Manchester, New Hampshire
Hillsborough county, lies on the east side of Merrimack river, by which it is bounded on the W. for 8 miles; on the N. and E. it is bounded by Chester; S. by Londonderry and Litchfield. There are several streams which have their origin in this town, and which discharge themselves into the Merrimack.—Cohass brook, issuing from Massabesick pond, is the largest. It receives two other small streams from the S., and empties itself at the S.W. angle of the town. Massabesick is a large pond, at the E. side of the town, and partly within its limits. There are several smaller ponds.
The soil of a considerable part of the town is light and sandy. The intervales on the river are easy of cultivation, and productive.
The canal by Amoskeag falls is in this town, and was projected and constructed by the ingenuity and perseverance of the late Samuel Blodget, Esq. At these falls are the works of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, where the foundations of another Lowell are being laid. The water power is immense.
This town was formed of a part of Londonderry, a part of Chester, and a tract of land called Harrytown, and incorporated Sept. 3, 1751, by the name of Derryfield. This name it retained until 1810, when it was changed to Manchester by an act of the legislature.
The venerable general John Stark had his residence in this town, where he died May 8, 1822, at the great age of 93 years 8 months and 24 days. He was born at Londonderry, August 28, 1728; was taken prisoner by the Indians, while hunting near Baker's river, in Rumney, April 28, 1752. In 1775, he was appointed a colonel of one of the three regiments raised in New Hampshire; was engaged on the heights of Charlestown, June 17, 1775; was at the battle of Trenton in 1776; captured Col. Baum and 1,000 of the British at Bennington, August 16, 1777. This event, in the language of president Jefferson, was "the first link in the chain of successes which issued in the surrender of Saratoga." He was soon after appointed a brigadier-general of the United States army, and, at the time of his death, was the only surviving general officer of the revolution. Population, 1830, 887.
