Ashland Electric

Ashland is a picturesque rural community, near the geographical center of New Hampshire, nestled within the Lakes Region and on the southern edge of the White Mountain National Forest. The residential and resort community of Ashland is bordered on the west by the Pemigewasset River and on the east by Little Squam Lake (the original location of the... movie On Golden Pond). Ashland offers many historical places, outdoor recreational opportunities, local artists and businesses to visit, as well as dining, shopping and other services. Located in Grafton County, Ashlands population is 2,196 (2015, US Census Bureau), with a median age of 39.7 years. Ashland contains 11.0 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area. The town is at the crossroads of several major transportation access points US Route 3 (Daniel Webster Highway), US Route 25, NH Route 132, NH Route 175, and Interstate 93. Students in grades K-8 attend the local Ashland Elementary School and students in grades 9-12 attend the Plymouth Regional High School in Plymouth. Ashland was originally part of the Town of Holderness. The township of Holderness was granted by the royal governor to a group of proprietors in 1751. But because of the French and Indian Wars, the proprietors were unable to settle the township in the time required by the grant. So the township was regretted under the name of New Holderness in 1761. (The New was dropped from the name in 1816.) The first white inhabitants of Holderness settled in 1763. By 1771, there were enough settlers in residence to hold the first town meeting and set up a town government. Like most New Hampshire towns, Holderness was settled as a predominantly agricultural community. But, the Squam River, with its ample reservoir in the Squam Lakes and its several rapids and falls, offered excellent sites for water-powered mills. The river was first used in 1770-71 to power the towns first mills, a sawmill and a gristmill. By 1810, one of New Hampshires earliest paper mills was in operation on the ...Read More