Two Rivers Run Through It

This is the city in New Hampshire that creates the backdrop

and support system for the Manchester New Hampshire

Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,

where we serve (these days in reconfigured ways).

As we enter the final month of our first year, I intend here

to document some of what we have learned about its history.

But first . . . 

. . . a few things that have filled my lamp and brightened

my time this week during continued isolation.

Here is a blooming 'fuchsia' bush we see as we walk

on St. Anselm College campus near our apartment.

The arrival of spring has lifted our spirits!

Next, I finally took the opportunity to count myself

among the throngs of home sewists who have created

cloth masks - these for three loved ones in Utah.

Below is one I finished. It was re-created by taking 

a pattern from the personal, shaped mask 

that was stitched FOR me, offered and sent by

my neighborhood friend Mary Carter in Lehi. 

Since sewing is "something I do", I'm glad I could

count myself IN. Hunting down the elastic presented 

a challenge, and as this project was being considered, 

I wasn't sure how I could obtain some, with 

the regular fabric stores closed under the advisories.

I reached out to our office 'angel' Anita Nicklaus

by text who I knew had been sewing masks, though

in a slightly different style. At first, she responded that she

did NOT have what I needed. But almost immediately

came the following text (2 yds., not 2 ft - exactly what I

needed). I told her she was an answer to my prayer!

Something I'm getting used to is the protocol that

has us standing 6 feet apart while we wait our turn

to enter the Market Basket grocery store. I sure hope

customer metering doesn't turn into the new normal. 

OK in sunshine, with nothing much else to do. 

But when rainy and busy?

Another thing that dissipated my unease was learning

that I actually have access to the creative supplies

from Michael's (and others), where I tried for the first time

to do "contact-less curbside pickup". Ahhhh - relief!

I can be comfortable if I know I can get what I "need". 

Now for the main topic: Manchester the City.

Street signs and business names abundantly

attest to this being the "Queen" City,

which is defined in this Mill Museum placard below.

(Concord,15 miles north, is the capital, sort of represented

in this illustration by the red 'dot' in the upper left corner,

but Manchester is the largest city in the state.)

The 'two rivers' post title references a movie because 

it came to mind as I think about our journey from

Goffstown apartment west of Manchester (note the red star)

to Mission Office just off Wellington, east side of Manchester.

Vince prefers the I-93 route that crosses just the Merrimack,

but I prefer the cross-town surface road route that takes me

over bridges spanning the Piscataquog and the Merrimack. 

(Say pis-CAT-a-kwahg - see, NOT that hard!)

The area where Manchester developed was important in

history when Native Abenaki people (Penacook tribe) 

settled here because of the Amoskeag (say AM-as-keg) 

Falls area of the Merrimack, about 11,000 years ago. 

Abundant water makes a 54 foot drop in about one-half mile.

Here the fish rested before making the climb upstream, 

gathering in eddies and pools or

becoming caught in fishing nets strung across.

Amoskeag root word means "many fish".

While still in Utah awaiting our trip east, Vince had

seen (online) and become entranced by this 3D sign. 

It was the first thing we searched for last June.

The Falls were completely dammed in 1840 to support

the local industrial establishment described here.

We toured the Millyard Museum in late January

(well before the forced COVID closure, thank goodness)

and could see some artifacts of those earlier civilizations.

This decorated bowl was of particular interest to me.

A collection of primitive tools also made us think!

Two businessmen from south of New Hampshire (Boston?)

saw the potential of harnessing the power of the falling

water at Amoskeag to drive looms and other textile machines.

They planned the manufacturing town around the Falls

and then diverted water to form 2 canals, built the large factory

buildings plus other community infrastructure to accommodate

the immigrant workforce of Amoskeag Manufacturing Company.

This vintage image shows the huge industrial buildings complex.

Another vintage photo shows the extent of the looms

and fabric production, a powerhouse of textile production

in the second half of the 19th century.

In 1914, the factory created a gigantic flag which

they claimed to be the largest one ever made.

(Later it was proved that a previous one in

Concord had been the largest.) Stars on this one were

1 yard across and the flag weighed 200 pounds.

The textile operation created thousands of jobs, 

and during its heyday for the city, Thursday evening

on Elm Street in downtown evidenced the booming

economy (Thursday was payday at the Mills).

The Millworks began to decline after WWI and could not

withstand economic pressures from the Great Depression,

closing suddenly and permanently on Christmas Eve 1935.

In the 1960s, the canals were filled in and other development

continued in the areas where the mill activity had been.

Today, part of the beautiful brick buildings in the massive

complex have been preserved as a Museum, and many others

re-developed as dwelling apartments, condominiums,
restaurants, and businesses.

Manchester's most famous citizen may be 

engineer Ralph H. Baer, the "father of the video game". 

In 1967 he licensed what would become the Odyssey game

system to Magnavox - and the rest is history.

This bronze statue memorializes him near the banks

of the Merrimack River. 

(He is holding a double joy-stick controller.)

Finally, it was nice to be put to work for the Mission again,

after drifting through these days of dwindling tasks.

With the hint of a soon-to-be-expanding missionary force here

as "furloughed" young Elders and Sisters are reassigned 

 here temporarily, our leaders are galvanizing efforts

in this special commemorative year of the First Vision.

I was able to use skills I learned for paper craft design

to set up, illustrate, print and cut these cards

that will be distributed to go inside their 'Rules' sleeves.

Feeling needed has filled my lamp this week,

along with the help we've been offered and can offer.

Praying you are getting Heaven's help to stay healthy

and well!