MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE; Incorporated: 1751

Origin: First known as Harrytown and Tyng's Town, the town was granted as Derryfield in 1751.

The name Manchester was suggested by Samuel Blodgett, a businessman who found that the Amoskeag Falls impeded shipping on the Merrimack River. After visiting Manchester, England, he was determined to build a canal like those in England.

The canal was first opened in May 1807. Mr. Blodgett's goal was to make the town a great city, and although he died in September 1807, it was renamed Manchester in 1810, and incorporated as a city in 1846
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Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 362 residents in 1790

Population Trends: Manchester continues to reign as the state's largest city, and was the first to reach 100,000 residents. Population increased by a total of 24,274 residents, the third largest increase, going from 82,732 in 1950 to 107,006 residents in 2000. But decennial growth rates were low, ranging from a one percent decrease between 1960-1970 to a nine percent increase between 1980-1990.

The 2003 Census estimate for Manchester was 108,871 residents, which ranked first among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2003: 3,270.3 persons per square mile of land area, the state's highest population density. Manchester contains 33.0 square miles of land area and 1.9 square miles of inland water area.