Southern Central New Hampshire Towns Of Milford And Amherst, And Finally The "Big City" Of Manchester

17 October 2021

Story #1042

R. Linda:

Milford (named after a ford in the river where the mills are) looks like an Out Of The Future movie town. When I first saw it, it looked very 1930s and 40s. It has grown and reinvented itself since I lived in New Hampshire.

It has an "oval" instead of a "common," which has a bandstand. There have been concerts on the oval, and there may still be in the summer months. There are plenty of eating establishments around the oval, and some have the best breakfast menus I've come across. 

The mills no longer work as mills, but are converted into businesses

The quieter side of the Souhegan River, which runs through Milford

Some lovely buildings that take you back in time are not far from the oval. 

Church on the right side of your picture with old-fashioned belfry, a couple of residential homes in the middle and to the left is a wonderful federal-style building

The federal-style building is now town-owned

Milford is a blue-collar town that has grown quickly and provides goods and services for several surrounding towns. 

Amherst, Hollis, Brookline, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough are towns that benefit from Milford. Amherst has a major highway running through it, but has retained its small village image. This is a white-collar crowd with many corporate executives moving in and out, and relatively wealthy. Its "green" is one of its historical properties, and the home where President Franklin Pierce got married sits at one end. All of the homes that surround the green are historic homes. Horace Greeley's house, named after General Jeffrey Amherst, is also in Amherst.

One of the historic homes just off Amherst Green

The homes in the village range from large to small. But each has a history to tell.

Smaller home outside the Green

Even the highway that runs through Amherst has pretty scenery

And this old Amherst barn spiderweb has beauty, too!

Travelling from Amherst to Bedford will take you to the "Big" city of Manchester, which, when you see it, you will say isn't much of a city. Manchester has one or two skyscrapers, which are well below the norm of big cities. So, if you want to see the biggest city in New Hampshire, see Manchester. There are many shops on Main Street and plenty of places to grab a bite. There is an arena where shows, games, and even rodeos occur. And there is a theatre that features some names you will recognise. 

Gabe

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