Mile 1786 - Milton Mills, NH

As of August 2, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Steps: 4,260,341
Miles: 1788.09

I certainly wouldn't want anyone to think that New Hampshire only has three-eyed fish floating upside down in the inlets around the nuclear power plant (insert the deadest of deadpan voices here) as much as an attraction that they are. Nor would I want anyone thinking that the natives all go to the town dumps to watch the bears amble along (end deadpan voice here). In fact, I want very much to get to Lake Winnipesaukee some day soon.


Located along the Maine border, the village of Milton Mills was once called "Shapleigh Mills" and during the 19th century had 4 shoe factories, 2 woolen mills, 1 felt mill, 1 carriage shop and many sawmills that used water power from the Salmon Falls River.

When my mom's parents retired, they moved out of the City of Boston into the "boonies" of New Hampshire. My grandfather wanted to get away from it all, and needed only a place to buy a cigar, the daily newspaper, some gas for the car, and occasional groceries.

Milton Mills just barely had (and still just barely has) those "essentials" of life. Grandma was dismayed, having never learned how to drive, and always having a street car right out the right door that would take her anywhere she wanted to go. And having lived in the shadow of Fenway Park, everything she could possibly wanted was within a few blocks - including the famous Filene's department store where she could join in the pushing and shoving with the other ladies during the big sales at Downtown Crossing. When the bruising Filene's crowd was too much, she could go to across the street to the more regal Jordan Marsh, which is now Macy's department store.

Taken from the everyday convenience of urban living and plunked in Milton Mills must of been a bit of a shock.

The lived in an old farmhouse a couple miles out of the town itself - not that there was much distinction - the town consisted of a couple cross streets and a back alley.

My Grandmother made the best of it, making do with a hand crank wringer washer and picking the wild strawberries in the big field out back - there was a neat wall made of piled stones near the edge of the woods where the berries grew - and making the most delicious jelly from them; and spending many a chilly evening sitting by the fire in the old stone mantled fireplace just watching the pine logs snap and pop.

(Insert totally innocent and earnest voice here) I can only wonder if she and Grandpa went to the town dump to watch the bears amble, if she did, she never took any pictures of them (end innocent and earnest voice here).


The Mill Pond at Milton Mills
- which stored the water that powered the mills

In 1872, Henry H. Townsend established The Miltonia Mills, which manufactured fine wool blankets used by Admiral Robert E. Peary on his expedition to the North Pole, and Admiral Richard E. Byrd at the Antarctic. The company went bankrupt in 1950. The building then became Greene Tanning, a leather tannery where the employees of the mill made raw leather into leather.


The Ruins of the Old Mill

In 1893 Jonas Spaulding opened a leather board mill, organizing the business as J. Spaulding and Sons which made lunch boxes and violin cases using leather board. So when you see an old gangster movie where they pull a machine gun out of a black violin case, the case might be a spaulding! The old adage in those days was, violin cases don't kill people, people with violin cases kill people.

The mills at Milton Mills have since largely fallen into ruins.