Alstead is a town located in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,944. Alstead is home to Feuer State Forest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 102.0 km2 (39.4 mi2). 100.8 km2 (38.9 mi2) of it is land and 1.2 km2 (0.5 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 1.19% water. Alstead is drained by the Cold River. Lake Warren is in the east.
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 1,944 people, 771 households, and 534 families residing in the town. The population density is 19.3/km2 (50.0/mi2). There are 941 housing units at an average density of 9.3/km2 (24.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the town is 98.20% White, 0.21% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 771 households out of which 33.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% are married couples living together, 8.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% are non-families. 24.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.51 and the average family size is 2.99.
In the town the population is spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $43,191, and the median income for a family is $47,311. Males have a median income of $35,481 versus $23,785 for females. The per capita income for the town is $20,444. 7.9% of the population and 3.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.9% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The town began in 1735 as "Number Four" in a line of nine forts intended to protect southwestern New Hampshire from Indian attack. It was granted as "Newton" in 1752 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, but would be incorporated in 1763 as "Alstead." It was named for Johann Heinrich Alsted, who compiled an early encyclopedia that was popular at Harvard College. Alstead was one of the towns that wavered in its allegiance after the Revolutionary War. It decided to join Vermont in April of 1781, but returned to New Hampshire authority early the next year.
Alstead is the location of the state's first paper mill, established in 1793 on Cold River by Ephraim and Elisha Kingsbury. While Alstead was basically an agricultural community, its streams and ponds once powered a variety of small mills. A turbine water mill at East Alstead is probably the last of its type anywhere in the region.
Shedd-Porter Memorial Library, built in 1910 in a neo-classic revival style, was a gift to Alstead and Langdon by native son John G. Shedd, an associate of Marshall Field's department store in Chicago, Illinois. Another native-son philanthropist, Charles M. Vilas, gave a large public recreation area, school building and the only carillon in Cheshire County.
Notable Inhabitants:
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Alstead, NH
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