history

North Stratford, New Hampshire /  by Todd Henson

The unincorporated village of North Stratford is part of the town of Stratford in Coos County, New Hampshire. It borders the Connecticut River with Vermont on the western side. The town of Stratford was incorporated in 1773, originally called Woodbury. The village of North Stratford, located on land that was once the farm of the Fuller family and was occupied during the War of 1812, had its beginnings around 1848 when brothers Elisha and William Baldwin settled in the area and built the first saw (for lumber) and grist mills, and shortly after this a bridge across the Connecticut River to Vermont. In 1853 the location was chosen for a northern expansion of the railway, further accelerating the growth of the area into a thriving community.

North Stratford Grand Trunk Railroad Station and Stratford Public Library

North Stratford Grand Trunk Railway Station and Stratford Public Library

The railway was originally known as the Upper Coos Railroad and later as the North Stratford Railroad. Before long the Grand Truck Railroad leased the station and connected their Toronto-Montreal line with the existing Montreal-Portland line, making North Stratford part of a major transportation route.

The renovated North Stratford Grand Trunk Railway station is now the Stratford Public Library

Much later the North Stratford Railroad ceased operations as more and more freight was transported in trucks on roadways. The North Stratford Grand Trunk Railroad Station was renovated and converted to the Stratford Public Library, which seems a very fitting way of keeping its history alive.

The Stratford Public Library beside the rails

First Baptist Church of North Stratford

The First Baptist Church of North Stratford

The Baptist denomination in the larger Stratford area dates back to around 1836. As mentioned above, the village of North Stratford began forming around 1848 by the Baldwin brothers, and grew with the construction of mills, the railway and the bridge over the river. Church services were initially held in schoolhouses and homes but with the growing community Elisha Baldwin bought a plot of land and building of the First Baptist Church of North Stratford began in either 1852 (as stated on a plague in front of the church) or 1855 (as stated in the History of the Town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925 by Jeannette R. Thompson). The church was destroyed by fire twice, in 1868 and again in 1915, but in both cases it was quickly rebuilt. The current structure was rebuilt in 1915 and dedicated in January of 1916.

A front view of the First Baptist Church of North Stratford

Front details of the First Baptist Church of North Stratford

I hope you’ve enjoyed this bit of history and these views into two elements of the small community of North Stratford, New Hampshire, located in a beautiful part of the state. The area was once largely owned by paper companies, but the forests have been recovering over the years, with a benefit that the logging roads and camps have allowed for forest recreation and this part of the state is now a popular destination for outdoor activities.

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Aldie Mill Historic Park - Loudoun County, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

From left to right: country mill, merchant mill, granary (almost hidden behind merchant mill), and storehouse (white building)

Part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Aldie Mill Historic Park preserves a small piece of local Loudoun County history. It was in operation from 1808 to 1971 and in the 1800s and early 1900s was a busy operation, both grinding local farmer’s corn and wheat into flour, meal and feed for family use, but mostly creating products that were transported to the ports of Alexandria and from there to markets in the east and overseas.

The merchant mill and the granary at Aldie Mill Historic Park in Loudoun County, Virginia

The front of the merchant mill at Aldie Mill Historic Park

Charles Fenton Mercer found this ideal location just along the almost complete Little River Turnpike (U.S. 50) which would connect Aldie with Alexandria. Just a bit to the west it would hook up with turnpikes through Ashby’s Gap and Snicker’s Gap in the Blue Ridge. There were the waters of Little River to power the water wheels, and Loudoun County’s farms were a great source of the needed grains.

The back of the merchant mill shows the two water wheels and the granary in the background to the left

A closer look at the water wheels of the merchant mill at Aldie Mill

The site includes several buildings:

Aldie Mill 39401

  • A storehouse, the white building all the way to the right in one of the photos, was originally used as both a store and storehouse, and was later converted to a residence for mill workers and their families.

  • Grain waiting to be ground was stored in the granary, between the storehouse and the merchant mill. There were conveyors moving grain both ways between granary and merchant mill.

  • The merchant mill had a mechanical system of chutes and belts that moved grain between the various stages of processing. You can see the two water wheels at the back of the merchant mill in a couple of the photos. Some of the products of the merchant mill were sold in the store but the majority were transported to Alexandria.

  • Farmer’s brought their grain to the smaller country mill, where it was ground into flour, meal and feed for their family’s uses. It ceased operation in the late 19th century and was then used to store feed and other items.

A door at the mill

We visited this park in late November of 2025, which is during their off-season. It was a cold, somewhat overcast, and quiet day, though there were several other people who stopped by and walked the grounds while we were there. If you visit earlier in the year you might be able to enter some of the buildings and perhaps see demonstrations of what went on at the mill when it was actively in use. This is one of those almost hidden little gems that we may have driven by several times without realizing what it was. It does appear to be a less visited park and because of that some of the signage is rather old, faded, darkened, and difficult to read. But I’m glad we visited and I might enjoy visiting during their open season to see what else we might learn of the history of this region.

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An Early Spring Drive Through Fort Valley, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

Dogwoods along Fort Valley Road

Fort Valley is a fascinating place. It is a valley formed when a continental plate crumpled, pushing mountain ranges upward and this valley downward. The eastern side is Massanutten Mountain, which runs the entire length of the valley. The western side is composed of three mountains almost forming a solid wall but with a couple gaps. To the north is a small gap where Passage Creek leaves the valley somewhere between Strasburg and Front Royal, and where Fort Valley Road enters the valley. From the south requires driving up and down a windy mountain road to get over the mountain. On the western front the two gaps between the mountains have roads heading over to Woodstock and Edinburg. It appears at least one of these roads may also travel up and down over a mountain before completely leaving the valley, though we’ve yet to drive them. For this trip we entered from the north and existed over the mountain to the south.

A first spring view of Passage Creek in Fort Valley

Redbud, dogwood and Fort Valley Road

The valley is almost a sealed system and because of that and how difficult it was to access at the time, George Washington had reportedly thought to use the valley as a natural fort to retreat to had the Continental Army been defeated by the British during the Revolutionary War. Seeing as that didn’t happen the valley was never used in that way, though it did become home to a couple blast furnaces used to create pig iron which were shipped to foundries and forged into other products. During the Civil War the Confederacy made use of the furnaces until Union troops destroyed them. One of the furnaces was rebuilt after the war but it closed shortly after as it was no longer competitive enough to stay in business.

Rustic views along Fort Valley Road

Redbud and the road

These days the valley is lightly populated with private homes and farms and is home to several recreational areas. We saw a number of folks fishing along the length of Passage Creek, and saw a number of areas for camping. And it’s also great for an early spring drive.

Bends in Fort Valley Road

Rolling valley hills

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