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92-586: The Merrimack is an important regional focus in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The central-southern part of New Hampshire and most of northeast Massachusetts is known as the Merrimack Valley . Several U.S. naval ships have been named USS  Merrimack and USS Merrimac in honor of this river. The river is also known for the early American literary classic A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Henry David Thoreau . The etymology of

184-668: A Can-Am minor league baseball team, played at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, then changed to the American Defenders of New Hampshire in the 2009 season. The Defenders were evicted from the venue in August 2009, however, because of non-payment of rent, and moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts to become the Pittsfield Colonials . Before the Pride, Holman was the home stadium for the independent Nashua Hawks;

276-437: A 2002 statewide water assessment stated that elevated counts of E. coli and fecal coliform contributed to the river's largest cause of water quality violations. By the 2000s, the largest pollution concern was combined sewer overflow . Wildlife has been impacted through the contamination of shellfishing beds as well as habitat contamination, and aquatic life has been affected due to excess lead , zinc , and other metals in

368-564: A division of BAE Systems Inc. and is one of the regions largest employers. Technology companies also have a large presence in the region, including mobile phone company Verizon , which is the largest private employer in Manchester. The financial industry is also a major employer, with Lincoln Financial in Concord and Fidelity Investments in Merrimack among the largest private employers. The area between Manchester, Nashua, and Salem

460-640: A double flood of rain and melting snow and ice swelled the Merrimack at Lowell to 68.4 feet (20.8 m), 10 feet (3 m) higher than the 2006 flood. Part of the Jack Kerouac book Doctor Sax is set during this event. In addition to the 1936 flood, the 1852 flood, and the Mother's Day Flood of 2006, the New England Hurricane of 1938 and floods in October 1996 and April 2007 round out

552-488: A foot of rain with some areas receiving as much as 17 inches (43 cm). According to The Boston Globe , around 1,500 people evacuated their homes to escape the flood. This flood also prompted the Massachusetts city of Lowell to install a modern (albeit temporary) flood control gate comprising square steel beams at the site of the historic Francis Gate , a 19th and 20th-century wooden flood gate. When lowered,

644-704: A group of investors from Boston founded the city of Lowell, to take advantage of the 32-foot (9.8 m) drop of the Merrimack over the Pawtucket Falls . Lowell, the first large-scale planned textile center in America, remained the nation's largest into the 1850s. Textile production spread up and down the Merrimack Valley in both states for the next century, but eventually was eclipsed after the Second World War . Manchester's Amoskeag Mills

736-498: A household in the city was $ 60,923, and the median income for a family was $ 76,612. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 60,365 versus $ 43,212 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 30,937. About 4.6% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over. Nashua has three main commercial districts. Centered on Main Street near

828-528: A key role in the development of the home video game console market. Ralph H. Baer , an employee of Sanders, developed what would become the Magnavox Odyssey , the first commercial home video game system. The arrival of Digital Equipment Corp. , now part of Hewlett-Packard , in the 1970s made the city part of the Boston -area high-tech corridor. Nashua is in southeastern Hillsborough County. It

920-697: A landmark event in the history of labor relations in the United States. After World War II, the textile industry collapsed rapidly. After a few decades of stagnation, the " Massachusetts Miracle " came to the valley, bringing the headquarters of Wang Laboratories to Tewksbury, then Lowell. Apollo Computer located in Chelmsford and Nashua Corporation in Nashua moved beyond printing to computer products. The defense industry, for example, Raytheon in various sites and Sanders Associates in Nashua, became

1012-559: A low-power station in Boston and subchannels of other stations) across the entire market. As WYCN-CD, it formerly carried a number of smaller networks, along with local programming and community calendar information of interest to Nashuans, until the sale to NBC. The Everett Turnpike is the major highway running through the city. U.S. Route 3 follows the turnpike from the Massachusetts border north to Exit 7E, where it branches to

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1104-410: A major local employer. Increased development pressure from Greater Boston and the proliferation of the automobile pushed development outside of Massachusetts Route 128 to Interstate 495 and up Routes 3 and 93 into southern New Hampshire, greatly increasing the populations of these communities over the postwar years. On September 13, 2018, several gas lines suffered leakage due to high pressure in

1196-594: A permit allowing landfill water to be dumped into the Merrimack River. Politicians are also seeking increased federal funding to update water infrastructure for the Merrimack River, as the river's current sewer infrastructure has resulted in the dumping of over 100,000 gallons of untreated water into the river. The Merrimack is listed as one of the Navigable Waters of the United States, subject to Section 10, Rivers and Harbors Act Jurisdiction. While

1288-517: A private ambulance service, American Medical Response. The department has five fire commissioners. The commission has overall responsibility for the policy decisions, promotions, discipline, hiring and terminations. The fire chief reports directly to the commission. Their responsibility is to also work with fire administration with planning and prioritizing the department budget. There are two hospitals in Nashua, St. Joseph Hospital and Southern New Hampshire Health System . An episode of MTV's MADE

1380-441: A result of the pollution from textile mills and other human-related waste. In the 1960s, the Merrimack River was one of the ten most polluted waterways in the United States due to years of unmediated dumping of raw sewage , paper and textile mill discharge, and tannery sludge. Phthalates , a group of chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics and detrimental to human bodily systems, were identified in high concentrations within

1472-549: A section depicting the fictional Pre-Columbian arrival of 9th century Irish and English travelers at the Merrimack River and their interactions with local Native Americans . Merrimack Valley The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts . The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in New England and has helped to define

1564-425: A weekly printed edition. Nashua radio stations include oldies station WGHM 900 AM ( ESPN affiliate), talk station WSMN 1590 AM, and 106.3 WFNQ , a classic hits station owned by Binnie Media . WEVS 88.3 and 90.3 serve as the stations for New Hampshire Public Radio . The city is part of the Manchester radio market and can also receive almost all Boston -market stations clearly. One television station

1656-401: Is a city in southern New Hampshire , United States. As of the 2020 census , it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester . It is one of two county seats of New Hampshire's most populous county, Hillsborough ; the other being Manchester. Built around the now-departed textile industry, in recent decades Nashua's economy has shifted to

1748-522: Is a major regional shopping destination, lying directly on the Massachusetts border and taking advantage of New Hampshire's lack of sales tax. It is anchored by the Pheasant Lane Mall and numerous smaller shopping centers. It is one of several U.S. cities nicknamed Gate City , which references a reputation for being a travel gateway—in this case between the Boston region and New Hampshire. A number of civic groups and institutions have adopted

1840-481: Is bordered to the south by Middlesex County, Massachusetts . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 31.7 square miles (82.2 km ), of which 30.8 square miles (79.9 km ) are land and 0.89 square miles (2.3 km ) are water, comprising 2.84% of the city. The eastern boundary of Nashua is formed by the Merrimack River , and the city is drained by

1932-606: Is in Nashua. The three-building campus that once housed a Digital Equipment Corporation software development facility was sold to the John Flatley Company, which has renamed it "Nashua Technology Park". Nashua has had a series of amateur, semi-professional, and professional baseball teams. The Nashua Silver Knights , part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England (FCBL), is the city's current team. The Nashua Pride ,

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2024-507: Is in the city's northwest corner. The nearest airports with scheduled airline service are Manchester–Boston Regional Airport in Manchester and Logan International Airport in Boston. Historically, Nashua was a hub for the trolley system in New Hampshire. Trolleys could be taken south to Boston , as well as north into Manchester and to locations as far east as Hampton, New Hampshire . The trolley also connected different areas of

2116-470: Is in the northwestern part of the city and is a large thoroughfare with commercial centers along both sides. The South Nashua Commercial District, centered on Daniel Webster Highway near the Massachusetts border, is anchored by the Pheasant Lane Mall , attracting many people from Massachusetts taking advantage of the lack of sales tax in New Hampshire. The city is home to a number of technical firms, including Nashua Corporation , which took its name from

2208-465: Is licensed to Nashua. WBTS-CD (channel 15) is owned by NBC Owned Television Stations , and serves as the NBC owned-and-operated station for the Boston market. The station moved from its own transmitter to a channel share with PBS member station WGBX-TV from their Needham, Massachusetts tower in 2018 upon NBC's assumption of ownership, letting it broadcast the "NBC Boston" service (previously carried by

2300-471: Is located along the river's banks in New Hampshire. On the Merrimack River's banks are a number of cities built to take advantage of water power in the 19th century, when textile mills dominated the New England economy: Concord , Manchester , and Nashua in New Hampshire, and Lowell , Lawrence , and Haverhill in Massachusetts. At the mouth of the river is the small city of Newburyport . Prior to

2392-423: Is not seeking reelection in 2024. At the presidential level, Nashua leans strongly towards Democrats. George H. W. Bush was the last Republican presidential nominee to win Nashua, in 1988 . In the 2000 U.S Census, 22,700 residents over age three were enrolled in a Nashua educational institution, approximately a fourth of the city. The local newspaper is The Telegraph , with daily news published online and

2484-588: Is one of the largest private employers in the region, as is Philips , whose medical division is based in Andover. The defense industry also has had a major presence in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts-based Raytheon has several large plants and offices in the Merrimack Valley, and BAE Systems Inc. also employs many people. Due to its proximity to Boston, the region also serves as a bedroom community for employers in Boston. Many major highways (including I-93 , I-95 , and US 3 ) and several heavily used lines of

2576-467: Is proposed to have two station stops on the line, South Nashua , which would be located behind the Pheasant Lane Mall just north of the state line, and Nashua, which would be located in a rail yard near Crown Street in downtown Nashua and would utilize the existing Crown Street park-and-ride lot. Separately on October 11, 2017 the Nashua Board of Aldermen signed a memorandum of understanding with

2668-667: Is unclear whether the highway will ever be completed. If finished, the Nashua-Hudson Circumferential Highway would be part of the Everett Turnpike, and would rejoin the mainline highway at a hypothetical Exit 9 in northern Nashua. In 2015, after four years of construction, the city completed the Broad Street Parkway, which connects Exit 6 of the Everett Turnpike to the city's downtown area ("Tree Streets" neighborhood), with

2760-522: The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps (1997, 1998, 2004, 2007 Drum Corps International Division II Champions and 2019 Open Class Champions) is based in Nashua. The city's government is headed by a mayor and fifteen aldermen : six at-large aldermen elected three at a time every four years, and nine ward aldermen, one for each ward in the city, elected every two years. In

2852-513: The MBTA Commuter Rail system provide easy access to the city from the Merrimack Valley. Attractions include: Institutions of higher education include: While the textile industry that served as the underpinning of the Merrimack Valley has disappeared, the region has since transferred to other economic activities. Sanders Associates , a major defense contractor based in Nashua has, through several mergers and acquisitions, become

Merrimack River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-446: The Merrimack River , with the town of Nottingham West (now the town of Hudson, New Hampshire ) created out of the eastern portion. The previously disputed boundary between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was fixed in 1741 when the governorships of the two provinces were separated. As a result, the township of Dunstable was divided in two. Tyngsborough and some of Dunstable remained in Massachusetts, while Dunstable, New Hampshire ,

3036-478: The Nashua River and Salmon Brook , tributaries of the Merrimack. The Nashua River roughly bisects the city. Pennichuck Brook forms the city's northern boundary. The highest point in Nashua is Gilboa Hill in the southern part of the city, at 426 feet (130 m) above sea level . Nashua has a four-season humid continental climate , which has transitioned to the hot summer subtype, ( Köppen Dfa ), as of

3128-554: The Nashua Transit System , which has nine scheduled bus routes in the city. Boston Express , a subsidiary of Concord Coach Lines , operates a Nashua-Boston bus line that runs out of the Nashua Transit Center off Exit 8 on the Everett Turnpike. This line transports passengers to South Station and Logan International Airport in Boston. Nashua Airport (Boire Field), a general aviation facility,

3220-611: The New Hampshire General Court , Nashua is represented in the House by Hillsborough County's 3rd (Ward 4), 4th (Ward 2), 5th (Ward 1), 6th (Ward 3), 7th (Ward 7), 8th (Ward 6), 9th (Ward 5), 10th (Ward 9), and 11th (Ward 8) districts and in the Senate by District 12 (Wards 1, 2, and 5, shared with Hollis , Mason , Brookline , Greenville , New Ipswich , and Rindge ) and District 13 (Wards 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9). In

3312-627: The New Hampshire Senate , Nashua is represented by two state senators: In the New Hampshire Executive Council , Nashua is included within the 5th District and is currently represented by Republican Dave Wheeler. Nashua is included within New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district and is currently represented (until 2025) by Democrat Ann McLane Kuster in the U.S. House of Representatives ; Kuster

3404-446: The New Hampshire border , a portion of which is defined by a line approximately 3 miles (5 km) north and west of the Merrimack. The cities (marked with italics ) and towns in this area are: The population of the region in 2010 was 631,477, slightly more than that of Boston , and about one tenth of the state's. The Merrimack Valley contains a mixture of 19th-century industrial cities and mill complexes built to take advantage of

3496-537: The Pennacook Indians. The river provided an easy means of transportation, an exceptional source of salmon as well as other fish, and the land along the river banks was suitable for hunting and sometimes farming. The earliest European records of the river date to a French expedition under Pierre du Guast, Sieur de Monts, in 1605. By 1629, the British were moving into the area, and a land grant delineated by

3588-477: The financial services , high tech , and defense industries as part of the economic recovery that started in the 1980s in the Greater Boston region. Major private employers in the city include Nashua Corporation , BAE Systems , and Teradyne . The city also hosts two major regional medical centers, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital . The South Nashua commercial district

3680-524: The 1991 to 2020 normals, with short spring and autumn transitions, long humid and warm to hot summers, and cold winters full of snow. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 22.7 °F (−5.2 °C) in January to 70.9 °F (21.6 °C) in July. On average, there are 9.4 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs and 8.7 days of sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows. Precipitation is well-spread throughout

3772-770: The AA Nashua Pirates ; the AA Nashua Angels; and the A Nashua Dodgers , the first racially integrated professional baseball team in the 20th century. After minor league baseball began in Nashua in 1885, the team hosted the Nashua Millionaires franchise, with the team playing in the New England League from 1901 to 1933. In collegiate sports, Nashua is home to the Rivier University Raiders, who compete in

Merrimack River - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-720: The Concord and Merrimack Rivers , Henry David Thoreau implies that "its name signifies the Sturgeon River." Walker goes on to cite spellings of "Merimacke", "Merimack" and "Merrimacke" in "the colonial records of Massachusetts", as well as the "Merrimake" and "Merrymake" of a 1721 land grant at Penacook, New Hampshire . William Wood's New England's Prospect of 1634 calls the river the "Merrimacke" and locates it eight miles beyond Agowamme ( Ipswich, Massachusetts ). It hosts, he says, "Sturgeon, Sammon and Basse, and divers other kinds of fish." Merrimac, Massachusetts , settled in 1638 and originally part of Amesbury, Massachusetts ,

3956-510: The Francis gate seals the city's canal system off from its source on the Merrimack. The Great Gate, as it is also called, was built in 1850 under the direction of James B. Francis . Considered unnecessary when it was first constructed, "Francis' Folly" first saved the city in 1852 and subsequently in 1936. The most significant flood in the recorded history of the Merrimack was in March 1936, when

4048-467: The Gulf of Maine between the city of Newburyport and the town of Salisbury . In addition to the Merrimack River mainstem, there are dozens of sub-basins in New Hampshire and Massachusetts making up the watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey categorizes them into six fourth-level sub-basins using hydrological codes with the prefix 0107. The following are some of the other significant rivers found within

4140-725: The Jackson Manufacturing Company was incorporated. In 1836, the New Hampshire half of Dunstable was renamed "Nashua", after the Nashua River; the Dunstable name lives on across the Massachusetts border. The Nashua River was named by the Nashaway people, and in the Penacook language it means "beautiful stream with a pebbly bottom", with an alternative meaning of "land between two rivers". In 1842,

4232-429: The Merrimack River is prone to minor flooding , on May 15, 2006, rainfall raised the river more than 8 feet (2.4 m) above flood stage, forcing evacuations, damaging property, and breaking the main sewage pipeline in the city of Haverhill, Massachusetts , dumping 35 × 10 US gallons (1.3 × 10 L) of raw sewage waste into the river per day. Reports of total rainfall vary, but most areas appear to have received around

4324-431: The Merrimack River. Currently, there are six sanitary sewer systems from which untreated sewage flows directly into the Merrimack River due to infrastructure issues within the sewage system. Recent research has identified mercury contamination as a significant threat to fish and aquatic life in the Merrimack River. This research analyzes how biological mercury hotspots and watershed transport of mercury might contribute to

4416-533: The Route 2 corridor from Devens east to Lexington . Automobile travel through the Massachusetts section of the Merrimack Valley is served primarily by Interstate 495 . From Lowell and Lawrence, U.S. Route 3 and Interstate 93 , respectively, head north along the valley, joining in Manchester, New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, the Merrimack Valley Region is an area of the south-central part of

4508-534: The White Mountains to Charlestown, Massachusetts , and improving connections between Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Prior to this time, other small canals had been built around falls and rapids to make the Merrimack navigable, such as the Pawtucket Canal at East Chelmsford, which became Lowell. While the Merrimack had been used for small manufacturing concerns for decades, in the early 1820s,

4600-551: The Winnepisseogee at the source, Lake Winnipesaukee . According to Joseph B. Walker, relying on Chandler Eastman Potter's The History of Manchester (1856), Merremack contains the elements merruh ("strong") and auke ("place"—a recognizable locative ending), and means "the place of strong current,- a term not inappropriate, when we consider ... the river's rapids ...." Potter was an authority on Native American affairs in colonial New England. By contrast, in A Week on

4692-400: The average family size was 3.01. In the city the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. In 2011 the estimated median income for

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4784-433: The city and river. Nashua Corp. was a leading producer of floppy disks through the early 1990s, making the Nashua name well known in the world of personal computers . Defense contractor BAE Systems (formerly Sanders Associates ), computer firm Dell , and software company Oracle Corporation are the largest representatives of the high-tech industry prominent in the region. The Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center

4876-499: The city, with the Nashua line ending at the city dance hall. The trolley system decreased in popularity in the 20th century, finally closing in 1932. Efforts are being made to extend the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line from Lowell to Manchester, stopping at Nashua along the way. The state legislature created the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority (NHRTA) in 2007 with the goal of overseeing

4968-432: The city. The population density was 2,719.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,050.2/km ). There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile (464.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 83.4% White , 2.7% African American , 0.3% Native American , 6.5% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 4.6% from some other race , and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of

5060-482: The confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers. From there, the river flows south through Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, entering Massachusetts at the town of Tyngsborough , where it turns northeast and winds past or through Chelmsford , Lowell, Dracut , Tewksbury , Andover , Methuen , Lawrence, North Andover , Haverhill, Groveland , West Newbury , Merrimac , and Amesbury , to its mouth at

5152-487: The construction of the Middlesex Canal , Newburyport was an important shipbuilding city, in a location to receive New Hampshire timber that had been floated downriver. The Merrimack River watershed covers 5,010 square miles (12,980 km) in southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. It is the fourth largest river basin in New England . The river begins in the city of Franklin, New Hampshire , at

5244-503: The definition. Most large employers are in the sectors of health care and higher education . Institutes of higher learning include Hockey East rivals UMass Lowell and Merrimack College . The region was once a technology hub , reaching its peak during the 1970s and 1980s with corporations such as Wang Laboratories in Lowell among the largest technology employers, though it has since gone defunct. Software company Kronos Incorporated

5336-533: The development of commuter rail in the state. The proposed line would connect Lowell, Massachusetts , to Bedford, New Hampshire , with the end station being near the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport . As of November, 2022, an ongoing study by AECOM and the State of New Hampshire for design and financing is due to be completed by early 2023, and the project is awaiting federal funding. Nashua

5428-516: The exposure of aquatic life to chemical pollution within the Merrimack River. Additionally, the use of road salt in the winter has remained a major pollutant since the 1970s, and chloride contamination in the Merrimack River continues to impact aquatic life. United States politicians from New Hampshire and Massachusetts are calling for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reassess

5520-457: The geographic center of the city, Downtown Nashua is the oldest of the commercial districts, featuring commercial, entertainment, and dining venues, near historic commercial buildings and homes as well. Recent plans have incorporated the Nashua River into the design of a pedestrian-friendly walkway. The downtown Nashua Riverwalk is a large, public/private venture funded through the use of tax increment financing (TIF). Amherst Street ( Route 101A )

5612-413: The goal of easing traffic congestion and opening up Nashua's old mill-yard as part of the city's economic development. The new parkway provides a third crossing of the Nashua River and a way for traffic to avoid Library Hill, a busy downtown intersection. The idea of a road connecting Broad Street with Hollis Street within the city had been discussed since the 1960s. Public transportation is provided by

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5704-620: The larger remaining orchards include Apple Hill, Cider Hill, Long Hill Orchard, Mann Orchards, and Smolak Farms. Apple picking is a popular pastime in the Merrimack Valley during the late summer and fall months. The Merrimack Valley's leading boarding schools, such as Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts; Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts; St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire; and The Governor's Academy in Newbury, Massachusetts, provide cultural institutions to

5796-661: The last half of her life. The first published poet of the New World , she died in North Andover in 1672. In Haverhill and Amesbury , the family of John Greenleaf Whittier settled. Mr. Whittier was so well thought of during his lifetime, his birthday was celebrated as a national holiday. Lawrence is the birthplace of actress Thelma Todd , composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein and actor/singer Robert Goulet . Robert Frost spent his teenage years there, as did his future wife, Elinor Miriam White. They were co-valedictorians (1892) at Lawrence High School. Actress Bette Davis and

5888-421: The livelihood and culture of those living along it for millennia. Major cities in the Merrimack Valley include Concord , Manchester , and Nashua in New Hampshire, and Lowell , Lawrence , and Haverhill in Massachusetts. The Valley was a major center of the textile industry in the 19th century. The Merrimack Valley area in Massachusetts is a community of towns and cities flanking the Merrimack River along

5980-525: The mills in the city over an attempted wage cut and hours increase. The textile business started moving to the South during the Great Depression , with the last mill near Nashua closing in 1949. But then Sanders Associates , a newly created defense firm that is now part of BAE Systems , moved into one of the closed mills and helped restart the city's economy. Sanders Associates also played

6072-471: The most endangered rivers in the United States, as named by the American Rivers nonprofit in 2016. Current concerns include stormwater runoff , urban stormwater, high levels of bacteria, combined sewage runoff, phosphorus creating harmful algal blooms , reduced oxygen levels, illicit sewage discharges, and litter . Combined sewer overflows (CSO) are the largest contributors to waste discharge into

6164-629: The name of the Merrimack River—from which all subsequent uses derive, such as the name of the Civil War ironclad—remains uncertain. There is some evidence that it is Native American. In 1604 the natives of later New England told Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts , who was leading a colony of French language speakers to Acadia (later Nova Scotia ), of a beautiful river to the south. The French promptly pronounced its native name as Merremack . In 1605 Samuel de Champlain followed this lead, found

6256-429: The northeast along the two-lane Henri A. Burque Highway to Concord Street and then heads north into the town of Merrimack. Other New Hampshire state highways in the city include: Maps of the Nashua area often show a stretch of freeway forming a circumferential highway through Nashua and the neighboring town of Hudson . Only a small section of the south end of this highway (Exit 2 off U.S. Route 3 ) has been built, and it

6348-539: The now bankrupt Boston Surface Railroad Company for the creation of a rail line. The fire department of Nashua, Nashua Fire, has 176 full-time members and is responsible for 31.9 square miles (83 km ), protecting a population of 91,322. In the city, there are six stations. There is one fire chief, one assistant chief, and four deputy chiefs. The department has six engines, three ladder trucks, one haz-mat/rescue truck (known as Special Hazards 1), two brush trucks, two spare engines, and one spare ladder truck. Nashua uses

6440-403: The official spelling be "Merrimack". Prior to glaciation, the Merrimack continued its southward course far beyond the present day New Hampshire-Massachusetts border to enter the Gulf of Maine near Boston . Upon the glacier's retreat, debris deposited north of Boston filled the lower Merrimack Valley, redirecting the river into its current northeast bend at Lowell. The Neville archaeological site

6532-410: The population. There were 35,044 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and

6624-570: The public, including the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology in Andover. The Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts is divided into three New England city and town areas (NECTAs) by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget : Lowell–Billerica–Chelmsford, MA–NH; Lawrence–Methuen Town–North Andover, MA–NH; and Haverhill–Newburyport–Amesbury Town, MA–NH. The M3 Coalition serves several towns that expand

6716-526: The rival Amoskeag Manufacturing Company upriver in Manchester , the Nashua mills prospered until about World War I , after which a slow decline set in. Water power was replaced with newer forms of energy to run factories, such as coal, and cotton could be manufactured into fabric where it grew, saving transportation costs. In 1922, it was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike , shutting down

6808-573: The river and renamed it Riviere du Gas . The French and their name did not remain on the Merrimack. The natives dwelling along the river at the time of European exploration included the Agawam and Naumkeag on the lower reaches, the Pawtucket at Lowell, Massachusetts , the Nashua , Souhegan and Namoskeag around Manchester, New Hampshire , the Pennacook northward from Bow, New Hampshire , and

6900-469: The river in 1973. A 1976 study of the chemical dynamics of the Merrimack River found that at that time, the biggest pollution source was road salt . Although the river underwent significant restoration efforts from the 1970s onwards, a 1997 study found that the river continued to suffer from the long-term effects of pollution. The study identified that the river had elevated bacteria counts, low dissolved oxygen , and high nutrient levels . A few years later,

6992-483: The river was made to a Jonathan Wheelwright in 1629. The city of Newburyport , first settled in 1635, at the river's mouth, became an important shipbuilding center during the colonial era, using lumber floated downriver from the White Mountains . Its prominence was diminished when the Middlesex Canal was completed in the first quarter of the 19th century, allowing lumber to be shipped directly downriver from

7084-437: The river's infrastructure, there was a noticeable change in wildlife and aquatic life. Birds, fish, and other animals returned to inhabit the river, with citizens noting specifically seeing much more American shad , striped bass , trout , and Atlantic salmon . The involvement of local volunteers in monitoring and maintaining the river has provided effective restoration efforts over the years. The Merrimack River remains one of

7176-441: The river's most serious flood events, measured at Lowell. The Francis Gate had been left in place after being dropped in 1936, so it prevented flooding in 1938 as well. In 2007, the steel beam system was again assembled in place. The song "Merrimack River" and its instrumental reprise are featured on the 2009 album Amanda Leigh by Nashua, New Hampshire, native Mandy Moore . Anya Seton 's historical novel Avalon includes

7268-418: The river's waterpower, modern suburbs (many built over towns dating from the 17th century), and some relatively rural areas. The western part, including Greater Lowell and Haverhill–Lawrence–Methuen, is generally more urban than the eastern part. The entire Merrimack Valley region in Massachusetts is part of Greater Boston . Broader definitions for the region include other areas of Middlesex County , including

7360-536: The river. In addition, human recreational activities such as swimming and boating have been restricted in certain areas of the river due to high contamination levels. The Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 led to significant improvement for the Merrimack River. The law required sewage to be treated before being discharged into waterways. Federal funding allowed officials to create the river's infrastructure, specifically funding for wastewater treatment plants (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2006). Following these changes in

7452-511: The six major sub-basins in the watershed, listed moving downstream along the Merrimack: Since 1951, the Merrimack River has seen many alterations and pollutants. It was dammed and canalled , as well as used as a dumping spot for industrial waste . The Merrimack was essential for textile mill complexes, which used the river for discharge from their factories. Citizens recall that the river had unusual colors, smells, and vegetation as

7544-445: The state, about 35 miles (56 km) wide, centered on the Merrimack River, and running from Canterbury south to the Massachusetts border. Henniker marks the western extent, and Nottingham the eastern. It includes parts of Hillsborough , Rockingham and Merrimack counties, namely the following towns and cities (in italics ): The state capital, Concord , and the state's two largest cities, Manchester and Nashua , are in

7636-462: The title. The area was part of a 200-square-mile (520 km ) tract of land in Massachusetts called "Dunstable", named after Edward Tyng of Dunstable in England. Located at the confluence of the Nashua and Merrimack rivers, Dunstable was first settled about 1654 as a fur trading town. Nashua lies approximately in the center of the original 1673 grant. In 1732, Dunstable was split along

7728-476: The town split into two towns. Eleven years later, they joined back together under the name "Nashua", and were re-incorporated as a city. During the split, the northern area, known today as "French Hill", called itself " Nashville ", while the southern part kept the name Nashua. Six railroad lines crossed the mill town , namely the Nashua and Lowell , Worcester and Nashua , Nashua and Acton, Nashua and Wilton, Concord and Nashua, and Rochester railroads. Like

7820-568: The tubes of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts , causing several fires and explosions , and homes were evacuated. The Merrimack River Valley is considered the "Valley of the Poets" by some local artists and poets. Anne Bradstreet was a founding mother of three towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony : Boston , Cambridge (then Newtowne), and the original Andover Parish, known now as North Andover , where she lived and wrote for

7912-605: The valley. Manchester has a large regional airport , with scheduled commercial services. To the east is the Seacoast Region , to the west is the Monadnock Region , and to the north is the Lakes Region . Interstate 93 bisects the region, which is also served by Interstate 293 , U.S. Route 3 , and many New Hampshire state highways. The original settlers of the Merrimack Valley were various tribes of

8004-405: The writer Jack Kerouac were born in Lowell. West Newbury is the birthplace of John Cena , a WWE professional wrestler, actor, former rapper, and television personality. The Merrimack Valley is one of the few places in the United States where the card game Forty-fives is popular. The Merrimack Valley was once home to numerous apple and fruit orchards, of which several still remain. Some of

8096-433: The year, though winter is the driest. Snowfall, the heaviest of which typically comes from nor'easters , averages around 55 inches (140 cm) per season, but can vary widely from year to year. Nashua recorded the New Hampshire state record high temperature of 106 °F (41 °C) during the deadly 1911 heat wave . As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in

8188-453: Was called West Amesbury until 1876, at which time it adopted its current name and spelling. Merrimack, New Hampshire , was incorporated in 1746, spelling its name "Marrymac" in the record of its first town meeting. It was referred to as "Merrimac" into the early 19th century: in the 1810 decennial census, it was spelled "Merrimac", but in the 1820 census and afterward, "Merrimack". In 1914, US Congressman John Jacob Rogers (MA) petitioned that

8280-568: Was incorporated in 1746 from the northern section of the town. Like many 19th century riverfront New England communities, New Hampshire's Dunstable was developed during the Industrial Revolution with textile mills operated from water power . In 1823, the Nashua Manufacturing Company was incorporated. The company eventually had four mills and employed approximately 1,000 people. The following year,

8372-628: Was once described as the "Golden Triangle" of New Hampshire. The name was due to job growth that fueled a housing boom and led to the creation of several major new retail centers, including the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, and the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua. This area contains roughly 30% of the population of New Hampshire. Attractions include: Institutions of higher education include: Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua ( / ˈ n æ ʃ ə w ʌ / )

8464-670: Was once the largest cotton textile plant in the world. Other major textile companies based in the Merrimack Valley included the Merrimack Manufacturing Company in Lowell, the American Woolen Company in Lawrence (headquarters moved to Andover in 1919), Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, and the Nashua Manufacturing Company in its namesake city. Lawrence was the site of the Bread and Roses strike ,

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