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75-683: Major cities in the Merrimack Valley include Concord , Manchester , and Nashua in New Hampshire, and Lowell , Lawrence , and Haverhill in Massachusetts. The Valley was a major center of the textile industry in the 19th century. The Merrimack Valley area in Massachusetts is a community of towns and cities flanking the Merrimack River along the New Hampshire border , a portion of which

150-504: A center for politics, law, healthcare, and insurance companies . Concord is located in south-central New Hampshire at 43°12′24″N 71°32′17″W  /  43.20667°N 71.53806°W  / 43.20667; -71.53806 (43.2070, −71.5371). It is 38 miles (61 km) north of the Massachusetts border, 40 miles (64 km) west of the Maine border, 54 miles (87 km) east of

225-402: A day between Boston and Concord. Since then, there has not been any passenger rail service to Concord. In 2021, Amtrak announced their plan to implement new service between Boston and Concord by 2035. Local bus service is provided by Concord Area Transit (CAT), with three routes through the city. Regional bus service provided by Concord Coach Lines and Greyhound Lines is available from

300-603: A division of BAE Systems Inc. and is one of the regions largest employers. Technology companies also have a large presence in the region, including mobile phone company Verizon , which is the largest private employer in Manchester. The financial industry is also a major employer, with Lincoln Financial in Concord and Fidelity Investments in Merrimack among the largest private employers. The area between Manchester, Nashua, and Salem

375-405: A low terrace to the west of the river, with residential neighborhoods climbing hills to the west and extending southwards towards the town of Bow. To the east of the Merrimack, atop a 100-foot (30 m) bluff, is a flat, sandy plain known as Concord Heights, which has seen most of the city's commercial development since 1960. The eastern boundary of Concord (with the town of Pembroke ) is formed by

450-410: A major local employer. Increased development pressure from Greater Boston and the proliferation of the automobile pushed development outside of Massachusetts Route 128 to Interstate 495 and up Routes 3 and 93 into southern New Hampshire, greatly increasing the populations of these communities over the postwar years. On September 13, 2018, several gas lines suffered leakage due to high pressure in

525-681: A popular building material for many monumental halls in the early United States, and Concord granite was used in the construction of both the New Hampshire State House and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In 1828, Lewis Downing joined J. Stephens Abbot to form Abbot and Downing . Their most famous product was their Concord coach , widely used in the development of the American West , and their enterprise largely boosted and changed

600-711: A private preparatory school ; NHTI , a two-year community college ; the New Hampshire Police Academy; and the New Hampshire Fire Academy. Concord's Old North Cemetery is the final resting place of Franklin Pierce , 14th President of the United States . Interstate 89 and Interstate 93 are the two main interstate highways serving the city, and general aviation access is via Concord Municipal Airport . The nearest airport with commercial air service

675-566: A successfully integrated cotton mill at Waltham , Massachusetts on the Charles River were looking for a site that offered more waterpower and the Pawtucket Falls offered what they needed. In 1821 they bought the Proprietors of Locks and Canals and with it the water rights of the Merrimack River upstream from the Pawtucket Falls. The Pawtucket Canal was deepened to become a power canal , and

750-553: Is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport , 23 miles (37 km) to the south. Concord's downtown underwent a significant renovation between 2015 and 2016, during the city's "Complete Streets Improvement Project". At a proposed cost of $ 12 million, the project promised to deliver on categories of maintenance to aging infrastructure , improved accessibility , increased sustainability , a safer experience for walkers, bikers and motorists alike, and to stimulate economic growth in an increasingly idle downtown. The main infrastructural change

825-536: Is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport , 23 miles (37 km) to the south. There has been no passenger rail service to Concord since 1981. Historically, the Boston and Maine Railroad served the city. The area that would become Concord was originally settled thousands of years ago by Abenaki Native Americans called the Pennacook . The tribe fished for migrating salmon , sturgeon , and alewives with nets strung across

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900-636: Is an average of 12 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually. The window for freezing temperatures on average begins on September 27 and expires on May 14. The monthly daily average temperature range from 20.6 °F (−6.3 °C) in January to 70.0 °F (21.1 °C) in July. Temperature extremes have ranged from −37 °F (−38 °C) in February 1943 to 102 °F (39 °C) in July 1966. See or edit raw graph data . U.S. Decennial Census As of

975-471: Is defined by a line approximately 3 miles (5 km) north and west of the Merrimack. The cities (marked with italics ) and towns in this area are: The population of the region in 2010 was 631,477, slightly more than that of Boston , and about one tenth of the state's. The Merrimack Valley contains a mixture of 19th-century industrial cities and mill complexes built to take advantage of the river's waterpower, modern suburbs (many built over towns dating from

1050-489: Is made up of its downtown, including its North End and South End neighborhoods, plus the four distinct villages of Penacook , Concord Heights, East Concord, and West Concord. Concord, as with much of New England, is within the humid continental climate zone ( Köppen Dfb ), with long, cold, snowy winters, warm (and at times humid) summers, and relatively brief autumns and springs. In winter, successive storms deliver moderate to at times heavy snowfall amounts, contributing to

1125-632: Is one of the largest private employers in the region, as is Philips , whose medical division is based in Andover. The defense industry also has had a major presence in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts-based Raytheon has several large plants and offices in the Merrimack Valley, and BAE Systems Inc. also employs many people. Due to its proximity to Boston, the region also serves as a bedroom community for employers in Boston. Many major highways (including I-93 , I-95 , and US 3 ) and several heavily used lines of

1200-516: Is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County . As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the 3rd most populous city in New Hampshire after Manchester and Nashua . The area was first settled by Europeans in 1659. On January 17, 1725, the Province of Massachusetts Bay granted the Concord area as the Plantation of Penacook, and it

1275-636: Is the oldest state house in which the legislature meets in its original chambers. The building was remodeled in 1866, and the third story and west wing were added in 1910. Across from the State House is the Eagle Hotel on Main Street, which has been a downtown landmark since its opening in 1827. U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant , Rutherford Hayes , and Benjamin Harrison all dined there, and Franklin Pierce spent

1350-584: The Amoskeag Falls downriver, connecting Concord with Boston by way of the Middlesex Canal . In 1808, Concord was named the official seat of state government, and in 1816 architect Stuart Park was commissioned to design a new capitol building for the state legislature on land sold to the state by local Quakers . Construction on the State House was completed in 1819, and it remains the oldest capitol in

1425-546: The Boston and Maine Railroad . The former Concord Station was located at what is now a Burlington department store on Storrs Street. The station itself was built in 1860, but the fourth and most famous iteration of the station was built in 1885, which had a brick head house designed by Bradford L. Gilbert . The head house was demolished in 1959 and replaced by a smaller "McGinnis Era" station. By 1967, all passenger rail services to Concord had been discontinued. For 13 months in 1980 and 1981, MBTA Commuter Rail ran two round trips

1500-554: The MBTA Commuter Rail system provide easy access to the city from the Merrimack Valley. Attractions include: Institutions of higher education include: While the textile industry that served as the underpinning of the Merrimack Valley has disappeared, the region has since transferred to other economic activities. Sanders Associates , a major defense contractor based in Nashua has, through several mergers and acquisitions, become

1575-423: The Massachusetts border. Henniker marks the western extent, and Nottingham the eastern. It includes parts of Hillsborough , Rockingham and Merrimack counties, namely the following towns and cities (in italics ): The state capital, Concord , and the state's two largest cities, Manchester and Nashua , are in the valley. Manchester has a large regional airport , with scheduled commercial services. To

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1650-697: The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center , a science museum named after Christa McAuliffe , the Concord teacher who died during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, and Alan Shepard , the Derry -born astronaut who was the second person and first American in space as well as the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon. Pawtucket Canal Completed in 1796, the Pawtucket Canal

1725-804: The Nashua Manufacturing Company in its namesake city. Lawrence was the site of the Bread and Roses strike , a landmark event in the history of labor relations in the United States. After World War II, the textile industry collapsed rapidly. After a few decades of stagnation, the " Massachusetts Miracle " came to the valley, bringing the headquarters of Wang Laboratories to Tewksbury, then Lowell. Apollo Computer located in Chelmsford and Nashua Corporation in Nashua moved beyond printing to computer products. The defense industry, for example, Raytheon in various sites and Sanders Associates in Nashua, became

1800-708: The New Hampshire Executive Council , Concord is in the 2nd District, represented by Cinde Warmington, the sole Democrat on the council. In the United States House of Representatives , Concord is in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district , represented by Democrat Ann McLane Kuster . New Hampshire Department of Corrections operates the New Hampshire State Prison for Men and New Hampshire State Prison for Women in Concord. Concord leans strongly Democratic in presidential elections;

1875-634: The Soucook River , a tributary of the Merrimack. The Turkey River winds through the southwestern quarter of the city, passing through the campus of St. Paul's School before entering the Merrimack River in Bow. In the northern part of the city, the Contoocook River enters the Merrimack at the village of Penacook. Concord is 16 miles (26 km) north of Manchester , New Hampshire's largest city, and 66 miles (106 km) north of Boston . The city of Concord

1950-632: The Vermont border, and 170 miles (270 km) south of the Canadian border at Pittsburg . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 67.2 square miles (174.0 km ). 64.0 square miles (165.7 km ) of it are land and 3.2 square miles (8.4 km ) of it are water, comprising 4.81% of the city. Concord is drained by the Merrimack River . Penacook Lake ,

2025-549: The census of 2020, there were 43,976 people residing in the city. The population density was 687.7 people per square mile (265.5 people/km ). At the 2010 Census there were 42,695 residents and 10,052 families in the city, as well as 18,852 housing units at an average density of 293.2 per square mile (113.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city in 2020 was 84.5% White , 4.9% Black or African American , 1.0% Native American , 4.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.4% from some other race , and 1.8% from two or more races. 4.9% of

2100-450: The legislature meets in its original chambers. Concord is entirely within the Merrimack River watershed and the city is centered on the river. The Merrimack runs from northwest to southeast through the city. The city's eastern boundary is formed by the Soucook River , which separates Concord from the town of Pembroke . The Turkey River passes through the southwestern quarter of the city. The city consists of its downtown , including

2175-476: The 17th century), and some relatively rural areas. The western part, including Greater Lowell and Haverhill–Lawrence–Methuen, is generally more urban than the eastern part. The entire Merrimack Valley region in Massachusetts is part of Greater Boston . Broader definitions for the region include other areas of Middlesex County , including the Route 2 corridor from Devens east to Lexington . Automobile travel through

2250-481: The Concord city charter , the mayor chairs the council, however has very few formal powers over the day-to-day management of the city. The actual operations of the city are overseen by the city manager , currently Thomas J. Aspell Jr. The current police chief is Bradley S. Osgood. In the New Hampshire Senate , Concord is in the 15th District, represented by Democrat Becky Whitley since December 2020. On

2325-481: The Concord Transportation Center at 30 Stickney Avenue next to Exit 14 on Interstate 93, with service south to Boston and points in between, as well as north to Littleton and northeast to Berlin . General aviation services are available through Concord Municipal Airport , located 2 miles (3 km) east of downtown. There is no commercial air service within the city limits; the nearest such airport

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2400-400: The Concord area during campaign season. The city also developed an identity within the emerging space industry , with the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center opening in 1990 to commemorate Alan Shepard , the first American in space from nearby Derry , and Christa McAuliffe , a teacher at Concord High School who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster . Today, Concord remains

2475-504: The Massachusetts section of the Merrimack Valley is served primarily by Interstate 495 . From Lowell and Lawrence, U.S. Route 3 and Interstate 93 , respectively, head north along the valley, joining in Manchester, New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, the Merrimack Valley Region is an area of the south-central part of the state, about 35 miles (56 km) wide, centered on the Merrimack River, and running from Canterbury south to

2550-535: The Merrimack navigable, such as the Pawtucket Canal at East Chelmsford, which became Lowell. While the Merrimack had been used for small manufacturing concerns for decades, in the early 1820s, a group of investors from Boston founded the city of Lowell, to take advantage of the 32-foot (9.8 m) drop of the Merrimack over the Pawtucket Falls . Lowell, the first large-scale planned textile center in America, remained

2625-630: The North End and South End neighborhoods, along with the four villages of Penacook , Concord Heights, East Concord, and West Concord. Penacook sits along the Contoocook River , just before it flows into the Merrimack. As of 2020, the top employer in the city was the State of New Hampshire, and the largest private employer was Concord Hospital . Concord is home to the University of New Hampshire School of Law , New Hampshire's only law school ; St. Paul's School ,

2700-500: The United States. The State Hospital continued to expand throughout the following decades, and in 1891 Concord Hospital opened its doors as Margaret Pillsbury General Hospital, the first general hospital in the state of New Hampshire. Concord's economy changed once again in the 20th century with the declining railroad and textile industry. The city developed into a center for national politics due to New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary, and many presidential candidates still visit

2775-414: The city economy in the mid-19th century. In subsequent years, Concord would also become a hub for the railroad industry, with Penacook a textile manufacturing center using water power from the Contoocook River . The city also around this time started to become a center for the emerging healthcare industry, with New Hampshire State Hospital opening in 1842 as one of the first psychiatric hospitals in

2850-523: The city from east to west. State routes 13 and 132 also serve the city: Route 13 leads southwest out of Concord towards Goffstown and Milford , while Route 132 travels north parallel to Interstate 93. New Hampshire Route 106 passes through the easternmost part of Concord, crossing I-393 and NH 9 before crossing the Soucook River south into the town of Pembroke . To the north, NH 106 leads to Loudon , Belmont and Laconia . Historically, Concord served as an important railroad terminal and station for

2925-576: The city limits. Interstate 89 links Concord with Lebanon and the state of Vermont to the northwest, while Interstate 93 connects the city to Plymouth , Littleton , and the White Mountains to the north and Manchester and Boston to the south. Interstate 393 is a spur highway leading east from Concord and merging with U.S. Route 4 as a direct route to New Hampshire's Seacoast region . North-south U.S. Route 3 serves as Concord's Main Street, while U.S. Route 202 and New Hampshire Route 9 cross

3000-507: The colonial era, using lumber floated downriver from the White Mountains . Its prominence was diminished when the Middlesex Canal was completed in the first quarter of the 19th century, allowing lumber to be shipped directly downriver from the White Mountains to Charlestown, Massachusetts , and improving connections between Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Prior to this time, other small canals had been built around falls and rapids to make

3075-405: The council-manager system. The city council consists of a mayor and 14 councilors, ten of which are elected to two-year terms representing each of the city wards, while the other four are elected at-large to four-year terms. The mayor is elected directly every two years. The current mayor as of 2024 is Byron Champlin, who was elected on November 7, 2023, with more than 75% of the vote. According to

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3150-497: The definition. Most large employers are in the sectors of health care and higher education . Institutes of higher learning include Hockey East rivals UMass Lowell and Merrimack College . The region was once a technology hub , reaching its peak during the 1970s and 1980s with corporations such as Wang Laboratories in Lowell among the largest technology employers, though it has since gone defunct. Software company Kronos Incorporated

3225-432: The downtown. Many power lines were buried, and street trees , colorful benches, art installations, and other green spaces were added, all allowing people to reclaim a space long dominated by cars. Main Street underwent serious traffic calming , including a road diet , increased diagonal parking, widening sidewalks, adding shared lane markings, adding trees, texturing medians and coloring crosswalks red. Another aspect of

3300-683: The east is the Seacoast Region , to the west is the Monadnock Region , and to the north is the Lakes Region . Interstate 93 bisects the region, which is also served by Interstate 293 , U.S. Route 3 , and many New Hampshire state highways. The original settlers of the Merrimack Valley were various tribes of the Pennacook Indians. The river provided an easy means of transportation, an exceptional source of salmon as well as other fish, and

3375-420: The estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $ 52,695, and the median income for a family was $ 73,457. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 49,228 versus $ 38,782 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 29,296. About 5.5% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. In 2020,

3450-647: The fall of 2002, brings independent films and filmmakers to Concord and has provided an outlet for local filmmakers to display their films. SNOB Film Festival was a catalyst for the building in 2007 of Red River Theatres, a locally owned, nonprofit, independent cinema named after the 1948 film featuring John Wayne. Other sites of interest include the Capitol Center for the Arts , the New Hampshire Historical Society , which has two facilities in Concord, and

3525-654: The first of its kind in the United States . However, within a decade of its construction the Middlesex Canal was completed, connecting the Merrimack directly with Boston , Massachusetts . Bringing goods directly to Boston was more advantageous for merchants, and the Pawtucket Canal fell out of favor for inland transport. The investors in the Boston Manufacturing Company having successfully built upon Francis Cabot Lowell and Paul Moody 's work in building

3600-503: The land along the river banks was suitable for hunting and sometimes farming. The earliest European records of the river date to a French expedition under Pierre du Guast, Sieur de Monts, in 1605. By 1629, the British were moving into the area, and a land grant delineated by the river was made to a Jonathan Wheelwright in 1629. The city of Newburyport , first settled in 1635, at the river's mouth, became an important shipbuilding center during

3675-608: The larger remaining orchards include Apple Hill, Cider Hill, Long Hill Orchard, Mann Orchards, and Smolak Farms. Apple picking is a popular pastime in the Merrimack Valley during the late summer and fall months. The Merrimack Valley's leading boarding schools, such as Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts; Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts; St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire; and The Governor's Academy in Newbury, Massachusetts, provide cultural institutions to

3750-406: The largest lake in the city and its main source of water, is in the west. The highest point in Concord is 860 feet (260 m) above sea level on Oak Hill, just west of the hill's 970-foot (300 m) summit in neighboring Loudon . Concord lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed and is centered on the river, which runs from northwest to southeast through the city. Downtown is located on

3825-513: The last Republican nominee to carry the city was then Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1988. Voter turnout was 72.7% in the 2020 general election, down from 76.2% in 2016, but still above the 2020 national turnout of 66.7%. Newspapers and journals Radio The city is otherwise served by Manchester area stations . New Hampshire Public Radio is headquartered in Concord. Television The New Hampshire State House , designed by architect Stuart Park and constructed between 1815 and 1818,

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3900-653: The last half of her life. The first published poet of the New World , she died in North Andover in 1672. In Haverhill and Amesbury , the family of John Greenleaf Whittier settled. Mr. Whittier was so well thought of during his lifetime, his birthday was celebrated as a national holiday. Lawrence is the birthplace of actress Thelma Todd , composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein and actor/singer Robert Goulet . Robert Frost spent his teenage years there, as did his future wife, Elinor Miriam White. They were co-valedictorians (1892) at Lawrence High School. Actress Bette Davis and

3975-409: The most expensive offenders, the budget ended up at $ 14.2 million, with the project actually coming in $ 1.1 million below that. Although adding final aesthetic touches with the extra money were debated, the city council ended up deciding to save for financially straining years ahead. The design was carried out by McFarland Johnson, IBI Group, and City of Concord Engineering. Concord is governed via

4050-538: The nation in which the state's legislative branches meet in their original chambers. Concord was also named the seat of Merrimack County in 1823, and the Merrimack County Courthouse was constructed in 1857 in the North End at the site of the Old Town House. In the early 19th century, much of the city's economy was dominated by furniture -making, printing, and granite quarrying ; granite had become

4125-760: The nation's largest into the 1850s. Textile production spread up and down the Merrimack Valley in both states for the next century, but eventually was eclipsed after the Second World War . Manchester's Amoskeag Mills was once the largest cotton textile plant in the world. Other major textile companies based in the Merrimack Valley included the Merrimack Manufacturing Company in Lowell, the American Woolen Company in Lawrence (headquarters moved to Andover in 1919), Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, and

4200-505: The new construction was adding heated sidewalk capabilities, utilizing excess steam from the local Concord Steam plant, and minimizing sand and snow blowing needed during the winter months. Funding for Complete Streets came from a combination of $ 4,710,000 from a USDOT TIGER grant and the rest from the City of Concord. The project was initially proposed as costing $ 7,850,000, but ran over budget due to overambitious ideas. After scrapping some of

4275-453: The night before departing for his inauguration. Other well-known guests included Jefferson Davis , Charles Lindbergh , Eleanor Roosevelt , Richard M. Nixon (who carried New Hampshire in all three of his presidential bids), and Thomas E. Dewey . The hotel closed in 1961. South from the Eagle Hotel on Main Street is Phenix Hall, which replaced "Old" Phenix Hall, which burned in 1893. Both

4350-674: The north end of Main Street is the Pierce Manse , in which President Franklin Pierce lived in Concord before and following his presidency. The mid-1830s Greek Revival house was moved from Montgomery Street to North Main Street in 1971 to prevent its demolition. Beaver Meadow Golf Course, located in the northern part of Concord, is one of the oldest golf courses in New England. Besides this golf course, other important sporting venues in Concord include Everett Arena and Memorial Field. The SNOB (Somewhat North Of Boston) Film Festival, started in

4425-642: The old and new buildings featured multi-purpose auditoriums used for political speeches, theater productions, and fairs. Abraham Lincoln spoke at the old hall in 1860; Theodore Roosevelt , at the new hall in 1912. North on Main Street is the Walker-Woodman House, also known as the Reverend Timothy Walker House, the oldest standing two-story house in Concord. It was built for the Reverend Timothy Walker between 1733 and 1735. On

4500-460: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010 there were 17,592 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were headed by married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4575-558: The public, including the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology in Andover. The Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts is divided into three New England city and town areas (NECTAs) by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget : Lowell–Billerica–Chelmsford, MA–NH; Lawrence–Methuen Town–North Andover, MA–NH; and Haverhill–Newburyport–Amesbury Town, MA–NH. The M3 Coalition serves several towns that expand

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4650-544: The rapids of the Merrimack River . The stream was also the transportation route for their birch bark canoes, which could travel from Lake Winnipesaukee to the Atlantic Ocean. The broad sweep of the Merrimack River valley floodplain provided good soil for farming beans , gourds , pumpkins , melons and maize . The area was first settled by Europeans in 1659 as Penacook, after the Abenaki word "pannukog" meaning "bend in

4725-407: The relatively reliable snow cover. In addition, lows reach below 0 °F (−18 °C) on an average 15 nights per year, and the city straddles the border between USDA Hardiness Zone 5b and 6a. However, thaws are frequent, with one to three days per month with 50 °F (10 °C)+ highs from December to February. Summer can bring stretches of humid conditions as well as thunderstorms, and there

4800-503: The river," referencing the steep bends of the Merrimack River through the area. On January 17, 1725, the Province of Massachusetts Bay , which then claimed territories west of the Merrimack, granted the Concord area as the Plantation of Penacook. It was settled between 1725 and 1727 by Captain Ebenezer Eastman and others from Haverhill, Massachusetts . On February 9, 1734, the town was incorporated as "Rumford", from which Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford , would take his title. It

4875-429: The shipment of inland goods, mostly lumber , to the mouth of the Merrimack and Newburyport, Massachusetts . Newburyport was then one of the largest shipbuilding centers in New England , and a steady supply of wood from New Hampshire was critical to its industry. The original canal was built by wealthy Boston merchants who formed a limited liability corporation called the Proprietors of Locks and Canals , one of

4950-420: The site of Pennacook Falls. Concord grew in prominence throughout the 18th century, and some of the earliest houses from this period survive at the northern end of Main Street . In the years following the Revolution , Concord's central geographical location made it a logical choice for the state capital, particularly after Samuel Blodget in 1807 opened a canal and lock system to allow vessels passage around

5025-444: The top employer in the city remained the State of New Hampshire, with over 6,000 employed workers, while the largest private employer was Concord Hospital, with just under 3,000 employees. According to the City of Concord's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top 10 employers in the city for the Fiscal Year 2020 were: Interstate 89 and Interstate 93 are the two main interstate highways serving Concord, and join just south of

5100-437: The tubes of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts , causing several fires and explosions , and homes were evacuated. The Merrimack River Valley is considered the "Valley of the Poets" by some local artists and poets. Anne Bradstreet was a founding mother of three towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony : Boston , Cambridge (then Newtowne), and the original Andover Parish, known now as North Andover , where she lived and wrote for

5175-405: The writer Jack Kerouac were born in Lowell. West Newbury is the birthplace of John Cena , a WWE professional wrestler, actor, former rapper, and television personality. The Merrimack Valley is one of the few places in the United States where the card game Forty-fives is popular. The Merrimack Valley was once home to numerous apple and fruit orchards, of which several still remain. Some of

5250-411: Was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males. For the period 2009–2011,

5325-426: Was incorporated on February 9, 1734, as the Town of Rumford. Governor Benning Wentworth gave the city its current name in 1765 following a boundary dispute with the neighboring town of Bow ; the name was meant to signify the new harmony between the two towns. In 1808, Concord was named the official seat of state government, and the State House was completed in 1819; it remains the oldest U.S. state capitol wherein

5400-682: Was once described as the "Golden Triangle" of New Hampshire. The name was due to job growth that fueled a housing boom and led to the creation of several major new retail centers, including the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, and the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua. This area contains roughly 30% of the population of New Hampshire. Attractions include: Institutions of higher education include: Concord, New Hampshire Concord ( / ˈ k ɒ ŋ k ər d / )

5475-539: Was originally built as a transportation canal to circumvent the Pawtucket Falls of the Merrimack River in East Chelmsford, Massachusetts . In the early 1820s it became a major component of the Lowell power canal system. with the founding of the textile industry at what became Lowell . The Pawtucket Falls are a mile long series of falls and rapids over which the Merrimack River drops 32 feet. The falls hampered

5550-469: Was reducing the four-lane street (two in each direction) to two lanes plus a turning lane in the center. The freed-up space would contribute to extra width for bikes to ride in either direction, increased curb size and an added median where there is no need for a turning lane. Concord opted to add shared lane markings for bikes, rather than a dedicated protected bike lane . By adding curb space, this project created new opportunities for pedestrians to enjoy

5625-473: Was renamed "Concord" in 1765 by Governor Benning Wentworth following a bitter boundary dispute between Rumford and the town of Bow ; the city name was meant to reflect the new concord, or harmony, between the disputant towns. Citizens displaced by the resulting border adjustment were given land elsewhere as compensation. In 1779, New Pennacook Plantation was granted to Timothy Walker Jr. and his associates at what would be incorporated in 1800 as Rumford, Maine ,

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