Most People Don’t Know The Meanings Behind These 7 New Hampshire Town Names
×
Ken MacGray
Author
What’s in a name? Sometimes the naming of towns is fairly obvious based on their location or a particular feature. This is true for a lot of small towns in New Hampshire. Some names, however, have a different story behind them.
Originally incorporated as Percy in 1795, this small town was renamed Stark in 1832 in honor of General John Stark. It was Col. Stark who wrote the words "Live Free Or Die", which would eventually become the New Hampshire state motto.
This town is said to get its name from a mispronunciation. It was re-granted in 1767 and named after Sir Thomas Fermor, Second Baron "Leominster". The mispronunciation stuck and the Lempster name remains today.
Advertisement
Not to be confused with the city in Pennsylvania, this Pittsburg is named after William Pitt, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. It was formerly known as Territory of Indian Stream prior to its incorporation in 1840.
Advertisement
Related Stories
This Is The Most New Hampshire Sound You'll Ever Hear, And We Can't Stop Listening To It
It's An Epic Aerial Adventure Soaring In The Skies Over New Hampshire
The Whole Family Could Spend An Entire Day Having A Blast At Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel In New Hampshire
This town went through a number of name changes in its lifetime, including Bradford (now in use by another town), Middletown, and Liscomb. The "Orange" moniker may be derived from the orange-tinted ochre found on Mt. Cardigan, the summit of which is the highest point in the town.
New Boston, same as the old Boston? Not quite, but close. When the town was first granted in 1736, it was done so by colonial governor Jonathan Belcher to several families from Boston. The name was derived after their old hometown.
You might think that a town with this name took it from one of the many hills in the area, but there's no great mystery here. It was named in honor of Isaac Hill, who served as governor from 1836 to 1839. To make way for construction of the Franklin Falls Dam, the original village of Hill was moved in 1941.
Originally called North Effingham, this small town experienced an influx of settlers from across the border in Maine. Due to cultural and religious differences between the townspeople, it spun of from its parent town of Effingham in 1831. It's new name reflected this separation.
If you want to read more about unusual spots in New Hampshire, check out these 12 locations with the strangest names!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.