Editing Litchfield, New Hampshire (section)

== History ==
Prior to European settlement, the area was populated by the [[Abenaki]] people.<ref name=Fox>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofoldtown00fox |title=History of the Old Township of Dunstable: Including Nashua, Nashville, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, and Merrimac, N.H.; Dunstable and Tyngsborough, Mass. |last=Fox |first=Charles J. (Charles James) |date=1846 |publisher=Nashua, C. T. Gill |others=The Library of Congress}}</ref> They were skilled with fishing and were adept in agriculture as well. The New Hampshire Archaeological Society has located over 30 Native American sites along the shore of the [[Merrimack River]] in Litchfield, with artifacts several thousands of years old being uncovered.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/50e99f7be4b08880418b9d42/t/5a02dbee71c10ba51be220a9/1510136814857/2002+Chapter+VII+-+Historic+Resources.pdf| title=Chapter VII: Historic Resources| work=Town of Litchfield Master Plan| date=2002| access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:Map of old Dunstable 1846.png|left|thumb|Extent of Old Dunstable (dashed line), which included much of modern-day Litchfield]]
Most of Litchfield was part of the large town known as [[Dunstable, Massachusetts#History|Dunstable]], which was organized in the 1600s and included land along both sides of the disputed [[Northern boundary of Massachusetts|New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary]], and out of which were carved several towns and cities in both states. The area which became Litchfield was originally known as "Naticook". In 1656, [[William Brenton]], colonial governor of [[Rhode Island]], was granted land which included much of present-day Litchfield.<ref name=Fox/> The name was changed to "Brenton's Farm" in 1729. The town was first incorporated into Massachusetts on July 4, 1734.<ref name="Hurd">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofhillsbo00hurdd |quote=Aquila Underwood |title=History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire |year=1885 |last=Hurd |first=D. Hamilton |publisher=J.W. Lewis & Co. |others=University of Chicago Libraries |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofhillsbo00hurdd/page/490 490]–491}}</ref> The first town meeting was held on Monday, July 29, 1734, at 1 pm at the house of Aquila Underwood to choose town officers.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofhillsbo00hurdd |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofhillsbo00hurdd/page/540 540] |quote=Aquila Underwood |title=History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire |last=Hurd |first=Duane Hamilton |date=1885 |publisher=J. W. Lewis & Company |language=en}}</ref> In 1749, the land was granted to another group of settlers and named "Litchfield" after George Henry Lee, [[Earl of Lichfield]]. Litchfield was incorporated into the [[Province of New Hampshire]] on June 5, 1749.<ref name=Hurd/>
<!-- No article for Claget; any reason this paragraph should be kept?
[[Wiseman Claget]] moved to his substantial estates here shortly before the [[American Revolution|Revolution]]. He was involved in the temporary government serving as the only Solicitor General, the post being abolished shortly before his death in 1784. ... end comment-->

Litchfield lacks any major population center or central village. Historically farmland, the town experienced steep population growth starting in the 1970s, along with the rest of southern New Hampshire, as a [[bedroom community]] and [[exurb]] for [[Greater Boston]]. The original town hall was located along [[New Hampshire Route 3A]] in the east-central portion of the town; the current town hall lies at the town's geographic center at the intersection of Hillcrest Road and Albuquerque Avenue. There are no large commercial districts in the town, though a few small industrial parks, convenience stores, and small restaurants dot the landscape.<ref name="1995 Annual Report">{{Cite web |title=Annual report of the Town of Litchfield, New Hampshire |date=1995 |access-date=January 3, 2023 |url=https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=litchfield_nh_reports }}</ref>

On December 12, 1991, a cross burning took place in Litchfield, but no one was hurt. In 1995, Russell Trim was arrested and charged with the crime.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=Suspect Charged with Burning Cross on Lawn |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/suspect-charged-with-burning-cross-on-lawn/article_3c3100ac-397b-5e34-97c1-6381ec632952.html |access-date=January 3, 2023 |website=Buffalo News |language=en}}</ref><ref name="1995 Annual Report"/>