Interesting, Strange and Weird New Hampshire Facts

New Hampshire Facts:

• The NH State Tree is the Paper Birch or "White Birch"

• The NH State Flower is the Purple Lilac

• The NH State Nickname is "The Granite State"

• The NH State Motto is "Live Free or Die"

• The Highest Point in NH is Mt. Washington (6,288 feet)

• The Highest Wind Speed Ever Recorded on Earth was on top of Mount Washington - 231 MPH!

• There are 234 towns and cities in NH. See our list of New Hampshire towns and cities

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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, 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 Photos

Relocating an Entire Town: Hill Village NH:

In February 1937, Hill Village NH residents 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.