History:

Did you know …  Englishman John Mason named New Hampshire after Hampshire county in England where he’d lived as a boy. He invested in building on the land, but never left England to see it. In 1679, New Hampshire was officially named a province of England. It would remain under the government of Massachusetts until 1741, when it became a separate colony. In 1764, the boundary between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was established as the Connecticut River. In 1776, during the American Revolution, New Hampshire became the first colony to create a constitution and declare its independence from Great Britain. In 1788 it was named the ninth U.S. state. Throughout history, New Hampshire remains to be a huge focus in the election of the President of the United States, as it tends to influence the way that the rest of the states vote. LEARN MORE: HERE, HERE, & HERE.

Agriculture and Industry:

Did you know …  Although New Hampshire still has granite quarries, it’s better known for mining sand and gravel. The state also mines some semiprecious stones including garnet and beryl. Today, New Hampshire’s Key Industries include: Agriculture including apples, eggs, dairy products, and cattle, as well as technology, health care, and tourism. LEARN MORE: HERE, HERE, & HERE.

State Bird and State Flower

Did you know …  The official State Bird of New Hampshire is the Purple Finch.  The purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus) was designated the official state bird of New Hampshire in 1957. The Purple Finch is a small finch whose breeding habitat is coniferous and mixed forest in Canada and the northeastern United States. LEARN MORE: HERE & HERE.

The official State Flower of New Hampshire is the Purple Lilac. New Hampshire designated the purple lilac as the official state flower in 1919. The apple blossom, purple aster, wood lily, mayflower, goldenrod, wild pasture rose, evening primrose and buttercup were all considered, but the purple lilac was chosen because it symbolizes the hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State. LEARN MORE.

Manchester, NH

Did you know …  New Hampshire’s State Capitol is Concord, but its largest city is Manchester. Manchester is also the tenth largest city in New England.  Pennacook Indians called Manchester Namaoskeag, meaning "good fishing place"—a reference to the Amoskeag Falls in the Merrimack River. In 1722, John Goffe III settled beside Cohas Brook, later building a dam and sawmill at what was dubbed Old Harry's Town. It was granted by Massachusetts in 1727 as Tyngstown to veterans of Queen Anne's War who served in 1703 under Captain William Tyng. But at New Hampshire's 1741 separation from Massachusetts, the grant was ruled invalid and substituted with Wilton, Maine, so Governor Benning Wentworth rechartered the town in 1751 as Derryfield. Derryfield remains a neighborhood in contemporary Manchester, along its easternmost area adjacent to Massabesic Lake. LEARN MORE: HERE & HERE.

Fun Facts

Did you know … New Hampshire is also called the Granite State.  New Hampshire is nicknamed the Granite State simply because it has a history of granite mining. The White Mountains range in New Hampshire spans the north-central portion of the state, with Mount Washington the tallest in the northeastern U.S. – site of the second-highest wind speed ever recordedSome famous people from New Hampshire include: Elizabeth Hurley- actress/model, Sarah Silverman- comedian, John Irving- author, Dan Brown- author, Ronnie James Dio- singer, and Mandy Moore- actress/singer. LEARN MORE: HERE, HERE, & HERE.  

Did you know that he first alarm clock was invented in Concord, New Hampshire by Levi Hutchins in 1787?

Here are some clock  jokes to make you giggle:

Q:  What did the robber say to the clock?

A: Hands up!

Q: What does a wall clock do after it stops ticking?

A: It hangs around.

Q: What did the second hand say to the hour hand as it passed by?

A: See you again in a minute.

Q: Why did the tardy man stop to purchase a clock?

A: He wanted to buy time.

Q: What did the watch say to the clock?

A: Hour you doing?

Q: Why did the man throw the clock out the window?

A: He wanted to see time fly.

Q: What do you get when you cross a clock and a chicken?

A: A cluck

Q: How can you tell if a clock is hungry?

A: It’ll go back four seconds!

Q: What dog always knows the time?

A: A watch dog.

Q: What time was it when the elephant sat on the clock?

A: Time to get a new clock.

Q: What do you call a grandfather clock?

A: An old timer.

Q: Why did the clock get sent to the principal’s office?

A: It was tocking too much.

The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire.  These mountains are known for a system of alpine huts for hikers operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club. The Appalachian Trail crosses the area from southwest to northeast.

Here are some Mountain themed read alouds and a short video of the beautiful White Mountains of New Hamshire…

"Yonder Mountain"

by Robert H. Bushybead

"The River and The Mountain"

by Brian Lies

"White Mountain National Forest"

Presented by the Smithsonian Channel

New Hampshire’s rolling hills are lush with apple orchards, and small farms abound, providing restaurants across the state with close sources for fresh produce and protein. And even with just a kiss of ocean shoreline, there is plenty of fresh seafood. And then, there’s New Hampshire’s version of the delicious “Poutine”.  Originating in Quebec, poutine is an odd-sounding dish made with French-fried potatoes, brown gravy, and cheese curds. While New Hampshire may not be the original creator of this comfort food dish, they are known for having some the best poutine you can find in the U.S. due to its proximity to Canada. 

Here’s a simple recipe for Poutine and boy is it yummy !!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen french-fried potatoes
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese curds or cubed white cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare french-fried potatoes according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, prepare gravy mix according to package directions. Stir in pepper. Place fries on a serving plate; top with cheese curds and gravy.

Here’s a chef’s tip:

Proper poutine is made with white cheese curds and home made french fries with fresh potatoes not peeled potatoes. The gravy is made using both beef stock and chicken stock. If you can't find curds then you can use white Chedder cheese chunks or the mozzarella.