City history
Tracing the evolution of Manchester, New Hampshire, from the powerful Amoskeag Falls to a modern urban center defined by its industrial heritage.
Chapter one
Indigenous name
"Place of many fishing weirs"
The area around the Merrimack River falls was known to the Abenaki people as Amoskeag, referring to the extensive fishing weirs used in the river.
The location of the falls
The settlement grew around the massive falls on the Merrimack River before formal incorporation.
Named after Manchester, England
The name was chosen by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company to reflect its industrial ambitions.
Chapter two
The adoption of Standard Time by railroads helped synchronize the industrial schedules of the Amoskeag mills with national networks.
The United States implemented Daylight Saving Time during WWI, a practice later adopted and modified by Manchester's residents and industries.
Chapter three
The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was founded, setting the stage for Manchester to become a major textile hub.
Manchester was officially incorporated as a city, formalizing its governance and growing population.
The massive expansion of the Amoskeag Millyard turned Manchester into one of the largest textile manufacturing centers in the world.
The decline of large-scale textile manufacturing led to a period of economic restructuring for the city.