Plymouth, New Hampshire
From Free net encyclopedia
Plymouth is a town located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA, in the White Mountains Region. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,892. Plymouth is home to Plymouth State University, Speare Memorial Hospital, the college-preparatory Holderness School, and Plymouth Regional High School. The Polar Caves in Rumney are a nearby attraction.
Contents |
History
Image:Common, Plymouth, NH.jpg Plymouth was originally the site of an Abenaki village that was, tragically, burned to the ground by Captain Thomas Baker in the 1720s. Part of a large plot of undivided land in the Pemigewasset Valley, the town was first named "New Plymouth," after the original Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth granted it in 1763 to settlers from Hollis, all of whom had been soldiers in the French and Indian War. Some had originally come from Plymouth, Massachusetts. The town was incorporated in 1776. Parts of Hebron and Campton were annexed in 1845 and 1860.
It was in Plymouth that Daniel Webster participated in his first court trial. Nathaniel Hawthorne, while on vacation in 1864 with former President Franklin Pierce, died in Plymouth at the Pemigewasset House. In the early 20th Century, the D&M sporting goods company sold products directly to the Boston Red Sox, and players such as Babe Ruth would regularly visit to pick out their equipment. In 1871, Plymouth Normal School was founded, the state's oldest teachers' college. It would evolve into Plymouth Teachers' College in 1939, Plymouth State College in 1963, and finally Plymouth State University in 2003.
Notable Inhabitants:
- Mary Baker Eddy, religious leader
- Robert Frost, poet
- Daniel Webster, statesman
Historic Sites & Museums:
- Plymouth Historical Museum
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.4 km² (28.7 mi²). 73.5 km² (28.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.22% water. Plymouth is drained by the Pemigewasset and Baker rivers. Plymouth Mountain, elevation 2,193 feet (668 meters), the highest point in Plymouth, is in the south, and the slopes of Tenney Mountain are in the west. (The summit of Tenney Mountain -- 2,310 feet / 704 meters -- lies in the town of Groton.)
Demographics
This article describes the town of Plymouth as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Plymouth (CDP), New Hampshire.
Image:Pemigewasset House, Plymouth, NH.jpg As of the census of 2000, there were 5,892 people, 1,678 households, and 941 families residing in the town. The population density was 80.1/km² (207.5/mi²). There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 25.9 persons/km² (67.0 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.54% White, 0.42% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,678 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 43.9% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.
Image:Main Street, Plymouth, NH.jpg In the town the population was spread out with 16.2% under the age of 18, 43.4% from 18 to 24, 17.9% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,618, and the median income for a family was $43,797. Males had a median income of $33,289 versus $20,565 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,766. 18.6% of the population and 6.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 10.4% are under the age of 18 and 7.1% are 65 or older.
