Incorporated: 1763
Population: 1,759
County Name: Cheshire
(county map)
Town Contact:
Town of Alstead
PO Box 60
Alstead, NH 03602
Phone: 603-835-2986
Fax: 603-835-2986
Website: http://www.keenenh.com/alstead/

Origin:
Alstead began in 1735 as one in a line of nine forts intended to protect southwestern New Hampshire from Indian attacks. The town was named for Johann Henrich Alsted, who compiled an early encyclopedia that was popular at Harvard College. Alstead is the location of New Hampshire's first paper mill, established in 1793.

More about Alstead:
Alstead was one of the towns that wavered in its allegiance after the Revolutionary War. It decided to join Vermont in April 1781, but returned to N.H. authority early the next year.

The first paper mill in New Hampshire was established by Ephraim and Elisha Kingsbury in 1793 on Cold River. 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 1910 in neo-classic revival style, was a gift to Alstead and Langdon by native son John G. Shedd, an associate 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. Marion Nicholl Rawson, chronicler of U.S. arts and crafts, made her home in Alstead.