Settling New HampshireSettling New Hampshire

A ChronologyA Chronology

MenuMenu

• Automated show

• Manual show

• Map identifying New Hampshire rivers and lakes

• Suggested questions for inquiry

NH Towns

1625

Click to watch New Hampshire grow in five-year increments.

NH Towns

1630

NH Towns

1635

NH Towns

1640

NH Towns

1645

NH Towns

1650

NH Towns

1655

NH Towns

1660

NH Towns

1665

NH Towns

1670

NH Towns

1675

NH Towns

1680

NH Towns

1685

NH Towns

1690

NH Towns

1695

NH Towns

1700

NH Towns

1705

NH Towns

1710

NH Towns

1715

NH Towns

1720

NH Towns

1725

NH Towns

1730

NH Towns

1735

NH Towns

1740

NH Towns

1745

NH Towns

1750

NH Towns

1755

NH Towns

1760

NH Towns

1765

NH Towns

1770

NH Towns

1775

NH Towns

1780

NH Towns

1785

NH Towns

1790

NH Towns

1795

NH Towns

1800

NH Towns

1805

NH Towns

1810

NH Towns

1815

NH Towns

1820

NH Towns

1825

NH Towns

1830

NH Towns

1835

NH Towns

1965

NH Towns

Today

Menu

N.H. Towns Settled between

1623 and 1650

• Kensington• New Castle• Newfields• Newmarket• North Hampton• Portsmouth• Rye• Seabrook• South Hampton

• Brentwood• Dover• Durham• Epping• Exeter• Fremont• Greenland• Hampton• Hampton Falls

• Lee• Nashua• Newington• Somersworth• Stratham

Towns Added

1650 - 1700

N.H. Towns1700

• Manchester• Merrimack• Newton• Nottingham• Pelham• Plaistow• Raymond• Rollinsford• Windham

Towns Added

1700 - 1725

• Chester• Derry• East Kingston• Epsom• Hudson• Kingston • Litchfield• Londonderry

N.H. Towns1725

45 more

Towns Added

1725 - 1750

N.H. Towns1750

118 more

Towns Added

1750 - 1775

N.H. Towns1775

Towns Added

1775 - 1800

• Gilford• Jackson

• Lincoln

• Madbury

• Madison

• Ossipee

• Pittsburg

• Randolph

• Stewartstown

• Tuftonboro

• Benton• Bethlehem

• Carroll

• Chatham

• Colebrook

• Columbia

• Eaton

• Ellsworth

• Enfield

• Errol

N.H. Towns1800

• Berlin• Cambridge• Clarksville• Dummer• Gorham• Milan• Roxbury• Waterville• Whitefield

Towns Added

1800 - 1850

N.H. Towns1850

N.H. TownsRemaining Unsettled

1850

• Erving’s Location• Green’s Grant• Hadley’s Purchase• Hale’s Location• Hart’s Location• Kilkenny• Livermore• Low & Burnham’s Purchase• Martin’s Location• Millsfield• Odell• Pinkham’s Grant• Sargent’s Purchase• Second College Grant• Success• Sugar Hill*• Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase• Wentworth’s Location

• Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant• Bean’s Grant• Bean’s Purchase• Chandler’s Purchase• Crawford’s Purchase• Cutt’s Grant• Dix’s Grant• Dixville

(* Sugar Hill separated from Lisbon in 1966)

Menu

Atlantic Ocean

Piscataqua

Exeter

MerrimackContoocook

Ashuelot

Connecticut

Pemigewasset

Ammonoosuc

Saco

Ellis

Phillips BrookUpper

Ammonoosuc

Androscoggin

Great Bay

Three Connecticuts & Francis

Umbagog

Newfound

Sunapee

Massabesic

Bow

Ossipee

Wentworth

Squam

Winnisquam

Winnipesaukee

New HampshireRivers & Lakes

Menu

Points to ConsiderPoints to Consider• What natural geographic features probably

influenced early settlement of New Hampshire? What economic factors affected the order of settlement?

• Which period in New Hampshire history had the most rapid settlement? Why might that be?

• Why do you think some places remain unsettled even today?

• When was your town settled?

Menu

Information from

Population of New Hampshire, Part OneN.H. State Planning and Development Commission

Concord, N.H., 1946

© 2002-2007 Christopher MacLeod for the New Hampshire Historical Society