Incorporated: 1761 |
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Origin: This town was chartered in 1761 to Jonathan Moulton and several members of his family. Governor Benning Wentworth gave it the name of Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford, known as the first Prime Minister of England, though that title was not used at the time. One of the town's first setters, many of who had come from Connecticut, was General Israel Morey. His son Samuel was a prolific inventor who determined a way to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water, using the knowledge to develop the first marine steam engine, testing the first ""steamboat"" on the river at Orford. |
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Villages and Place Names: Gilmans Corner, Merriwood Camp, Orfordville, Quintown |
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Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 540 residents in 1790 |
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Population Trends: Population change for Orford totaled 450 over 50 years, from 793 in 1970 to 1,243 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 17 percent increase from 1970 to 1980. The town's population increased by a half of one percent from 2010 to 2020. |
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Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 26.8 persons per square mile of land area. Orford contains 46.4 square miles of land area and 1.4 square miles of inland water area. |
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