Manchester Stories

Stories About Historic Manchester, New Hampshire
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Crafts Brothers Manchester New Hampshire

What They Were Fighting For: The Memory of the Crafts Brothers Transcends Partisan Politics

Wednesday, 16 January 2019 by John Clayton

It may seem early, but as Presidential candidates begin to descend upon New Hampshire in ever increasing numbers, the spectacular NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College becomes an important cog in the wheel that is the Presidential Primary. What very few of those Presidential candidates know, however, is that the NHIOP – this

  • Published in Culture, Uncategorized

Remember the Manchester Motordrome?

Tuesday, 01 January 2019 by John Clayton

Nothing like a little city driving to put the hyper in hypertension. Yup, nothing like five or six leisurely hours behind the wheel – let’s say on South Willow Street – to pump your diastolic pressure into triple digits, after which you won’t need Mr. Goodwrench to by-pass the carburetor and shift the internal combustion

  • Published in Culture

Depressed? Maybe You Miss the Winter Carnival

Thursday, 27 December 2018 by John Clayton

I read somewhere that good writers borrow but great writers steal, so, purely in the interest of advancing my career, I feel totally comfortable – not to mention upwardly-mobile – in saying that now is the winter of our discontent.

  • Published in Culture, Elm Street

A Box Car Recalls 250 Tons of Thanks

Thursday, 27 December 2018 by John Clayton

Tucked away on a short, dead-end stretch of Reed Street on Manchester’s West Side, there is an unusual —some would say extraordinary – token of affection from the people of France.

  • Published in Culture

Manchester Town Pound

Monday, 10 December 2018 by John Clayton

Having given the matter several days of deep thought, I have concluded that there simply aren’t a lot of Famous Doors in the world unless you count Jim Morrison who, when last we checked, was dead.

  • Published in Culture
Manchester NH Calumet Club

More Columns

Sunday, 09 December 2018 by John Clayton

As citizens of the world, we are all heavily indebted to the people of Greece for things like culture, democracy and lamb kabobs, although personally, I am not yet ready to forgive them for the Pythagorean theorem.

  • Published in Architecture, Culture

Clayton’s Elm Street doggerell

Tuesday, 04 December 2018 by John Clayton

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through downtown, Not a creature was stirring, Elm Street was shut down. Oh, the road? Sure it’s open – try to cross if you dare – But most of the widows and store fronts are bare.

  • Published in Business, Culture, Elm Street

Manchester Trivia

Tuesday, 04 December 2018 by John Clayton

So you think you know Manchester? We shall see. Herewith, a 10-question Manchester trivia test (although I will admit that some of the questions are as much minutiae as trivia). Some of the answers are painfully obvious, others can be sussed out pretty easily and still others are just plain old stinkers).

  • Published in Culture

Beware the Canals of Amoskeag

Tuesday, 04 December 2018 by John Clayton

Because of my romantic fixation upon the city of my birth, I have a glorious photograph of the Millyard in my bedroom. The photo was taken by Randolph Langenbach, who used his camera in collaboration with historian Tamara Hareven, the result being a book called “Amoskeag: Life and Work in an American Factory City.”

  • Published in The Millyard

Amoskeag Falls

Tuesday, 04 December 2018 by John Clayton

Did you ever wonder why we’re here? Not here on Earth. I’ll leave that question to deep thinkers, the major Greek philosophers like Aristotle. And Sophocles. And George Copadis. I mean did you ever wonder why we’re here in Manchester?

  • Published in The Merrimack
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The Latest Additions

  • Crafts Brothers Manchester New Hampshire

    What They Were Fighting For: The Memory of the Crafts Brothers Transcends Partisan Politics

    It may seem early, but as Presidential candidat...
  • Remember the Manchester Motordrome?

    Nothing like a little city driving to put the h...
  • Depressed? Maybe You Miss the Winter Carnival

    I read somewhere that good writers borrow but g...
  • A Box Car Recalls 250 Tons of Thanks

    Tucked away on a short, dead-end stretch of Ree...
  • Manchester Town Pound

    Having given the matter several days of deep th...
  • Manchester NH Calumet Club

    More Columns

    As citizens of the world, we are all heavily in...
  • Clayton’s Elm Street doggerell

    ‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through...
  • Manchester Trivia

    So you think you know Manchester? We shall see....

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Contributors to the Website:

John Clayton

John Clayton is the executive director of the Manchester Historic Association and Millyard Museum. He previously spent 25 years as a reporter and columnist for the New Hampshire Union Leader, and he is the author of seven books about Manchester and New Hampshire.

Mr. Clayton’s “In the City” column was a fixture on the front page of the Union Leader for more than 20 years and won numerous awards, including best local column from the New England Associated Press News Executives and “Best Local Author” from the readers of “New Hampshire” magazine.

Mr. Clayton received an Emmy Award for his work with New Hampshire Public Television where he was the long-time host of “New Hampshire Crossroads” and he was recently honored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council as one of the state’s “40 over 40” cultural icons.

John Hofstetter

John Hofstetter is a graphic designer who lives with his wife in Manchester’s Historic North End. John has designed for a variety of clients including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Citi Performing Arts Center, NPR, OXFAM International, The Pine Street Inn, Louis XIV, Amy Winehouse, Composer Bear McCreary, and Atlantic Records. Stateofthedesign.com

Images from the Manchester Historic Association’s collection are available for purchase for $25 per image. To browse the collection, click here.

For more information, e-mail or call 622-7531.

The MHA also operates the Millyard Museum at 200 Bedford Street where the permanent exhibit, “Woven in Time,” chronicles more than 11,000 years of history in this area. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, go to www.manchesterhistoric.org

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For questions about the site or to become a contributor, email manchesterstories@gmail.com

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