New Hampshire

The oldest town in NH is over 400 years old. But actually it’s 2 towns

Published

1 year ago

December 28, 2024

The oldest town in NH is over 400 years old. But actually it’s 2 towns

As one of the original 13 colonies, New Hampshire’s oldest town is over 400 years old. But did you know the state actually started in two different settlements?

According to the Rye Historical Society, Samuel De Champlain first documented New Hampshire’s islands, which were inhabited by Indigenous peoples, in 1605. Yet, the English did not settle the land until years later. In 1623, Captain John Mason of England sent two divisions of men to establish a fishing colony at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, according to the New Hampshire Almanac. However, when the two groups hit land in what is now known as New Hampshire, they landed about 20 miles apart.

The division led by Scotsman David Thomson set up a stone house near Odiorne Point at the mouth of the river, a place they called Pannaway, which is now Rye. Meanwhile, brothers and fish merchants Edward and Thomas led their group to settle in Dover, which they originally called Northam.

Together with Portsmouth, Exeter and Hampton, these early settlements became a royal province in 1679, existing under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts from 1698-1741. New Hampshire, named after Captain Mason’s county in England, officially became a state in 1788, making the oldest towns 165 years older than the state.

Rye continued to thrive as a fishing and farming community in the 1800s, and Dover used nearby rivers to power mills for cotton-making, eventually expanding to the brick and shoe manufacturing industries.

Visit Dover and Rye

While updated to fit a modern world, both of New Hampshire’s oldest towns are still in touch with their rural heritage. Though Dover is now one of the state’s most populated towns, several public parks, walking trails and water activities allow you to reconnect with the town’s natural beauty. Rye has maintained a much smaller population, yet the fishing town is home to three beautiful beaches, endless acres of freshwater marsh and scenic coastal parks.

Historical roots are also evident throughout each town, whether in old buildings and houses lining the streets or special attractions commemorating the past. In Dover, history lovers can explore the town’s roots at the Woodman Institute Museum, and in Rye, the Rye Historical Society and Rye Town Museum give a glimpse into the founding of the state.

Source link

Click to comment

New Hampshire

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Local News

Diane Durgin, 67, is accused of shooting at a Black man who inadvertently drove to her property after a prearranged truck part sale, prosecutors said.

A New Hampshire woman is accused of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act four times after she allegedly shot at a man because he was Black, prosecutors said.

Diane Durgin, 67, of Weare, N.H. could face up to a $5,000 fine for each violation she is found to have committed, the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a press release Tuesday.

Durgin is also charged with criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon and attempted first degree assault with a deadly weapon, Michael Garrity, a media representative for the New Hampshire Attorney General, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

Durgin had a final pre-trial conference last week, Garrity said.

In a civil complaint filed Tuesday, Durgin is accused of threatening physical force against the victim, the AG said. Prosecutors asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring Durgin from repeating her alleged behavior and from contacting the victim and his family.

During the morning hours of Oct. 20, 2024, the victim claims, he “mistakenly” drove to Durgin’s home after a prearranged purchase of a truck part with a seller online, prosecutors wrote as part of their request for an injunction.

When the man — whom prosecutors identified in court documents as X.G. — arrived, Durgin allegedly stepped out of her home and approached his car with a gun “holstered by her waist,” prosecutors wrote.

Upon noticing that X.G. was Black, Durgin allegedly “removed her gun and pointed it at X.G.,” prosecutors said in the injunction request.

While X.G. explained that he was lost, Durgin called the victim a “Black mother[expletive],” and threatened to “kill him,” prosecutors allege.

As the victim attempted to drive away, Durgin allegedly took her gun and fired two shots at the fleeing man’s car, missing both times, the AG’s office said.

While on the phone with a dispatcher, Durgin allegedly said she shot the man’s car because the victim is Black, the AG said.

“The guy is Black. And he, he…he says he’s meeting someone here and I think he’s coming here to steal,” Durgin allegedly said.

Police located X.G. and brought him to the Weare Police Department, stopping along the way at the correct seller’s home to complete the truck part purchase, prosecutors wrote in court documents.

To prove a violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act, the AG must show that Durgin “interfered or attempted to interfere with the rights of the victim to engage in lawful activities by threatening to engage in or actually engage in physical force or violence, when such actual or threatening conduct was motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability,” prosecutors said.

Sign up for the Today newsletter

Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.

Source link

New Hampshire

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

It may be March, but winter in New Hampshire is far from over. Just one week after a blizzard tore through the state with heavy snow and high winds, the state is getting another round of snowfall.

The state will get three to five inches during the evening and night of Tuesday, March 3, says the National Weather Service (NWS) of Gray, Maine. While the accumulation will not be significant, the snowfall may cause dangerous road conditions and a layer of ice on the ground in certain parts of the state.

Here’s what to know before tonight’s snow in New Hampshire, including snow totals and timing.

When will it snow in NH tonight?

According to the NWS, it will start snowing in New Hampshire during mid-afternoon or early evening and continue through the night. Specifically, snow will arrive to the southern part of the state around 2-3 p.m., spreading northwards through the rest of New Hampshire by 5 p.m.

Rain or freezing rain will mix in later this evening across southern New Hampshire, creating a wintry mix. All precipitation should move out of the state by midnight.

Due to the timing of today’s snowfall, the Tuesday evening commute will be affected, with the NWS warning to slow down and exercise caution while driving.

How much snow will NH get tonight?

New Hampshire will get one to four inches of snow tonight, with one to two inches in northern New Hampshire, two to three inches in southern New Hampshire and three to four inches in the center of the state, with the possibility for five inches in localized areas.

In the Seacoast specifically, Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton and York are expected to get between two to three inches of snow, while Dover, Exeter and Rochester may get up to four.

The wintry mix may also cause a light glaze of ice across southern New Hampshire.

NH weather watches and warnings

The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for the state of New Hampshire, in effect from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 through 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4.