Hebron, New Hampshire
| Hebron | |||
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 Town Hall and Library |
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| Location in New Hampshire | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1792 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | New Hampshire | ||
| County : | Grafton County | ||
| Coordinates : | 43 ° 42 ′ N , 71 ° 48 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 623 (as of 2017) | ||
| Population density : | 5.6 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 111.7 km 2 (approx. 43 mi 2 ) of which 111.2 km 2 (approx. 43 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 440 m | ||
| Postal code : | 03241 | ||
| Area code : | +1 603 | ||
| FIPS : | 33-35220 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 873622 | ||
| Website : | hebronnh.org | ||
Hebron is a town at the mouth of the Cockermouth River in Newfound Lake in Grafton County in New Hampshire , USA . It was formed in 1792 from parts of Cockermouth, now Groton , and Plymouth . The districts of East Hebron and Nuttings Beach belong to Hebron. Adjacent towns are, from the northwest clockwise, Groton, Plymouth, Bridgewater and Alexandria . The north end of Newfound Lake is entirely in Hebron.
Emergence
The parish was formed from parts of Cockermouth (now Groton) and what was then West Plymouth when residents in the south-east of Cockermouth and south-west Plymouth petitioned Parliament to be allowed to found their own town . The applicants felt that they were too far from Plymouth and that they already had a clergyman of their own. The petition was accepted in 1792. The name goes back to a proposal by a Samuel Phelps, which he made in honor of Hebron in Connecticut . It was from there that many of the first residents of the new community came, including several members of the Phelp family.
history
Although only registered as Hebron in 1792, according to other sources in 1791, the area of today's Hebron had already been settled. In 1761 the settlement rights for Cockermouth were granted, but due to insufficient exercise of the rights twice, in 1766 and 1775, extended. Plymouth had existed since 1763. Three of the settlers there took part in the petition and brought their land to Hebron. The first meeting of the city council took place on June 15, 1792. The settlers who settled Hebron were of English descent, with the exception of a few of Scottish or Irish descent, but they were all New Englanders by birth. Most were descended from Hollis families . The majority also supported American independence.
In 1780, the easy-to-reach plots were mostly assigned, and newcomers had to settle on the higher lands. There, however, they were less endangered by flooding, and it was easier to clear cut wood. The tree species composition was more favorable in terms of suitability for building and use for tools and furniture, the growing seasons longer and the risk of frost less. Subsistence farming was practiced, although there were also specialized craftsmen. But they also had to run a farm on the side, as the income from their craft was not enough to support a family.
In 1803 the Mayhew Turnpike was built on the east bank of Newfound Lake. Until then, the route from New Chester, now Bristol , to Cockermouth ran along the west bank. The turnpike shortened the route from Concord to Haverhill and into the northern Connecticut Valley and passed through Hebron to the east. The road maintenance was the responsibility of local settlers, who were exempt from road tolls and were also able to reduce their tax burden. Later the customs posts, the closest from Hebron to Plymouth and Bristol, were given up, and the maintenance of the road was the responsibility of the respective communities. The Mayhew Turnpike not only connected Concord to the upper Connecticut Valley, but was part of the main route connecting Montreal and Boston . As a result, the settlement in Hebron moved closer to the street. Last but not least, business opportunities arose by setting up rest stops and repair shops. However, this only lasted until the middle of the century. In 1848 the Franklin & Bristol Railroad built a branch line from Franklin to Bristol, and two years later the railroad reached Plymouth. The traffic on the turnpike fell sharply.
At the same time, the farms became less isolated. By the early 19th century, the farms in Hebron had grown. This went hand in hand with higher profitability. In this way it was possible to buy more goods instead of having to make all everyday items yourself or at least to exchange them with neighbors. In the middle of the century, the days of subsistence farming in Hebron were over. Instead of the traditional family farm, the operations were now commercial businesses, but these too were gradually abandoned as the development of new, cheap, and productive farmland in the west made farming the hills in Hebron uneconomical. Some sheep farmers were able to hold out for a few years, but after the 1850s the expansion of the railways and the development of agricultural machinery made competition with the large farms in the west of the country impossible. Even the farmers who could still make a good living from their land around 1880 were faced with the choice of falling back on self-employment or giving up. The first sawmill and grain mill was built in Hebron as early as 1810, but most of the commercial operations started from the middle of the century. Among them were many that arose from the handicraft activities of the settlers, such as shoemaking, tailoring, blacksmithing, cooperage, carpentry and joinery businesses. There were up to six shoemakers in Hebron, as well as one glove maker. Other trades were tanneries, brickworks and a dairy.
Before 1870, a stagecoach line had been set up to run between Bristol and Groton. It was with this stagecoach that the first tourists came to the Newfound Lake area in the 1870s. This made another source of income available. The guests needed accommodation, which was initially created in the form of individual rooms on the farms. The first inn opened in 1875, and others followed, both in Hebron itself and in East Hebron, closer to the Turnpike. The first summer camps were founded after 1890, strictly separated into boys and girls according to the customs of the time. These camps existed until after 1930 and had an unexpected side effect. The land they were on, apart from the camp facilities, was never built on and has been preserved to this day. Between 1925 and 1945 tourism was the main source of income in Hebron. Because the camps were so extensive, the building and population density in Hebron at the northern end of the lake remained below that in the south. This is still the case today. Skiing emerged in the 1920s. Ski clubs were established, including Harvard's University Ski Lodge in Hebron.
In 1901 the first steamship was built in Hebron, the second in 1915 after the first sank. These ships not only brought passengers from the south end of the lake, but were also used to haul wood rafts from the mouth of the Cockermouth to the sawmill at the lower end of the lake.
population
In 2017 Hebron had 623 inhabitants. This number has fluctuated considerably in the past. In 1800 there were 281 inhabitants, in 1960 only 153 inhabitants were counted after a peak in population growth with 572 inhabitants had been reached in 1820. After that, the population grew by about 50% over the next two decades. In the early 21st century, over 200 of the population were older than 65 years, the average age was 59.1 years.
Administration and municipal institutions
As a town according to New England, Wilmot is not subject to a mayor, but is administered by three elected city councils. While the police work full-time, emergency medical care and fire services are provided on a volunteer basis. There are no other municipal facilities besides a public library.
Economy and Transport
The largest employer is the Town of Hebron with 25 employees. The NH3A, the only national road in Hebron, runs through East Hebron. This is a branch route of the US3 , which runs in this section from Franklin to Plymouth. Exit 26 of I-93 is eleven miles away, as is the nearest hospital in Plymouth. There is a landing pad in Bristol and the nearest scheduled airport is Lebanon Municipal.
people
- Nathaniel Berry (1796–1894), Governor of New Hampshire, lived and worked in Hebron from 1840 to 1888
- Austin F. Pike (1819–1886), Republican senator
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d New Hampshire Statistics, Location Page
- ↑ a b c d Hebron Historical Society
- ↑ American Fact Finder
- ^ Hebron's governor
