Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Manchester was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: old-book passages.
The Manchester post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Manchester’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Manchester.
A post office was established at Manchester in 1822, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1914. The community was named from Manchester Township.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Manchester, cut from the printed page as they were published.
One dated 13 March, 1779, addressed to the "Inhabytence of the Town of Manchester," declares his belief that " Turkish Laws are Much Preffarable & Juster then the Assessors conduct in Manchester at Present is"; he advises "those that can Watch and Ward to Look out for themselves and others ; or I think the Town is Puend." He signs himself, " an Abusd, and imposed upon, Inhabitent of Manchester." This wrathful com-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The petitioners being well known citizens were successful in their application, and a township ten miles square was granted them, August 26, 1720. This grant included near one half of the present city of Manchester, and was the second grant of any portion of the land embraced in the limits of the city of Manchester ; the first having been made to Passaconnaway in 1663, as already shown. When the township was laid out, taking in the good lands occupied by them, a large tract
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
entitled an act in addition to an act entitled an act to establish a system of Police for the town of Portsmouth, and for other purposes, passed June, 23d, 1823," passed July 1st 1831, be adopted in the town of Manchester." "Voted on motion of Mr. Bell, that "an act, entitled an act, defining the powers and duties of fire-wards and other persons in certain cases," passed December 16th, 1828, and 'an act, entitled an act, in addition to an act, defining the powers
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From its name, Manchester, it has been thought that the town was settled by people from the vicinity of Manchester, England.1 Another supposition has been that the town received its name from the Earl of Manchester, a warm friend of the American colonies, an associate of Cromwell, Hampden and Pym.2 Without any definite knowledge or even tradition on this point, it is more than likely that the men
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Manchester post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2012