Alstead Center and East Alstead USGenWeb 
History and Genealogy
History of East Alstead and Alstead Center
The town was chartered by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher in 1735 as one in a line of nine forts intended to protect southwestern
New Hampshire from Indian attack. It was granted as "Newton" or "Newtown" in 1752 by Governor Benning Wentworth, but would be
incorporated in 1763 as Alstead. It was named for Johann Heinrich Alsted, who compiled an early encyclopedia that was popular at
Harvard College. Settled about 1764, Alstead would be one of the towns that wavered in its allegiance after the Revolutionary War.
It decided to join Vermont in April 1781, but at the insistence of George Washington, returned to New Hampshire authority early the next year.
Formerly known as "Paper Mill Village", Alstead is the location of one of the state's first paper mills.
It was established in 1793 on the Cold River by Ephraim and Elisha Kingsbury. Paper was then a rare
and expensive product, made by chopping rags of linen and cotton cloth into pulp. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1880.
While Alstead was basically an agricultural community, its streams and ponds once powered a variety of small mills.
A turbine water mill at East Alstead is probably the last of its type anywhere in the region.
Shedd-Porter Memorial Library, built in 1909 and 1910 in the Beaux-Arts style, was a gift to Alstead and Langdon
by native son John G. Shedd, president of Marshall Field's department store in Chicago. Another native son philanthropist,
Charles M. Vilas, gave a large public recreation area, school building and the only carillon in Cheshire County.
On the weekend of October 8, 2005, parts of Alstead were devastated by a severe flood. Heavy rain in Cheshire County, at least 7 inches
(180 mm) in a 30-hour period caused the Cold River and its tributaries to swell. The streamflows, which were swollen by the surge of water
from Warren Brook, exceeded a 500-year recurrence interval. The storm created major property damage in Alstead, Langdon, and Walpole
along the Cold River and Warren Brook. It washed away homes, cars, and 4 miles (6 km) of Route 123. Four inhabitants of the town were killed.
A Save Our History grant from The History Channel provided funding to the Alstead Historical Society and several students
of the local high school, who wrote and printed a book called Too Much Water, Too Much Rain, chronicling the disaster and its aftermath.
First Families of Alstead
After the first town meeting 1766, the following arrived in town, four or five Burroughs, Andrew Clark, Josiah Stevens and Elisha Warner.
The Rust, Chandlers, Romerys and Beckwiths arrived in 1767. In 1768, the Waldos and Shepards arrive with many sons.
The 1770's saw the arrival of Kingsburys, Gales, Kidders, Richardsons, Vilas and Slades, the Barrons, Browns, Marvins,
Brooks and Cooks, the Hales, Prentices and Hatches.
Between 1765 and 1780, there were sixty-two families settled in to stay.
Alstead "The First Minutes"
Alstead - Historical Society of Alstead, NH
Cemetery in East Alstead - One old cemetery in East Alstead, NH
Vietnam War
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New Hampshire Vital Records
Cheshire Co. GenWeb Project - Founded 15 November 1996
This site maintained by: GN Kidder - E-mail - address
Copyright 1996 by Randall Mitton
Copyright 1996-2024 by GN Kidder
NHGenWeb SC:George Kidder
NHGenWeb ASC:Norma Hass
Last Edited 4 Apr 2024