Manchester: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Once a single-industry town dependent on the textile industry, Manchester has diversified its economy to include manufacturing (more than 200 manufacturing firms are located there), wholesale and retail trade, information processing, and the service industry. More than 85 percent of the work-force is involved in sales, finance, and service companies. Manchester is considered the major insurance and financial center north of Boston, housing the area's largest savings and commercial institutions. The city is also the northeastern states' principal distribution center.

The City of Manchester provides assistance to businesses interested in locating or expanding in the area through the Manchester Economic Development Office (MEDO).

Items and goods produced: knitting and textile machinery, leather goods, electrical and electronic components, automobile accessories, and plastic, lumber, metal and wood products

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

Local programs

The State of New Hampshire, which levies no state sales or income tax, is considered one of the most favorable climates for doing business in the nation. Because so much is provided at the state level, few incentives are offered at the city-town level. In fact, by state law, New Hampshire cities are prohibited from offering tax breaks to private industry. However, cities such as Manchester do aid businesses indirectly by helping to market and develop industrial sites. In addition, Manchester's banks are willing to supply financing to all deserving enterprises. The non-profit Manchester Development Corporation may make loans to promote the economic development of the city. The city has designated the Economic Development Office as administrator of a revolving loan fund to provide "gap" or secondary financing for businesses locating within Manchester.

State programs

The state's incentives include no general sales or use tax, no general personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inventory tax, no property tax on machinery or equipment, one of the lowest unemployment insurance rates in the country, investment tax incentives, job tax credits, and research & development tax incentives. In 2004, the State of New Hampshire instituted the Community Reinvestment Opportunity Program (CROP), which offers tax credits that may be used against business profit taxes and business enterprise taxes. Qualifying CROP projects must create new jobs as well as expand the state economic base.

Job training programs

The Small Business Development Center, which is funded by the Small Business Association, the State of New Hampshire, and the University of New Hampshire, offers management counseling, training, and resource information to the state's small business community through six sub-centers. The New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) aids individuals in obtaining financial aid to prepare for and find employment. The NHEP On-The-Job Training Program offers employers incentives to hire and train eligible applicants.

Development Projects

The Granite Street widening project is a $19 million joint effort between the City of Manchester and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. When complete in 2007, downtown Manchester will see improvements to traffic flow as well as access and safety improvements. In 2005 the city broke ground for the development of the Northwest Business Park. The development of 140 acres on Northwest Drive off of Hackett Hill Road will provide for increased business facilities, increased tax revenues, and new jobs. The estimated $20 million development is scheduled for completion in 2017. Construction is also underway on Manchester Place Apartments—a $40 million high-end residential apartment complex that will include 204 residential units, a 300-car parking facility, and 5,200 square feet of retail space. Recently completed projects include the $24.3 million Riverfront Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats AA baseball team; an upgraded water treatment facility; and $2.725 million worth of upgrades to the McQuade building, an historic downtown landmark.

Economic Development Information: Manchester Economic Development Office, One City Hall Plaza, Room 110, Manchester, NH 03101; telephone (603)624-6505. New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, 33 Commercial Street, Manchester, NH 03101-1796; telephone (603)624-2000

Commercial Shipping

Manchester, located on the main line of the Guilford Rail Systems, maintains excellent freight service south to Boston and north to Montreal and connecting lines. A large fleet of commercial trucks is also available for shipping goods to all parts of the country. Air freight service is offered at Manchester Airport, the state's major airport. Air freight lines and U.S. Customs service are also available; the industrial area surrounding the airport has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone. Daily delivery service includes Federal Express, United Parcel Service, and DHL. Since the Merrimack River is not navigable, Manchester is not a port city; however, the Port of New Hampshire in Portsmouth is located 45 minutes east of Manchester.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

Manchester's computer and other high-tech industries and its financial and professional services have contributed to the growth of Manchester's economy since the late 1980s. Manchester's labor force is described as industrious and the city boasts one of the best records in the nation in terms of hours lost through strikes. In 2005, Inc. Magazine ranked Manchester the 21st best city (out of 274 cities ranked) in which to do business.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Manchester metropolitan area labor force, 2004 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 99,300

Number of workers employed in . . .

construction and mining: 5,300

manufacturing: 9,500

trade, transportation and utilities: 20,800

information: 3,300

financial activities: 8,800

professional and business services: 12,000

educational and health services: 16,000

leisure and hospitality: 8,300

other services: 4,100

government: 11,200

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $17.38

Unemployment rate: 4.2% (February 2005)

Cost of Living

The cost of living is reasonable in New Hampshire. The lack of a sales tax stretches residents' purchasing dollars. Having one of the lowest crime rates in the country, as well as one of the lowest auto theft rates, keeps insurance rates affordable.

The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors in the Manchester area.

2004 ACCRA Average House Price: Not reported

2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported

State income tax rate: None (business profits tax is 8.5%)

State sales tax rate: None on salaries and wages of residents; limited tax upon interest and dividends received by individuals, trusts, estates and partners in excess of $2,400. There is a $10.00 "Resident Tax" on all persons between 18 and 60 years of age with some exceptions. Concord has passed an ordinance eliminating this tax for residents of the city.

Local income tax rate: None

Local sales tax rate: None

Property tax rate: $27.92 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (2005)

Economic Information: Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 889 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101; telephone (603)666-6600

Manchester: Recreation

Sightseeing

The remnants of the Amoskeag Millyards along the Merrimack River still attract visitors. Many of the 139 red brick buildings, which once lined the river banks for more than a mile, have been remodeled into office, retail, and manufacturing space, as well as residential townhouses. Manchester's west side still echoes with the French spoken in this predominantly French-Canadian neighborhood. On Elm Street, the home of General John Stark—hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War—has been preserved. The Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center, located on the Merrimack River, is an environmental education center.

Arts and Culture

As the cultural hub of the state, Manchester offers an artistic calendar that incorporates everything from performances and exhibits by famous artists to student shows at coffee houses.

The jewel in Manchester's performing arts crown is the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, which performs a series of classical concerts yearly and features international guest artists. Opera New Hampshire, based in Manchester, stages grand opera throughout the year. The New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, Opera New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Philharmonic, and the Granite State Orchestra perform at the Palace Theatre, a refurbished 1915 vaudeville and opera house. The Manchester Community Music School sponsors the Greater Manchester Youth Symphony Orchestra and offers classes and programs for all ages taught by some of New Hampshire's finest music educators. The Dana Center at Saint Anselm College offers classical theatre performances, contemporary dance concerts, and film showings. Stage One Productions stages dinner theater performances at the Chateau Restaurant. The New Thalian Players, produce professional community theatre productions.

Among New England's finest museums is the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester. Its permanent and revolving collections include paintings, glassware, silver, and pewter items dating from the thirteenth through the twentieth centuries. The Currier owns and offers public tours of the Zimmerman House, designed in 1950 by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Franco-American Centre terms itself the leading source of information about French culture, heritage, and history in North America. The Centre boasts a library and a museum, and offers classes, films, and Bastille Day activities. Science Enrichment Encounters (SEE) Science Center, an interactive learning center, provides hands-on exhibits to help children explore all areas of science. The Manchester Historic Association maintains displays of Native American artifacts, furniture from colonial times, and other local memorabilia. Galleries are clustered downtown and in other areas.

Festivals and Holidays

Manchester hosts a variety of ethnic and cultural festivals throughout the year, especially during the summer months. In June, the Talarico Dealerships Jazz and Blues Festival is held at the Palace Theatre, and the Strawberry Shortcake Festival is held in Valley Cemetery. Both the African-Caribbean Celebration and the Latino Festival are held in Veterans Park during the month of August. Also in August is Greekfest, a two-day festival hosted by the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. The Mill City Festival, held in September, celebrates the local ethnicity of Manchester with live music, local food, kayak demonstrations, and a general store featuring items made in New Hampshire. Glendi, an annual celebration of Greek culture and heritage, is held at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in September. Other annual events include the Greater Manchester Horse Show at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in May, and the New Year's Eve First Night Celebration.

Sports for the Spectator

Three professional sports teams call Manchester home. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are the AA baseball affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play their home games at the new Riverfront Stadium, located along the banks of the Merrimack River. The Manchester Wolves, an arena football team, play at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Manchester Monarchs play professional ice hockey in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League. Saint Anselm College fields 10 men's and 10 women's teams in 13 different sports, including basketball, lacrosse, and football.

Sports for the Participant

Manchester's two noteworthy recreational attractions are its in-town ski area and its boat launches. The 53-acre McIntyre Ski Area, located within the city limits and operated by the city, provides snow skiing, snowboarding, and a tubing park. The facility is equipped with snow-making equipment, two double chairlifts, a tow rope, and lighting. Within the city, boats can be launched onto the Piscatoquog River on the west side and onto the Merrimack River from ramps at three eastside sites. The city's 55 parks, encompassing 900 acres, feature swimming pools, baseball diamonds, ice rinks, tracks, tennis courts, and a beach. Skateboarders gather at the Adam D. Curtis Skateboard Park. The Derryfield Country Club is an 18-hole municipal golf course. Within an hour's drive of Manchester are some of the state's best skiing, rock climbing, hiking, camping, boating, swimming, and fishing.

Shopping and Dining

Manchester's tax-free shopping draws shoppers from throughout the region. Downtown Manchester boasts more than 60 locally owned stores that feature clothing, furniture, books, antiques, and locally made products. The Mall of New Hampshire is anchored by Filene's, Best Buy, JCPenney, and Sears. The mall's offerings include more than 120 retail stores and a food court. The Tanger Outlet Center, in nearby Tilton, has more than 50 brand name and designer outlet stores.

Cuisine in Manchester reflects the city's ethnic diversity. Brazilian, French-Canadian, Irish, Spanish, Korean, Mexican, and Vietnamese cuisine are among the ethnic flavors found in Manchester's restaurants. They coexist with local favorites such as New England-style seafood, steak, and home-style cooking.

Visitor Information: Manchester Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 889 Elm Street, 3rd Floor, Manchester, NH 03101; telephone (603)666-6600

Manchester: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Manchester School District is the state of New Hampshire's oldest and largest public school system. The district's special services include a comprehensive special education program for students from pre-school through high school, as well as programs for the gifted, handicapped, and adults. An English as a Second Language program serves students with limited English proficiency. Music and arts programs, athletics, and community service opportunities are available at the middle and high school levels. Manchester also benefits from a $7 million state-funded vocational center that trains high school students from Manchester and two neighboring towns. The Manchester School of Technology provides vocational training to high school students.

The following is a summary of data regarding the city of Manchester School District as of the 2003–2004 school year.

Total enrollment: 17,655

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 15

junior high/middle schools: 4

senior high schools: 3

other: 1

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9:1

Teacher salaries average: $44,814

Funding per pupil: $6,943

The city's private schools include the Derryfield School, a private co-educational school that enrolls more than 350 students in grades 6 through 12. Schools with a religious affiliation include the Manchester Jewish Community School, Trinity High School, and schools affiliated with the Diocese of Manchester.

Public Schools Information: City of Manchester School District, 196 Bridge Street, Manchester, NH 03104-4985; telephone (603)624-6300

Colleges and Universities

Manchester's institutions of higher learning offer a mix of liberal arts education and technical training. Four-year liberal arts schools include Saint Anselm College and the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, which opened its downtown campus in a renovated mill building in 1986. Hesser College is a two-year technical college that offers more than 25 certificate, diploma, associate, or bachelor degree options. The New Hampshire Technical College provides associate degree programs as well as diploma and certificate programs. The New Hampshire Institute of Art offers a four-year bachelor of fine arts program.

Libraries and Research Centers

Manchester's public library numbers more than 350,000 volumes among its holdings of books, periodicals, recordings, prints, software, and state and U.S. government publications. The main library on Pine Street is supplemented by a branch on North Main Street. Attractions include a children's room, books for hearing- and sight-impaired patrons, and computers and fax machines for public use. The library's comprehensive website allows patrons access to the library's catalog, online articles and research databases, and a calendar of library events.

The Shapiro Library at New Hampshire College maintains a business and finance collection while St. Anselm's Geisel Library focuses on religious and philosophical holdings. The Manchester Historic Association Library preserves and promotes the history of the city and houses several textile design files. The Max I. Silber Scouting Library presents a wide selection of Boy Scout memorabilia, including original paintings of Boy's Life covers and the full collection of "Scouts on Stamps." Other genealogical, college, law, and medical libraries are located throughout the city.

Public Library Information: Manchester City Library, 405 Pine Street, Manchester, NH 03104; telephone (603)624-6550

Manchester: History

Amoskeag Falls Support Industry

The abundant river fish and forest game in the Merrimack River Valley attracted the attention of the Native American Pennacooks long before the European traders and trappers arrived in the valley in the early 1700s. The Pennacooks called the river falls area "Namoskeag," meaning "place of much fish." A permanent white settlement was established in 1722 by Scots-Irish Presbyterians who saw the manufacturing potential of the falls, which came to be called the Amoskeag Falls. Until their factories were built, they subsisted on fishing and logging. They later used the 85-foot drop of the Amoskeag Falls to power their textile mills. First known as Old Harry's Town, the settlement changed names when it changed hands, becoming Tyngstown in 1735 when it was absorbed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town was rechristened Derryfield in 1751.

Benjamin Prichard selected the area for the construction of the new nation's first textile mills on the banks of the Merrimack River in 1805. Derryfield changed its name again in 1810, taking the name of Manchester, after England's industrial giant. The proponent of this final name change was Samuel Blodgett, who visited England and later engineered the building of a canal around the Amoskeag Falls. The canal linked Manchester with Boston, opening the way for great industrial expansion.

In 1831, a group of merchants purchased the failing Amos-keag Cotton and Woolen Factory and reopened as the Amos-keag Manufacturing Company. At its height, the company operated 700,000 spindles and 23,000 looms, shipping nearly five million yards of cloth each week. The millyard occupied more than eight million square feet of floor space and employed 17,000 people. Amoskeag's operating philosophy was one of benevolent paternalism as the company built homes, schools, and hospitals for its employees. The company also radically altered the makeup of Manchester's population when it invited thousands of French-Canadians to work in its mills. While best known for its textiles, the Amoskeag yards did produce other products, including locomotives. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Amos-keag and Manchester's other mills wove enough cloth each year to encircle the world twice.

Mills Decline, Economy Diversifies

Prosperity continued until the Great Depression of the 1930s. National financial woes, labor unrest, aging machinery, and competition from less expensive southern labor combined to bring about Amoskeag Manufacturing Company's demise. In 1935 it declared bankruptcy. However, the operation was saved. This time, a group of businessmen raised $5 million, purchased the yards, renamed the concern Amoskeag Industries, and developed a plan to diversify Manchester's economy.

By the 1980s Manchester had grown into New Hampshire's largest city. New industries led to new building, including the renovation of the millyard into smaller manufacturing units. Following an economic slowdown during the early 1990s, the rest of the decade saw Manchester's economy turn around dramatically. Recent years have seen the continued development of the downtown area, with the building of the Verizon Wireless Arena, Riverfront Stadium, and new shops and restaurants.

Historical Information: Manchester Historic Association, 129 Amherst Street, Manchester, NH 03101-1809; telephone (603) 622-7531

Manchester: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents (PMSA)

1990: 173,783

2000: 198,378

Percent change, 1990–2000: 14.2%

U.S. rank in 1990: 5th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 7th (CMSA)

City Residents

1980: 90,936

1990: 99,567

2000: 107,006

2003 estimate: 108,871

Percent change, 1990–2000: 7.5%

U.S. rank in 1980: 192nd

U.S. rank in 1990: 199th (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 239th (State rank: 1st)

Density: 3,270.3 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 98,178

Black or African American: 2,246

American Indian and Alaska Native: 326

Asian: 2,487

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 38

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 4,944

Other: 1,880

Percent of residents born in state: 56.5% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 7,162

Population 5 to 9 years old: 7,171

Population 10 to 14 years old: 7,064

Population 15 to 19 years old: 6,693

Population 20 to 24 years old: 7,419

Population 25 to 34 years old: 18,106

Population 35 to 44 years old: 17,636

Population 45 to 54 years old: 13,832

Population 55 to 59 years old: 4,506

Population 60 to 64 years old: 3,588

Population 65 to 74 years old: 6,564

Population 75 to 84 years old: 5,415

Population 85 years and over: 1,850

Median age: 34.9 years

Births (2003) Total number: 1,559

Deaths (2001) Total number: 991

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $21,244

Median household income: $40,774

Total households: 44,254

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 3,996

$10,000 to $14,999: 2,649

$15,000 to $24,999: 5,961

$25,000 to $34,999: 5,998

$35,000 to $49,999: 8,288

$50,000 to $74,999: 9,672

$75,000 to $99,999: 4,329

$100,000 to $149,999: 2,225

$150,000 to $199,999: 521

$200,000 or more: 615

Percent of families below poverty level: 7.7% (51.3% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 3,545

Manchester: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

The Union Leader Corporation publishes the New Hampshire Union Leader each morning, Monday through Saturday, and the New Hampshire Sunday News. The newspaper's Internet website publishes new content daily and maintains a searchable archive of past articles. A weekly New Hampshire edition of the Boston Globe is published in Manchester. The Hippo is a free entertainment and features newspaper published every Thursday. The Registry Review is a statewide real estate and financial newspaper. Magazines include the monthly Business NH as well as the New Hampshire Business Review, New Hampshire Magazine, and The Red Brick Review, a literary magazine.

Television and Radio

A national affiliate television station and an independent station are located in Manchester. The city receives Boston television programming as well. Cable television is provided locally. Five AM and FM commercial radio stations broadcast from Manchester.

Media Information: Union Leader, Union Leader Corporation, 100 William Loeb Drive, PO Box 9555, Manchester, NH 03108-9555; telephone (603)668-4321; fax (603)668-0382

Manchester Online

City of Manchester. Available www.manchesternh.gov

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Available www.manchester-chamber.org

Manchester City Library. Available www.manchester.lib.nh.us

Manchester School District. Available www.mansd.org

Manchester Union Leader. Available www.theunionleader.com

New Hampshire Division of Travel & Tourism Development. Available www.visitnh.gov

Selected Bibliography

Manchester Historic Association, Manchester, New Hampshire, Centennial Celebration of Manchester, N.H., June 13, 1810–1910 (Manchester, NH: Published by authority of the city government, 1910)

Manchester: Transportation

Approaching the City

Competitive airfares and expanded flight schedules have positioned Manchester Airport as a viable alternative to Boston's Logan Airport. In 2004 a 74,000 square foot addition to the airport was completed. Nine airlines provide daily flights out of the airport, which is the largest commercial passenger and air cargo airport in northern New England. Non-stop flights are available to several major cities in the U.S. that offer worldwide connections.

Manchester, encircled by major highways, is the focal point of New Hampshire's interstate road system. Major north-south routes include the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike and Interstate-93, which carry traffic from Boston, through Manchester, and on to Concord. East-west arteries include U.S. Route 101, which runs east to Portsmouth on the coast, west to Keene, and southwest to Nashua. A bypass loop of I-93, named I-293, encircles the city to the west and south and handles some of the commuter traffic to the suburbs.

Several bus lines service Manchester, including Vermont Transit Lines and Concord Trailways. Shuttle and limousine service to Logan International Airport, 90 minutes away, is also available.

Traveling in the City

Manchester's main north-south streets run parallel with the Merrimack River while east-west streets run perpendicular to the river. The Manchester Transit Authority (MTA) maintains access within the metropolitan area with 14 bus routes; special services are available for those who are physically unable to use the fixed-route scheduled buses.

Manchester

The City in Brief

Founded: 1722 (incorporated, 1846)

Head Official: Mayor Robert A. Baines (since 2000)

City Population

1980: 90,936

1990: 99,567

2000: 107,006

2003 estimate: 108,871

Percent change, 1990–2000: 7.5%

U.S. rank in 1980: 192nd

U.S. rank in 1990: 199th (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 239th (State rank: 1st)

Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)

1990: 173,783

2000: 198,378

Percent change, 1990–2000: 14.2%

U.S. rank in 1990: 5th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 7th (CMSA)

Area: 33 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 346 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 45.5° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 39.87 inches of rain; 64 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: Manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, services

Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (February 2005)

Per Capita Income: $21,244 (1999)

2004 ACCRA Average House Price: Not reported

2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 3,545

Major Colleges and Universities: St. Anselm College; University of New Hampshire at Manchester

Daily Newspaper: New Hampshire Union Leader

Manchester, UK, USA 1. UK (England): founded c.80 as a Roman fort called Mamucium or Mamucio. This probably came from the Celtic mamm ‘breast’ because of the rounded hill on which the fort was built. To an abbreviated form of this name was added ‘‐chester’ from ceaster. Thus the meaning is ‘(Roman) Town on the Breast‐shaped Hill’. The name appeared in the 1086 Domesday Book as Mamecestre. The centre of the cotton industry, it was popularly known as ‘Cottonopolis’.2. USA (Connecticut): settled in 1672 as Five‐Mile Tract and renamed in 1772 Orford Parish. In 1823 it was incorporated as a town and renamed again after the Manchester in England.3. USA (New Hampshire): settled in 1722 as Old Harry's Town, it was renamed in 1735 as Tyngstown when it was awarded to Captain William Tyng by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. On incorporation as a town in 1751 it was renamed once more as Derryfield. Finally, in 1810, it was named after the English Manchester, a name proposed by Samuel Blodget, who had been impressed by the barge canals in that city and who had built the first canal around the Amoskeag Falls, along which the American town lies.4. USA (Ohio): there are two cities with this name, one believed to have come from ‘Chesterman’, the original owner.

Manchester: Health Care

Catholic Medical Center and Elliot Health System are the main health care providers serving the Manchester area. The 330-bed Catholic Medical Center offers a full range of medical and surgical care in 25 subspecialties, a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, psychiatric services, and diagnostic imaging. It is home to the New England Heart Institute, which, in addition to its full range of cardiac services, is a pioneer in innovative surgical procedures and a national center for advanced clinical trials. Elliot Health System is Southern New Hampshire's largest provider of comprehensive healthcare services. The 296-bed Elliot Hospital, the city's only Level II trauma center, is the designated trauma center for the greater Manchester area. The hospital also houses the Elliot Regional Cancer Center, the Max K. Willscher Urology Center, and one of three Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the state. The Elliot Physician Network operates offices throughout the area.

Health Care Information: Elliot Hospital, One Elliot Way, Manchester, NH 03103; telephone (603)669-5300; Catholic Medical Center, 100 McGregor Street, Manchester, NH 03102; telephone (603)668-3545 or (800)437-9666

Manchester 1 Town (1990 pop. 51,618), Hartford co., central Conn.; settled c.1672, inc. 1823. Its sawmills and paper mills date from before the Revolutionary War. The city was also known for its production of grandfather clocks. Contemporary manufactures include automobile parts, tools, and dairy and paper products. Hartford's Bradley International Airport is located nearby.

2 City (1990 pop. 99,567), Hillsboro co., S N.H., on both sides of the Merrimack River; settled 1722, inc. as a city 1846. It is the largest city in New Hampshire. Among its various manufactures are computer and electronic equipment, machinery, lobster holding systems, foods and beverages, clothing, hats, industrial brushes, and medical supplies. In 1838 textile interests founded the city and established a huge textile-manufacturing company; Amoskeag Falls on the Merrimack provided power for the first textile mills. Until the depression of the 1930s and the moving of much of the textile industry to the south, Manchester was heavily dependent on the industry. St. Anselm College, a branch of the Univ. of New Hampshire, and the Currier Gallery of Art are there. John Stark lived and is buried in Manchester. A number of ski areas are in the vicinity.

Manchester: Geography and Climate

The largest city in the three northern-most New England states, Manchester straddles the Merrimack River 20 miles north of the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border and 60 miles north of Boston. Manchester is located in a valley surrounded by woods, lakes, the Amoskeag Falls, and the Presidential Chain of the White Mountains. The city, located in Hillsborough County, is the center of a developing urban corridor with Concord to the north and Nashua to the south.

Northeasterly winds contribute to Manchester's long, snowy winters (average snowfall is 64 inches) and its mild summers. Humidity is moderate all year long.

Area: 33 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Ranges from 110 to 570 feet above sea level; mean elevation, 346 feet above sea level

Average Temperatures: January, 19.7° F; July, 70° F; annual average, 45.5° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 39.87 inches of rain; 64 inches of snow

Manchester: Convention Facilities

Manchester's largest convention facility is suitable for mid-sized meetings: The Center of New Hampshire Radisson features more than 65,000 square feet of function and exhibit space. Its meeting and banquet facilities accommodate up to 2,000 people. The Center's Expo Center has 5 private meeting rooms and room for up to 210 booths. The adjoining ballroom is one of the largest in the state. Other sites that offer meeting facilities are the Comfort Inn and Conference Center, the Sheraton Four Points, and the Tara Wayfarer Inn.

Convention Information: Center of New Hampshire Radisson, 700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101; telephone (603)625-1000

Manchester: Municipal Government

The City of Manchester is governed by a Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Each alder represents one ward, with two at-large. In non-partisan contests, the mayor is elected to a two-year term; the alders are elected to simultaneous two-year terms.

Head Official: Mayor Robert A. Baines (since 2000; current term expires 2006)

Total Number of City Employees: 1,280 (2000)

City Information: Mayor's Office, City of Manchester, One City Hall Plaza, Manchester, NH 03101; telephone (603)624-6500

Manchester: Introduction

Manchester, once the quintessential company town, has emerged from the shadow of the gigantic Amoskeag Manufacturing Company to become New England's largest city north of Boston. With a diversified economy and a growing population, Manchester is considered one of the best places to do business in the United States.

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