Day Trip to Littleton

One of recent  day trips was to Littleton, NH, which was memorable not only for the foliage views along the highway  on a somewhat overcast day . . .
But also for the views of the White Mountains . . .

Littleton currently has a population of about 6,000. In 1764, it was known as Chiswick (Saxon for “cheese farm”).
The town was part of Lisbon, NH until 1770, when it was renamed Apthorp in honor of George Apthorp, head of one of the wealthiest mercantile establishments in Boston, MA.
It was again renamed in 1784 in honor of Colonel Moses Little, who held the post of Surveyor of the King's Woods.

The historic Littleton Grist Mill is along the banks of the Ammonoosuc River. In 1797, Littleton resident Solomon Mann purchased the mill privilege on the Ammonoosuc River, built a dam and erected a saw mill and grist mill considered state-of-the-art for its time when it opened in 1798.
The grist mill was sold to millwright Asa Lewis who operated it until his death in 1815. Afterwards, it changed ownership often, and about 1890 was converted to the use of Hercules water turbines which powered a Robinson mill manufactured by Munson Brothers, Utica, NY. In the 1930's, it fell into a state of disrepair.

In 1997, the original grist mill  was restored to its original appearance. Two local families formed Renaissance Mills of Littleton LLC to restore the basic workings of the grist mill as a historically accurate replica of the original, which is now open as a working museum.
The Littleton Diner serves buckwheat and whole wheat pancakes made with mill-ground flours.
Just a short walk from the grist mill is a covered bridge, completed in 2004 that serves as a walkway across the Ammonoosuc River.