Danbury is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Merrimack County,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census.

History

Danbury was first settled as a part of

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, but mountainous terrain separated it from the rest of the town. In 1795, it was set off and incorporated, the name suggested by a settler from

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

. The town later grew by adding land from

Wilmot Wilmot may refer to: Places Australia *Division of Wilmot, an abolished Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania * Wilmot, Tasmania, a locality in the North-West Region Canada *Wilmot, Nova Scotia, an unincorporated rural community and former t ...

and

Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...

. Farmers found the surface mostly hilly, but with some good intervales suitable for

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Raising

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

and

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

became the principal occupation. By 1859, when the population was 934, it had seven

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s, two shingle,

lath A lath or slat is a thin, narrow strip of straight-grained wood used under roof shingles or tiles, on lath and plaster walls and ceilings to hold plaster, and in lattice and trellis work. ''Lath'' has expanded to mean any type of backing mate ...

and

clapboard Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of these terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping. ''Clapboard'' in modern Americ ...

mills, and one

tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 0.81% of the town. The Smith River, an east-flowing tributary of the

Pemigewasset River The Pemigewasset River , known locally as "The Pemi", is a river in the state of New Hampshire, the United States. It is in length and (with its tributaries) drains approximately . The name "Pemigewasset" comes from the Abenaki word ''bemijijoase ...

, runs through the center of town, while the southwest part of town is drained by Walker Brook and

Frazier Brook Frazier Brook is a stream in central New Hampshire in the United States. Via the Blackwater and Contoocook rivers, it is part of the Merrimack River watershed. It is subject to the New Hampshire Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act. Frazier ...

, south-flowing tributaries of the

Blackwater River A blackwater river is a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black te ...

, which continues on to the

Contoocook River The Contoocook River () is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/ Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that ...

. The northeast corner of the town drains east to

Newfound Lake Newfound Lake is located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It is situated in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, in the towns of Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, and Hebron. Its area of places it behind only Lake Winnipesa ...

, which flows into the Pemigewasset River. The entire town is part of the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...

watershed. Waukeena Lake, School Pond, and Bog Pond are a few of the bodies of water within the town limits. The highest point in Danbury is the summit of Tinkham Hill, at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, in the northern part of town. Ragged Mountain is a prominent mountain with multiple summits which occupies the southern portion of town and has a

ski area A ski area is the terrain and supporting infrastructure where skiing and other snow sports take place. Such sports include alpine and cross-country skiing, snow boarding, tubing, sledding, etc. Ski areas may stand alone or be part of a ski resort. ...

of the same name; the elevation of the Danbury summit of Ragged is above sea level. The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway hiking trail crosses a corner of Danbury along Ragged Mountain's Ridge Trail. Access to the Ridge Trail from the SRK Greenway is on the SRKG 6.1 mile trail section 9, either from trailhead parking on New Canada Road in Wilmot from the northwest or from

Proctor Academy Proctor Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in Andover, New Hampshire. There are about 370 students. History Origin Proctor Academy first began as Andover Academy, established in 1 ...

's trailhead parking in Andover from the southeast. Danbury is located approximately northwest of

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

, the state capital, and northwest of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, the state's largest city. Danbury is the northernmost town in Merrimack County and lies within the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region. The town is served by

U.S. Route 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed North-South to reflect its alignment in the s ...

and

New Hampshire Route 104 New Hampshire Route 104 (abbreviated NH 104) is a secondary east–west highway in central New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Danbury to Meredith on Lake Winnipesaukee in the Lakes Region. The western terminus of NH 104 is in D ...

Adjacent municipalities

(north) *

(east) *

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

(south) *

(southwest) * Grafton (west)

Demographics

In 1800, there were 165 people living in Danbury, according to the first official census. As of the 2000

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, there were 1,071 people, 435 households, and 310 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 28.6 people per square mile (11.0/km). There were 596 housing units at an average density of 15.9 per square mile (6.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was: * 99.53%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(U.S. average: 75.1%) * 0.19%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

(U.S. average: 12.3%) * 0.09% Native American (U.S. average: 0.1%) * 0.19% from two or more races. (U.S. average: 2.4%)

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.47% of the population. (U.S. average: 12.5%) In 2000, there were 435 households with an average household size of 2.46 and an average family size of 2.84. * 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them. (U.S. average: 32.8%) * 57.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together. (U.S. average: 51.7%) * 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present. (U.S. average: 12.2%) * 28.7% were non-families. (U.S. average: 31.9%) * 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals. (U.S. average: 25.8%) * 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. (U.S. average: 9.2%) In 2000, the town's population had a median age of 41 years (U.S. average: 35.3). * 23.0% under the age of 18 * 6.8% from 18 to 24 * 30.7% from 25 to 44 * 26.7% from 45 to 64 * 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,313 (U.S. average: $41,994). The median income for a family was $40,809 (U.S. average: $50,046). Males had a median income of $32,105 versus $26,328 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $18,339. About 8.9% of families (U.S. average: 9.2%), and 11.1% of the population (U.S. average: 12.4%) were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Danbury is within the

Newfound Area School District Newfound Area School District is a school district headquartered in Bristol, New Hampshire. The district area includes Bristol, Alexandria, Bridgewater, Danbury, Groton, Hebron, and New Hampton. Pierre Couture is the superintendent. History ...

. Danbury Elementary School is in the community. The district's secondary schools are Newfound Memorial Middle School, and

Newfound Regional High School Newfound Regional High School (NRHS) is a public secondary school in Bristol, New Hampshire, United States. Surrounding towns that attend NRHS are Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Danbury, Groton, Hebron, Hill, and New Hampton. The school is p ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

Places of interest

Ragged Mountain Resort Ragged Mountain is a ski resort located on the northern side of Ragged Mountain in Danbury, New Hampshire, in the United States, with a vertical drop of and spread across . Offering three terrain parks and many glades, the resort is home to th ...

, ski and golf vacation resort
Danbury North Road Schoolhouse Museum
run by Danbury Historical Society
More info
* Bog Pond Dam or Danbury Bog, recreational reservoir * Waukeena Lake, cold water lake, motorboats restricted * School Pond, warm water pond, motorboats restricted * Emily & Theodore Hope Forest property preserved by the

Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) is a private, non-profit, land conservation and sustainable forestry organization based in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It purchases or is given easements on property, or obtains ou ...

(SPNHF) * Rosemary's Woods, SPNHF property * Independence Park, municipal multi-purpose field

Notable people

* Francis Reed (1852–1917), inventor of many lathe and

drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...

machines * Amos Leavitt Taylor, Secretary of Massachusetts Republican Party (1927–1928); Massachusetts Republican State Chair (1924–1949)

References

External links

*
George Gamble Library

{{authority control Towns in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire