800-FUN-IN-NH
www.visitnh.gov

www.state.nh.us

 

 

 

 

#   Entered Union      Year Settled

9^th        June 21, 1788       1623

 

Nickname

Silver State

 

Rank   Population

41^st            1,315,809

 

Rank   Square Miles

46^th            9,350

 

State Bird

Purple Finch

 

State Flower

Purple Lilac

 

State Tree

American White Birch

 

State Motto

Live Free or Die

 

One of the original 13 states (it entered the Union in 1788), New Hampshire was named after the English county of Hampshire. New Hampshire is called the "Granite State" because of its numerous granite quarries; the nickname may also reflect the state's attachment to tradition and its history of a frugal government.

 

There are no general sales or individual income taxes, which fits with the state motto of "Live free or die." A relatively small state, New Hampshire plays a major role every four years in the presidential election, as it holds the first primary election. The capital is Concord.

 

Peace Treaties in Portsmouth

Two peace treaties have been signed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. One was signed before America gained its independence from the British and the other was signed almost 200 years later. Do you know the treaties?

 

From 1702 to 1713, Great Britain and France fought in the West Indies and in the Carolina and New England frontiers in Queen Anne's War. At the end of the war, the American Indians who had sided with the French surrendered to the British.

 

On July 13, 1713, representatives from the Indian tribes, Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire met in Portsmouth to sign a treaty. The Indians agreed not to fight the British anymore. This treaty is interesting in part because the Indian representatives signed their names in three languages: French, English, and their own, which is in pictograph, or drawn symbols.

 

Almost 200 years later, in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt held a peace conference in Portsmouth to help end The Russo-Japanese War. As a result, Japan and Russia signed the Treaty of Portsmouth. President Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

 

Northern Forest Heritage Park

There's plenty to do besides camping in White Mountain National Forest, such as fishing, hiking, spying on moose, and skiing. But it's also a good place to learn about local history. Within this New Hampshire National Forest is the Northern Forest Heritage Park. The park has a museum and other buildings that tell visitors about the local logging industry. In fact, Northern Forest Heritage Park runs the oldest continuous logging operation in the United States.

 

Considered a "working forest," the Northern Forest Heritage Park is located along the Androscoggin River. This was a major area in the logging and paper industry in the mid-19th and early-20th centuries. The Northern Forest offered a large supply of trees, and the Androscoggin River provided water power for the sawmills.

 

Immigrants from many countries including Norway, Russia, Ireland, and Italy worked in the mills. As a result, the area boomed and several companies were established to take advantage of the wood and paper industries. At the same time, efforts were made to keep a forest growing, including the establishment of the first industrial forestry program in the nation.

 

Next time you are in a forest, think about all the things you can do there, as well as all the natural resources around you.