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Units of New Hampshire History
Unit 1: New Hampshire Geography
Find It!

Find It! New Hampshire Geography

All the resources that appear in this unit are gathered here for you—the photographs, maps, objects, audiovisuals, documents, videos, biographies, and vocabulary words. Click on the image below to see a larger view of each resource with more information about each one. On some of the resources you can even zoom in and get a closer look. So go ahead, dive in, and explore. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking like a historian.

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Can you help Mason find these items on the page and answer the questions?

Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Photograph/Print

Sailing on New Hampshire’s Lakes

undated

Caption:

Recreational sailing and racing on New Hampshire's lakes have a history of more than a century.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Flooded Car

1936

Caption:

In March 1936, it rained for two straight weeks, resulting in massive flooding. The floods wiped out roads, dams, and buildings all over New England. It was the worst flooding in 14,000 years. This car was flooded out in Ossipee Valley, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Physical Features

2010

Caption:

The Earth is made up of many physical features, which are large land forms or bodies of water.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user ch ivk

Photograph/Print

Geography Game

2013

Caption:

Students play a game to test their geography skills. Geography is the study of the physical, biological, and cultural features of Earth's surface.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Blue Plover

Photograph/Print

Asquam Lake

Charles H. Sawyer

1928

Caption:

This photographic print is of Asquam Lake (now Squam Lake) in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Crawford Notch

Charles H. Sawyer

1928

Caption:

This photographic print is of Crawford Notch in the White Mountains.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Little Boar's Head Beach in Hampton

O. H. Copeland

circa 1870s

Caption:

This photo shows Little Boar's Head beach in Hampton, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Lakes

circa 2000s

Caption:

New Hampshire has over 1,300 lakes and ponds. They are used for drinking water and recreation, not to mention supporting all of the plant and animal life around them. Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the state. Lakes of the Clouds, which is actually a set of small glacier lakes between Mount Monroe and Mount Washington, is the smallest. This postcard is of Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Center Harbor in the Fall

circa 2000s

Caption:

Postcards are a great way for people to remember the places they have visited, or to share stories of their adventures with friends and family. Postcards are typically 5 inches by 4 inches and have an image on one side, and space to write a message and an address on the other. This postcard is of Center Harbor, NH, in the fall.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Pier in Gilford

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

North Conway in Winter

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Cathedral Ledge, North Conway

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Enjoying A Day at the Beach

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Mount Chocorua

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Mount Washington State Park

circa 2000s

Caption:

Mount Washington has been a popular tourist spot since the early 1800s. At one point there were even several hotels on the summit, so that visitors could stay overnight. By the middle of the 20th century, these hotels had burned down or closed. The state of New Hampshire bought the land on the summit in 1964 and turned it into a state park. They added a large visitors' center with restrooms, a cafeteria, and even a post office. There are also many observation decks where, on a clear day, you can see as far as 130 miles away to Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Meredith in the Fall

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Mountains

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Hampton Beach

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Boardwalk at Hampton Beach

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

City of Manchester

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Franconia Notch

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Rattle River Bridge After Flood

circa 1936

Caption:

In the spring of 1936, too much rain fell too quickly. Rivers quickly overflowed and flooded many New Hampshire towns and cities. The floods were so powerful that some currents washed entire bridges away, like this one.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Trees in Flood

1927

Caption:

When there is too much rain, rivers rise over their banks and flood the countryside, streets, and towns. This photo shows a flood in 1927 somewhere in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Downed Trees in Nashua

circa 1938

Caption:

For such a small state, New Hampshire certainly experiences some wild weather. Storms with winds powerful enough to rip up trees sometimes occur throughout the state. This photo might have been taken after the hurricane of 1938.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Cars on a Flooded Street

1938

Caption:

The biggest hurricane to ever hit New Hampshire was in 1938. The winds were over 100 miles per hour with heavy rains. The storm destroyed many buildings, flooded the fields and roads, and knocked down hundreds of thousands of trees.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Hurricane Aftermath on Park Street

1938

Caption:

While most hurricanes hit states like Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana, the biggest hurricane to ever hit New Hampshire was in September 1938. It destroyed many buildings throughout the state and blew down hundreds of thousands of trees in New Hampshire, like these trees blown down in front of the State House in Concord.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Large Tree Down After Hurricane

1938

Caption:

While most hurricanes hit states like Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana, the biggest hurricane to ever hit New Hampshire was in September 1938. It had winds of over 100 miles per hour and blew down hundreds of thousands of trees all over the state.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

A Shoveled Path

1921

Caption:

Large snow storms hit New Hampshire every winter, sometimes dropping several feet of snow! It often takes a lot of work for people to dig themselves out after one of these storms.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Snow Plowing

1948

Caption:

Large snow storms hit New Hampshire every winter, sometimes dropping several feet of snow! Thankfully there are plows to help move the snow out of the way on roads.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Horse-drawn Snow Roller

circa 1900–1950

Caption:

Before there were plow trucks, the only way to clear the roads after a big snow storm was to use a horse-drawn snow roller, which would crush the snow down and create a smooth path.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Buildings on Mount Washington in Winter

Clough & Kimball

circa 1870–1871

Caption:

Mount Washington is home to the “World’s Worst Weather.” As the tallest summit in the northeast, Mount Washington experiences some pretty intense snow storms during the winter.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Milk Truck in Ice Tunnel

Peter Blakely, UPI

1986

Caption:

When rain falls and freezes almost immediately, it creates ice on every surface. Branches covered in ice often lean into the road and sometimes fall down because of the heavy weight of the ice. This truck had to avoid the ice in Dublin, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Tree Service Company Trims Limbs

Peter Blakely, UPI

1986

Caption:

Ice storms tend to cause power outages because the ice weighs down power lines and tree branches, causing them to fall. This sometimes calls for tree service companies to come and remove branches that are too close to power lines. This crew is taking care of branches near Dublin, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Ice Storm in Portsmouth

L.V. Newell & Company

1886

Caption:

One strong ice storm swept through Portsmouth in the winter of 1886. This is a photograph of people wandering around their neighborhood after the storm.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Surveying the Land

Ralph C. Larrabee

1923

Caption:

Special tools were created to help people survey the land. This is a photograph of a man using a tripod to measure a piece of land.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Surveying the Boundary

1891

Caption:

Special tools were created to help people survey the land. This is a photograph of a group of men measuring a field with tripods to map the boundary between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. They are in Hinsdale, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Surveyor in Woods

2008

Caption:

Special tools were created to help people survey the land. These tools, like the tripod, are still used today.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior

Photograph/Print

Snow Covered Trees

circa 1920–1986

Caption:

Large snow storms hit New Hampshire every winter, sometimes dropping several feet of snow! The snow can be pretty to look at and fun to play in, but it is a lot of work to clean up after a snow storm.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Collecting Maple Syrup

circa 1906–1987

Caption:

Collecting sap from sugar maple trees to make maple syrup has been a New Hampshire tradition for thousands of years. The sap runs through the trees when there are temperatures above freezing during the day and below freezing at night, so maple syrup season is one of the earliest signs of spring.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Aerial View After Hurricane

1938

Caption:

This photograph shows Pine Island Park, an amusement park in Manchester, after the hurricane of 1938.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Marshes at Hampton Beach

Curt Teich & Company

1925

Caption:

This is a postcard of the marshes near Hampton Beach. Marshes are a type of wetland, and are often found in southern New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Weather in New Hampshire

SE Viera Photo

circa 2020

Caption:

Each year, New Hampshire experiences the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Although each season has typical weather, sometimes the state’s weather can get a little wild.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Fall in New Hampshire

John Anderson

circa 2020

Caption:

In the fall, the leaves on New Hampshire's many trees change color to shades of red, yellow, and orange. Leaf peeping, or the taking of a trip to enjoy the many colors of the trees, is an activity that Granite Staters and tourists enjoy every year.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Wildflowers in a Field

Terri

2020

Caption:

Wildflowers, like these purple lupine, are flowers that grow on their own in the wild. Wildflowers often grow in grasslands, where the land is flat, and where there are very few trees and shrubs.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Forests

circa 2020

Caption:

New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the country, after Maine, with 80% of the state being covered with trees.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

The Flume Painting

Samuel Lancaster Gerry

1882

Caption:

This painting of The Flume was done by a well-known White Mountain artist, Samuel Lancaster Gerry. It shows the Flume with the boulder suspended between the natural stone walls of the gorge. The boulder was washed away by a landslide in 1883.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Winter in New Hampshire

circa 1983–1987

Caption:

New Hampshire gets about 60 inches of snow each year, although it varies from place to place in the state.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Stone Quarries, New Hampshire

American Stereoscopic Company

1897

Caption:

New Hampshire is famous for its granite. Almost half of the bedrock—the layer underneath the soil—in New Hampshire is granite. Granite is an igneous rock, which means that it is formed through the melting and cooling of lava.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Photograph/Print

Four Seasons

George Hodan

undated

Caption:

New Hampshire has four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall, which is also called autumn.

Image Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire's State Flower, Lilacs

Iva

undated

Caption:

The purple lilac has been the state flower of New Hampshire since 1919. Lilacs were brought from England to New Hampshire during the colonial period. New Hampshire's first royal governor, Benning Wentworth, had lilacs planted at his home in Portsmouth in 1750.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Planet Earth

WikiImages

undated

Caption:

Everything on the planet Earth is connected—human, plant, and animal life.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Photograph/Print

View from Lewis Nute Farm

Frank H. Shapleigh

1880

Caption:

New Hampshire's geography supports many types of plant and animal life. This painting of a farm in Milton, NH, shows how diverse the landscape can be. Animals graze in the fields and the village of Farmington is shown in the distance.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Newfound Lake

Charles H. Sawyer

1928

Caption:

New Hampshire has almost 1,000 lakes larger than 10 acres and more than 3,000 small ponds. These lakes are important ecological systems and are used for recreation and, in some cases, for drinking water.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Lake Winnipesaukee

John Badger Bachelder

circa 1855–1875

Caption:

At 69 square miles, Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire and the third-largest lake in New England. It was formed by glaciers and has at least 264 islands, some of them very small. Winnipesaukee has been a popular tourist destination since the mid-1800s.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Cutting Ice

Arthur Rothstein

1936

Caption:

Before refrigerators and freezers were invented, people harvested ice from New Hampshire's lakes and ponds and stored it year-round to keep their food cold. This is from a series of photos of an ice harvest in Coos County.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Photograph/Print

Hauling Ice

Arthur Rothstein

1936

Caption:

Before refrigerators and freezers were invented, people harvested ice from New Hampshire's lakes and ponds and stored it year-round to keep their food cold. Once the blocks were cut, they were hauled to the ice house for storage by horse and wagon, or later by truck.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Photograph/Print

Measuring Ice Blocks

1936

Caption:

Before refrigerators and freezers were invented, people harvested ice from New Hampshire's lakes and ponds and stored it year-round to keep their food cold. The first step is to measure and cut the blocks of ice.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Photograph/Print

Ice Saw

Arthur Rothstein

1936

Caption:

Before refrigerators and freezers were invented, people harvested ice from New Hampshire's lakes and ponds and stored it year-round to keep their food cold. A special ice saw was used to cut through the ice, which had to be at least six inches thick.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

An Indian Summer Morning in the White Mountains

Photograph/Print

An Indian Summer Morning in the White Mountains

Jasper Francis Cropsey

1857

Caption:

This painting is an important example of White Mountain art, showing New Hampshire's beautiful mountain landscapes and vibrant fall colors.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Currier Museum of Art

Photograph/Print

Celia Thaxter in Her Garden

Childe Hassam

1892

Caption:

The author Celia Thaxter lived on Appledore Island, one of the Isles of Shoals. She loved nature and had a beautiful flower garden. Her flowers were used to decorate the hotel on the island.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Photograph/Print

Robert Frost

circa 1910–1920

Caption:

Robert Frost was one of the most famous poets of the 20th century. At different times during his life, he lived on a farm in Derry, NH, and later in Franconia, NH. He won four Pulitzer Prizes, one of the most important prizes for writers, including one for his book of poems called New Hampshire.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Photograph/Print

Camp Chocorua

Illustration by William Allen Rogers in the magazine St. Nicholas

1886

Caption:

Camp Chocorua on Squam Lake was the first children's overnight summer camp in New Hampshire and one of the first in the country. It was founded by Ernest Balch, a student at Dartmouth College, in 1881. This illustration shows Balch and the campers in the camp's outdoor chapel. Balch's ideas about summer camps were really important in helping to start the summer camp movement, and New Hampshire still has many summer camps today.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Boating Instruction

circa 1958–1978

Caption:

New Hampshire's Lakes Region has many overnight summer camps for kids. Kids from all over the country spend the summer learning about outdoor sports like boating. These kids are learning how to paddle a canoe.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Canoeing at Camp

circa 1958–1978

Caption:

Every summer, kids come from all over the country to spend time at one of New Hampshire's many summer camps in the Lakes Region. The lakes offer a great opportunity to swim and boat.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Swimming at Camp

circa 1937–1977

Caption:

Every summer, kids come from all over the country to spend time at one of New Hampshire's many summer camps in the Lakes Region. The lakes offer a great opportunity to learn how to swim.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Swimming and Diving at Camp

circa 1958

Caption:

New Hampshire's Lakes Region has many overnight summer camps for kids. Kids come from all over the country to spend time in nature without phones, TVs, or other screens. The lakes offer a great opportunity to swim and dive.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Beaver

Ilkka

undated

Caption:

Beavers are mammals that live all over North America. They live on land but like wet environments, so they can be found in New Hampshire's wetlands. The Abenaki hunted beavers and used the pelts for clothing and blankets. When Europeans came to New Hampshire, they traded with the Abenaki for beaver pelts and hunted beavers themselves. Beavers were hunted so much that they almost became extinct, but now they are plentiful in New Hampshire again.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Brook Trout, the State Freshwater Fish

Eric Isselée

undated

Caption:

Brook trout live in New Hampshire's rivers and streams. Since 1994, brook trout have been the official state freshwater fish.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

White-Tailed Deer, the State Animal

Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service

undated

Caption:

The white-tailed deer is a mammal native to North and South America. About 100,000 of them live in New Hampshire. They can live in a variety of habitats, especially New Hampshire's forests. Since 1993, the white-tailed deer has been the official state animal.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Photograph/Print

Moose

undated

Caption:

The moose is the largest land mammal in New Hampshire. There are 3,000 to 4,000 moose all over the state, but mostly in the Great North Woods. Their population has changed a lot over time, from fewer than 15 in the mid-1800s to almost 7,500 in the late 1990s. Today moose are in danger from climate change, disease, and threats to their habitat.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock user Paul (no last name)

Photograph/Print

Red-Spotted Newt, the State Amphibian

ondreicka

undated

Caption:

Red-spotted newts live in wetlands all over New Hampshire. In 1985, red-spotted newts were named New Hampshire's official state amphibian, thanks to efforts by Granite State high school students.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Purple Finch, the State Bird

William Parnell

undated

Caption:

The purple finch has been the official state bird of New Hampshire since 1957. They are not really purple. The male is a reddish or raspberry color on its head and shoulders while the female has brown and white feathers. They like to live in the forests, and people often confuse them with house finches, a similar type of bird.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Quahog (clam)

uckyo

undated

Caption:

Quahogs are a type of hard-shell clam that live buried in the sand along New Hampshire's shore. They are also found all along the eastern shores of North America and Central America, from Canada to the eastern coast of Mexico. Native Americans used the inside of the shells for wampum beads. Quahogs are a source of food and they also help filter the seawater.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Photograph/Print

Snow Roller

circa 1920

Caption:

Although automobiles had become popular in New Hampshire by 1920, people couldn't drive them in the winter because of the snow. Instead, towns used giant rollers pulled by horses to flatten the snow on the roads, which allowed sleds and sleighs to glide across them on runners, which were almost like giant skis. By 1930, most towns had started removing the snow from the roads so that people could use their cars all year long.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Goffstown Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Blizzard

Caption:

Blizzards happen when cold, polar air mixes with warm, southern air. They have winds over 35 miles per hour and the snow makes it hard to see and dangerous to drive. The climate of New Hampshire—and the world—is changing faster than it should. If it keeps changing, and global warming gets worse, we could see more extreme weather events such as blizzards.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock user nd700

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire, 1799

1799

Caption:

Map of New Hampshire dated 1799. The map shows mountains, waterways, towns, and cities.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire, 1761

Joseph Blanchard and Samuel Langdon, engraved by Thomas Jefferys

1761

Caption:

This was the first printed map devoted to New Hampshire. The map was made for New Hampshire's royal governor, Benning Wentworth, and shows how New Hampshire expanded its territory into what is now Vermont.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Cardinal Directions

2011

Caption:

Cardinal direction is shown in the four main directions featured on a compass rose: north, south, east, and west.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user ElfQrin

Maps & Charts

Compass Rose

1737

Caption:

A compass rose is a symbol that represents a compass. This symbol shows cardinal and intermediate directions.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Earth's Seven Continents

2007

Caption:

This map shows the Earth's seven continents.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user AlexCovarrubias

Maps & Charts

Equator

2006

Caption:

This map shows the world's equator, which is an imaginary line that runs east-west around the middle of the Earth and represents zero degrees latitude.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Cburnett

Maps & Charts

Latitude

2007

Caption:

This map shows the Earth's lines of latitude, which is the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees, and is represented by invisible parallel lines running east to west around the Earth.

Image Credit: Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman, donated to the Wikimedia Foundation

Maps & Charts

Longitude

2007

Caption:

This map shows the Earth's lines of longitude, which is the distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees, and is represented by invisible lines running north to south around Earth.

Image Credit: Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman, donated to the Wikimedia Foundation

Maps & Charts

Map Key

J. R. Goodno

1836

Caption:

A map key, which is an explanation of abbreviations or symbols used on a map, is often located in the top or bottom corners of a map.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Prime Meridian

2005

Caption:

This map shows the Earth's prime meridian, which is the imaginary line that runs north to south around the middle of Earth and represents zero degrees longitude.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Kmf164

Maps & Charts

Map Showing Human Features

2019

Caption:

This map, taken at night by Google Earth, shows the geographic features that humans have made in the United States. A human feature is an element added to Earth's surface by people, usually to provide shelter, create borders, or support transportation.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

Map Scale

1737

Caption:

Scales are tools that show how distances should be measured on a map.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Earth's Hemispheres

2005

Caption:

This map shows the the Earth split horizontally to represent the Earth's hemispheres. The northern and southern hemispheres are split by the equator and the eastern and western hemispheres are split by the prime meridian.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Kmf164

Maps & Charts

Earth's Five Oceans

2007

Caption:

This is a map of the Earth's five oceans.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Quizimodo

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Town Boundaries

2019

Caption:

This map shows the borders of all of the towns in New Hampshire, and its ten counties.

Image Credit: NH GRANIT database, Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire

Maps & Charts

Concord at Night

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of Concord, NH, and the surrounding towns at night.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

Bird's-Eye View of Concord

2019

Caption:

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

The World

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of the world.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New England at Night

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of the states that make up the region of New England at night.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New England

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images display the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of the states that make up the region of New England.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire at Night

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of New Hampshire at night.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Counties

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows the counties in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire

2019

Caption:

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

North America with National Borders

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of the many countries that make up the continent of North America and their borders.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

North America

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of North America.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

The United States

2019

Caption:

Google Earth images displays the different continents on a rounded Earth and gives the ability to zoom in to specific continents, countries, and cities. This image shows a map of the United States.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Map

2010

Caption:

New Hampshire has ten counties that make up the state. Each county contains many towns and a few cities.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user DieBuche

Maps & Charts

United States Map

2007

Caption:

This map represents the 50 states that make up the United States in grayscale.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Theshibboleth

Maps & Charts

North America Map

2007

Caption:

North America is made up of three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This map shows these three countries, as well as their state and province borders.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Alan Rockefeller

Maps & Charts

Map of the World

2006

Caption:

This map shows the seven continents of the world on a flat map.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Canuckguy

Maps & Charts

The United States at Night

2019

Caption:

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Topographical Map

2020

Caption:

New Hampshire is well known for its vast mountain ranges, especially those in the White Mountains region. This is a map that shows where these mountains are located throughout the state.

Image Credit: NH GRANIT Database, Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, and New Hampshire Historical Society. Topographic data added by New Hampshire Historical Society staff.

New Hampshire Topographical Map with Land Types

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Topographical Map with Land Types

2020

Caption:

For such a small state, New Hampshire has many different types of land. These land types impact the weather and climate, and what types of plants and animals live there.

Image Credit: NH GRANIT Database, Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, and New Hampshire Historical Society. Topographic and land type data added by New Hampshire Historical Society staff.

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Regions

2019

Caption:

This map shows the borders of all of the towns in New Hampshire, and its seven regions.

Image Credit: NH GRANIT Database, Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, and New Hampshire Historical Society. Regions added by New Hampshire Historical Society staff.

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Major Lakes and Rivers

2019

Caption:

This map shows all of the major lakes and rivers in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: NH GRANIT Database, Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Major Roadways

2019

Caption:

This map shows all of the major roadways in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: NH GRANIT Database, Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire

Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire and Vermont, 1796

J. Denison and Amos Doolittle

1796

Caption:

This historic map shows the towns and physical features surrounding the New Hampshire and Vermont border, as it was in 1796.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire and Vermont, 2019

2019

Caption:

This modern-day map shows the New Hampshire and Vermont border.

Image Credit: Google Earth

Maps & Charts

Mount Washington Weather Board

1997

Caption:

This chart shows the weather conditions on the summit of Mount Washington and the base lodge at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center on September 27, 1997. The weather on Mount Washington can be very extreme, with cold temperatures and high winds. It can also change quickly, and be very different at the summit than at the base. It's important for hikers to be ready for all kinds of weather and to be aware of the forecast. These charts are posted to help hikers be prepared.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Map of Forest Density in New Hampshire

George H. Walker and Company

undated

Caption:

This map shows the different types of land in northern New Hampshire and how dense the forests are.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Carrigain Map of New Hampshire

Philip Carrigain

1816

Caption:

This is the first map made of the entire state of New Hampshire. It took 13 years to make.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Mason's Map of New Hampshire

2020

Caption:

There are so many things to see when traveling around New Hampshire! What places have you visited in the Granite State?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

45th Parallel

Caption:

The 45th parallel is a circle of latitude halfway between the equator and the North Pole. It passes right through New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire's Counties & County Seats

2020

Caption:

This map shows New Hampshire's 10 counties and county seats. A county seat is a town or city that is the government center of that county. It is usually where the county courthouse, hall of records, sheriff's department, and county jail are located.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire's Counties

2020

Caption:

This map shows New Hampshire's 10 counties.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Picture Map of Scenic New Hampshire

Alice Cosgrove

1957

Caption:

This map of New Hampshire was made by New Hampshire's state artist, Alice Cosgrove, in the 1950s. It shows all of the different historic, recreational, and cultural activities available in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Map of Gosnold's 1602 Exploration

From the 1706 Dutch edition of Gabriel Archer's The Relation of Captaine Gosnols Voyage to the North Part of Virginia, originally published in 1625

1625

Caption:

Bartholomew Gosnold was an Englishman who led the first known European exploration of New England in 1602. He explored from the coast of Maine all the way down the coast of Massachusetts, an area that was then known as "North Virginia." Several of the names he gave places are still used today. He named Martha's Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, for his daughter, and he named Cape Cod because he saw so many codfish there. Gosnold did not stop to explore the area that eventually became New Hampshire. A few years later, Gosnold helped found Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Image Credit: University of Virginia Special Collections

Objects in this Unit:

Object

Gunter's Chain

Used by Samuel Lane

circa 1750

Caption:

For centuries, people have used maps to show where things are. Map makers in the past would have used surveying tools, like this Gunter’s Chain, to measure distances and create the best maps they could.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Surveyor's Compass

William Hart

circa 1770

Caption:

For centuries, people have used maps to show where things are. Map makers in the past would have used surveying tools, like this surveyor’s compass, to measure distances and create the best maps they could.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Surveyor's Tripod

Used by Samuel Lane

circa 1739

Caption:

For centuries, people have used maps to show where things are. Map makers in the past would have used surveying tools, like this surveyor’s tripod, to measure distances and create the best maps they could.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Sign for 45th Parallel

Carol M. Highsmith

2017

Caption:

The 45th Parallel is a circle of latitude marking the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole. It runs right through Stewartstown, NH.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: WMUR's Kevin Skarupa on Flooding in New Hampshire

2018

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society 2018 Spring Lecture Series

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: WMUR's Kevin Skarupa on the Blizzard of 1978

2018

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society 2018 Spring Lecture Series

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: The Hurricane of 1938

1939

"Shock Troops of Disaster," Federal Works Agency Works Progress Administration

Image Credit: Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Mount Washington

Fritz Wetherbee

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Lake Winnipesaukee

Fritz Wetherbee

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Maple Syrup

Fritz Wetherbee

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Mount Monadnock

Fritz Wetherbee

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Wind on Mount Washington

2016

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory

Documents in this Unit:

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, 1754–1758

Document

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, 1754–1758

Samuel Lane

1754–1758

Caption:

Samuel Lane, who lived in Stratham, NH, kept a weather journal from 1739 to 1799. As a leather tanner, surveyor, and farmer, it was really useful for him to be able to see weather patterns throughout the years.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, July 1767

Document

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, July 1767

Samuel Lane

1767

Caption:

Samuel Lane was a leather tanner, surveyor, and farmer who lived in Stratham, NH. He recorded the weather each day in his journal, along with local births, marriages, deaths, and other important events.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Document

Penacook Lake Ice Company

1940

Caption:

Before electric refrigerators and freezers, people used iceboxes to store their food and keep it cold. Local ice companies harvested ice in the winter and stored it in icehouses year-round, then delivered it to their customers' homes each week.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Videos in this Unit:

Video

Mason Explains: Glaciers in New Hampshire

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Video

Mason Explains: The Regions of New Hampshire

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Video

Mason Explains: Where Is New Hampshire?

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Video

Virtual Field Trip: New Hampshire Rocks!

2023

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Secret Found...
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GAME SETTINGS

Find It! New Hampshire Geography

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Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Objects in this Unit:

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Documents in this Unit:

Videos in this Unit:

Secret Found... Color Mason The Moose!

SECRET FOUND!

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GAME SETTINGS

Find It! New Hampshire Geography

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Objects in this Unit:

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Documents in this Unit:

Videos in this Unit:

Secret Found...
Color Mason The Moose!