Littleton in Grafton County, New Hampshire — The American Northeast (New England)
Willowdale Settlement
Photographed By Don Morfe, May 24, 2013
1. Willowdale Settlement Marker
Inscription.
Willowdale Settlement. . Willowdale was established around a sawmill that was built in 1812. The village thrived because sawmills, gristmills, and a factory producing sawmill machinery were powered by the Ammonoosuc River. After the Littleton Lumber Company opened in 1870, the village grew rapidly to include stores, a post office, a school, railroad siding, and a hall. The company employed as many as 60 workers and produced 3 to 6 million board feet yearly until fire destroyed it in 1898. The village never recovered and slowly dwindled away until it disappeared altogether, a fate suffered by other 19th century mill villages.
Willowdale was established around a sawmill that was built in 1812. The village thrived because sawmills, gristmills, and a factory producing sawmill machinery were powered by the Ammonoosuc River. After the Littleton Lumber Company opened in 1870, the village grew rapidly to include stores, a post office, a school, railroad siding, and a hall. The company employed as many as 60 workers and produced 3 to 6 million board feet yearly until fire destroyed it in 1898. The village never recovered and slowly dwindled away until it disappeared altogether, a fate suffered by other 19th century mill villages.
Erected 2003 by New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. (Marker Number 185.)
Location. 44° 16.733′ N, 71° 48.667′ W. Marker is in Littleton, New Hampshire, in Grafton County. Marker is on Meadow Street (US 302), 2 miles south of Styles Bridges Highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Littleton NH 03561, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 919 times since then and 36 times this year. Last updated on June 19, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 11, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
