Strafford, New Hampshire

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Town of Strafford
Location within Strafford County, New Hampshire
Location within Strafford County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 43°16′13″N, 71°07′34″W
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Strafford
Settled
Incorporated 1820
Area  
 - City 33.2 km²  (51.4 sq mi)
 - Land 127.3 km²  (49.2 sq mi)
 - Water 5.8 km km² (2.2 sq mi)
Elevation 181 m  (595 ft)
Population  
 - City (2000) 3,626
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)

Strafford is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 3,626 at the 2000 census. Strafford includes the village of Bow Lake.

Contents

[edit] History

Bow Lake Village in c. 1912
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Bow Lake Village in c. 1912

Once part of Barrington, Strafford was set off due to the lengthy travel required to attend town meetings. Settled prior to the Revolution, the town incorporated in 1820, taking its name from the county in which it is located. Strafford County had been organized in 1773 during the administration of Colonial Governor John Wentworth, and named in honor of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford.

The Bow Lake Grange Hall, originally built in 1829 as a steam-operated mill, is now maintained by the Bow Lake Community Club and home to "The Lakeside Players," a theatre group.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 133.2 km² (51.4 mi²). 127.3 km² (49.2 mi²) of it is land and 5.8 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is water, comprising 4.38% of the town. Bow Lake, popular with fishermen, covers 1,160 acres. Strafford is drained by the Isinglass, Big, and Berrys rivers.

The Blue Hills Range, the first of the important foothills of the White Mountains, divides the town in half, running southwest to northeast. Parker Mountain, the highest point in the range and in Strafford, rises to 1,420 feet (433 meters) above sea level.

[edit] Demographics

The Blue Hills and the Job Hills from Northwood Road in c. 1910
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The Blue Hills and the Job Hills from Northwood Road in c. 1910

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 3,626 people, 1,281 households, and 1,022 families residing in the town. The population density was 28.5/km² (73.7/mi²). There were 1,564 housing units at an average density of 12.3/km² (31.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.48% White, 0.14% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 1,281 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.14.

Austin Cate Academy in c. 1912
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Austin Cate Academy in c. 1912

In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,044, and the median income for a family was $62,238. Males had a median income of $40,423 versus $30,524 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,500. About 1.0% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] External links

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