About the Area
Located in south central New Hampshire along the Merrimack River, Manchester NH is the largest city in northern New England. Manchester and the surrounding communities (including Auburn, Bedford, Candia, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Litchfield, Londonderry and Merrimack) contain a rich and diverse history that can still be seen today in the unique architecture, museums, culture, and demographics of the region. Manchester is
• twenty miles from the Massachusetts border,
• fifty-eight miles from Boston and
• an hours drive of destinations such as the seacoast and the lakes region.
History and Demographics
The Merrimack Valley was originally inhabited by various groups of Native Americans. Remnants of the Native American tribes remain not only in the form of artifacts found along the banks of the Merrimack, but in language as well. One of the most familiar names in Manchester is Amoskeag, which means “place of many fish”. Amoskeag Falls on the Merrimack River was a source of food for native peoples, where it is said the salmon were so thick one could almost walk across the river on their backs. European’s settled Manchester in 1722 as a farming community several miles east of the river. For many years the town was known as Derryfield until it was renamed Manchester in 1810 to honor Samuel Blodget’s vision of a great industrial city like that of Manchester England. Samuel Blodget developed a canal and lock system around the Amoskeag Falls that opened a trade route from Boston to Concord. The canal and lock system made it possible for the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company to open its doors in 1838, becoming the world’s largest cotton milling operation with 64 mills lining the banks of the Merrimack. The mills brought cultural diversity to the city as immigrants moved to Manchester looking for good paying mill jobs. The Irish were the first ethnic group to work in the mills, followed closely by French Canadians. By 1910 the population had grown to include Polish, Greek, English, German, Scotch, Welsh, Swedish, Lithuanian, Italian, Russian, Finnish, and Jewish immigrants. Today the city of Manchester remains a diverse melting pot. Its diversity is demonstrated in the number of languages spoken at home by Manchester school children which currently tops 70. Depression-era difficulties affected Manchester and in 1936, following years of decline, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company closed down. The city’s economy was badly affected and for a number of years Manchester lost jobs and population. What followed, however, was a period of rebuilding. By the mid-1990’s Manchester had not only recovered but was one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, renovating and using the mills once again for large and small business alike. The millyard now houses The University of New Hampshire Manchester campus, several high tech companies, web site companies, museums, and insurance and manufacturing companies just to name a few. Quality of Life
Manchester residents point with pride to the fact that the area is “close to everything”, yet many people find they never have to leave home to pursue their favorite activities. In fact Manchester has recently been ranked among the top cities by a number of different Magazines. The Manchester metro area was selected as one of America’s “Best Places to Live and Work” and rated as a “Four-Star Community” by Expansion Management in May of 2003. But this is nothing new to the residents of Manchester. They know that Manchester has seen a renaissance of restoration, renovation, and rebirth, and is positioned well for continued growth and prosperity.
For a list of businesses to assist you with your relocation to our area, please display the business category "relocation" in our membership directory.
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