New Boston is a town located in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 6,108, which increased from 5,321 in the 2010 census. The town is known for hosting the annual Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair and for the Molly Stark Cannon. This cannon, made in 1743 and shown on the town seal, was given to the New Boston Artillery Company by General John Stark after the Battle of Bennington. The central village of New Boston is identified as the New Boston census-designated place, which had a population of 326 in 2020.

History

The town was first given in 1736 by colonial governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. At that time, lands west of the Merrimack River, which were in disagreement between the two provinces, were considered part of Massachusetts by Belcher. He gave the town to several families from Boston. The town was originally planned to be called "Lanestown" or "Piscataquog Township," but by 1751, it was named "New Boston" after the families' hometown. Not all the people who received the land claimed it, and 10 years later, the land was given again to settlers from Londonderry, New Hampshire. When the town was officially established in 1763, Governor Benning Wentworth officially recognized the name "New Boston," which had already been used for many years.

In 1820, the town had 25 sawmills, six grain mills, two clothing mills, two carding mills, two tanneries, and a bark mill. It also had 14 schoolhouses and a tavern. In 1887, the Great Village Fire destroyed nearly 40 buildings in the lower part of the town. The fire started when a spark from a cooper’s shop set a barn on fire. In 1893, a railroad was built to New Boston, and farm products were sent by train to city markets. Passenger train service ended in 1931, and the tracks were removed in 1935. Today, the old railroad path is used as the New Boston Rail Trail for walking and biking.

The town is home to the 2,800-acre (1,100 ha) New Boston Space Force Station, which began as an Army Air Corps bombing range in 1942. By 1960, it became a U.S. Air Force base for tracking military satellites. In July 2021, the facility was renamed and became part of the United States Space Force. New Boston was also the location of the Gravity Research Foundation from the late 1940s until the mid-1960s. The founder, Roger Babson, chose New Boston because he believed it would be safe from nuclear fallout if New York or Boston were attacked.

Dodge’s Store, located in the center of town, was started in 1872 and was run by five generations of the Dodge family until 1994. Clarence H. Dodge began the business, and the family owned it until Malcom J. Dodge sold it in 1994 because of economic difficulties. The store closed on August 29, 2011, due to financial problems, but it has since been reopened under new ownership.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.2 square miles (111.9 square kilometers), of which 42.8 square miles (110.9 square kilometers) are land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 square kilometers) are water, making up 0.92% of the town. New Boston is drained by the South Branch and Middle Branch of the Piscataquog River, except for the town's southeastern corner, which is drained by Joe English Brook, a tributary of Baboosic Brook. The entire town is part of the Merrimack River watershed. Joe English Hill, which is 1,285 feet (392 meters) above sea level and the highest point in the town, is located in the south.

The town has state routes 13, 77, and 136 passing through it. These three state highways meet in the center of the town at New Boston village. Klondike Corner is a low-density residential area in the southeastern part of the town.

• Weare (north)
• Goffstown (east)
• Bedford (southeast)
• Amherst (southeast)
• Mont Vernon (south)
• Lyndeborough (southwest)
• Francestown (west)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, the town had 4,138 people, 1,434 households, and 1,162 families. The population density was 96.6 people per square mile (37.3 per square kilometer). There were 1,462 housing units, with an average density of 34.1 per square mile (13.2 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the town included 98.02% White, 0.36% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 0.63% of the population.

Out of the 1,434 households, 44.4% had children under 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples, 7.5% had a female householder without a husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. Twelve point four percent of all households had only one person living in them, and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.88 people, and the average family size was 3.15 people.

The population was distributed as follows: 30.4% were under 18 years old, 4.7% were between 18 and 24 years old, 33.5% were between 25 and 44 years old, 26.4% were between 45 and 64 years old, and 5.0% were 65 years or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 99.6 males.

The median household income was $66,020, and the median family income was $69,458. Men had a median income of $47,173, while women had a median income of $32,417. The average income per person in the town was $26,488. Approximately 3.1% of families and 4.3% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under 18 years old and none of those who were 65 years or older.

• New Boston c. 1875
• The Tavern c. 1905
• The Creamery c. 1912
• Depot c. 1905
• River Road c. 1912
• Some Victorian architecture

Education

New Boston is in School Administrative Unit 19, along with Goffstown. New Boston Central School offers public education for students in grades kindergarten through six. After sixth grade, students attend Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown for grades seven and eight. They then go to Goffstown High School for high school.

Politics

New Boston is part of New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district, which is represented by Democrat Ann McLane Kuster. It is also part of New Hampshire's 9th State Senate District.

Culture

New Boston's fairgrounds hold many events throughout the year, such as the Hillsborough County Fair, which typically happens in September. The fair helps remember the area's farming history, and visitors can enjoy rides, displays, and the popular tractor pull.

The Fourth of July celebration is a major event in the area. It begins with a parade that includes floats made by local people, marching bands, and emergency vehicles. The parade goes through the middle of town and ends at the fairgrounds. Each year, the Molly Stark cannon is also fired during the celebration.

Notable people

• Roger Babson (1875–1967), a college professor, economist, and entrepreneur, led the Gravity Research Foundation in New Boston from 1948 to 1967.
• William A. Crombie (1844–1914), mayor of Burlington, Vermont.
• Horton Foote (1916–2009), a playwright and screenwriter.
• Dean Potter (1972–2015), a rock climber.
• Joseph Reed Whipple (1842–1912), a Boston hotelier and proprietor of the Valley View Farm in New Boston.