Collections and materials donated to the City Archives from external individuals or entities that enrich or add to the cumulative history and community heritage of the City. Includes unofficial records and documents not created or maintained by the City of Manchester.
Collections
Amoskeag Fire Insurance Company Records, 1887-1889 (Accession 2006.13)
The Amoskeag Fire Insurance Company was created on May 05, 1886 and existed until its dissolution on April 26, 1977.
The two ledgers contain a list of insured individuals and companies, the date and expiration of risk (lifespan of the policy), amount of risk (value of the policy), rate (%) and the amount of the premium. There are also descriptions of the insured property. Insurance was not limited to property or persons in Manchester. Entries in the ledger are listed in a semi-chronological order. Some pages have attached papers with more details on specific policies.
The city directories are valuable resources that document various types of information about the City of Manchester.
Digital Items:
- 1869 Directory Data
The 1869 directory contains information such as lists of Manchester residents, their occupation, and their home address. It also has general information on neighborhoods and their locations, schools and their locations, and churches.
- 1890 Directory Data
The 1890 directory contains information such as lists of Manchester residents, their occupation, and their home address. It also has general information on local manufacturers, villages, and hotels. The 1890 directory is a strong genealogical resource, as federal census records from this year do not exist.
- 1918 Directory Data
The 1918 directory contains information such as lists of Manchester residents, their occupation, and their home address. The directory also lists local individuals who served in World War I, with information on the armed services division the person had enlisted under. Death dates are also given for residents, but the place of death/internment is not listed, and may not necessarily be Manchester. Other content includes general information on villages.
This collection consists of records from the City Hall Restoration Committee, Inc. non-profit organization, and also contains records of its campaign coordinator Walter A. Stiles. It includes construction and design records, general correspondence, grant documents, financial records, photographs, and publicity files from 1990-2006, with a majority of the records created from 1996-1999. It documents the organization's fundraising activities to raise money for the restoration of City Hall and the Annex building.
Photographs of the City Hall and Annex buildings' interior and exterior before, during, and after renovations are included, and are also available online.
The book, The City Hall Restoration Project: A Pictorial Guide to the Restoration of Manchester's Treasured Landmark(7.82MB), is also available online.
The collection consists of materials published by the Diocese or one of its parishes, including St. Marie's, St. Anne's, St. Raphael's, St. Joseph's, St. Anthony's, and St. Augustin's. Also included are genealogical materials related to Joseph Geisel.
This collection documents the efforts of Hands Across the Merrimack, Inc. in the planning, financing, and construction of the pedestrian bridge over the Merrimack River and Interstate Route 293 in Manchester, NH. It contains records related to the construction of the bridge, materials used to publicize the project, photographs, financial records, and governance documents such as meeting minutes. There are also videos of various events related to the organization.
This collection documents the activities of the Sesquicentennial Commission, created by the City of Manchester by resolution, to organize and execute a celebration for the 150th anniversary of Manchester's cityhood in 1996. Materials include Commission members' correspondence and other records, as well as photographs of the Sesquicentennial Parade.
Oral History: George Naum (9800.007)
This collection consists of an audio recording of an interview with George Naum, a former photographer for the local newspaper, the Union Leader. During his time with the newspaper, he covered Presidential Elections from 1952 until 1996. A transcript of the interview is available online.
Oral History: Walter Stiles (9800.008)
This collection consists of an audio recording of an interview with Walter Stiles, life-time resident of Manchester and the individual responsible for leading fundraising and other activities related to the restoration of City Hall in the 1990s. A transcript of the interview is available online.
Oral History: John Walsh (9800.009)
This collection consists of an audio recording of an interview with John Walsh, who was the founder of the Manchester Municipal Employees Credit Union, a former firefighter, and former alderman. A transcript of the interview is available online.
This small collection of postcards was donated from various families and individuals. The majority of the postcards offer images of the City of Manchester, but others show different locations in New Hampshire and the United States. Most of the postcards are from the early to mid 20th Century, however many are undated. Some items from the collection are available online.
WWII Veterans Memorial Collection (9800.015)
This small collection consists of ephemera and other materials, including brochures, dedication programs, correspondence, master lists of WWII veterans, and images of the Manchester WWII Memorial Committee members. Materials document the planning and dedication of the WWII Veterans Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park, which was dedicated on August 23, 2009.