Hillsborough County New Hampshire - History & Genealogy
 

TOWN - CITY LIST
This page contains a brief history of every town in Hillsborough NH, along with genealogy resources that are town specific. To learn how to research your family tree in NH go to "Genealogical Resources"
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Town/City
Description
First granted in 1728 as Narragansett #3, the town was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the colonials in the French and Indian War. Settled c1733, incorporated 1760. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune. Amherst was the county seat of Hillsborough Co NH from 1769 to 1864.
This town was settled prior to the American Revolution, but did not receive its incorporated name until 1777. It was named for County Antrim in Ireland, which was the native home of the land’s owner, Philip Riley.
Established in 1730 as Narragansett #5 for the benefit of soldiers who fought against the Narragansett Indians in RI. It was regranted first as Souhegan East, then incorporated as Bedford in 1750. The town was named for Lord John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth.
This area was settled prior to 1800. The town was part of Society Land and was comprised of former portions of Hancock, Greenfield, Deering, and Francestown, the town was named in commemoration of the Battle of Bennington, fought on August 14-16, 1777, near Bennington, VT. Vermont's Bennington was named for Governor Benning Wentworth.
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, MA.
Formed from area earlier known as Cumberland. Incorporated in 1774 from Society Land by Governor John Wentworth, the town was named Deering, the family name of his wife, Frances Deering Wentworth. At the time of the Revolution, John and Frances Wentworth left for Nova Scotia, then went to England, where Frances became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III.
Incorporated: 1772. Formed from New Boston, and a portion of Society Land. Named for Frances Deering Wentworth, wife of Governor John Wentworth. Situated on the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, the sole route between Boston and Vermont, the town once collected a toll of one cent per mile from travelling coaches and wagons.
This town, as part of Massachusetts, used the names Narragansett Number 4, Piscataquog Village, and Shovestown before installation of the NH provincial government. In 1748, the area was regranted to new settlers, including Colonel John Goffe, for whom the town was officially named. Incorporated in 1761. The town includes the village of Grasmere, named for the English home of poets Wordsworth and Coleridge.
First settled in 1753 by the Lynde family, the town was known as Lyndeborough Addition. The Monadnock hills cut residents off from church and school, so in 1791 they petitioned for the right to form their own town. The name was chosen to indicate the town's location on a level, fertile ground between the hills.
Once a part of Mason, Greenville is one of the state's newest and smallest towns, incorporated in 1872. The town is located at the High Falls on the Souhegan River. Former village names include Mason Harbor, Mason Village, and sometimes Souhegan Village.
Hancock started as an unidentified settlement on the Contoocook River, in lands known as "Society Land" or Cumberland, which had been reserved for the proprietors of the lands which became New Hampshire. First settled in 1764, the town was named Hancock in 1779 in honor of John Hancock, first governor of Massachusetts, president of the Continental Congress, and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
First granted in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher of MA as #7, one in a line of 9 towns set up as defense barriers against Indian attacks. The towns were renamed following the 1741 establishment of New Hampshire as a separate province. In 1748, the town was named for Wills Hill, Earl of Hillsborough, (as was Hillsborough County), created in 1769 by Governor John Wentworth. Incorporated in 1772. Hillsborough is the birthplace of Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States, the only President from NH. This town is sometimes spelled "Hillsboro" in records.
Incorporated in 1746 (and known as "Holles") 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. [A second source states it was named for Thomas Pelham Holles, Duke of New Castle, who was colonial secretary.] Hollis was first called West Dunstable, or Nittisset, which at one time was part of Groton, Massachusetts, and is now Nashua. Also called Nottingham West.
Once a part of Nottingham, MA, 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 MA and NH.
Known as Naticook until 1729 when the land was granted as Brenton's Farm to William Brenton, Governor of RI. 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.
First known as Salem-Canada, this land was granted to soldiers from Salem, Massachusetts, who had fought in New England's first war with Canada about 1690. When the new provincial government in New Hampshire came into being in 1763, a portion of Salem-Canada was regranted to Benjamin Lynde. Mr. Lynde was a chief justice of Massachusetts and presided over the trial involving the Boston Massacre. In the latter part of the 1800's, Lyndeborough was known as a glass-making center.
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.
First known as Number 1, the first in a line of border towns including area allotted to this state by MA upon establishment of NH as a separate state in 1741. The town's charter was granted in 1749, and in 1768, Governor John Wentworth named it in honor of New Hampshire's founder, Captain John Mason. Captain Mason was the holder of patent with title to the land that became New Hampshire. Mason is the boyhood home of "Uncle Sam," Samuel Wilson.
Although first occupied about 1665, permanent 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.
Incorporated in 1794, the town was probably named for its location near a shallow water crossing on the Souhegan River by an early mill site known as the Mill Ford. It was separated from the town of Monson, which ended up on the Massachusetts side of the border. Milford is also known as the Granite Town, because of extensive high-quality granite quarries.
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.

Settled c1655, incorporated. as a city 1853. 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.
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.
Granted in 1735, this town was named by settlers from Ipswich, MA. New Hampshire's provincial government incorporated the town as Ipswich in 1762 and as New Ipswich in 1766. New Hampshire’s first cotton mill was built here in 1804, ancestor to the cotton-producing centers of Waltham and Lawrence, MA, and Manchester, NH.

"Old" Dunstable

(not a current township)

 The town of Dunstable was created by the colony of Massachusetts, but in 1741 transferred to the colony of New Hampshire. Nearly all the territory embraced within the bounds of the present Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, originally comprised a portion of the old town of Dunstable, which was granted by Massachusetts October 16, 1673 (O.S.), and embraced the prent town of Tyngsborough, the east part of Dunstable, a narrow gore on the east side of Pepperell and a tract in the northeast part of Townsent, Mass., and the towns of Litchfield, Hudson, portions of Londonderry, Pelham and nearly all the present towns of Nashua and Hollis and parts of Amherst, Milford and Brooklin, in New Hampshire.
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.
Although not known for certain, this town was probably named from Charles Mordaunt, third Earl of Peterborough. Other possibilities include it having been named Peter's Borough for Peter Prescott, clerk of the Masonian Proprietors, or for St. Petersburg in Russia. Peterborough was among the soldier's towns named during the term of Governor Jonathan Belcher when New Hampshire was still a province of Massachusetts. The town had the first free public library supported by taxation, and the first mill in the state that wove cloth mechanically. It is home to the MacDowell Colony, a retreat for writers, artists, and composers. Guests have included Edward Arlington Robinson, Leonard Bernstein, and Thornton Wilder, whose play "Our Town" was inspired by Peterborough.
Sharon was first settled in 1738 as part of Peterborough, known as Peterborough Slip or Sliptown. It was incorporated as Sharon in 1791 following the readjustment of a number of town lines. The name was that of a Connecticut town from which many settlers had come.
Like Sharon, this town was originally known as Peterborough Slip when first granted in 1750. Temple was incorporated in 1768 in honor of John Temple, lieutenant governor under John Wentworth. Temple was son-in-law to James Bowdoin, for whom Bowdoin College is named. Temple was home to the Temple Glass Works, founded in 1780. The short life of the business makes Temple glass rare and sought after today.
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.
This tract, including Lyndeborough and the north part of Wilton, received the name of Salem-Canada.Wilton started as Number 2, one of the towns on the state's border laid out in the 1730's, intended to provide protection against Indian attacks. The town was first granted in 1749, and was regranted in 1762 as Wilton. It was probably named for Sir Joseph Wilton, a famous English sculptor. Wilton's coach design for King George III's coronation was later used as a model for the Concord Coach.
Originally known as Campbell's Gore, this town was incorporated as Windsor, after Windsor, Connecticut, the hometown of James Campbell, an early grant recipient. Windsor is the smallest town in New Hampshire south of the White Mountains.Incorporated 1798.
 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- TOWNS/CITIES

AMHERST

     ANTRIM
  • Official Town of Antrim NH Web Site
  • Town of Antrim - information on Keene web site
  • Antrim NH Town Offices
    Mailing Address: P.O. Box 517, Antrim, NH 03440
    Contact Info: 66 Main Street, Antrim NH; Tel: 603-588-6785
  • James A. Tuttle Library
    Main Street, PO Box 235
    Antrim NH 03440
    Tel: 603-588-6786
    Email:     tuttle@conknet.com
  • HISTORY & GENEALOGY:
    • History & Genealogy of Antrim NH - TXT File - (this site) Geography of Antrim NH; the first settlement; early history and settlers, churches and description of villages; brief description of participation in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War; distinguished men from Antrim; description of early life in Antrim; biographical sketches of Hon. David Goodell and the Goodell family, Hon. Jacob Tuttle and his family; Morris Christie, M.D. and family, and Dr. Gilman Kimball, among others [from History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • NOTICE OF EARLY SETTLERS OF ANTRIM (mostly mid to late 1700's into 1800's) -- TXT file (this site), including: James Aiken, Joseph Boyd, John Burns, James Dickey, John Duncan, James Duncan, John Gordon, Alexander Jameson, Maurice Lynch, Richard McAlister, John McClary, Daniel McFarland, James Moor, Samuel Nichols, Thomas Nichols, Daniel Nichols, Adam Nichols, Philip Riley, William Smith, Thomas Stuart, Matthew Templeton, John Warren, Jonathan Nesmith, James Nesmith, Arthur Nesmith, Daniel Miltimore, James Carr, John Stuart, Robert McKean, Elias Cheney, John McCoy, Philip Coffin, John Campbell, Samuel Gregg, Benjamin Gregg, William McDole, Thomas English, Samuel Dinsmoor, Major Riley, Nathan Austin, Samuel Patten, James Steele, Simeon George, Samuel and Daniel Downing, John and William McIlvaine, Thomas Day, Reuben Boutell, James Hopkins, James Wallace, Thomas McCoy, David McClure, Nathan Taylor, Isaac Cochran. Briefer on the following: Alexander Gregg, Lemuel and Stephen Curtice, Robert Willey, Percy Dow, and many others. Information from the History of the TOwn of Antrim, 1744-1844 by Rev. John M. Whiton; Concord, Steam Power Press of McFarland & Jenks, 1880.
    • Antrim NH History - online book, free, searchable
    • HISTORY: 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: ANTRIM
    • Article: "Antrim NH and the Search for Captain Kidd's Treasure," - from Blog: Cow Hampshire
    • A Brief History of Antrim NH - from the official town web site
    • Antrim Town Records - NH State Library
    • "Old" USGenWeb site for Antrim NH (needs new host)
  • SEE Antrim NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Antrim NH Photographs
     BEDFORD
  • Official Town of Bedford NH Web Site
  • Town of Bedford
    24 N. Amherst Rd. Bedford, NH 03110
    Phone: 472-5242 Fax: 472-4573
  • Bedford Public Library
    3 Meetinghouse Rd, Bedford, NH 03110
    603-472-2300
    Email: sbarron@bedford.lib.nh.us Include Subject:Bedford Library WebPage
  • Bedford Historical Society
    24 North Amherst Road, Bedford, NH 03110
    Kendall Shop Museum -     museum of Bedford History; provides programs for Bedford Schools and cultural programs for the public; acquires and preserves historical artifacts.
    Email:     kayklein@comcast.net
  • GENEALOGY:
    • History & Genealogy of Bedford NH - TXT file (this site) Geography of Bedford, original grant and first settlements, names of early pioneers, the French & Indian War, Colonel John Coffee, War of the Revolution and names of Soldiers, Signers of the Association Test; history of the Presbyterian church in Bedford and early ministers; description of the Centennial Celebration May 19, 1850; early town clerks and representatives, early physicians and lawyers; population; extracts from Matthew Patten's journal, the old militia; Military in the War of 1812; Participants in the War of the Rebellion [Civil War] [from History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • Old Cemetery, Bedford NH - tombstone inscriptions, photographs - USGennet
    • Old Cemetery, Bedford NH - additional tombstone photographs - this site
    • HISTORY: 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: BEDFORD (online-free)
    • History of Bedford NH - Rays-place.com
    • Introduction to Bedford History - Bedford Historical Society
    • Marriages in Bedford NH, 1737-1903 - Ray's Place (free)
    • Bedford NH History and Photographs (brief) - Rudymayer.com
    • Bedford Town Records - NH State Library
    • John Goffe's Mill - NH Historic Marker- This is considered the site of Squire John Goffe's log homestead on Bowman's Brook. John Goffe's Mill, now part of the motel complex across the road, was built in 1744 by his grandson, Major John, rebuilt in 1834 by his great grandson, Theodore, following a fire, and again in 1939 by another descendant, Dr. George Woodbury. Prominent in Bedford history, the family name was given to neighboring Goffstown and Goffe's Falls. Four generations of Goffes, with their wives, rest side by side in Bedford's Old Burying Ground. Other descendants rest in the Bedford Center Cemetery.
      Located on US 3, about .2 mile north of its junction with NH 101.
  • SEE Bedford NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Bedford NH Photographs
     BENNINGTON
  • Official Town of Bennington NH Web Site
  • Town of Bennington
    7 School Street, Unit 101, Bennington, NH 03442
    Phone: 603-588-2189 - Fax: 603-588-8005
  • G.E.P. DODGE LIBRARY
    2 Main Street, PO Box 129, Bennington, NH 03442
    Phone & FAX : (603) 588-6585
    Email: dodgelibrary@adelphia.net
  • GENEALOGY
    • History & Genealogy of Bennington NH - TXT file (this site) -- Description of town of Bennington NH, incorporation, early settlers, early businesses and manufactures, town hall and schools, early history of churches including baptist and congregational, biographical sketches and some genealogical material of early settlers and prominent citizens including: Samuel Abbott, Samuel Baldwin, Hugh Bell, George W. Burns, Arnold Burtt, Josie Caldwell, John and Betsey Carkin, Robert Dinsmore, Horace Fuller Dinsmore, Betsey Dinsmore, Gideon Dodge, John Dodge, John F. Dodge, Moses and Susanna Favor, Emerson Favor, James E. Favor, John W. Flagg, B.F. George, Charles Gray, William Gillis, Caleb Jewett Kimball, Frederick H. Kimball, Andrew Taylor, Nathan Whitney, Samuel Whitney, Frank E. Whitney, Hon. Amos Whittmore, George Alfred Whittemore, John J. Whittmore, George Andrew Whittemore, Wesley Wilson, W.D. Woods, E.F. Woods. [from History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • History of Bennington - from official town web site
    • Brief History of Bennington NH - from Keenenh.com
    • Bennington Town Records - NH State Library
    • Factory Village - NH Historical Marker - Directly east was the "Great Falls of the Contoocook," where the river dropped 75 feet in less than a mile. Mills have been located here since 1783. In 1810, one of New England's first cotton mills started here. There has been a paper mill at the site of Monadnock Paper Mills since early in the 19th century. Five dams also powered a cutlery factory, a fulling mill, a powder mill, and a tannery. By the turn of the 20th century, the oldest dam generated electricity for Antrim and Bennington. Now the dams are used by the paper mill for power and flow control. Located on the east side of US 202, near its junction with NH 31.
  • SEE Bennington NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Bennington NH Photographs
     BROOKLINE
  • Official Town of Brookline NH Web Site
  • Brookline Town Hall
    Location: Main & Bond Streets, Brookline NH
    Phone: (603) 673-8855
    Fax: (603) 673-8136
    Mailing Address: P.O. Box 360, Brookline, NH 03033-0360
    Email: town@brookline.nh.us
  • Brookline Public Library
    16 Main Street, Brookline, NH 03033
    603-673-3330
  • Brookline Historical Society
    PO Box 595
    Brookline NH 03033
  • GENEALOGY & HISTORY
    • History and Genealogy of Brookline NH - TXT file (this site) Geography and description of the town of Brookline NH, early town history and settlers; names of soldiers from the town who served during the American Revolution; church history including Brookline Congregational and Methodist churches; early industries and manufactures; Brookline's participation in the War of the Rebellion [Civil War] including names of participants from Brookline NH; post office history; fire engine-department history; early publications and newspapers; representatives and justices of the peace in Brookline; population statistics, 1790-1880; Biographical Sketches of Alonzo Stewart Wallace MD, and James Harvey Hall. [from History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • HISTORY: 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: BROOKLINE
    • History of Brookline NH - Rays-place.com
    • Brookline, NH, Marriage Records to the end of 1912 (forermly Raby) - Rays Place
    • Brookline NH History and Photographs (brief) - Rudymayer.com
  • Brookline Town Records - NH State Library
  • SEE Brookline NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Brookline NH Photographs
     DEERING
  • Official Town of Deering NH Web Site
  • Villages and Place Names: Cork (West Deering), East Deering
  • Deering NH Town Hall/Town Clerk
    762 Deering Center Road
    Deering, NH 03244
    603 464-3224
  • Deering NH Public Library
    762 Deering Center Road
    Deering, NH 03244
    603 464-3248
  • GENEALOGY & HISTORY:
    • History and Genealogy of Deering NH - TXT file (this site) Geography, geology and description of the town of Deering NH; early documents and roads, library and school-houses; early weather of note; early crimes (murders); early meeting-houses; burying-grounds (cemeteries) in Deering; early town history and settlers (including the following families: Alexander Robinson, William Forsaith, Robert Mills, Samuel Patten, John Shearer, Alexander Hogg, Nenian Aiken; names of soldiers from the town who served during the American Revolution; church history and pastors; early town clerks, selectman and representatives;Genealogical Notices (and descendants) of the families of: Alexander Robinson, William Forsaith, Samuel Patten, William McKeen, William and Thomas Aiken, David Wilson, Reuben Loveren, Abram Gove, John Shearer, Ebenezer Loveren, Alexander Gregg, Robert Fulton, Ebenezer Lock, Stephen Locke, James Whitaker, William Chase, Robert and William McFerson, John Bartlett, John Simons (Symons), Samuel Chase, Jonathan and Stephen Goodale, Joshua Downing, Thomas Merrill, Benjamin Brown, Samuel Brown, Hezekiah Hadlock, Levi Hadlock, Robert Gove, Herod Chase, Joshua Folsom, Thomas Whittle, Amos Chase, Humphrey Peasley [Peaslee], Bray Wilkins, Adam Manahan, Andrew Aiken, Samuel and William Anderson, William Codman, Alexander Hogg, Parker Nois (Noyes), Robert Alcock, Caleb Whitaker, John Morrill, Isaac Smith, Nathaniel Colby, Joseph Kimball, Silas Parker Barnes [Barron], Moses Codman, Evan Dow, Elias Hassel [Hassell], James White, Nathan White, Luther Travis, Adam Dickey, Rolandson Ellinwood, Joseph Dow, Parker Morse, Francis Graham [Grimes], Timothy Wyman, Charles Buttrick, William Waugh, Ezra Fisher, Jacob Bartlett, Hezekiah Wilkins, Phineas Wilkins, James Eaton, Carleton Clement, Benjamin Bullard, George Sumner, Asa Goodnow, Russell Tubbs, Dr. Mical Tubbs, Nathaniel Gove, Isaac Currier, Robert Mills, and others. Biographical Sketches of James Gregg and James Fulton. [ SOURCE: History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • Inscriptions on some tombstones in an old cemetery in Deering NH [death dates range from 1790 to 1833] - Txt file - this site
    • 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: DEERING
    • Deering NH Cemeteries, info and slide show
    • List of Deering NH Cemeteries and their location - TXT file
    • 2004 Deering Master Plan (includes historical info) - PDF
    • Brief History of Deering NH & History Timeline - from the town web site
    • Deering Town Records - NH State Library
  • SEE Deering NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Deering NH Photographs

"OLD" DUNSTABLE

  • EARLY SETTLERS OF DUNSTABLE (NH-MA) -- GENEALOGY AND LIST OF SOLDIERS IN THE ARMY - includes brief early genealogies of the first settlers of Old Duntable, from the 1600's to 1700's. [From: "History of the Old Township of Dunstable: Including Nashua, Nashville, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield and Merrimac, N.H. and Dunstable and Tyngsborough Mass.;" by Charles J. Fox, Nashua; Charles T. Gill Publisher; 1846 - TXT file (this site)
  • Map of "Old Dunstable"
     FRANCESTOWN
  • Official Town of Francestown NH Web Site: not available
  • Unofficial Town of Francestown NH Web Site
  • Francestown Town Offices
    Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5, Francestown, NH 03043
  • Town Clerk & Tax Collector
    Town Office Building,
    Main Street
    Francestown NH 03043
    Phone: (603) 547-6251
  • George Holmes Bixby Memorial Library
    52 Main Street, PO Box 69
    Francestown, NH 03043-0069
    603- 547-2730
    Email: library@francestown.info
  • Francestown Improvement & Historical Society
    15 New Boston Rd
    Francestown, NH 03043
    (603) 547-3600
  • Francestown: A Walking Tour of the Village of Francestown. Prepared by the Francestown Improvement and Historical Society (2000). Contact: Francestown Improvement and Historical Society, SEE ABOVE.
  • GENEALOGY & HISTORY
    • History and Genealogy of Francestown NH - TXT file (this site) - Description of Francestown; the first settlement; Francestown in the American Revolution, and War of 1812; population of town in 1775; church history; Francestown Academy; description of leading citizens; transportation; Biographical Sketches of the families and descendants of Mark Balch and George Kingsbury. [SOURCE: History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • History of Francestown NH - book online, free, searchable
    • Francestown Town Records - NH State Library
    • Dodge Family Graves - Dodge Family Association
    • Soapstone - NH Historical Marker- A large deposit of highest quality was discovered early in the 19th century at northerly section of Francestown by Daniel Fuller. During the heyday of its popularity, various common uses of this non-metallic mineral (steatite), when quarried, were for sinks, water pipes, stoves, hearths, warming stones, mantels, and industrial purposes. Located about .5 mile east of the center of Francestown village on NH 136
    • Article: Francestown New Hampshire Motorcycle Inventor: Sylvester Howard Roper (1823-1896) - from blog: "Cow Hampshire"
    • Article: Francestown New Hampshire: Is Haunted Lake Haunted? - blog: Cow Hampshire
    • Levi Woodbury - NH Historical Marker - Born in Francestown, this ardent Jacksonian rose to hold some of the nation's highest offices. After serving his state as legislator, judge, and Governor, he became a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Treasury, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice. His record of public service has been unmatched by any other New Hampshire citizen. Located near the First Unitarian Church ("The Old Meeting House"-1773) at the junction of NH 136 and NH 47.
    • Article: Francestown New Hampshire Attorney, Governor, Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and Navy, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice: Levi Woodbury (1798-1851) - Blog: Cow Hampshire
    • 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: FRANCESTOWN
    • Sylvester Howard Roper, Inventor b. 1823, Francestown, NH
  • SEE Francestown NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Francestown NH Photographs
     GOFFSTOWN
GREENFIELD
  • Official Town of Greenfield NH Web Site
  • Town of Greenfield - Town Clerk
    Mailing Address:
    P.O. Box 256
    Greenfield, NH 03047
    Tel. 547-2782 | Fax 547-3004
  • Stephenson Memorial Library
    Forest Road
    Greenfield, NH 03047
    Tel. (603) 547-2790
    Email: stephensonlib@earthlink.net
  • Greenfield Historical Society
    828 Forest Road, Greenfield, NH 03047
    (603) 547-2759
  • GENEALOGY & HISTORY
    • History and Genealogy of Greenfield NH - TXT file (this site) - Early organization and incorporation of the town [from Society Land, Lyndeborough Slip, etc]; description of the town of Greenfield; First and early roads; first crops; first mills; animals, wild and domestic; early church history; early ministers; early home life of settlers; school history; military history; cemeteries in Greenfield; school history; early recreation; manufactures, post offices and postmasters; physicians and lawyers; stores and traders; taverns and hotels; Oak Park Association; temperance in Greefield; Greenfield Grange; the Organ Festival; Biographical notices of Major Amos Whittemore and family; Captain Hugh Ramsey; William Abbott; Deacon Joshua Holt; Major Peter Peavey; Thomas Peavey; Jacob Richardson Esq.; early town officers; Biographical Sketches of Dr. John Ramsey, Rev. Samuel Hudson Partridge MD, Charles D. Finch, Deacon Peter Peavey. Many other names mentioned throughout this history. [Source- History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • HISTORY: 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: GREENFIELD
    • Greenfield Town Records - NH State Library
  • Town Meeting House - NH Historical Marker - The oldest original meeting house in New Hampshire serving both church and state. The frame, built from local timber by resident Hugh Gregg, was raised by one hundred volunteers from the village and surrounding towns on September 16, 1795. This fine old structure has served the people of Greenfield continuously since that time as a gathering place for them to worship their God, to legislate their town's civil affairs and to enjoy the company of their neighbors. Located at the junction of NH 136 and NH 31.
  • Greenfield Congregation Church web site
  • SEE Greenfield NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Greenfield NH Photographs
GREENVILLE
  • Official Town of Greenville NH Web Site
  • Greenville Town Hall
    PO Box 343, Main Street
    Greenville NH 03048
    Tel 603-878-2084
    Fax 603-878-5038
    Email: greenvillebos@adelphia.net
  • Chamberlin Free Public Library
    46 Main Street
    Greenville, NH 03048
    Phone: (603) 878-1105
  • GENEALOGY & HISTORY:
    • History and Genealogy of Greenville NH - TXT file (this site) - Description of the town of Greenville NH; early settlers; early houses, roads and bridges; town officers; business history including dams and water-power, manufactures, stores, post-office, the Peterborough and Shirley Railroad; the Savings Bank, educational history; library; newspapers, college graduates from Greenville; military history; social history (social societies); ecclesiastical (church) history including early preachers/pastors; physicans and lawyers; personal history and prominent people; Biographical Sketch of James Langdon Chamberlain [sic Chamberlin]; For history of this area prior to 1872 (when Greenville separated from the town of Mason) see history of MASON, [Source- History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • Greenville Town Records - NH State Library
  • SEE Greenville NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Greenville NH Photographs
HANCOCK
  • Official Town of Hancock NH Web Site
  • Town Office Building
    8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
    50 Main Street, P. O. Box 6, Hancock, NH 03449
    603.525.4441
    Email: office@hancocknh.org
  • Hancock Town Library
    P.O. Box 130 - 25 Main Street,
    Hancock, NH 03449
    Telephone 603.525.4411
    e-mail: fhtl@hancocknh.mv.com     or library@hancocknh.org
  • Hancock Historical Society
    P.O. Box 138
    7 Main Street
    Hancock, NH 03449
    (603) 525-9379
    Email: hancockhistsoc@webryders.net
  • GENEALOGY & HISTORY:
    • Former & Village Names: Putnam's Mills, Hancock Factory Village, Hancock Junction, Elmwood
    • History and Genealogy of Hancock NH - TXT file (this site) - Description of the town of Hancock, NH; incorporation and first settlers; mills and manufactures; village, Hancock Factory; highways, railroads and telegraph; schools and churches; minister biographies; lawyer biographies; prominent individuals and families including those of John Grimes, William Morrison, Robert Duncan & Family, Symonds Family, James Hosley, Ebenezer Ware; Physicians including Dr. Thomas Peabody, Dr. Stephen Kittridge, Dr. Jonas Hutchinson, Dr. Jacob A. Wood, Dr. James M. Stickney, Dr. Levi W. Wilkins, Dr. DeWitt C. Handley, Dr. I. Craigue, Dr. R.G. Mather, Dr. Albert H. Taft, Dr. Horatio McIntire, Dr. A.A. Haig, Dr. Jabez B. Priest, Dr. John Boutelle, Dr. David K. Boutelle, Dr. William H. Weston, Dr. George Bowers, Dr. Cyrus H. Hayward, and many others; Military history of the town including participants in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War; history of meeting-houses; town officers; biographical sketches of Joseph Davis. Many other brief biographies of Hancock NH people included. [SOURCE: History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • Hancock Town Records - NH State Library
    • HISTORY: 1817 Gazeteer of New Hampshire: HANCOCK
    • A Brief History of Hancock NH - Keenenh.com
    • Hancock NH History - from a personal web site, not recently updated, but worth seeing
    • Hancock NH Cemeteries: The oldest cemetery, Pine Ridge, is located at the intersection of Old Dublin Road and Main Street. Norway Plain Cemetery is behind the Congregational Church and is the second cemetery built in Hancock, on what was known as “the plains”. Hillside cemetery is located on NH Route 137N about 1 mile out of town.
  • SEE Hancock NH Reference for maps and profiles
  • SEE Hancock NH Photographs
HILLSBORO / HILLSBOROUGH (TOWN)
  • Official Hillsborough NH (town) web site
  • Hillsborough NH Town Clerk
    Location: basement of 29 School Street, Hillsborough NH
    Mailing: PO Box 1699, Hillsborough, NH 0324
    Telephone:603.464.5571 | FAX: 603.464.4270
    Email: debbie@hillsboroughnh.net
  • Fuller Public Library - Website #1 | Website #2
    29 School Street, Hillsborough NH 03244
    Mailing: P.O. Box 43, Hillsborough, NH 03244-0043
    Telephone: 603.464.3595 | FAX: 603.464.4572
    Email: fuller_lib@conknet.com
  • The Hillsborough Historical Society
    P.O. Box 896, Hillsborough, NH 03244
    (603) 478-3165
    Email: c_chadwick@conknet.com
  • Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce
  • HISTORY & GENEALOGY:
    • History and Genealogy of Hillsborough / Hillsboro (town) NH - TXT file (this site) - Description of the town of Hillsborough NH including topgraphy, rivers and lakes, the soil, and trees. The first settlements and settlers including James McColley, John McColley, Francis Graham (Grimes), and others; participation of early settlers in the Cape Breton War (Philip Riley), and the French and Indian War. Resettlement of the town in 1763; incorporation of the town, boundaries of the town, naming of the town for Colonel John Hill; the first town meeting and officers, the first meeting-house; The town during the American Revolution including those from Hillsborough who participated, and some brief bios including those of Ammi Andrews, Capt Samuel Bradford, Benjamin Pierce, and Robert B. Wilkins, among others; the Contoocook Bridge; Witches in Hillsborough; Legends of Beasts of Prey and wild game; The town during the War of 1812 and some of its participants; The McNeil family of Hillsborough NH; the War of the Rebellion (Civil War) including a list of those from town who served; early industries in Hillsborough NH; About desertion of the hill farms; forestry and pine timber; Contoocook Mills and "The New Mill," Hillsborough (or Valley) Academy; the Scotch-Irish Element; The professions in town--lawyers, attorney, physicians, and dentists with MANY brief biographies of same; The ministry and the history of the churches in Hillsborough NH, with brief biographies of many of the preachers; secret and social organizations; history of the school system; college graduates including brief biographies; the Fuller Town Library history; history of Valley Bank, later the First National Bank of Hillsborough; the press and early newspapers in Hillsborough NH; early stage routes and stage-drivers; early shops, stores and hotels (Valley Hotel); Early town officers from 1772- including town clerks, moderators of the town meetings, and selectmen; EXTENSIVE biographies of the following AND their genealogies: Francis Grimes, Colonel James Forsaith Grimes, John Gibson Fuller, Abel Conant Burnham, MD, the JONES family of Hillsborough NH, The Goodell, Goodale, Goodall family, and Thomas Newton Goodale, John Butler Smith, and John Gilbert. [SOURCE: History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885]
    • Births, Marriages and Deaths in Hillsborough NH, copied from the First Vol. of Town Records 1772-95 - ALHN-NH