Gorham, New Hampshire
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| Gorham, New Hampshire |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Coos County |
| Incorporated | 1836 |
| Board of Selectmen | Yves Zornio, Chair Paul Robitaille Stephanie Kennedy |
| Area | |
| - Town | 83.7 km² (32.3 sq mi) |
| - Land | 82.6 km² (31.9 sq mi) |
| - Water | 1.1 km² (0.4 sq mi) 1.27% |
| Elevation | 242 m (794 ft) |
| Population | |
| - Town (2000) | 2,895 |
| - Density | 35.0/km² (90.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| Website: www.gorhamnh.org | |
Gorham is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 2,895 at the 2000 census. Gorham is located in the White Mountains, and parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the south and northwest. Moose Brook State Park is in the west. The town is crossed by the Appalachian Trail. Tourism is a principal business.
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[edit] History
The community was first chartered in 1770 by Colonial Governor John Wentworth as a part of Shelburne, called Shelburne Addition. Settled about 1805, for years it contained little more than rocky farms, small logging operations, and a few stores and stables. When incorporated in 1836, the town had only 150 inhabitants. It was named Gorham at the suggestion of Sylvester Davis, a resident from Gorham, Maine, and a relative of the Gorham family which founded that town in 1764.
The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad (later the Grand Trunk Railway) arrived in 1851. Located halfway between Montreal, Canada and the seacoast, Gorham developed into a railroad town, with a major locomotive yard and repair facility. With trains came tourists, and the Mount Madison House, Alpine House, Gorham House and Willis House opened. Crowds went from Boston and the seacoast to White Mountain Station, and from there to the Glen House in Pinkham Notch and Mount Washington. In 1861, travelers made the first trek up the Mount Washington Carriage Road, winding 8 miles to the summit of the 6,288 foot mountain. "The Road to the Sky" was an engineering feat of its day, advertised as "the first man-made attraction in the United States." It would be renamed the Mount Washington Auto Road, and remains popular today.
Railroads benefited local industries as well, hauling freight for mills run by water power from the Androscoggin River. Logging flourished, with boards and building timber manufactured by the Libby and the Peabody lumber companies. That business would eventually decline, as would railroads. In 1973, the town's train depot, built in 1907, was scheduled for demolition. The Gorham Historical Society saved the building, which now serves as a headquarters and museum. It features displays on area history, with a collection including locomotives, boxcars and a caboose.
 Exchange Street in 1908 |
 The Mount Madison House in c. 1912 |
 View from Mount Madison House in c. 1912 |
 Main Street in c. 1908 |
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 83.7 km² (32.3 mi²). 82.6 km² (31.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water, comprising 1.27% of the town. Gorham is drained by the Androscoggin and Peabody rivers.
The highest point in Gorham is along its western border, on a spur of Mount Madison, where the elevation reaches 3,030 feet (924 meters) above sea level. While Gorham itself is surrounded by larger mountains, a small prominent peak within the town is 2,400-foot high (732 m.) Pine Mountain.
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town of Gorham as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Gorham (CDP), New Hampshire.
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 2,895 people, 1,293 households, and 801 families residing in the town. The population density was 35.0/km² (90.7/mi²). There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 17.9/km² (46.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.34% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.
There were 1,293 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,250, and the median income for a family was $41,008. Males had a median income of $34,659 versus $20,278 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,649. About 3.9% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Gorham High school plays men's and women's soccer, field hockey, basketball, winter spirit, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, baseball, and softball in NHIAA class S.
[edit] Sites of Interest
- Gorham Historical Society & Railroad Museum
[edit] External links
- Town of Gorham
- Gorham Historical Society
- Moose Brook State Park
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
| Communities in Coos County, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
| Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant | Bean's Grant | Bean's Purchase | Berlin | Cambridge | Carroll | Chandler's Purchase | Clarksville | Colebrook | Columbia | Crawford's Purchase | Cutt's Grant | Dalton | Dix's Grant | Dixville | Dummer | Errol | Erving's Location | Gorham | Green's Grant | Groveton | Hadley's Purchase | Jefferson | Kilkenny | Lancaster | Low and Burbank's Grant | Martin's Location | Milan | Millsfield | Northumberland | Odell | Pinkham's Grant | Pittsburg | Randolph | Sargent's Purchase | Second College Grant | Shelburne | Stark | Stewartstown | Stratford | Success | Thompson and Meserve's Purchase | Wentworth's Location | Whitefield |
