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Rockingham
County was home to New Hampshire's first European settlements,
Pannaway and Strawbery Banke (Portsmouth). In 1623, only
three years after the landing of the pilgrims in Plymouth,
Massachusetts, David Thomson first settled New Hampshire at
Odiorne Point in what is now known as the Town of Rye. By
the mid 1600s, the county included three of the four original
New Hampshire towns and was the center for business, trade
and government for the entire state. The state capital was
located in Portsmouth first, then later moved to Exeter and
other towns. In 1808 the capital finally settled to its current
location in Concord.
Rockingham County was eventually organized in 1771 as one
of the five original counties and named for Charles Weston
Wentworth, Second Marquis of Rockingham. Rockingham County
is located in the southeastern portion of the state and contains
all 18 miles of New Hampshire's coastline. The county is bordered
by Maine to the northeast and Massachusetts to the south.
The overall land mass is 699 square miles with a population
of nearly 300,000 (www.nh.gov/oep). The largest towns in Rockingham County are both
in the western part of the county; Derry with a population
of 36,500 (approximate) and Salem with a population of
30,000 (approximate). Businesses
and industry most popular in the county include construction,
electric, gas and sanitation services, retail trade, services
and manufacturing.
Rockingham County includes the following cities and towns:
(please click on town for website)
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