New Hampshire Trivia & Tidbits - Page 9

Looking for New Hampshire trivia? Try our list New Hampshire little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

In 2003, Portsmouth (pop. 20,784) was ranked by Money magazine as one of the best places in America to retire.

first appeared: 2/15/2004

In Holderness, (pop. 1,930) Capt. Pierre Havre and his canine first mate, Bogie, have built a sailing tour around visiting the locations from the movie, On Golden Pond (actually Squam Lake).

first appeared: 2/8/2004

The New Hampshire State House is the oldest state capitol in which a legislature still meets in its original chambers, as it has since 1819.

first appeared: 2/1/2004

The first recorded potatoes planted in the United States were planted in Londonderry (pop. 23,236) by Scotch-Irish settlers in 1719.

first appeared: 1/25/2004

Often known for its independent ways, the state was the first of the 13 colonies to declare its independence from England—six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed.

first appeared: 1/18/2004

The frigate Raleigh, depicted on the state seal, was built at Portsmouth (pop. 20,784) in 1776 as one of the first 13 warships of a new American navy. It was captured by the British, however, and used against the Colonies for much of the war.

first appeared: 1/11/2004

Despite its fierce winters, the state is greeted every spring by what is considered one of nature’s most powerful fragrances, that of the purple lilac, the state’s official flower.

first appeared: 1/4/2004

New Hampshire’s smallest state park is Endicott Rock Park, comprising one-tenth of an acre on an island in Lake Winnepesaukee. The rock has chisled inscriptions dating back to 1652.

first appeared: 12/28/2003

Francestown (pop. 1,480) was once a leading supplier of quarried soapstone—a soft, dense stone with the crushing strength of granite, which is still widely used for wood stoves, sinks and sculpting. Its polished surface feels “soapy.”

first appeared: 12/21/2003

Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington is a mecca for late spring skiing. However, skiers must walk in with their gear, often for only a single run per day.

first appeared: 12/14/2003

In 2000, the Pumpkin Festival in Keene (pop. 22,563) broke its record for jack-o’-lanterns by drawing 23,727 carved pumpkins to its annual event. The number was logged in the Guinness Book of World Records.

first appeared: 12/7/2003

Rockingham Park racetrack in Salem (pop. 28,112) opened in 1906 but, because betting on horses was then illegal, was swiftly closed. “The Rock” was reopened in 1933 and hosted some of racing’s most famous thoroughbreds, including Seabiscuit.

first appeared: 11/30/2003

Smuttynose, one of nine small islands known as the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine, was the scene of a double murder in 1873. The incident inspired the contemporary novel The Weight of Water.

first appeared: 11/23/2003

The state’s only offshore lighthouse, White Island Light, is in for a facelift, thanks to seventh-graders in North Hampton (pop. 4,259). A 3-year-long campaign by the Lighthouse Kids helped secure $250,000 in federal funds for repairs.

first appeared: 11/16/2003

Every June, sand sculptors from around North America flock to Hampton Beach in Hampton (pop. 14,937) for the annual Master Sand Sculpting Competition. In 2003, 12 master sculptors vied for $10,000 in prize money.

first appeared: 11/9/2003

Mystery Hill in Salem (pop. 28,112), the site of 4,000-year-old stoneworks, has been called America’s Stonehenge. Some theorize it is the work of mound-building natives, while others credit exploring Celts or Vikings.

first appeared: 11/2/2003

A 19th-century performer from Swanzey (pop. 6,800), Denman Thompson gained fame for his stage portrayal of Joshua Whitcomb, a New Hampshire farmer on a trip to New York City.

first appeared: 10/26/2003

The White Mountain National Forest was established in 1911 with the purchase of 7,000 acres in Benton (pop. 314). Today, the forest spans nearly 800,000 acres in New Hampshire and Maine.

first appeared: 10/19/2003

The nation’s oldest continuously-used mountain trail, the Crawford Path in the White Mountain National Forest, began as a footpath cut to the top of Mount Washington in 1819.

first appeared: 10/12/2003

The Mile Long Bridge that spanned the Hampton River from 1901 to 1949 was actually 540 feet short of a mile. The wooden bridge was supported by 3,865 wooden pilings driven deep into the sandy river bottom.

first appeared: 10/5/2003

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.