9 Historic Photos That Show Us What It Was Like Living In New Hampshire In The Early 1900s
By Michelle|Published August 01, 2021
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
We love hearing about life in New Hampshire long ago. Whether it was listening to local history lessons in school when we were kids or hearing our grandparents talk about their lives, stories about the state are fascinating. But nothing paints a better image in our heads like a photo and the ones we’ve gathered here are fascinating. They date back to the mid-1930s and show was life was like as New Hampshire emerged from the Great Depression.
1. Toboggan Run, Lancaster, 1936: Snow is definitely not uncommon here in New Hampshire, so we're not surprised to see kids enjoying it. But it's fun to realize that kids enjoyed the same type of fun we do today!
2. Auction in Hancock, 1936: This auction in a small New Hampshire town was likely a much-anticipated event. We'd like to know exactly how much people paid for the items they went home with!
3. Cutting ice on the Ottaquetchee River in Coos County, 1936: Used for ice houses, cutting ice on frozen lakes was an important job before refrigeration was common.
5. Public park in Manchester, 1936: Just as we love being outside in the fresh air of New Hampshire, these men spent some time in a local public park. It's fascinating to imagine what they might have been talking about.
6. Home of pulpwood cutter, Groveton, 1936: While we can't be sure who lived in this home way back in the 1930s, we do know that the residents were pulpwood cutters. That means they cut wood that would ultimately be used to create paper.
7. Children of a rehabilitation client in Lancaster, 1936: After the Great Depression locals needed some help getting back on their feet. These children were part of a family in need of these services.
8. Life in Lancaster, 1936: It wasn't uncommon to see people move around using horse-drawn carts. This photo may have been made during the winter carnival.
9. Manchester, 1936: This street corner in Manchester is still located in town, but thins look a lot different now. This photo shows just how much can change over time!
Can you imagine life all the way back in the 1930s? If you can, try talking to relatives who were around during this time period to get an even better idea of what things were like!
