The Concord Historical Society was created in 2003. Our mission is to tell the stories of the people who lived in this New Hampshire valley along the banks of the Merrimack River.

The trustees of the Society are civic leaders and Concord residents. We conduct educational programs, community events and are in the process of collecting oral histories from residents, including all seven of Concord's then living mayors.

In 2007, work began on the society's first major legacy: a history of Concord in the 20th century. Writing this history will be a community endeavor that tells the human tales of Concord life at the same time the contributions of Concord's leaders and prominent institutions are recorded. Concord's last history was written early in the 1900s, and the tremendous changes that took place in the 20th century must be preserved for educational, civic and historical use. John Milne, a veteran journalist and longtime Concord resident, is the history's editor. The writing is expected to take two years.

Preliminary fundraising is under way, as the society hopes to raise $200,000 for the history.

Please join us! We hope you will consider a donation that will be a lasting gift to our city.

Concord's story is your story, and we hope you will help us tell the whole story.

Please share a memory or make a suggestion by clicking on one of the links below.

- Editor John Milne
June 2007

Donate to the 20th Century History Campaign
Make a Suggestion To The Editor		Share a Concord Memory
Join The Society		Donate an Item

The City of Concord, in collaboration with the Concord Historical Society and the Penacook Historical Society, has begun a major initiative to record the city's 20th century history, to complement the earlier histories which stop at 1902. The first step in this process is to identify the various events and themes that have characterized the 20th Century. A few examples:

• Growth of State government, of the State judicial system and of Federal government facilities
  
• The Great Depression and economic recovery
  
• Two World Wars, and other foreign conflicts
  
• Expansion & decline of the city’s rail center; construction of an Interstate highway system.
  
• Closing of Rumford Press and Brezner Tannery.
  
• Two major floods, several devastating fires and a train wreck
  
• Re-use of the New Hampshire Hospital campus; development of a new Medical Center.
  
• Establishment of the New Hampshire Technical Institute
  
• Establishment of New Hampshire’s only law school
  
• Construction of new elementary schools, new neighborhoods and new riverfront parks
  
• Citizens who became professional athletes, Olympians, an astronaut and a composer
  

We have prepared a questionnaire for you to offer your personal insight into and knowledge of the past decades.

Questions We'd Like You To Answer:

What do you feel are significant events in Concord during the past century?

What person(s) of Concord do you feel should be covered in this history?

Do you have records or photos of these events and persons? May we contact you regarding these, and if so, how would you prefer we do this?

This form may be mailed to the Concord Historical Society, PO Box 1027, Concord, NH 03302-1027.