack River.

The highest point in Wilton is about 347 meters (1,140 feet) above sea level. This spot is on the eastern side of Fisk Hill, right where it meets the town's western border.

Neighboring Towns

Wilton shares its borders with several other towns:

Lyndeborough to the north
Milford to the east
Mason to the south
Greenville to the southwest
Temple to the west

Wilton's Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	1,105	—
1800	1,010	−8.6%
1810	1,017	0.7%
1820	1,070	5.2%
1830	1,041	−2.7%
1840	1,033	−0.8%
1850	1,161	12.4%
1860	1,369	17.9%
1870	1,974	44.2%
1880	1,747	−11.5%
1890	1,850	5.9%
1900	1,696	−8.3%
1910	1,490	−12.1%
1920	1,546	3.8%
1930	1,724	11.5%
1940	1,855	7.6%
1950	1,952	5.2%
1960	2,025	3.7%
1970	2,276	12.4%
1980	2,669	17.3%
1990	3,122	17.0%
2000	3,743	19.9%
2010	3,677	−1.8%
2020	3,896	6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 3,677 people living in Wilton. Most of the people (97.1%) were White. About 23.5% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age in Wilton was 42.1 years.

Places to Visit in Wilton

Wilton has several interesting places to explore:

Russell-Abbott State Forest: Part of this forest is in Wilton. It's named after two of the town's very first families.
Andy's Summer Playhouse: This is a children's theater that brings visitors from all over the area.
Frye's Measure Mill: This historic mill is 150 years old and is located a few miles west of downtown Wilton. You can take tours to see how it worked.
Wilton Town Hall Theatre: This is a private movie theater that shows art-house films. It uses the Town Hall's main hall and a smaller room that used to be a dressing room for vaudeville performers.
Souhegan Mills: These mills are a well-known part of Wilton's town center. Over the years, they have been used for many things, like packing apples, processing materials, and even making ammunition boxes during World War II. Today, Souhegan Mills is home to Souhegan Wood Products, which makes and sells recycled wood products.
Oliver Whiting Homestead: This is a historic farm on Old County Farm Road.

Famous People from Wilton

Wilton c. 1870–1880

Many notable people have connections to Wilton:

Charles Greeley Abbot (1872–1973), a scientist who studied stars and space.
John Putnam Batchelder (1784–1868), a surgeon and expert in anatomy.
Frank Gay Clarke (1850–1901), who served in the U.S. Congress.
Snatam Kaur (1972–), an American singer, songwriter, and author.
Sarah White Livermore (1789-1874), a teacher and writer.
Rod Price (1947–2005), a guitarist for the blues/rock band "Foghat."
Annie R. Smith (1828–1855), an early Seventh-day Adventist hymn writer.
Uriah Smith (1832–1903), an important Seventh-day Adventist author, minister, and educator. He was the editor of the Review and Herald (now the Adventist Review) for over 50 years.
William French Smith (1917–1990), who was the 74th United States Attorney General, a top legal official in the U.S. government.

Wilton, New Hampshire facts for kids

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