Elkins, New Hampshire

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Elkins, New Hampshire
Bird's-eye view of Elkins and Pleasant Lake.jpg
Aerial view of Elkins (foreground) and Pleasant Lake
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Elkins
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Elkins
Coordinates: 43°25′15″N71°56′14″W / 43.42083°N 71.93722°W / 43.42083; -71.93722 Coordinates: 43°25′15″N71°56′14″W / 43.42083°N 71.93722°W / 43.42083; -71.93722
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Merrimack
Town New London
Elevation
810 ft (250 m)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
03233
Area code(s) 603
GNIS feature ID866776 [1]

Elkins is an unincorporated community in New London, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. It is situated at the east end of Pleasant Lake. It is home to a public beach, gas station, ice cream shop, auto repair garage, post office, church, veterinarian office, and alpaca farm. Also central to the community is the Hall of The American Legions and adjacent bandstand.

Unincorporated area Region of land not governed by own local government

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not governed by a local municipal corporation; similarly an unincorporated community is a settlement that is not governed by its own local municipal corporation, but rather is administered as part of larger administrative divisions, such as a township, parish, borough, county, city, canton, state, province or country. Occasionally, municipalities dissolve or disincorporate, which may happen if they become fiscally insolvent, and services become the responsibility of a higher administration. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. In most other countries of the world, there are either no unincorporated areas at all, or these are very rare; typically remote, outlying, sparsely populated or uninhabited areas.

New London, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

New London is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,397 at the 2010 census. The town is the home of Colby–Sawyer College.

Merrimack County, New Hampshire County in the United States

Merrimack County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2010 census, the population was 146,445, making it the third-most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Concord, the capital of New Hampshire. The county was organized in 1823 from parts of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, and is named for the Merrimack River. Merrimack County comprises the Concord, NH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn constitutes a portion of the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT Combined Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of New Hampshire was located in Merrimack County, in the town of Pembroke.

The village was originally called "Scythe Factory Village" or "Scytheville", because of the presence of a scythe works in the village, using the outflow from Pleasant Lake to power the equipment to manufacture this agricultural implement. The scythe works closed in 1889 and, in 1896, the village was renamed in honor of John P. Elkins, a physician who had served the community from 1875 to 1888. [2]

Scythe works

The scythe blade manufacturer in the village was founded in 1835 by Richard Messer, Joseph Phillips and Anthony Colby. Still in their twenties, Messer and Phillips had learned the business in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, while Colby provided the water rights but no capital.

Fitchburg, Massachusetts City in Massachusetts, United States

Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.

All of the necessary iron, steel, and coal had to be hauled by oxen from the nearest railhead at Concord. In 1847, the Northern Railroad arrived in Potter Place, shortening the teamsters' trip by 25 miles (40 km).

Concord, New Hampshire capital of New Hampshire

Concord is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695.

Northern Railroad (New Hampshire) transport company

The Northern Railroad was a U.S. railroad in central New Hampshire. Originally opened from Concord to West Lebanon in 1847, the Northern Railroad become part of the Boston and Maine system by 1890.

Andover, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Andover is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census. Andover includes the villages of Cilleyville, Potter Place, East Andover, and West Andover, in addition to the town center. The town is home to Ragged Mountain State Forest and Proctor Academy, a private coeducational preparatory school.

The scythe works operated for over fifty years, employed almost a hundred workers, and shipped products around the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. A dozen 3-ton grindstones and fourteen trip-hammers were powered by water running through a series of three dams and millponds. Among the many other mills sharing this power supply were a saw mill, shingle mill, grist mill, cider mill, hosiery mill, carding mill, and tannery.

In 1880, the New London Scythe Co. shipped over 120,000 scythe blades, 12,000 hay knives, and 6,000 axe blades.

By October 1888 the grinding and hammering were silenced, as the industry moved closer to raw materials and distribution centers, and as agriculture became more mechanized. Water power no longer offered a competitive advantage. The company's property, plant and equipment, which earlier had been valued at $150,000, was sold at auction for $9,650.

Within a year and a half, the village's population dropped from 300 to 75, and the area began a slow transition to other water-related enterprises: tourism and recreation. [2]

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Watermill structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process

A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of many material goods, including flour, lumber, paper, textiles, and many metal products. These watermills may comprise gristmills, sawmills, paper mills, textile mills, hammermills, trip hammering mills, rolling mills, wire drawing mills.

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Sawmill facility where logs are cut into timber

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Pleasant Lake is a 602-acre (2.4 km2) lake located in Merrimack County in central New Hampshire, United States, in the town of New London. The village of Elkins is located at the east end of the lake, next to its outlet. Water from Pleasant Lake flows east to the Blackwater River, a tributary of the Contoocook River, and ultimately the Merrimack River.

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References

  1. "Elkins". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
  2. 1 2 New London Historical Society