Interesting, Strange and Weird New Hampshire Facts

New Hampshire Facts:

The 2 Letter Code Abbreviation for New Hampshire is "NH"
NH Still Has Only a Single Area Code for the Entire State: 603
The NH state animal was adopted in 1983 and is the white tailed deer. The white tailed deer has a white tail, throat and belly.
The NH state insect is the ladybug which was adopted in 1977.
The NH state butterfly is the Karner Blue, established in 1992.
The NH state tree is the white birch established in 1947.
The NH state sport is skiing and was adopted in 1998.
The NH State Flower is the Purple Lilac
The NH State Bird is the Purple Finch:

The Purple Finch:

The NH State Bird is the Purple Finch. The Purple Finch is not actually purple, but is a deep red color on the head and neck areas of the male birds. The Purple Finch is a small bird, about the same size as a sparrow (about 6" tall). The female Purple Finch has no red color. The head of the female Purple Finch is brown, and the body of the bird has dark brown streaks. The wings of both male and female Purple Finches are brown and their bellies are mostly a whitish color. The female Purple Finch has brown streaks on her belly.

NH State Flag:

More New Hampshire Facts...

The NH State Nickname is "The Granite State."The nickname came from the fact that most of the mountains are made of granite.
The NH State Motto is "Live Free or Die"
Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire
The Highest point in NH is Mt. Washington (6,288 feet)
The 2nd highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth was on top of Mount Washington - 231 MPH, set back April 12, 1934. NH's record was officially broken on January 25, 2010 when the World Meteorological Organization verified the highest recorded wind speed on Earth was actually 253 MPH and had occurred some 14 years before it was officially recognized on Barrow Island Australia in 1996.
There are 10 counties and 234 towns and cities in NH. See our list of New Hampshire towns and cities
NH's Major Industries are: Textiles, Tourism, Electronics and Computer Software
NH was the 9th state in the United States to become a state on 06/21/1788.
President Franklin Pierce hails from NH. He was born in Hillsboro in 11/23/1804. Pierce was the 14th president serving from 1853-1857.
The major rivers in NH are the Androscoggin, Connecticut and Merrimack.
The largest lake in NH is Lake Winnipesaukee
NH borders 3 states and a country: Maine to the east, Mass to the south, Vermont to the west and Canada top the north.
NH borders one body of water: the Atlantic Ocean.
State flag: The state flag came to be in 1909 but it was actually designed in 1784. The state flag displays the state seal on a dark blue background. The state seal has a picture of a ship that is sailing by a large granite rock and gliding on clear, blue water. The ship is surrounded by a circle with the words SEAL OF THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 1776 and also is accompanied by yellow leaves and 9 yellow stars that symbolize that NH was the 9th state.
NH has many wildlife including black bear, raccoon, skunks, woodchucks, muskrats, wild turkey, otters, coyotes, moose, white tailed deer, red and grey fox, bobcats, lynx, fisher cats, minks and weasels. View wildlife photos
New Castle is the smallest town in NH covering only .8 square miles.

2000 Census Statistics About NH:

Population: 1,235,786
Families: 323,651
Households: 474,606
Average family size: 3.03

NH Firsts:

Tupperware was invented in 1938 by Earl Tupper in Berlin NH.
The first women’s magazine editor in the nation was Sara Hale from Newport NH.
The first credit union in the nation was established in 1908 by Monsignor Pierre Harvy who was the pastor at St Mary’s Church.
The first in the nation primary was in 1920 at the Balsams Hotel in Dixville Notch NH.
The first state lottery in the country was done in 1964 by Governor John King who purchased the 1st ticket at Rockingham Park in Salem.
The largest American flag in the nation was made at t he Amoskeag Mills in Manchester NH in 1914 and is 90 feet long and 50 feet high.
The largest dwelling in a Shaker community happened in 1937. The Enfield Shakers built the Great Stone Dwelling which is 62 feet high.
The first American in space hails from Derry NH. Alan Shepard was born in 1961.
The oldest summer resort in America was built in 1768. Governor John Wentworth built the estate in Wolfeboro NH.
The largest private wild game preserve in North America was established in 1888 by Austin Corbin II from Newport. The preserve in 25,000 acres near Croydon Mountain.
The largest ice house in the world was built in 1890. The Fresh Fish Pond Ice Company from Brookline NH used 60,000 tons of ice.
The first snowmobile in the nation was invented by George Morton of Bartlett NH.
The oldest covered bridge in the nation was built in 1829 and is the Haverhill-Bath Covered Bridge.
The longest covered bridge is 460 feet long. The Cornish-Windsor Bridge connects Cornish, NH with Windsor, VT.
The very first potato was planted in the Londonderry NH in 1719
The first free public library was built in Peterborough in 1833.
NH had the first women’s strike in 1828 when 400 female workers walked out of the Dover Cotton factory.
The first alarm clock was invented by Levi Hutchins in Londonderry in 1787.
The first aerial passenger tram was built in Franconia Notch in 1938.

Current NH Politicians:

Governor: John Lynch (D)
Senate President: Sylvia Larsen (D)
Senate Republican Leader: Peter Bragdon
Speaker of the House- Terie Norelli (D)
House Republican Leader: Sherman Packard
Congress: Carol Shea Porter (D)
Paul Hodes (D)
Senator Judd Gregg (R)
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D)

Famous NH People & Actors from New Hampshire

Adam Sandler Attended High School in Manchester, NH
Alan Shepard "America's First Spaceman" Was Born in East Derry, NH.
Dan Brown who is the author of The Da Vinci Code.
Robert Frost who is a Pulitzer Prize poet.
Horace Greely is the founder of the New York Tribune.
Triple H is a professional wrestler from Nashua and graduated from Nashua High School.
Sarah Silverman is a comedienne.
J.D. Salinger is the author of Catcher in the Rye NH.
Mary Baker Eddy is the founder of Christian Science.
The author of Mary Had A Little Lamb, Sarah Joseph Hale, was born in 1830 in Newport NH.
Goody Cole was the only Witch ever convicted in NH

See More Famous People From New Hampshire!

Movies Filmed in New Hampshire

"On Golden Pond," was Filmed on Squam Lake in Holderness, NH.
"Jumanji" Which was Filmed in Keene and Swanzey, NH.
"The Cider House Rules" Which was Filmed in Hampton Falls, NH.
"The Good Son" Which was Filmed in North Conway and Conway Lake, NH.

Other Famous Connections

George Carlin: When actor/comedian George Carlin died from heart failure in June 2008, one of his last wishes included spreading a portion of his ashes in Spofford Lake in NH. Carlin spent many summers at Spofford Lake at Camp Notre Dame when he was a young boy. Every year winning the Camp Notre Dame drama award which was said that sparked his career in comedy and acting. One of his prize possessions was a necklace that won at the camp. He was even wearing it when he died. George Carlin was well known as the first host of Saturday Night Live.

Also see: List of Famous People From New Hampshire!

NH World Records

Pittsfield New Hampshire made the Guinness Book of World Records in a very unusual way, having the most people wearing Groucho Marx glasses at the same time! The town of Pittsfield NH claimed the Guinness World Record in July, 2001 as the place where the most number of people wore Groucho Marx glasses at the same time. 525 town residents got together for this world-record breaking event with great success. Before Pittsfield's attempt, no other town had tried to set the record. Since the record breaking event in July 2001, the record has been broken many times over. The record now stands at 4,077 for an event organized by the Leukemia and Lymphoma society of Springfield, Missouri, United States, on 9 July 2007.

Other Guinness Book of World Records:

2009- The world’s largest cupcake was built by Ryan Abood from Gourmet Gift Baskets in Manchester. The cupcake was 1,224 pounds, used 800 eggs and took 12 hours to bake.
2000- The world’s largest candy counter is Chutters in Littleton. It is 111 feet long, 3 tiers and 800 jars of delicious sweets.
The world’s largest arcade is Funspot in Laconia.
2009- The most people dressed as superheroes happened when 1,016 people showed up in costumes at Dartmouth Children’s hospital.
World's Largest Meatball! Mathew Mitnitsky, chef and owners of Nonni’s Italian Eatery in Concord, NH is credited for the 222 Lbs, 8 Oz. meatball. The meatball was donated to a non-profit group "The Friendly Kitchen.

NH Earthquakes:

There Have Been Over 200 Earthquakes Felt in New Hampshire in the 20th Century.

The Strongest Measured NH Earthquakes to Strike NH Came Only 4 Days Apart on December 20th and December 24, 1940, Each With a Magnitude of over 5.5, The Epicenter was near Tamworth, NH. and Felt Over an Area of 400,000 Square Miles!

NH Tornadoes:

Approximately 2 tornadoes are reported in New Hampshire each year. Most of these tornadoes have an intensity of F1 or F2 and cause localized damage.

The largest reported tornado to strike New Hampshire occurred in September 1821. This tornado, estimated at F4, had a path half a mile wide, killed 6 people and injured hundreds. The tornado also left thousands of people homeless in NH.

The southwestern portion of New Hampshire is considered a special wind hazard area as demonstrated by the high proportion of tornadoes and severe wind events that are experienced there every yearly. On July 3, 1997 several tornadoes struck this section of New Hampshire. An F1 tornado caused severe damage to trees in Swanzey NH, destroying a building and damaged the stables at the Cheshire Fairgrounds. At the same time an F2 tornado struck Greenfield New Hampshire, causing damage to a summer camp, the recycling center and completely destroying a lumber facility. Fortunately, no deaths resulted from these events.

2008 NH Tornado

An EF2 tornado in Deerfield, NH tore through the area of Northwood Lake on July 24, 2008 which unfortunately killed a 57 year old woman there in one of the 7 building collapses that occurred. The Tornado also went through Epsom, NH. It then went through Northwood NH, Pittsfield, NH, Barnstead, NH, Alton, NH, New Durham, NH, Wolfeboro NH, Freedom NH, Effingham NH and Ossipee NH. Over 200 homes were damaged and over a dozen people injured altogether. The tornado carved a path of destruction 50 miles long. The national average is only 5 miles long. The tornado was 1/3 mile wide in some areas and traveled at 45 mph, also above the national average of 35 mph. These above average factors will be studied by experts for many years as a result.

Watch Video of Tornado Damage | View Tornado Photos

Relocating an Entire Town: Hill Village NH:

In February 1937, residents of Hill Village NH learned that their village, near the Pemigewasset River, was to become a flood control reservoir for the Franklin Falls dam project. To accommodate the construction of the Franklin Falls Dam, the village of Hill NH was to be relocated. By January of 1940, the citizens of Hill NH formed an association, purchased land, and began planning a new model village with the help of the NH State Planning and Development Commission. Construction started in 1940, and by June of 1941 the new town hall and school were completed, along with the streets, water system, and 30 houses. The 1941 town meeting was called to order in the old town hall, recessed, and reconvened in the new village.