Editing Bradford, New Hampshire (section)

==History==

[[Image:Depot Square, Bradford, NH.jpg|thumb|left|Depot Square in 1913]]
Granted by Governor [[Benning Wentworth]] in 1765 <ref>[http://newenglandtowns.org/new-hampshire/bradford Hayward's ''New England Gazetteer of 1839'']</ref> to John Pierce and George Jaffrey of [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]], it was settled in 1771 by Deacon William Presbury and family.<ref>[[Nathaniel Bouton]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=be87AAAAIAAJ&dq=John%20Pierce%20George%20Jaffrey%20William%20Presbury%20Bradford&pg=PA825 ''Documents and Records Relating to Towns in New Hampshire;'' Concord, New Hampshire 1875]</ref> Three years later other settlers arrived, several of them from [[Bradford, Massachusetts]], after which the town was named "New Bradford". Later, it was called "Bradfordton", but upon incorporation by the [[New Hampshire General Court|General Court]] on September 27, 1787, it was officially named Bradford.<ref name="books.google.com">[https://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&dq=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA427 Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, ''A History and Description of New England;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1859]</ref>

Parts of the town are hilly, but the largest portion is in a valley with varied soil. Streams provided [[water power]] for [[watermill]]s. By 1859, when Bradford's population reached 1,341, industries included one [[woolen]] mill, one [[window sash|sash]], [[window shutter|blind]] and [[door]] factory, one [[wheelwright]] shop, two [[sawmill]]s, one [[gristmill]], one [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]], and one [[clothing]] mill.<ref name="books.google.com" /> In 1850, the [[Concord & Claremont Railroad]] opened from [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]] to Bradford, which would remain its [[terminal train station|terminus]] until the line was extended to [[Claremont, New Hampshire|Claremont]] in 1871–1872.<ref>[http://www.nashuacitystation.org/?railroad=claremont Nashua City Station Railroad History -- ''The Concord & Claremont Railroad'']</ref>