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

Find It! New Hampshire Geography

Listen

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!

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Listen

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Lake Winnipesaukee

Fritz Wetherbee

Caption:

How did Lake Winnipesaukee get its name?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Listen

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Maple Syrup

Fritz Wetherbee

Caption:

How do you get maple syrup from maple trees?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Listen

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Mount Monadnock

Fritz Wetherbee

Caption:

Why is Mount Monadnock special?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored lithograph of people caught in the middle of a storm on rugged terrain. The wind of the storm is pushing everything in its path to the right. There are two buildings in the background and an American flag on a flag pole in the right-hand corner.

Listen

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Mount Washington

Fritz Wetherbee

Caption:

Why is Mount Washington known as the "home of the world's worst weather"?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Listen

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: The Hurricane of 1938

1939

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

Caption:

This 1939 documentary from the Works Progress Administration shows the damage caused by the Hurricane of 1938, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit New Hampshire.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration

Mason Presents: Wind on Mount Washington

Listen

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Wind on Mount Washington

2016

Caption:

Mount Washington is known for having the worst weather in the world. Watch to see scientists from the Mount Washington Observatory try to walk in the wind.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory

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

Listen

Audiovisual

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

2018

Caption:

Watch meteorologist Kevin Skarupa explain why flooding is the most common and most dangerous type of extreme weather in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society 2018 Spring Lecture Series

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

Listen

Audiovisual

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

2018

Caption:

Meteorologist Kevin Skarupa explains why the Blizzard of 1978 is remembered as one of the worst in New Hampshire’s history and learn what problems blizzards can cause.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society 2018 Spring Lecture Series

Documents in this Unit:

An orange, horizontal poster with large black text. The text reads: "PENACOOK LAKE ICE COMPANY/TELEPHONE 1052-R/ICE/LONG POND ICE FROM CITY WATER SUPPLY."

Listen

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

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, 1754–1758

A browning vertical piece of paper with text handwritten in black ink. The text is written in cursive handwriting, and is broken up into five paragraphs, each with a designated year; from top to bottom: 1754, 1755, 1756, 1757, 1758.

Listen

Document

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, 1754–1758

1754–1758

Samuel Lane

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

A browning vertical piece of paper with text handwritten in black ink. The text is written in cursive handwriting, and is divided into three columns: two columns of numbers and one column of text.

Listen

Document

Samuel Lane's Weather Journal, July 1767

1767

Samuel Lane

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

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

Mason Explains: Glaciers in New Hampshire

Listen

Video

Mason Explains: Glaciers in New Hampshire

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Explains: The Regions of New Hampshire

Listen

Video

Mason Explains: The Regions of New Hampshire

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Listen

Video

Mason Explains: Where Is New Hampshire?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Listen

Video

Virtual Field Trip: New Hampshire Rocks!

2023

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

A black and white horizontal map of the Earth, with a line marked "Equator" dividing the map horizontally in half. Between the Equator line and the top of the map, there is a dotted line marked "45th parallel."

Listen

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

A colored birds-eye view map of Concord, NH, as well as parts of Loudon and Pembroke from Google Earth. The center of the image shows a large number of gray colored buildings congested in a small space, and the rest of the map is green. The boundaries of each of the towns are outlined in yellow.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Bird's-Eye View of Concord

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.

Image Credit: Google Earth

A four-pointed star in alternating gray and gray-blue triangles. At each point, the letters “N/E/S/W” are listed clockwise. Connecting the points is a thin and faded gray circle.

Listen

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

In this historic map of New Hampshire, the seven counties of New Hampshire are different colors and labeled. On the state's borders, Lower Canada, Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont are labeled. All towns are outlined, and some are labeled. Rivers and bodies of water are noted. The title "Map of the State of New-Hampshire" is in the upper left corner; the words circle a drawing of the sun rising over a water scene.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Carrigain Map of New Hampshire

1816

Philip Carrigain

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

An eight pointed star in alternating faded black and gray triangles. At the center of the star are two circles overlapping each other, one larger, in white, and the other much smaller, with four black and four white triangles placed inside. Surrounding the star are the letters, moving counter-clockwise, “S”, E”, and “W”, and at the right-most point are three tear-drop shapes. The one in the center points to the right and the other two curve away from it on either side.

Listen

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

A colored screenshot of Concord, NH from Google Earth. This image shows the town boundaries, in yellow, of Concord, and parts of Loudon and Pembroke. The town boundaries of other towns, though nameless, are also showcased. Parts of Concord are colored a bright yellow, while the upper edges, as well as parts of Loudon and Pembroke, remain a greenish-black.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Concord at Night

2019

Caption:

Image Credit: Google Earth

A colored map of the world's oceans. Each of the five oceans are colored in different shades of blue.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Earth's Five Oceans

2007

Caption:

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

Image Credit: Wikipedia user Quizimodo

Two colored oval maps of the world. The continents are colored in a dark gray, and the ocean is a light shade of blue and gray. Drawn horizontally and vertically across the middle of the map are two thick red line ending in black arrowheads. The horizontal line is labeled “Equator” in small black lettering, and the vertical line is labeled “Prime-Meridian” in large black letters. There is a large white line drawn horizontally across the map on the left, and a large white line drawn vertically across the map on the right.

Listen

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

A colored map of the world. The countries in each of the seven continents are outlined in white. Each continent is a different color: North American is light green, South America is dark green, Europe is red, Asia is orange, Africa is yellow, Antarctica is blue, and Australia is purple. The ocean’s in between the continents is white. Beside each of the continents is labeled, from left to right “North America/South America/Antarctica/Europe/Africa/Asia/Australia”. The text in the bottom left corner reads “7/continents”.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Earth's Seven Continents

2007

Caption:

This map shows the Earth's seven continents.

Image Credit: Wikipedia user AlexCovarrubias

A colored oval map of the seven continents of the world. The ocean is blue, and the continents are shades of green and brown. The countries in each of the seven continents are outlined in white. Drawn horizontally through the middle of the map is a thick red line.

Listen

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

A black and white circular map of the world. On the map are loose sketches of North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Drawn on top of these sketches are eight horizontal circular lines and one full circle. Text written on each of these lines reads, from top to bottom, “NORTH/POLE/75°/60°/45°/30°/15°/0°/EQUATOR/15°/30°/45°/SOUTH POLE”.

Listen

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

Listen

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

An excerpt from an old document showcasing black text on aged white paper. The title reads “Explanation”, and below it, a series of lines are drawn in different styles. To the left of these lines are the following words in descending order: “Roads”, “Stage Routes”, “Town Lines”, “County Lines”, “Rivers”. Directly beneath this is another block of text, reading “Figures at the end of Ponds/indicate their length and at the/side their breadth./Figures at the Mouth or end/of names of Rivers indicate/their length./Figures at the end or near/the end of names of Mountains/indicate their height”.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Map Key

1836

J. R. Goodno

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

A vertical map of New Hampshire. Sections of the state are highlighted in different colors. The colors vary from different shades of red, yellow, brown, and green. To the left of the state is the title of the map, which reads "FOREST DENSITY/AND/LAND CLASSIFICATION/NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE." Beneath the title is a map legend, which shows small boxes in a vertical line of all of the different colors represented on the map. To the right and left of each box is black text typed in small font.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Map of Forest Density in New Hampshire

undated

George H. Walker and Company

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

A black and white horizontal map of pieces of land and a body of water. The typed, black text on the map is in another language.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Map of Gosnold's 1602 Exploration

1625

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

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

A damaged document of a map showing the borders of towns, a state border, and several lakes and mountain regions. The map has several tears and taped edges around its borders. The title of the map, in the upper right-hand corner, reads "A/MAP of the STATES/of/NEW HAMPSHIRE/and/VERMONT/." Beneath the title is a cursive signature, which reads "J. Denison."

Listen

Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire and Vermont, 1796

1796

J. Denison and Amos Doolittle

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

A colored screenshot from GoogleEarth of Vermont and New Hampshire. The majority of the map is dark green, with county and state borders visible in different colored lines. Several highways and routes are also marked on the map.

Listen

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

A historic map shows the province of New Hampshire. The borders of the provinces surrounding New Hampshire are noted, as well as part of Canada. The map is quite detailed, with rivers, bodies of water, and towns labeled. There are additional comments on the map of a local nature, for instance noting the path Lieut. Stark took while kidnapped by Native Americans. Two elaborately bordered notes tell of of the province of New Hampshire and the dedication of the map to "the Right Honourable Charles Townshend, His Majesty's Secretary of War." An inset detail in the upper right corner of the map shows the area around Montreal.

Listen

Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire, 1761

1761

Joseph Blanchard and Samuel Langdon, engraved by Thomas Jefferys

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

A black and white map is shown titled "The State of New Hampshire Compiled chiefly from Actual Surveys. 1799." The paper is frayed around the edges, and the map is framed by a border of longitude and latitude markings. "Part of Vermont," "Part of Massachusets," "Quebec," and "Maine" are marked around the details of New Hampshire state. Rivers, lakes, mountains, and towns are marked. Counties are outlined and labeled.

Listen

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

A gray, oval map of the seven continents of the world. The countries in each of these continents are outlined in white. The ocean’s in between the continents is white.

Listen

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

A cropped image of black text on aged white paper. The title reads “A Scale of Miles”, and below it, a long and thin rectangle with a line dividing the rectangle down the middle horizontally. The rectangle is further divided into three vertical sections. The first third has five small vertical lines placed evenly across, and below each line is a small black box. Above the fifth line is the number “5”. The second third is left blank, except for the dividing line drawn horizontally across the middle. In the final third, the numbers “10” and “15” bookend the section, and the lower half of the dividing line is colored in completely with black ink.

Listen

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

A colored, up-close screenshot of the United States surrounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from Google Earth. The land mass and the two oceans are blue. The individual states are outlined in white. Large and small groupings of the color yellow are scattered around the United States. Larger groups of yellow are found towards the East Coast, the Mid-West, and in central and southern California.

Listen

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

A colored map of New Hampshire. The state is colored in green, and all of the rivers and lakes are blue. Scattered around the state are different illustrations of physical features, such as mountains and trees, as well as a moose and a squirrell. There are also illustrations of the New Hampshire State House, the two major highways that criss-cross through the state, and several town names typed in white text. To the left of the map is a compass rose.

Listen

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

A large white chart with black text that is both typed and hand-written. There are three sections on the chart, each with its own title. In descending order, the titles read "WEATHER/6 AM CONDITIONS DATE SAT/9/27/97"; "TODAY'S FORECAST"; and "EXTENDED OUTLOOK."

Listen

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

A colored screenshot of the New England states and New York, as well as parts of lower Canada from Google Earth. The land masses are green, outlined in white to separate each state. The coast of the Atlantic Ocean is on the right hand side of the image, in two shades of blue.

Listen

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

A colored screenshot of the New England states and New York, as well as parts of lower Canada, as represented at night from Google Earth. The states are outlined in white and have their names written inside each state. Different areas of the map show groups of yellow lights, while the rest of the map is black and gray.

Listen

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

A colored close-up screenshot of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York from Google Earth. The land masses are green and the Atlantic Ocean is blue. The Canadian border and the coast of Maine along the Atlantic Ocean are outlined in yellow.

Listen

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire

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 and the surrounding states.

Image Credit: Google Earth

A colored close-up screenshot of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York at night from Google Earth. The states are outlined in white. The Canadian border and the coast of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean are outlined in yellow. Groupings of the color yellow are scattered around each state, while the rest of the land mass in each state is black and gray.

Listen

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire at Night

2019

Caption:

Image Credit: Google Earth

Listen

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

A black and white map of New Hampshire, showing thin and curvy blue lines, large bodies of water, and one location, labeled as "Concord", with a black star marking its location on the map. To the left of the map is a box with the words "Lakes (>1000 acres)/Fourth Order and Higher Streams/BOUNDARIES/State Boundary" typed in black text, placed next to several curvy lines. The title of the map, placed in the upper left-hand corner, reads "New Hampshire Statewide Map Atlas/MAJOR LAKES AND RIVERS." Below the title and box are a compass rose and a horizontal line with little vertical lines placed at even intervals.

Listen

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

A black and white map of New Hampshire, showing curvy lines of varying thickness. All of the lines are labeled with different numbers. To the left of the map is a box with the words "State Boundary” , “County Boundary”, “Interstate Route”, “U.S. Route”, “State Route”, and “Other Route". These words are placed to the right of several curvy lines. The title of the map, placed in the upper left-hand corner, reads "New Hampshire Statewide Map Atlas/MAJOR ROADWAYS." Below the title and box are a compass rose and a horizontal line with little vertical lines placed at even intervals.

Listen

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

A gray map of New Hampshire, sectioned off into the state’s different sized counties. Each county is labeled in black text, and reads, from left to right, “CHESHIRE/HILLSBOROUGH/ROCKINGHAM/SULLIVAN/MERRIMACK/STRAFFORD/GRAFTON/CARROLL/COOS”. Inside the Merrimack and Hillsborough counties, the cities of Concord and Manchester are labeled in red text.

Listen

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

A black and white map of New Hampshire, as separated by regions. The regions are labeled 1-7, beginning in the top of the state and moving down to the bottom. To the left of the map is a box with the words "Legend" typed in black text, placed above a number of drawn images, numbers, and words. The title of the map, placed in the upper left-hand corner, reads "New Hampshire Statewide Map Atlas/NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIONS." Below the title and box are a compass rose and a horizontal line with little vertical lines placed at even intervals.

Listen

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.

A black and white map of New Hampshire. There are several squiggly circles that overlap each other throughout the state, except in the lower right-hand corner. There are more overlapping circles towards the middle and top of the state. The title of the map, placed in the upper left-hand corner, reads "NEW HAMPSHIRE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP." Below the title and box are a compass rose and a horizontal line with little vertical lines placed at even intervals.

Listen

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

Listen

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.

A black and white map of New Hampshire, as divided by towns. On the left, the words "NEW HAMPSHIRE/TOWN BOUNDARIES." To the left of the "State Boundary", "County Boundary", and "Town Boundary" words are waving lines of different boldness.

Listen

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

Listen

Maps & Charts

New Hampshire's Counties

2020

Caption:

This map shows New Hampshire's 10 counties.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored map of New Hampshire, with different parts of the state highlighted in different colors. In each colored section, text in white, capitalized lettering is placed in the center of the sections. Surrounding the words are small white dots next lettering in smaller white text.

Listen

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

A colored screenshot of a circular Earth surrounded by the night sky from Google Earth. This image shows North America, and the top countries of South America. The sea is blue, and the continents are different shades of green.

Listen

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

A gray map of the North American continent. The regions of Canada and Mexico, as well as the individual states in the United States are outlined in white.

Listen

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

A colored screenshot of a circular Earth surrounded by the night sky from Google Earth. This image shows North America, and the upper countries of South America. The sea is blue, and the continents are different shades of green. The countries of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and those in Central America are outlined in yellow.

Listen

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

A colored map of New Hampshire, featuing different activities that can be done in different parts of the state. The title of the map, in the upper left-hand corner, reads: "A Pictorial Map of Scenic NEW HAMPSHIRE."

Listen

Maps & Charts

Picture Map of Scenic New Hampshire

1957

Alice Cosgrove

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

A colored oval map of the world. The continents are colored in a dark gray, and the ocean is a light shade of blue and gray. Drawn horizontally and vertically across the middle of the map are two thick red line ending in black arrowheads. The horizontal line is labeled “Equator” in small black lettering, and the vertical line is labeled “Prime-Meridian” in large black letters.

Listen

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

A colored, up-close screenshot of the United States surrounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from Google Earth. Parts of Canada are seen along the upper border of the image, and parts of Mexico are seen at the center of the lower border. The land mass is green and the two oceans are blue. The individual states are outlined in white, and the country as a whole is outlined in yellow.

Listen

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

A colored map of the United States at night from Google Earth. The states are outlined in white and the borders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are outlined in yellow. Groupings of the color yellow are scattered around each state, with the most being clustered around the states along the East Coast. The rest of the map is colored a dark blue.

Listen

Maps & Charts

The United States at Night

2019

Caption:

Image Credit: Google Earth

A colored screenshot of a circular Earth surrounded by the night sky from Google Earth. The sea is blue, and the continents are different shades of green. This image shows North America, about half of South America, and parts of Africa. In the upper right corner of the Earth, a few European countries are shown.

Listen

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

A gray map of the United States and it territories. The states are outlined in white. The states of Alaska and Hawaii are presented in cropped boxes in the map’s bottom left hand corner. The territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are displayed in rectangular boxes along the map’s lower border.

Listen

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

Objects in this Unit:

A metal tool with two circles at the ends and several smaller circles holding long strips of metal together in the middle.

Listen

Objects

Gunter's Chain

circa 1750

Used by Samuel Lane

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

A colored photograph of a tall green sign with white lettering. The sign stands in a small clearing between green trees and bushes.

Listen

Objects

Sign for 45th Parallel

2017

Carol M. Highsmith

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

A wooden tool with a circular compass in the middle and two brass handles on either side. The handles stand up vertically, and connecting the compass and the handles are two horizontal pieces of wood.

Listen

Objects

Surveyor's Compass

circa 1770

William Hart

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

A tall wooden tripod, which stands on three pointed legs. At the top of the tool is a upside-down tear-drop shape and flat base.

Listen

Objects

Surveyor's Tripod

circa 1739

Used by Samuel Lane

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

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

A black and white photograph of a narrow shoveled path between two large walls of snow. At the end of the path is a two-storied house.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of an amusement park and a large body of water, surrounded by fallen trees.

Listen

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

An Indian Summer Morning in the White Mountains

A colored painting of a small body of water, surrounded by brown and red mountains.

Listen

Photograph/Print

An Indian Summer Morning in the White Mountains

1857

Jasper Francis Cropsey

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

A colored drawing of a large body of water surrounded by green grass, trees, and a large mountain in the background. The words "Asquam Lake" and "Sawyer" are written in cursive writing in pencil. The title "Asquam Lake" are placed in the bottom left-hand corner, and "Sawyer" is placed in the bottom right-hand corner of the postcard.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Asquam Lake

1928

Charles H. Sawyer

Caption:

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

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a beaver. The beaver has wirey and brown fur, small black ears and hands, and large black feet. It also has a large, flat tail.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Beaver

undated

Ilkka

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

A colored photograph of a snow storm. A single-storied yellow house can be seen through the snow. Two snow-covered cars are parked in the driveway.

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a row of three-story buildings along a busy road. There are two lanes of traffic and one lane of parked cars. A policeman stands in the center of the road to stop the rows of cars and allow two women to cross the street. There are several people walking on the sidewalks in front of the row of buildings. The top half of the postcard is covered with blue sky and small white clouds.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Boardwalk at Hampton Beach

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 the Hampton Beach boardwalk in Hampton, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a group of children standing on a grassy area, holding large wooden paddles in their hands. In the background, there is a small body of water surrounded by mountains.

Listen

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

A colored photograph of a spotted green and brown fish. The fish has five small fins and a large, wide tail.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Brook Trout, the State Freshwater Fish

undated

Eric Isselée

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

A black and white carte de viste of two buildings completely covered in snow. In the background is a mountain range. On the left-hand border, the words "Summit of Mount Washington, Winter of 1870-71./Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1871, by Clough & Kimball, in the office of the/Librarian of Congress, at Washington" are typed in black ink. On the right-hand border, the words "CLOUGH & KIMBALL, CONCORD, NH" are typed in elaborate writing in black ink. The circled number "1085" is written in blue ink on the top right-hand corner.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Buildings on Mount Washington in Winter

circa 1870–1871

Clough & Kimball

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

A black and white drawing of a group of boys standing to the right of a large wooden cross. A tall man stands of their left, and another group of boys sit on the left side of the drawing.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Camp Chocorua

1886

Illustration by William Allen Rogers in the magazine St. Nicholas

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

A black and white photograph of various groups of boys in large canoes on a body of water. There are mountains in the background and a small sailboat sails just behind the canoes.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of several cars driving through a flooded street. The front-most truck has a child sitting in the front seat, leaning slightly outside of the car, and a man is sitting on the truck's bed on top of several wooden beams.

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a large green mountain in the background and a valley of flat green land scattered with trees. The title of the postcard, placed in the upper right-hand corner, reads "North Conway/Cathedral Ledge."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Cathedral Ledge, North Conway

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored painting of a women in a white dress standing in her garden. The garden is full of red, pink, and white flowers, and in the background, a sailboat sails on a blue body of water.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Celia Thaxter in Her Garden

1892

Childe Hassam

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a flat area of land covered with trees. There are tall mountains in the background. All of the trees are either green, red, or orange. There is a circular body of water in the right-hand corner, and a another, longer body of water in the upper left-hand corner of the postcard. The title of the postcard, placed in the lower left-hand corner, reads "Center Harbor."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Center Harbor in the Fall

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored horizontal postcard of a city along a river. The river passes through two sides of the city. To the river's left are lots of tall buildings, and to its right are vertical rows of houses and smaller buildings. The title of the postcard, placed in the left-hand corner, reads "Manchester/NEW HAMPSHIRE."

Listen

Photograph/Print

City of Manchester

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of three men with buckets standing in front of tall trees. On the right side of the photograph, one man stands behind a horse-drawn cart, and dumps the contents of his bucket into a large container. On the left side of the photograph, one man stands to the left of a tree and looks towards the camera. To his left, another man stands facing a tree, holding his bucket up to the trunk of the tree. In the lower left-hand corner, the words "10253 GATHERING SAP AT MAPLE SUGAR CAMP" are typed in light blue ink.

Listen

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

A colored postcard of a mountain region. Green trees are mixed in with multi-colored trees in the valley of the mountains. Above the mountain region is a clouded blue sky.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Crawford Notch

1928

Charles H. Sawyer

Caption:

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

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a man standing on a frozen body of water, dragging pieces of cut ice through the exposed water.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Cutting Ice

1936

Arthur Rothstein

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

A black and white photograph of several uprooted trees along a residential sidewalk. The trees' roots break through the sidewalk, and a large barrel rests tilted against a raised piece of sidewalk. There are houses along the left-hand side of the photograph, and several people stand looking at the trees.

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a flat area of sand. Many people sit in groups on the sand. To the sand's right is a large, flat body of water. Along the back edge of the postcard are several buildings. A large blue sky with groupings of white clouds take up the majority of the top of the postcard.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Enjoying A Day at the Beach

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a cluster of multicolored trees. The trees are all either green, red, orange, or yellow.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Fall in New Hampshire

circa 2020

John Anderson

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

A black and white photograph of a landscape shows a 1930s-style car with flood waters nearly reaching its headlights. Water and some ice flow by the car, and the outline of people are seen inside the car. Flooded birch and other trees are in the background. The top of an almost-covered rail is next to the car. Handwritten penned words read "1936" in the center on top of the photograph, and at the bottom "A Willys being towed through at ossipee valley N.H."

Listen

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

A colored photograph of the same scene displayed four times, with two images placed on top of two other images. In each scene, a path is lined with thin trees. Each scene displays different types of weather and foliage, showing, from left to right: flowering trees with pink blossoms, trees with green leaves, trees with green and yellow leaves, and snow covered trees and path.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Four Seasons

undated

George Hodan

Caption:

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

Image Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A colored vertical postcard of a body of water surrounded by steep mountains on either side. There is a road to the right of the body of water, and the mountain is covered in green and orange trees. The title of the postcard, placed in the upper left-hand corner, reads "Franconia Notch."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Franconia Notch

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of four students standing around a multi-colored map puzzle. The student on the left holds a piece of the puzzle, and one of the students on the right points at a position on the map.

Listen

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

A colored vertical postcard of three separate scenes of a beach. The first scene, at the top of the postcard, shows many buildings placed along the sandy shore of the beach. The second scene, in the middle of the postcard, shows children playing on swing-sets in front of a row of white buildings. The third scene shows a harbor at sunset, with a calm body of water and several boats floating in the water. The title of the postcard, centered along the upper border, reads "Hampton Beach."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Hampton Beach

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of four men pulling pieces of ice off a wooden ramp onto a snow-covered surface.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Hauling Ice

1936

Arthur Rothstein

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

A black and white photograph of six horses pulling two men seated on a large wheel. There is a two-storied house covered in snow directly behind the horses.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a large tree that has fallen across a small road. The road lies between two large buildings. There is a man standing, looking at the tree, a woman walking across the street, and another man standing, looking at the camera. The street is littered with tree branches.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a man holding a long, thin saw on a frozen body of water. He is posed as if he is about the cut through the ice.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Ice Saw

1936

Arthur Rothstein

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

A yellowed-black and white photograph of several people walking along a snow-covered road, surrounded by fallen branches and bent trees covered in ice and snow. The words "VIEWS OF ICE-STORM AT PORTSMOUTH, N. H./THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 28TH AND 29TH, 1886.", typed in black ink, are centered along the bottom border of the photograph. To the left of this, the words "Photo. BY L.V. NEWELL 7 CO., PORTSMOUTH, N.H." are typed in black ink in the lower left-hand corner.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Ice Storm in Portsmouth

1886

L.V. Newell & Company

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

A colored painting of a large body of water surrounded by mountains and large green hills.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Lake Winnipesaukee

circa 1855–1875

John Badger Bachelder

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

A black and white photograph of a large uprooted tree and power line, which rest against a two-storied house.

Listen

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

A black and white stereograph card with an image of a curved rocky beach. Above the beach is a raised grassy mound, and in the background, a two-storied house sits atop the raised mound.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Little Boar's Head Beach in Hampton

circa 1870s

O. H. Copeland

Caption:

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

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored postcard of green marshland, with a small stream of water running through it. The words "THE MARSHES" are typed in black ink in the lower left-hand corner of the postcard.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Marshes at Hampton Beach

1925

Curt Teich & Company

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

A black and white photograph of a man bent over a thin saw as he cuts through ice on a frozen body of water. In the forefront of the photograph, squares of cut ice float in the exposed water.

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a flat area of land covered with multi-colored trees. There are two bodies of water in the right-hand side of the postcard, one closer to the viewer, the other farther off in the background. There are tall mountains with multi-colored trees in the background. There are several white houses surrounding the body of water closest to the viewer. The title of the postcard, placed in the lower right-hand corner, reads "Meredith/New Hampshire."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Meredith in the Fall

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a truck driving along a road lined with ice-covered trees.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Milk Truck in Ice Tunnel

1986

Peter Blakely, UPI

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

A colored photograph of a moose standing in a forest. The moose has dark brown fur and large, wide antlers.

Listen

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)

A colored horizontal postcard of an iced over body of water surrounded by snow and tree covered hills and mountains. The title of the postcard, placed in along the center of the upper border, reads "MT.CHOCORUA."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Mount Chocorua

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored vertical postcard of a large wooden sign with several drawings and text. The top of the sign reads "MT. WASHINGTON STATE PARK." Behind the sign is a tall pile of large rocks with nine adults standing at various levels on the rocks, facing away from the camera. The title of the postcard, placed along the center of the bottom border, reads "Mt. Washington." The the right of the titleis a oval-shaped photograph of a snow-covered mountain top.

Listen

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

A colored photograph of a brook in a densely forested area. All of the trees and shrub surrounding the brook are different shades of green.

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of an bird's-eye view of a large, flat green area, which is split by two long bodies of water. In the bottom right-hand corner is a town with lots of buildings and roads. The title of the postcard, which is centered along the upper border reads "New Hampshire."

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a bird's-eye view of a road which stretches down the middle of a valley. The valley is surrounded by two ranges of green mountains. On either side of the road are towns with several buildings and small roads. The title of the postcard, centered along the upper border of the postcard, reads "NEW HAMPSHIRE."

Listen

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Mountains

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a purple flowering bush, with green leaves.

Listen

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire's State Flower, Lilacs

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 user Iva

A colored drawing of a small body of water and a rocky shore. There are mountains with green and red trees in the background. At the forefront of the drawing is a large green canoe, which sits between the shore and the water.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Newfound Lake

1928

Charles H. Sawyer

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a long body of water, a covered bridge with a red roof, and a snow-covered background in hthe background. The land on either side of the body of water is covered with bare trees and snow-covered ground. The title of the postcard, placed in the lower right-hand corner, reads "North Conway/New Hampshire."

Listen

Photograph/Print

North Conway in Winter

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of tall mountain cliffs along a blue body of water. The mountains are gray and brown, and have green trees along the tops.

Listen

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

A colored horizontal postcard of a harbor with lots of boats parked at wooden docks. There are several circular flags placed on the tall dock posts. In the background are the outlines of mountains. The title of the postcard, placed in the upper right-hand corner, reads "Gilford, NH."

Listen

Photograph/Print

Pier in Gilford

circa 2000s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of the Earth, with the continents displayed in green and yellow, and the ocean in blue. Scattered across the Earth are white clouds in various versions of weather.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Planet Earth

undated

WikiImages

Caption:

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

Image Credit: Pixabay

A colored photograph of a small bird with red feathers, sitting on a thin branch.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Purple Finch, the State Bird

undated

William Parnell

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

A colored photograph of three large, enclosed shells. The shells are white with thin stripes of brown.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Quahog (clam)

undated

uckyo

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

A black and white photograph of a collapsed bridge. The middle of the bridge is filled with large rocks. A truck is seen in the background stopped at a barrier.

Listen

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

A colored photograph of a spotted newt. The newt's orange body is covered with large and small black spots.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Red-Spotted Newt, the State Amphibian

undated

ondreicka

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

A black and white photograph of a man starring into the camera. He is dressed in a collared shirt, tie, vest, and suit jacket.

Listen

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

Four figures sail a small sailboat on a lake in a black and white photograph.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a road lined with houses, power lines, and trees, all covered in snow.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a truck with a large plow and headlights attached to its front. The truck is pushing snow out of the road, and a large cloud of snow shoots up from the truck's left. In the background, there are a couple of large houses. In the top right-hand corner, the words "JANUARY, 1948" are typed in white ink.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a group of people riding on a platform placed over two large, wide wheels. The wheels are pulled by a team of six horses. Behind the horses is a line of three-storied houses.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a large, rocky hole. The walls of the hole are made of jagged rocks. There are several men standing in and around the hole. In the left-hand corner of the photograph, there is a large wooden crane that dips into the hole. A long metal chain is attached to the crane and prepares to carry up a pile of stone.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Stone Quarries, New Hampshire

1897

American Stereoscopic Company

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

A black and white photograph of six men and one child, who are all using wooden tripods in a large, flat grassy field. Two tripods in the left-hand side of the photograph have two men standing at it, and two tripods on the right-hand side have one person standing at them. The child stands between the two men on the right side of the photograph.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a man in a suit and hat using a tripod on top of a mountain. In the background are the outlines of other mountains in the area.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Surveying the Land

1923

Ralph C. Larrabee

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

A colored photograph of a women wearing glasses and modern-day clothes sitting on a hill in a forest with a metal tripod. The women looks to the left and she holds an orange book in her right hand. To her left is a large orange backpack.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a group of boys on a dock with a diving board placed above a body of water. Someone has just jumped into the water, and there is a large splash of water in the right-hand corner of the photograph. Another boy is mid-air, with his knees pulled up against his chest. Behind him, another boy prepares to climb on top of the diving board. A man with a large pole stands to the right of the diving board and looks out onto the water.

Listen

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

A black and white photograph of a group of boys swimming near a dock in a body of water. One boy prepares to jump from the dock, while a man standing on the dock watches on. Three boys wait in a line in the water to the left of the dock and all look at the boy about to jump. There are a couple of empty canoes that are tied to the dock.

Listen

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

A colored painting of a boulder stuck between two walls of rock. Along the tops of the rock walls are a few trees. Beneath the boulder is a small waterfall and stream.

Listen

Photograph/Print

The Flume Painting

1882

Samuel Lancaster Gerry

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

A black and white photograph of a truck parked along a snow-covered road, surrounded by snow and ice-covered trees. The truck has a large crane and lift. Inside the lift is a man bending near a broken tree branch.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Tree Service Company Trims Limbs

1986

Peter Blakely, UPI

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

A black and white photograph of several trees and a bridge sunk deep in water.

Listen

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

A colored painting of a large grassy area, with green and red trees and mountains in the background. On the grassy field are red and brown cows.

Listen

Photograph/Print

View from Lewis Nute Farm

1880

Frank H. Shapleigh

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

A colored photograph of a mountain range with dark gray clouds covering the upper border. Pockets of sunlight shine through the clouds down onto green spaces on the mountains.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Weather in New Hampshire

circa 2020

SE Viera Photo

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

A colored photograph of a large deer. The deer has mostly brown fur, with some white fur on the face, ears, chest, and legs. The deer also has large, pointed antlers.

Listen

Photograph/Print

White-Tailed Deer, the State Animal

undated

Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service

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

A colored photograph of tall purple flowers and short yellow flowers along a gray, wooden fence.

Listen

Photograph/Print

Wildflowers in a Field

2020

Terri

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

A black and white photograph of a narrow, snowy path. The path is lined with tall trees covered in snow.

Listen

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

Secret Found...
Color Mason The Moose!

GAME SETTINGS

Find It! New Hampshire Geography

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Documents in this Unit:

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Objects in this Unit:

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Secret Found... Color Mason The Moose!

SECRET FOUND!

Play the Matching Game with Mason The Moose :)

Select Difficulty level:

GAME SETTINGS

Find It! New Hampshire Geography

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Documents in this Unit:

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Objects in this Unit:

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Secret Found...
Color Mason The Moose!