HISTORY

OF

MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.



CHAPTER I.
ORGANIZATION AND STATISTICAL.
BY DANIEL B. SECOMB.

MERRIMACK COUNTY was formed, in 1823, from towns in the northerly parts of Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, to which have since been added towns from Grafton County and a portion of Sanbornton, in Strafford County, and it now contains portions of four of the five counties into which the province was divided in 1769.

It is now the second county in the State in population, and the third in the valuation of taxable property. Its population, as given in the United States census, has been as follows: In 1830. 34,614; 1840. 36,253; 1850, 40,337; 1860, 41,408; 1870, 42,151; 1880, 46,300. It includes the city of Concord and twenty-six towns, as follows:

Allenstown, taken from Rockingham County in 1823; incorporated, 1831; population in 1830, 483; in 1880, 1708.

Andover, from Hillsborough County, 1823; first known as New Breton; incorporated, 1779; population, 1830, 1324; 1880, 1204.

Bradford, from Hillsborough County, 1823; first known as New Bradford; incorporated, 1787; population, 1830, 1285; 1880, 950.

Boscawen, from Hillsborough County, 1823; formerly called Contoocook; incorporated, 1760; population, 1830, 2093; 1880, 1380.

Bow, from Rockingham County, 1823; chartered, 1727; population, 1830, 1065; 1880, 734.

Canterbury, from Rockingham County, 1823; chartered, 1727; population, 1830, 1663; 1880, 1034.

Chichester, from Rockingham County, 1823; chartered, 1727; population, 1830, 1084; 1880, 784.

Concord, from Rockingham County, 1823; incorporated, 1765; formerly known as Penacook and Rumford; adopted a city charter, 1853; population, 1830, 3727; 1880, 13,845.

Danbury, from Grafton County, 1874; incorporated, 1795; population, 1830, 785; 1880, 760.

Dunbarton, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1765; formerly called Starkstown; population, 1830, 1067; 1880, 708.

Epsom, from Rockingham County, 1823; chartered, 1727; population, 1830, 1418; 1880, 909.

Franklin, from parts of Andover, Northfield and Salisbury, in Merrimack County, and Sanbornton, in Strafford County; incorporated, 1828; population, 1830, 1870; 1880, 3265.

Henniker, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1768; population, 1830, 1725; 1880, 1326.

Hill, from Grafton County, 1868; incorporated, 1778; formerly called New Chester; name changed, 1836; population, 1830, 1090; 1880, 667.

Hooksett, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1822, and included parts of Goffstown and Dunbarton, in Hillsborough County, and Chester, in Rockingham; population, 1830, 880; 1880, 1766.

Hopkinton, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1765; formerly called New Hopkinton; population, 1830, 2474; 1880, 1836.

Loudon, from Rockingham County, 1823; incorporated, 1773; was originally a part of Canterbury; population, 1830, 1642; 1880, 1221.

Newbury, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1778; formerly known as Fishersfield; name changed, 1836; population, 1830, 798; 1880, 590.

New London, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1779; formerly called Dantzic; population, 1830, 913; 1880, 875.

Northfield, from Rockingham County, 1823; incorporated, 1780; was originally a part of Canterbury; population, 1830, 1169; 1880, 918.

Pembroke, from Rockingham County, 1823; incorporated, 1759; formerly called Suncook, and granted by the General Court of Massachusetts, in 1727, to Captain John Lovewell and his associates in the fight at Lovewell�s Pond in 1725; population, 1830, 1312; 1880, 2797.

Pittsfield, from Rockingham County, 1823; incorporated, 1782; formerly a part of Chichester; population, 1830, 1271; 1880, 1974.

Salisbury, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1768; formerly known as Stevenstown; population, 1830, 1379; 1880, 795.

Sutton, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1784; formerly called Perrystown; population, 1830, 1424; 1880, 923.

Warner, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1774; formerly known as New Almsbury and Jennistown, and includes what was formerly called Kearsarge Gore; population, 1830, 2221; 1880, 1537.

Webster, formerly West Boscawen, taken from Boscawen, 1860; population, 1870, 689; 1880, 647.

Wilmot, from Hillsborough County, 1823; incorporated, 1807; formerly called Kearsarge; population, 1830, 934; 1880, 1080.

Of the 46,300 inhabitants of the county in 1880, 46,133 were whites, 158 colored, 1 Chinese and 8 Indians; 40,521 were natives of the United States, and 5779 of foreign birth; 34,808 were natives of New Hampshire, and 5713 of other States; 5116 males and 5075 females were from five to eighteen years of age; 14,286 males were above twenty-one years of age; 9380 males were between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, and one-half of the entire population was above twenty-six years of age.

Agricultural Statistics of Merrimack County,

From the United States census of 1880, were as follows: Number of farms, June 1, 1880, 4334; number of acres of improved land, 305,282; value of farms, buildings and fences, $11,392.721; value of farm implements and machines, $426,083; estimated value of, farm products for the year 1879-80, $1,878,149. Live stock and some of its products for the year ending June 1, 1880: Horses, 5998; working oxen, 4121; milch cows, 11,800; other cattle, 17,296; sheep, 27,755; swine, 8138. Gallons of milk produced, 586,662; pounds of butter made, 908,728; pounds of cheese made, 190,809. Vegetable products, 1879: Barley, 6279 bushels; buckwheat, 2976 bushels; Indian corn, 229,877 bushels; oats, 7503 bushels; rye, 4932 bushels of wheat, 25,403 bushels; hay, 75,713 tons hops, 3219 lbs.; Irish potatoes, 375,653 bushels. Orchard products valued at $117,382.

Manufacturing Statistics.

Number of manufacturing establishments, June 1, 1880, 449; males above sixteen years of age employed, 3580; females, 1477; children and youth, 628.

Of the population of the county in 1880, there were 22,751 males and 23,549 females; 40,521 were natives of the United States, and 5779 of foreign birth; 5116 males and 5075 females were from 5 to 18 years of age, 9380 males were between 18 and 40 years of age, and 14,286 males were 21 years of age and above, and one-half of the whole population was over 26 years of age.

Capital invested, $6,089,215; value of materials used, $4,974,224; value of products, $8,742,560.

VALUATION AND TAXATION.

Valuation of the county, April 1, 1879
24,882,550
Valuation of real estate
18,522,356
Valuation of personal property
6,360,194
State tax assessed $58,552
County tax assessed 78,000
City, town and school taxes 257,873
     Whole amount of taxes                        393,925
     Total
$50,159,025
Indebtedness of the county, city, towns and school districts in the county, June 1, 1880.
Bonded debt
$936,400
Floating debt
    158,662
     Aggregate debt
$1,115,062

Number of post-offices in the county July 1, 1883, 60; compensation of postmasters the preceding year, $18,515.94.

Book Index
County Page

Chapter 1
History of Merrimack County
Created April 24, 2002
Copyright 2005

Kathy Leigh, Webmaster