Seniors Are Drawn to Milford

Senior travelers discover Milford, a town in Hillsborough County in southern New Hampshire, on the Souhegan River, that has a population just over 15,000. It is the retail and manufacturing center of a six-town area known informally as the Souhegan Valley.

Like most towns named Milford in the United States, its name comes from the fact that it grew around a mill built on a ford – in this case on the Souhegan River. The town is known for its “Pumpkin Festival” which is normally held in early October.

The festival is held over a 3-day weekend (Friday-Sunday) and attracts more than 35,000 people. The festival has many attractions including: food vendors, music stages, craft fair, carved Pumpkin lighting, a haunted Trail, a Beer and Wine Tasting and a fireworks display around the Oval.

Here is a neat live camera of the Oval and you will soon note why it is called the “Oval.”

Seniors Enjoy ‘The Granite Town’

Milford was once home to numerous granite quarries, which produced a stone that was used, among other things, to make the pillars for the U.S. Treasury in Washington, D.C.—pillars that can still be seen on the American $10 bill. Its nickname remains “The Granite Town,” although only one small quarry is in operation as of 2007.

Like many New England riverside towns, Milford, established in 1794, developed several thriving textile mills in the 19th century. That industry left New England by World War II, but Milford remains the commercial and retail center for surrounding towns.

Despite the town’s strong economic base, it manages to keep a small-town New England flavor. Officially designated Union Square, the Milford Oval is neither square nor oval in shape, but rather triangular. The Oval is the town center, with the Pillsbury Bandstand as its centerpiece and the Souhegan River as backdrop.

 Seniors Find Fruit Farm And Goats

TripAdvisor suggests senior visitors start your visit with the Monson Center. Me, I’d definitely want to stop by Butternut Farm on Federal Hill Road to check out all their goats.

Actually, it is a family run, family oriented, pick your own fruit farm where you can purchase fruit trees and where you will find a goat dairy. I love goats. They are such unique animals.

Milford is also home to the Milford State Fish Hatchery. And schools and colleges… Milford is within easy commuting distance to  Nashua Community College, Saint Anselm College, University of New Hampshire at Manchester, Daniel Webster College, Manchester Community Technical College, Southern New Hampshire University and Franklin Pierce University, so take your pick.

 Seniors, if you are history buffs, check out the The Carey House, home of the Milford, New Hampshire Historical Society. So set your sites on Milford and enjoy all the amenities that the town has to offer.  -jeb