New Hampshire is well-known for a lot of things in history. Many of these we've learned about in textbooks or from our years of living here. Lots of other lesser-known curiosities, however, tend to fly more under the radar but are no less interesting. Let's take a look at 10 New Hampshire trivia facts that are probably not known to everyone.
1. The Ladybug is The Official State Insect
This docile insect was voted in by the 1977 Legislature after an initiative sponsored by students at the Broken Gound grammar school in Concord.
2. New Hampshire Has Ten Counties
Of these ten, five of the colonies (Grafton, Cheshire, Hillsborough, Rockingham, Strafford) were formed in 1769 at a time when New Hampshire had not yet become a state.
3. Manchester High School Central is The Oldest Public High School In The State
This institution was first founded in 1846 as simply Manchester High School before its name was changed in 1922. The school currently serves about 1,200 students.
4. The Piscataqua River Is One Of The Fastest Tidal Rivers In The Country
This river forms the boundary of New Hampshire and Maine. The Piscataqua has also played an important role in the development of cities and towns such as Portsmouth, New Castle, and Newington.
5. Pittsburg Is The Northernmost And Largest Town In The State
Tucked up next to the Canadian border, this expansive town is not only large in size, but is also sparsely populated with year-round residents.
6. The Alarm Clock Was Invented In Concord
Next time you are grumbling at having to wake up early, you can thank the inventor of this revolutionary timepiece, Levi Hutchins.
7. Manchester's Elm Street Is The Longest Dead End Road In The U.S.
While you would think that the main street of the largest city in the state would be a major throughway, Manchester's Elm Street is boxed in by the city itself.
8. Paintball Was Invented In Henniker
Now this seem like something that would be invented here! Personally, I had no idea that we were the birthplace of Paintball.
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Were Created In Dover
TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird first dreamed up the "heroes in a halfshell" in 1983 while living together in Dover.
10. Bath, Cornish, And The Waterloo Historic District of Warner Are Siblings In A Way
All three of these towns/neighborhoods have conserved covered bridges, which are part of 58 such bridges in the state that are still standing.
These may not be the only New Hampshire trivia facts that you might not be aware of. Did you know about these ten surprising facts? Or these 14 facts that sound totally made up? Or these seven shocking things that happened here? Now you do!
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