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Orford is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in Grafton County,
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders 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 1,237 at the 2020 census, unchanged from the 2010 census. The
Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...
crosses in the east.


History

First called "Number Seven" in a line of
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...
fort towns, Orford was incorporated in 1761 by Governor
Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant, landowner and colonial administrator who served as the List of colonial governors of New Hampshire, governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. He is best known ...
and named for
Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (; 26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745), known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman who is generally regarded as the ''de facto'' first Prim ...
,
Earl of Orford Earl of Orford is a title that has been created three times. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1697 when the naval commander Admiral of the Fleet Edward Russell was made Earl of Orford, in the County of Suffolk. He was cre ...
, who was the first
prime minister of Great Britain The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pr ...
. The town was settled in 1765 by Daniel Cross and wife from
Lebanon, Connecticut Lebanon ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 7,142 at the 2020 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, directly sou ...
.A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, ''A History and Description of New England;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1859
/ref> By 1859, it had 1,406 inhabitants, most involved in
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
. There was a large tannery, a chair factory, ten
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, 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 ...
s, a
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...
factory, a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
, a
sash A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the human body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else encircling the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, ...
, blind and door factory, and two boot and
shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...
factories. An original grantee was General Israel Morey, whose son
Samuel Morey Samuel Morey (October 23, 1762 – April 17, 1843) was an American inventor, who worked on early internal combustion engines and was a pioneer in steamships who accumulated a total of 20 patents. Early life The son of a Revolutionary War Office ...
discovered a way to separate
hydrogen Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
from
oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
in water, making possible the first
marine steam engine A marine steam engine is a steam engine that is used to power a ship or boat. This article deals mainly with marine steam engines of the reciprocating type, which were in use from the inception of the steamboat in the early 19th century to thei ...
. He recognized the potential of steam power after working at his father's
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
. In 1793, on the river at Orford, he was first to demonstrate the use of a paddlewheel to propel a
steam boat A steamboat is a boat that is propelled primarily by steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels working on lakes, rivers, and in short-sea shipping. The ...
. Author
Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy ...
visited Orford in 1832 and is quoted as saying, "In all my travels in this country and in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, I have seen no village more beautiful than this. It is a charming place—nature has done her utmost here." Of the famous sequence of seven early homes built on The Ridge, Dartmouth Professor of
Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
Hugh Morrison said, "As a row and counting the setting, this is the finest group of Federal-style houses in the United States." Built between 1773 and 1839, the dwellings show the influence of architect Asher Benjamin.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.93% of the town. The
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...
, which serves as the boundary between New Hampshire and
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
, forms the western edge of the town. Most of Orford is drained by Jacobs Brook and other small tributaries of the Connecticut. The northeastern corner of the town, around Upper and Lower Baker Ponds, drains via the Baker River and Pemigewasset River into 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 M ...
. The town has two population centers. The main village of Orford, with the town's schools and post office, is located on New Hampshire Route 10 along the banks of the Connecticut River. The town hall, however, is located in the smaller village of Orfordville, on New Hampshire Route 25A several miles east of the river. The highest point in Orford is the summit of Mount Cube, at above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
, in the eastern part of town. The northern slopes of
Smarts Mountain Smarts Mountain is a mountain in the town of Lyme in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. Smarts is flanked to the north by Mount Cube, at , and to the southwest by Holts Ledge, at . Although of only moderate elevation, Smarts is sep ...
, whose summit lies in the neighboring town of Lyme, occupy the southeastern corner of town. Camps Merriwood and Moosilauke are situated on Upper Baker Pond in Orford.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 1,091 people, 470 households, and 308 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was 23.4 people per square mile (9.0/km). There were 561 housing units at an average density of 12.0 per square mile (4.6/km). The racial makeup of the town was 96.98%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.09%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.27% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 1.10% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population. There were 470 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.84. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $46,250, and the median income for a family was $50,577. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $25,833 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $24,196. About 3.1% of families and 5.5% of the population 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 ...
, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.


Crime

In the winter of 2011, Orford experienced a rash of street sign theft, at one point leaving the town with only six signs remaining. With an addition of a new police officer, 66 of the signs were recovered and two of the thieves admitted to stealing the signs.


Education

It is in the Rivendell Interstate School District.
Text list
/ref>


Notable people

* Deborah Arnie Arnesen (born 1953), NH gubernatorial candidate, commentator * Daniel Doan (1914–1993), hiking enthusiast, writer *
Milton Friedman Milton Friedman (; July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006) was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and ...
(1912–2006),
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
-winning economist; ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'' described Friedman as "the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century ... possibly of all of it" * Charles R. Jackson (1903–1968), writer * Ben Lovejoy (born 1984), defenseman with the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
* Gilman Marston (1811–1890), US senator, congressman, and US Army general *
Samuel Morey Samuel Morey (October 23, 1762 – April 17, 1843) was an American inventor, who worked on early internal combustion engines and was a pioneer in steamships who accumulated a total of 20 patents. Early life The son of a Revolutionary War Office ...
(1762–1843), inventor * Jameson Parker (born 1947), actor * Fanny Huntington Runnells Poole (1863–1940), writer, book reviewer * Meldrim Thomson, Jr. (1912–2001), 73rd
governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...
* Jeduthun Wilcox (1768–1838), US congressman * Leonard Wilcox (1799–1850), US senator


References


External links

*
History of Orford


* ttps://www.eastorfordhistoryproject.com History of East Orford {{authority control Towns in Grafton County, New Hampshire New Hampshire populated places on the Connecticut River Towns in New Hampshire