Community Profiles

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Community Profiles

Londonderry, NH

This region, first called Nutfield because of the heavy woods, was settled in 1718. In 1722 it was given the name Londonderry, after the Irish settlement of Scots colonists. The Irish name was originally Derry Calgach, Calgach meaning fierce warrior and Derry meaning oak woods. Early settlers spread out into surrounding villages, bringing Scottish and Irish names like as Antrim, Derry, and Dunbarton. Londonderry was the second largest town in early colonial times, and Derry and Windham were formed from it. Read more ...

Chester, NH

First called the chestnut country, it may have been the first of the settlement grants by Massachusetts selected for expansion of growing populations in the seacoast. The name may have derived from Cheshire, Chester being the county seat of Cheshire in England. Earl of Chester is a title held by the Prince of Wales. Read more ...

Candia, NH

Once a part of Chester, the town was known as Charmingfare, probably because of the many bridle paths or parades through pleasant scenery. It was named Candia in 1763 by Governor Benning Wentworth, possibly in memory of his sea travels following his graduation from Harvard. Candia was the name of the principal city of Crete. Read more ...

Windham, NH

The second town to be incorporated by Governor Benning Wentworth, Windham was separated from Londonderry in 1741. It was named for Sir Charles Wyndham, Earl of Egremont and Baron Cockermouth, who was a member of Parliament and Secretary of State when the Rockingham government favored conciliation with the American colonies. Read more ...

Salem, NH

As early as 1736, Salem was the North Parish of Methuen, Massachusetts, or Methuen District. In 1741, when the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was re-established, the North Parish became part of New Hampshire, and was given the name Salem, taken from nearby Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is home to Canobie Lake, the Canobie Lake Amusement Park, and Rockingham Park. Read more ...

Nottingham, NH

Nottingham was named in honor of Daniel Finch, second Earl of Nottingham. The Earl was a close friend of Samuel Shute and Joseph Dudley, Governors of Massachusetts when New Hampshire was under that province's jurisdiction. Among the grantees was Peregrine White, descendant of Peregrine White of the Mayflower, the first child of English parentage born in New England. Read more ...

Derry, NH

Although first settled in 1719, Derry was not incorporated until 1827. It was for a long time part of Londonderry, which included Windham and portions of Manchester, Salem, and Hudson. The town was named for the Isle of Derry, Ireland, the Gaelic word Doire meaning oak woods. Derry is the location of Robert Frost's farm, and the birthplace of astronaut Alan Shepard. It is also the location of two of America's oldest private schools, Pinkerton Academy, founded in 1814 and still in operation, and the Adams Female Seminary. Read more ...

Northwood, NH

First settled in 1763, Northwood separated from Nottingham and was incorporated in 1773. The town was also known as North Woods and Northwood Narrows, a name still used. At one time, there were some 12 sawmills in the town, five of which were replaced by shoe factories. More recently, the town has been a popular vacation spot, being home to ten lakes, including Bow, Pleasant, and Harvey Lakes. Read more ...

Deerfield, NH

Once a parish of Nottingham, Deerfield was incorporated as a town in 1766. It was named for Deerfield, Massachusetts, home of several early settlers. The town was home to John Simpson, who achieved fame by firing the first shot in the revolution, disobeying orders not to fire until you see the whites of their eyes. Read more ...

Auburn, NH

Once part of Chester, it was known as Chester Woods, Chester West Parish, Long Meadow, and then Auburn. The name comes from English literature by Goldsmith, as did Auburns in New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. Auburn includes a large portion of Lake Massabesic, water supply for the City of Manchester. Read more ...

Raymond, NH

This town was first settled by families from Exeter as a parish of Chester, known as Freetown, because it was exempt from the usual obligation of reserving its tall pine trees for masts in the royal English Navy. In 1764, the town was named Raymond for Captain William Raymond, who had raised a company of soldiers to fight in the war against Canada. Land in Raymond was granted to soldiers from Beverly, Massachusetts, and it was also known as Beverly-Canada. Read more ...

Atkinson, NH

Named for Colonel Theodore Atkinson, whose farm once covered nearly all of the area set aside from Plaistow that became the town. He was a brother-in-law to Governor Benning Wentworth, and served as secretary of the colony until the Revolution. Read more ...

Henniker, NH

First known as Number 6, part of a line of settlements running between the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers, and the area was settled by families from Marlborough, Massachusetts, naming it New Marlborough. In 1752 the land was granted to Andrew Todd, who named it Todd's-town. In 1768, Henniker was named for Sir John Henniker, a London merchant who had shipping interests in Boston and Portsmouth prior to the revolution, giving it the distinction of being the only place named Henniker on earth. Read more ...

Bow, NH

One of several towns established in the Merrimack Valley to alleviate population congestion in the seacoast, which formed a 'bow' on the map. There is also a bend in the Merrimack River within its borders, and the name Bow may have come from either source. Bow is the birthplace of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the First Church of Christ, Scientist and leader of the Christian Science movement. Read more ...

Loudon, NH

Chartered by Governor John Wentworth in 1773, Loudon was originally a part of Canterbury. It was named in honor of John Campbell, fourth Earl of Loudoun, a Scottish soldier and aide-de-camp to the king during the Seven Years' War. Under Lord Loudoun's orders Major Robert Rogers organized the famous Roger's Rangers frontier fighters. One of Lord Loudoun's aides, John Loudoun McAdam, is known for developing the macadamizing process of road surfacing. Loudon is home to the New Hampshire International Speedway. Read more ...

Concord, NH

The first settlement in 1659 was named Penacook, for the Indian name 'Pannukog,' meaning crooked place or bend in the river. The first land grant was in 1725, and the town was incorporated as Rumford in 1733. The name was changed to Concord in 1765 upon resolution of a bitter boundary dispute between Rumford and Bow. Concord became the state capital in 1808. The State House, built in 1818 and first occupied in 1819, is the oldest in continuous use in the country. In 1853, the State granted Concord a city charter. It was in Concord that the Abbotts built the famous Concord Coach, modeled after King George III's coronation coach. Read more ...

Boscawen, NH

Named for an English admiral, Edward Boscawen, who fought under General Amherst in the conquest of Canada. One of the first log forts was located here. The Contoocook Fort on the Merrimack, built in 1739, was used for protection against the Indians. Boscawen includes the village of Gerrish, and is home to the State Veterans Cemetery. Read more ...

Pembroke, NH

First granted in 1728, the town was known as Lovewell's Town, in honor of Captain John Lovewell, who built the stockade fort at Ossipee. Shortly afterward, the town took the name Suncook, the Indian name of the river flowing through the area. When the town was incorporated in 1759, it was given the name Pembroke in honor of Henry Herbert, ninth Earl of Pembroke in southern Wales. Read more ...

Hopkinton, NH

First granted in 1735 as New Hampshire Number 5 to settlers from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, who renamed the town New Hopkinton. Setting the pattern for future towns, settlers were required to build homes, fence in their acreage, plant it with English grass, and provide a home for a minister, all within seven years. Contoocook village, a substantial portion of the town, was named for a tribe of Penacook Indians who once lived there, as was the Contoocook River which flows through the town. Read more ...

Epsom, NH

One of seven towns granted by the Governor of Massachusetts before New Hampshire became an independent province. Epsom was named for Epsom, England, home of the Earl of Derby, whose horse racing 'derby' at Epsom Downs was famous. Epsom, England was also known for its mineral springs, the source of Epsom salts. New Hampshire's Epsom includes the village of Gossville. Read more ...

Chichester, NH

Chichester is one of seven towns granted in 1727 when New Hampshire was still a part of Massachusetts. As were several other towns, it was named in honor of Thomas Pelham Holles, Duke of Newcastle, Earl of Chichester, and England s Secretary of State. Read more ...

Hooksett, NH

First known as Chester Woods and Rowe's Corner, this town was called Hooksett for nearly fifty years before being incorporated. The name may have come from a hook-shaped island in the Merrimack or from early fishermen, who called the area Hookline Falls. Rocky ledges flank the Merrimack River, and there were several cross-river ferries located here, as well as lumber mills and a brick-making establishment powered by the falls. In 1794, the lottery-funded Hooksett Canal became part of the transportation facilities of the Amoskeag cotton mills in Manchester. Read more ...

Dunbarton, NH

First granted in 1735 as Gorham's-town to soldiers returning from the Canada Expedition, and regranted in 1748 as Starkstown to Scots-Irish settlers led by Archibald Stark. It was incorporated in 1765 as Dunbarton, named for Dumbartonshire in Scotland, hometown to Archibald Stark. Stark's son was General John Stark, patriot of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Bennington, and his grandson Caleb was a famous industrialist who established textile mills in Manchester. Read more ...

Canterbury, NH

First granted in 1727, the town was named for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury. Canterbury in England is famous for its cathedral, and for being the center of English Christianity since 597 AD. The town was originally a fort or trading post where the Penacook Indians came to trade. Canterbury was home to the last colony of Shakers, and the Canterbury Shaker Village is now a museum. Read more ...

Allenstown, NH

First granted in 1721, the town was named after Samuel Allen, governor of the province in the late 1600's. A portion of Bow was annexed in 1815, and a portion of Hooksett in 1853. Home of Bear Brook State Park, the area was once known as excellent bear country, and a good hunting ground for wild geese and ducks. Read more ...

Weare, NH

Starting as a 1735 grant to soldiers in the Canadian wars, this town was named Beverly-Canada, for the soldiers' home town of Beverly, Massachusetts. It then went through the names Halestown, Robiestown, and Wearestown. In 1764 it was incorporated as Weare, in honor of Colonel Meshech Weare, who served as the town's first clerk. Colonel Weare served New Hampshire as its first president from 1776 until 1785. Read more ...

Pelham, NH

Chartered in 1746, this town takes its name from Henry Pelham, Prime Minister of England, a relation of Governor Benning Wentworth, and younger brother of Thomas Pelham Holles. The town was originally a part of Old Dunstable, which was split when the New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary line was changed in 1741. Read more ...

Litchfield, NH

Known as Naticook until 1729 when the land was granted as Brenton's Farm to William Brenton, Governor of Rhode Island and son-in-law to Governor Cranston. Following Brenton's death in 1749, the land was granted to new settlers, and named in honor of George Henry Lee, Earl of Litchfield. Litchfield was the opposite landing-site of Thornton's Ferry, originating across the Merrimack River in the town of Merrimack. Read more ...

Brookline, NH

First a part of Dunstable, then settled as West Hollis, the town was granted in 1769 as Raby. Governor John Wentworth named the town in honor of his cousin, fourth Earl of Strafford and Baron of Raby Castle, in County Durham, England. The town was renamed in 1798 at the suggestion of one of the town's leading citizens, who hailed from Brookline, Massachusetts. Read more ...

Merrimack, NH

Although first occupied in 1665, settlement did not begin until 1722, when the establishment of Brenton's Farm (Litchfield) presented the need of a ferry across the river to reach new settlements. The ferry concession was owned by Edward Lutwyche. When the town was separated from Nashua (then Dunstable) in 1746, it was given the name of the river, Merrimack. In 1774, Lutwyche's Ferry was sold to Revolutionary War patriot Matthew Thornton, giving it the current name of Thornton's Ferry. Read more ...

Hudson, NH

Once a part of Nottingham, Massachusetts, the town was separated in 1741, and named Nottingham West. Owing to confusion with the town of Nottingham in the north, voters petitioned to have the town renamed in 1830. The name Hudson was chosen because of its position near the Merrimack River, once supposed to flow east from the Hudson River, creating the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Read more ...

New Boston, NH

First granted by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts in 1736 to several Boston families. The town was to have been called Lanestown or Piscataquog Township. Not all the grantees took up their claims, and the land was regranted ten years later to colonizers from Londonderry, New Hampshire. In 1763, Governor Benning Wentworth formally adopted the long-used name of New Boston. Read more ...

Hollis, NH

Incorporated in 1746 by Governor Benning Wentworth, the town takes its name from a very old English family. Governor Wentworth's ancestor, Thomas Wentworth, first Earl of Strafford, was married to Arabella Holles, daughter of John Holles, Earl of Clare. Hollis was first called West Dunstable, or Nittisset, which at one time was part of Groton, Massachusetts, and is now Nashua. Read more ...

Goffstown, NH

This town, as part of Massachusetts, went through the names Narragansett Number 4, Piscataquog Village, and Shovestown before installation of the New Hampshire provincial government. In 1748, the area was regranted to new settlers, including Colonel John Goffe, for whom the town was officially named. The town includes the village of Grasmere, named for the English home of poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. Read more ...

Bedford, NH

Established in 1730 as Narragansett Number 5 for the benefit of soldiers who fought against the Narragansett Indians in Rhode Island. It was regranted first as Souhegan East, then as Bedford in 1750. The town was named for Lord John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth. Read more ...

Nashua, NH

Originally part of a grant to Edward Tyng of Dunstable, England, the 200 square mile area, called Dunstable, included Nashua, Tyngsboro MA, and other border towns. In 1741 the town was cut in half when the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border was established. The northern half kept the name Dunstable. In 1836 the town took the Nashua River s name, a Nashaway Indian word for beautiful river with a pebbly bottom. Nashua became a manufacturing center, powered by the Middlesex Canal which connected the Merrimack River to Boston. It was incorporated as a city in 1853. Read more ...

Manchester, NH

First known as Harrytown and Tyng's Town, the town was granted as Derryfield in 1751. The name Manchester was suggested by Samuel Blodgett, a businessman who found that the Amoskeag Falls impeded shipping on the Merrimack River. After visiting Manchester, England, he was determined to build a canal like those in England. The canal was first opened in May 1807. Mr. Blodgett s goal was to make the town a great city, and although he died in September 1807, it was renamed Manchester in 1810, and incorporated as a city in 1846. Read more ...

Mont Vernon, NH

Named in honor of George Washington's Virginia estate, which got its name from Admiral Edward Vernon. George Washington's brother, Lawrence, the original owner of the estate, served under Admiral Vernon as an officer. Although probably not the reason for selecting this name, Admiral Vernon was also a close friend of Governor Wentworth. Read more ...

Amherst, NH

First granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, the town was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the colonials in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune. The town is home to Baboosic Lake. Read more ...

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