Our town is one of the fastest growing communities in New Hampshire. In 1940 the population according to the United States census was 2,137. The last federal enumeration gave Hampton a population of 2,817, a gain of 680 or thirty-two per cent. We have evidence to prove that there has been considerable gain in population since Hampton noses were last officials counted.

Although difficult to prove, it is our guess that the bulk of the population gain is centered in the areas along High Street and north of this familiar road artery which leads to North Beach. Several new homes have been constructed on High Street west of Five Corners. Hobbs Road, Mace Road and Norton Road have been beehives of building industry: new houses are being erected in the Emery development and several new homes have been built, sold and occupied in the areas between the Hackett Garage and Dearborn Avenue.

Everyone knows about Ann's Terrace, the first Hollis development in Hampton and now ten new houses are being constructed in Fairfield Park to add to the twenty-five pretty little Cape Cod homes which mark the second Hollis development in our town. This then would seem to be the section of our town where there has been noted the greatest population gains and most of this has occurred within the past two years. Another section marked by a great increase in building activities is the Locke Road area between Winnacunnet Road and Five Corners. Still another is the Moulton Road area including the several new developments just east of this very pretty residential street.

Our town is certainly growing -- growing by the proverbial leaps and bounds —- growing so fast that in all probability we will actually have reached the 3,000 mark by 1951. We are also aware of the many additions which have been made to the facilities for living in the beach section of Hampton. And although most of these are recreational facilities, it nevertheless is true that the winter population at Hampton Beach seems to he increasing every year. There are a number of winterized facilities at the beach which may be rented from now until about the middle of June. These facilities are usually taken due to the lack of rental housing in this and adjoining areas. So the beach section keeps pace in growth with the village section of our charming little town.

These building activities have changed the physical aspects of Hampton and, in time, will have augmented its attractiveness. It takes a few years for lawns, shrubbery and trees to offset the rather bare and forlorn appearance of the developers, contractors and homeowners to improve the appearance of these new properties. So, we may took forward with confidence to a period in the not too distant future when Hampton will be an even more beautiful residential community than it is today.

And while our local Garden Club and other civic-minded groups have already cooperated with our town authorities to beautify the numerous little triangular plots at road intersections, the small commons and the parks, there is still ample pieces of prominent public land opportunity to make these small areas even more attractive and more beautiful. For the most part, our fellow citizens and our recreational visitors richly appreciate the efforts which have already ben made in this direction, even though a few careless folks persist in littering such public places with bottles and other luncheon remnants.

If the Lions club would take over one of these small plots, the Kiwanis another and if the Monday Club and other similar groups would cooperate in a like manner -- all under the expert supervision of the Garden Club -- we would soon have one of the most beautiful towns in New Hampshire and even now there are few communities that are so beautiful and maybe our junior organizations, like the Boy Scouts, the Cub Scouts and the Girl Scouts would be willing to assume the job of helping to police these newly beautified public places. Many hands make light work!

The slow gradual metamorphosis of the White Island section at the Beach from a rather dull and desolate residential areas with a multitude of small unattractive summer camps to a beautiful recreational section is obvious to all of us who have followed with great interest this unusual and happy development.

Factors that have had much to do with this Aladdin-like change are the State Bath House with its landscaped grounds, new shuffleboard and tennis courts; the new Hampton Harbor toll bridge with its attractive design and its modern beautified approaches including new roadways, sidewalks and granite curbs and the gradual development of Hampton Harbor through the stabilization of the inlet and the removal of the last sections of the unattractive old pile structure, which heretofore has served as a bridge. The Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, will soon be starting a survey of the Harbor which may eventually lead to dredging operations, the removal of navigational hazards, and other quite necessary operations.

Property owners in this improved section which contains the town's best bathing facilities and soon boast of a modern swimming and wading pool, have been keen and quick to sense the obvious trend. And they are keeping pace with the trend through building alterations, painting and landscaping. A program of voluntary beautification goes on in the section of Hampton Beach made famous by John Greenleaf Whittier and soon it will become the show-place of our prosperous and happy town.