Did you know...On June 18, 1806, the Piscataquog Canal Co. was incorporated for the purpose of cutting a canal from Gale's Mills in Weare, thereafter known as Gove's mill at Riverdale, through Goffstown, to Parker's Landing at Piscataquog Village, intending to enter the Piscataquog River a short distance easterly of the bridge at West Manchester.
	Did you know...On April 6, 1911, the New Hampshire legislature passed an act enabling the town of Goffstown to raise and appropriate a sum not to exceed $300 for the purpose of celebrating the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the town. On the 19th of April, a meeting of the citizens was held for the purpose of making arrangements for the proper observance of the day and event.
	Did you know...In 1819 the subject of a highway from the then Shirley Station southerly through Bedford and Merrimack to the river road in Merrimack began to be strongly discussed. By inspecting a map one can see at a glance that the proposed road would accommodate a large class of travel and be a great convenience to the traffic to Boston. In August of 1820, the town elected Joseph Philbrick to be one of a committee to act with two other committeemen from the towns of Bedford and Merrimack to select the most feasible route for the layout and building of the contemplated highway. The road was laid out by the Court's Committee, and became known as Wallace Road. Goffstown voted to build that part within its limits and selectmen assessed a tax of $1,000 and each district in town was notified to work out their proportion. The town also voted that each man that "labors well" shall have ten cents per hour allowed him, and some rum or not as the selectmen may think proper.
	Did you know...The year 1821 was an unfortunate year for Goffstown regarding highways, and fruitful in contentions. Wallace Road was hardly completed before Dodge Road, leading from the foot of Dodge Hill northerly to a point near the Jones tomb, had to be built. The town was indicted on account of the river road, then within the limits of Amoskeag and Hooksett, and asked the indulgence of the court for time to make repairs sufficient to meet its approval. A bridge had to be built across the Piscataquog River at the Center, known in the records as the bridge near George Henry's. Today it is known as Henry Bridge, located on Henry Bridge Road.
	Did you know...In the summer of 1845, Miss Kate Muzzey came from Ohio to visit the family of her aunt in Goffstown. During her journey to New Hampshire she noticed a sick passenger on the train, especially noting spots and blotches on the man's face. After her arrival at the home of her aunt, she herself became sick and her case was soon diagnosed as malignant smallpox, which she had contracted on the train from the passenger mentioned above. Her cousin, Miss Julia Warren, also contracted the same disease, and for a number of days was severely sick; both finally recovered and there were no further cases in town at that time.
	Did you know...In the spring of 1894 the contracts for the construction of the new buildings at the Hillsborough County Farm were awarded, and the work was carried on through the season and the following winter. The buildings were so far completed that the convention assembled here on the 1st day of February, 1895, and after a thorough inspection of the same voted to appropriate the sum of $40,000 to defray the expense of completion of the buildings and waterworks. The commissioners were authorized to issue bonds to the amount of $160,000, which should include the $120,000 borrowed to carry the vote into effect.
	Did you know...In February, 1788, a convention was called to meet at Exeter to provide opinions relative to the proposed Constitution of the United States. It was a long time before the body which framed that great instrument could reach an agreement; eventually it was attained, and the Constitution was sent to the several states to be ratified or rejected. Lt. William Page was sent as a delegate from Goffstown and Col. Robert McGregor and six others constituted the committee chosen to give Page his instructions. The final vote to ratify was June 21, 1788.
	Did you know...On Monday, March 12th, 1888 a severe snow storm began shortly after midnight and continued throughout the day, with snow falling to the depth of eighteen inches. Traffic on the local railroad was greatly impeded, and roadways were almost completely impassable.  The train leaving Manchester Monday evening at 5.30 o'clock was stalled in the snow between East Weare and North Weare, and two engines were sent to the rescue. On Tuesday morning, the 13th, the storm had cleared, but highways were impassable and no railroad trains were running; telegraph lines were paralyzed.
	Did you know...On Mast Road about one mile east of the village, near the old Shirley Station, was once a hotel known as Taggart's. The first owner and proprietor was Jonathan Butterfield, about 1800, and it remained in his possession until 1837. He was succeeded by Hugh J. Taggart, and he in turn by David M. Taggart. The hotel enjoyed its greatest distinction during the management of David M. Taggart; a spacious hall was constructed for the accommodation of parties and public meetings. A race course was graded northeasterly of the tavern for the exercise and exhibition of Mr. Taggart's trotting stock, and he became famous throughout the country as the owner of "Taggart's Abdallah." The buildings were destroyed by fire about 1880.
	Did you know...At the annual meeting in the spring of 1778, one of the more important matters which occupied the attention of the voters was the appointment of a committee to clear the fish course on the Piscataquog River. It appears that obstructions in the shape of dams had already been built of sufficient height to obstruct the free passage of fish which was contrary to the terms of the town grant.
	Did you know...In 1805, the "district system" was established in New Hampshire and towns were empowered to divide into school districts and to define the limits thereof, and likewise the inhabitants were empowered to raise money for erection, repairing or purchasing a schoolhouse in their respective districts. And by this act persons and property should be taxed in the district in which they reside, and their estate is situated, and a tax for school purposes levied upon the poll and estate in said district.
	Did you know...At the annual Town Meeting in March, 1817, residents voted "to furnish a house for the town's poor," and the following April a special meeting was called to see "if the town would reconsider the vote." The article was dismissed, and the selectmen were empowered to make provision for Aaron Small, Joseph Ordway's family and John Small's son "in the best manner they can for the interest of the town." The following November, a code of by-laws were established for the government of the town's poor.
	Did you know...Exactly when the stage superseded the postrider in carrying mail to and from Goffstown is not apparent.  But as late as February 18, 1887, the following notice was published in the N. H. Patriot, printed at Concord: "Mails carried from Concord by North Dunbarton, Dunbarton, Goffstown, New Boston to Amherst thirty miles twice a week.  Leave Concord every Tuesday and Saturday at 8 o'clock A. M., arrive at Amherst same day at 6 P. M.  Leave Amherst every Monday and Friday at 8, arrive at Concord at 6 same day.  Goffstown Center to be supplied from East Dunbarton 5 miles once a week, East Dunbarton supplied from Bow, and Bow from Concord. Concord to Bow 5 miles, Bow to East Dunbarton 4 miles, East Dunbarton to Goffstown Center 5 miles."
	Did you know...As early as 1850 a passable road had been built to the summit of the southeasterly Uncanoonuc Mountain, and the U.S. Coast Survey established a station there that year and also occupied the same in 1860. Likewise Professors Hitchcock and Quimby had stations there afterwards. The mountain had become quite a resort for pleasure and observation of the surrounding country.
	Did you know...At the annual meeting in March, 1817, the town voted "to furnish a house for the towns poor," and in the following April a special meeting was called to see "if the town would reconsider the vote." The article was dismissed, and the selectmen were empowered to make provision for Aaron Small, Joseph Ordway's family and John Small's son "in the best manner they can for the interest of the town." And on the following November a code of by-laws were established for the government of the towns poor.
	Did you know...In 1812, Isaac Riddle of Bedford and Caleb Stark of Dunbarton conceived the design of navigating the Merrimack River by boats. Accordingly, they built a boat at Bedford Center, and drew it a distance of three and a half miles to the Merrimack River, and there launched it, accompanied with great support on the part of the multitude assembled to witness thc novel scene. The boat was then loaded and navigated down the river and through the Middlesex Canal to Boston, where it was hailed with cheers. The following announcement appeared in the Boston Sentinel: "Arrived from Bedford, N.H., Canal-Boat Experiment, Isaac Riddle, Captain, via Merrimac River and Middlesex Canal." During the next few years the business so increased that a large store and boating house was built at Piscataquog Village, and in 1818 locks were built at the mouth of the Piscataquog River, and the boating business was one of the principal factors in transportation in the summer time until the advent of the steam railroad. These boats were flat bottomed and navigated by three men, who propelled the boat with of setting poles, which they placed against the bank or something firm, starting at the bow and walking the length of the boat toward the stem. When favorable opportunities existed, sails were set which, with a fair wind, aided propultion greatly. The stores of Goffstown and the surrounding towns obtained large supplies in this way, and immense quantities of lumber was boated and rafted from Piscataquog Village to Boston and Newburyport.
	Did you know...In the year 1816 the voters authorized the purchase of a hearse, with all the necessary apparatus belonging to it.  Prior to this,  the bodies of the dead had generally been carried on a bier.  At this time a vote was also passed to hold the annual town meeting for the choice of town officers on the second Tuesday of March.
	Did you know...The first fair ever in Goffstown was held on the Fair Ground north of Shirley Station of the Boston & Maine Railroad, on October 1-3, 1878. There was a exhibition of horses, cattle, oxen, steers, sheep, swine and poultry, and a splendid display of fruit, grain and vegetables of all kinds. In the exhibition hail was a fine show of farming tools, mechanical implements, inventions, stoves and hardware, and in the adjoining hall were flowers, canned goods, household furnishings, antique and modern, and fancy goods.
	Did you know...Democrats carried Goffstown at the March elections in 1860 and 1861. In April, 1861, the War of the Rebellion began. The Republican party favored the war and a portion of the Democratic party did not. Roughly an equal number of voters from each party was absent in the war. The Republicans gained a few votes from the war Democrats, and the Democrats had lost more men from natural causes than the Republicans, which the Republicans were not slow to notice upon the tabulated returns, which they had from every school district and fireside.
	Did you know...The subject of schools appears to have received no attention until the spring of 1772, when voted "ten pounds lawful money be raised for a town school." This was most likely the first appropriation ever made in town for schools.  Whether the inhabitants began to realize the importance of education for their children, or realized that they had been guilty of neglicence and did not deem it safe to longer evade the law is a matter of doubt.  From an examination of the records, one is led to believe it was more of a wholesome fear of the enforcement of the law, than of any duty to the rising generation.
	Did you know...In December of 1859, recent rumors that smallpox had made its appearance in Goffstown village finally proved true. A family by the name of Clough, living in a house just north of the store building of A. M. Jenks and Son, had recently returned from a visit to Warner, and in some unexplained way contracted the disease, which members of the family had in a mild form. But the disease soon began to spread. Four young school girls about seven years of age were severely stricken with the complaint. Although they all recovered after a severe sickness, Thomas Richards, living in the family of his uncle, Luther Richards, eventually died of the disease.
	Did you know...In the early days of the Revolution, Kelley's Tavern was noted as a neighborhood rendezvous for the patriots or Sons of Liberty, and recruits and orderlies were sometimes ordered to report to Col. Moses Kelley on Mast Road in Goffstown. Colonel Kelley resided for a time on the easterly side of the Mast Road.
	Did you know...On the 3rd and 4th of October, 1869, Goffstown experienced a tremendous rainstorm, causing most of the roads to be washed away and impassable, and many of the bridges in town were carried away, including the one at the village; no trains were run on the railroad until the 13th. A town meeting was called on the 20th, and selectmen were instructed to borrow $6,000 to repair and rebuild the highways and bridges in town, to be expended under the supervision of the selectmen. The selectmen and highway surveyors in the several districts were occupied for most of the remainder of the fall in repairing the damage done by the flood.
	Did you know...Sunday, December 31, 1876, was an extremely severe winter day, with heavy snow and wind. That day, Dr. Jacob W. Mooar, a physician from Manchester, set out in the storm to visit a patient in Goffstown. Having entered Goffstown, he encountered a drifted road that was completely impassable. Nevertheless, he attempted to force his horse through the drifts and, after failing, he managed to return to Manchester. Thereafter claiming an injured horse, he brought a lawsuit against the town of Goffstown, and after a lengthy and protracted trial, the town was successful.
	Did you know...From about 1854 to some years after the Civil War, partisan strife in Goffstown was intense, perhaps no more so in this town than in others, but at certain times political excitement was at its highest pitch; politics dominated everything, town meeting, school meeting, church, fireside and family. The excitement was so intense that those of one party would not patronize the business of the other.
	Did you know...In the month of February, 1903, livestock in Goffstown and neighboring towns was severely afflicted with what was called the "Foot and Mouth Disease." The prevalence of the disease became alarming; government agents and veterinarians examined, condemned and killed several herds in town. The disease was finally stamped out after the slaughter and burial of many cattle and fumigation of the premises.
	Did you know...At an adjourned meeting of the annual election held March 20, 1888, a committee consisting of Samuel Upton, George B. Stevens and George P. Hadley, was appointed by the moderator to report on a portion of an article in the warrant relating "to establishing and maintaining a public library." The committee reported as follows: That they had before them a communication from Miss Lucy A. Rogers, in which she donates to the town one hundred and fifty books as a nucleus for a free library, to be known in honor of her father as "The Rogers Library."
	Did you know...On September 7, 1849, Mr. Noyes Poor, a prosperous farmer residing on Mast Road, in consideration of $10,000, sold and conveyed to the County of Hillsborough his farm consisting of about 300 acres with the buildings thereon.
	Did you know...At the annual Town Meeting held in the spring of 1850, the town voted to have the town reports printed together with the auditor's report and that of the superintending school committee. Five hundred copies were to be printed and ready for distribution at the next annual meeting. The reports were printed and distributed in accordance with the vote, and have been every year since.
	Did you know...On Wednesday August 23, 1916, one of the worst rainstorms ever experienced broke over Goffstown and the surrounding towns. For seven days preceding, the weather had been intensely hot. At 4 PM that afternoon, the temperature suddenly changed, dropping 20 degrees, and a severe electrical storm immediately set in; thunder and lightning were especially severe. The first shower lasted about forty minutes. At 5 PM, a second and much heavier shower broke over the town, rain falling for an hour, when there was a cessation of a few minutes, when a third shower occurred, which lasted for about three quarters of an hour, and about 7:30 PM a fourth shower followed, accompanied by heavy thunder and very vivid lightning, lasting until about 9:30 that night. There was a total rainfall of three inches, 1.4 inches falling between 5 and 6 o'clock. At least seven buildings were struck by lighting and consumed by fire.
	Did you know...On June 21, 1892, the Sixteenth annual reunion of 10th N. H. Veterans Association was held at Goffstown; the party came from Manchester on the regular passenger train, arriving at Goffstown at eleven o'clock. The train was composed of six passenger cars and one baggage car, all of them filled with old soldiers and friends of the soldiers. A crowd of citizens and several organizations were in waiting at the depot to receive them. Accordingly, a parade through the town's principal streets was held.
	Did you know...The year 1816 was known as the "poverty year" in Goffstown, as the seasons and weather all seemed backwards. On June 6, Goffstown experienced snow squalls. June 11 saw heavy frost, destroying all corn. More frost arrived on July 10, and on August 22nd residents awoke to very heavy frost. Corn was so scarce that little pork was fattened during the year or the following year. As a substitute for pork, large quantities of salted mackerel were used, which gave rise to the name of "mackerel years" for 1816 and 1817.
	Did you know...The Piscataquog River was early a source of revenue to the inhabitants of Goffstown; its water-power before the Revolution was realized as an important factor in the future prosperity of the town. Indeed, one of the causes that led to the Revolution was the seizure, in 1772, of white pine logs by order of the surveyor-general at several sawmills in town, prominent among which were Dow's, Patty's and Richard's Mill's.
	Did you know...The early inhabitants of Goffstown, following the custom and practice of their ancestors in England, established a pound or pounds in which to confine or restrain stray domestic animals found at large doing damage. Any cattle, horses or other creatures doing damage on the highway or within the enclosure of any person other than their owners, were liable to be taken to the pound and there kept until redeemed by the owner.  In August, 1787, the town "voted to build" a pound and instructed the selectmen to provide timber the next winter in order for building to begin in the spring. It seems, however, the selectmen did not carry out the vote of the town, for in 1789 a vote was passed to build a pound thirty-five feet square, and to seat the same on the top of the hill in the crotch of the roads west of the meeting-house.
	Did you know...The earlier settlers of Goffstown were very fortunate in freedom of attacks from the Indians as compared with the neighboring towns. The scalping tomahawk and flaming torch, which had caused death and destruction in so many of the neighboring settlements, were never seen within our borders. The flocks and herds were not molested and Goffstown's improvements remained intact. The door posts of the rude cabins were not sprinkled with blood where the brains of helpless infants had been dashed out against them before the eyes of a loving mother. Our brave men and fair women escaped the suffering and untold hardships in inclement weather during the long weary march to the Canadian frontier, and there being sold to servitude as was the misfortune of neighboring townspeople.
	Did you know...The Great Blue Heron is a common migrant to Goffstown. In April and again in August and later they are not uncommon. Currently, two great blue Herons can be observed regulary frequenting Glen Lake. The food of this and other herons consists of frogs, fish and small reptiles captured by still hunting. Their length runs between 42 to 50 inches.
	Did you know...At the election in November, 1852, for presidential electors, an article was inserted in the warrant as follows: "To take the sense of the legal voters upon the petition of Clark Kimball and others for a new highway in Goffstown and Dunbarton," extending from Dunbarton through the easterly part of Goffstown, and the town voted "to instruct the selectmen to oppose the same to the utmost of their endeavors."
	Did you know...As of the census of 2000, there were 16,929 people, 5,641 households, and 4,055 families residing in Goffstown.  The population density was 458.9 people per square mile.  There were 5,798 housing units at an average density of 157.2/sq mi.  The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.25% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races.  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
	Did you know...On the 17th of August, 1897, the Goffstown Village Fire Precinct began the lighting of the streets of Goffstown with electricity. During the years 1905 and 1906, a second dam was constructed on the Whittle Brook, a short distance south of the original reservoir, holding about the same amount of water as the other. In 1908 a fire-alarm system was also installed throughout the village, which proved very beneficial.
	Did you know...Harry Brook flows from Long Pond in Dunbarton in a southeasterly direction, and discharges its waters into the Piscataquog River about a quarter of a mile below the bridge at Grasmere. At one time, there existed three mill sites on which there were sawmills. It is uncertain as to how Harry Brook derived its name, but some believe it might have been named by the residents of Harrytown.
	Did you know...From late 1834 to mid-1919, eighteen people committed suicide in Goffstown. The most popular methods of taking one's own life were hanging and shooting, as each accounted for six of the suicides. The remainder were suicide by throat slitting (three), drowning (two) and poison (one).
	Did you know...On May 6, 1891, work was begun on the construction of a waterworks hydrant system on Whittle Brook. A dam was constructed across the brook measuring 272-1/2 feet long and 27-1/4 feet high at its greatest depth; 26,574 feet of pipe was laid, and forty hydrants were set, with a pressure of 88 pounds to the square inch at the town house. The expense of construction was approximately $42,000.
	Did you know...The traveling public from Goffstown and towns north, to Boston and back, had realized for some that they were making a detour in traveling from Shirley Station in Goffstown by the way of Mast Road in Bedford and Merrimack, or in other words, they were traveling the circumference of a circle rather than the diameter. Accordingly in 1817, the subject of a highway connecting the two points garnered strong support; the road afterwards known as Wallace Road was laid out by a court's committee and built. The construction of this road lessened the distance between the two points about one-third. Wallace Road at once became the thoroughfare from Shirley Station to Nashua and Boston.
	Did you know...The first mechanical industries of Goffstown were grist and sawmills. The first gristmill in town was constructed on the Mystic Brook. Some years later, about 1780, a small cornmill was constructed upon the Whittle Brook. Both these mills were crude affairs and managed to grind only a few bushels of corn in a day. But near the close of the eighteenth century, corn - or gristmills - became more prevalent in town and were brought to a greater degree of proficiency on the Piscataquog River and its tributaries.
	Did you know...In the spring of 1890, the town voted to appropriate the sum of $350 for a town clock and bell, provided the citizens of the village raise the same amount.  They did, and the clock and bell were placed in the tower that summer.
	Did you know...The first transportation from Goffstown to Salem and Boston was done by ox teams in the winter season, a round trip that took anywhere from ten to twelve days, depending on the conditions of the roads and weather. As the roads improved and the country became more populous and prosperous, ox teams were discarded for horses. The one-horse pod and the two-horse pung sleigh were very common methods of travel for the individual farmer who carried to market his produce, and exchanged the same for the necessities of life. There was a perch at the rear end of these pods and pungs where the driver sat, and could manage his team with the long reins reaching back over the load, and easily dismount when necessary.
	Did you know...In the spring of 1820, severing of a portion of Goffstown for the partial formation of another town was brought before the voters. The proposition was the formation of a new town from portions of Dunbarton, Chester and Goffstown to be known as Hooksett. Goffstown's voters were strongly opposed to the proposition, and Capt. Robert Hall was appointed as the town's representative agent to plead against it in the General Court. A vote in Goffstown showed 22 in favor and 131 against.
	Did you know...The first post office established in Goffstown Village was on January 14, 1814; another was established at Goffstown Center, January 22, 1832. The Goffstown Center post office was thereafter closed on the 17th of February, 1840, but re-opened again in January, 1846. In November, 1900, a rural mail route was established from the village post office covering the northwesterly portion town and a portion of Dunbarton.  Subsequently, other rural delivery routes were established; one from Grasmere over a portion of the Mast Road, Shirley Hill, the northerly part of Goffstown entering Dunbarton, along with two routes from the Manchester post office: one over the easterly part of Goffstown and the road from Grasmere to Amoskeag, and the other covering Pinardville, a portion of the Mast Road, Shirley Hill and the Uncanoonuc Mountains.
	Did you know...At the annual Goffstown town meeting in March, 1884, a resolution was adopted that the sum of $2,500 be appropriated towards the construction of reservoirs to improve the water-power on the Piscataquog River, provided the town of Weare raised an equal amount and another $5,000 be raised by private contributions. The private contributions were reported paid and the towns of Goffstown and Weare paid the sums voted, and the reservoir was constructed in the town of Deering.
	Did you know...For many years Goffstown was a prohibition town in sentiment, as can be seen by the following vote passed at the annual election in the spring of 1853, when the town instructed selectmen to use "all legal measures to suppress the sale of intoxicating liquors, except for medicinal and mechanical purposes, within the limits of the town."
	Did you know...In the early 1900s, a man named Joseph Blanchette, of French descent, moved to Goffstown Village with his wife and several children. In spring of 1906, his wife and children left him, moving a short distance westerly of Goffstown line in New Boston. Blanchette continued to live in Goffstown where he worked. Then, in December of that year, he traveled to Manchester and purchased a revolver. On the afternoon of January 8, 1907, Blanchette went to New Boston to where his his wife and family were living and, after a brief exchange with his wife, drew the revolver from his pocket and shot her, killing her instantly. The children ran to a nearby store for help. They soon returned to the house accompanied by others from the store where they found that after killing his wife, Blanchette had turned the revolver on himself.
	Did you know...At the March election in 1835, voters authorized the purchase of a hearse, harness and pall-cloth, and the erection of a hearse house for the same, to be attached to the "burying yard" in the west part of the town. The hearse house was located on the Mast Road near the center driveway.
	Did you know...At Goffstowns' annual Town Meeting elections in 1893, the public, realizing the danger of the grade crossing near the depot in the village, voted that "the Railroad Company be required to erect and maintain a gate across the highway at said railroad for the purpose of preventing accidents and endangering human life." The following summer a public hearing was held before the railroad commissioners. Many prominent citizens who had witnessed hair-breadth escapes, as well as some who had experienced the same, appeared in behalf of the gate. The railroad commissioners finally ordered that a flagman be stationed there upon the arrival of the trains in place of a gate, which continued for years thereafter.
	Did you know...Early legislation enacted in May of 1719, provided that every town of over 100 householders had to establish and maintain a grammar school. The law also provided for fines to be levied every six months for failure to comply with the law. Yet Goffstown resisted. In March of 1766, and again in 1767, the town "voted that there be no money raised to maintain a school for this present year," in direct defiance of that law. In fact, it was not until the spring of 1772 that the town voted "ten pounds lawful money be raised for a town school," the first appropriation ever made in town for schools. Whether the inhabitants began to realize the importance of education for their children, or realized that they had been guilty of evading the law is a matter of doubt. From an examination of the records, though, one is led to believe it was more of a fear of the enforcement of the law, than of any duty to the coming generations.
	Did you know...In 1870, Thomas Stevens began the storage and delivery of ice in Goffstown Village on a small scale. After his death, W. P. Paige constructed a house and began the storage of ice on a much larger scale. Mr. Paige was succeeded by Charles G. Barnard, who further increased the business by constructing a house on the bank of the Piscataquog river, and later on Whittle Brook.
	Did you know...In 1786, a controversy arose relative to the line between Goffstown and New Boston. The matter seems to have originated in regard to the domicile of a Mr. Joseph Leach, who lived upon the Leach Hill in the westerly part of Goffstown. Both towns claimed that he resided within their limits, and as such claimed rights to collect taxes. The line was surveyed and resurveyed, and the selectmen of Goffstown petitioned the General Court to have the line established. The matter was eventually referred to a committee to settle the dispute, but the report of the committee was never found.
	Did you know...In May, 1852, a special town meeting was held, and one of the subjects acted upon was the railroad crossing at what is now known as East Union Street. The voters at that time evidently realized, as everyone has since, that it was a dangerous grade crossing, and the town "voted that the selectmen notify the New Hampshire Central Railroad to build a bridge over said railroad where it intersects with the Mill Road," so called. Whether the selectmen failed to notify the corporation or not unknown, but no record exists of the construction of an overhead bridge.
	Did you know...In 1759, Thomas Hall, a tavernkeeper, set forth a petition that he had been in possession of the islands at Amoskeag Falls (at the time, part of what later became known as Goffstown) for eleven years, that he requested a clear and undisputed title. Apparently he had realized what an advantage it would be to him if he had a title to these Islands, and also the income that would accrue, since at certain seasons of the year they were the most important fishing grounds in this section of the state. But he evidently never gained exclusive control of the islands, or at least we find no record to that effect. We found no further record concerning the propriety, and no authentic record regarding the proprietors or inhabitants of Goffstown until the incorporation.
	Did you know...In 1774, the matter of the indigent and poor in Goffstown was brought to the attention of the voters for the first time. There is an instance of previously warning some out of town, but no mention had been made until now of public support. "Voted that the widow Elizabeth Dommorin be Suported by moving from one house to another in Goffstown as Circumstances exist." And apparently, some were not suitable to entertain the widow Dommorin, as at the town meeting in March, 1777, it was "Voted that she be handed to the lowest bidder for the present year, as there are some persons in town who have refused to do anything for her according to what hath been voted." It was also voted at this meeting "...that all those who kept her for the year past be exempted from any charges the present year." This probably means that they were exempt from any part of her support for the year 1777, as it is hardly possible that those who did entertain her should be exempt from their entire town charge. But then again, who knows?
	Did you know...On the 28th of July, 1882, a charter was issued by Martin A. Haynes, Department Commander, for a Grand Army Post in Goffstown.  The first meeting of the organization was held on August 5, at which time it was voted to name the post "Capt. Charles Stinson Post," in honor of the late Capt. Charles Stinson of Goffstown, formerly of Dunbarton, a prominent citizen at the time.
	Did you know...Between 1761 and 1764, Goffstown was spelled "Goffestown", having been named after Col. John Goffe, an early settler. But beginning in 1764, town officials began spelling Goffstown the way it is spelled today - except for Alexander Walker, town clerk, who resisted the change and continued to write the name "Goffestown" until his successor was chosen in 1787.
	Did you know...The first telephones in Goffstown came in 1878.  A local telephone extended from the parsonage where Rev. Dr. Gerould then lived to the house of John G. Dodge; the two houses were connected with a taut wire which, at each end, perforated a tin can used as transmitter, and with this crude setup, conversation could be carried on quite distinctly.
	Did you know...During Goffstown's early years, selectmen often exhibited great prudence in the management of town affairs, and evidently had the welfare and finances of the town in mind.  For example, on the 28th of October, 1806, they required of a Mr. David Page, a mortgage of his farm, situated in the easterly half of lot No. 6 in the 5th range on the north side of Piscataquog River, for $500, and the conditions of the mortgage were that Page was to faithfully maintain and support his "Granney," Mary Page of Goffstown, in sickness and health and keep the town harmless from all loss, cost and expense.
	Did you know...In the fall of 1856, the first band was organized in Goffstown and was known as the Goffstown Cornet Band, and lasted until the fall of 1869. Five years later, a new band known as Stark's Cornet Band was organized. It was named in honor of the band leader, Lewis Henry Stark, who took a special interest in its success. The band's reputation as a fine musical organization quickly spread; they played at celebrations, political meetings, entertainments, etc., and their services were in constant demand for many occasions. The band had a successful existence for many years, and the citizens of Goffstown took a great interest in it. They disbanded in 1900.
	Did you know...On October 30, 1875, an attempted murder occurred at the home of John G. Dodge, located on Uncanoonuc Mountain north. That morning, Daniel O'Flynn, a boy about 18 years of age living with the Dodge family, was found to have been seriously wounded during the previous night by successive blows upon the head with a club. Adaline P. Dodge was arrested and soon indicted by the Grand Jury. At her January 1876 court hearing, she pleaded not guilty. After a lengthy trial, she was found guilty and sentenced to state prison for eight years, but after serving less than two years, she was pardoned by then Governor Cheney during the last days of his administration.
	Did you know...In 1851, a man named Fuller, engineer on the New Hampshire Central Railroad, met with an accident at Parker's Station; just as he stuck his head out the window of his engine, his head came in contact with a pile of wood beside the track; he died a week later.
	Did you know...Prompted by a recent fire, and with no proper protection of property against the same, a special town meeting was called May 12, 1885, to see what action the town would take towards purchasing a fire-engine and providing other security against fire. A resolution was adopted raising the sum of $1,500, to be appropriated out of the money in the treasury, for the purchase of one or more fire-engines and other fire apparatus, provided a fire precinct was formed at the west village, and proper reservoirs and other needed appurtenances were provided by the precinct. Selectmen immediately established a village fire precinct to include the village, and be known as the "Goffstown Village Fire Precinct."
	Did you know...The current Gregg's Falls dam at Glen Lake was built in 1918.  In the Manchester Union of March 13, 1918, there appeared an account of the dam, part of which read: "The new dam which is being built by the Manchester Traction, Light and Power Company at Gregg's Falls is rapidly nearing completion. It is expected that the finishing touches will be started the last part of this week. It is the largest dam in the state. The power station on the easterly side of the dam which is now in the process of construction, will enable the company to utilize a larger amount of natural power. The new dam is 65 feet high and has a total spillway of 570 feet. The length of the north abutment is 640 feet, and of the south abutment, 194 feet. By use of the hydraucones, supplementary to the draft tubes, a large amount of water that formerly went over the previous dam or through the sluiceway to waste is now saved and converted into power."
	Did you know...The first bridge across the Piscataquog River was built in 1764, and stood very near where the present bridge at Grasmere now stands. This bridge evidently only stood a year or two, as on Sept 29, 1766, the town voted to rebuild it. In 1804, another new bridge was built, and a 5-man committee was appointed to draft a set of rules regarding hours of labor, pay, and the general construction of the bridge, and appointed James Aiken, Lt. George Poor and Thomas R. Hoit, Sr. to build the bridge. Upon completion, the Town refused to pay Aiken and Poor in full for services rendered, considering their charges exorbitant. In 1822, the bridge was replaced, and subsequently rebuilt in 1852 under supervision of the selectmen. The next bridge was a lattice bridge constructed in 1870, which stood until 1900 when it was replaced by a steel bridge. That steel bridge stood until replaced by the bridge that exists there today.
	Did you know...The territory now known as the town of Goffstown, in connection with six other townships, was originally granted by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts in 1728 to the soldiers or heirs-at-law of the soldiers having fought in the Narragansett War, which ended at least fifty years before the grant was made (so probably very few of the soldiers were then living). Goffstown (through draw) was to be known as Narragansett No. 4.  Years later, in 1761, the citizens of Narragansett No. 4, wishing to manage their own affairs, applied for a charter, "Heretofore known by the Name of Goffs Town", named for Col. John Goffe, an early settler. At their first meeting, Goffe was selected moderator even though he lived in Bedford, and later Derryfield (now Manchester).
	Did you know...According to the United States Census Bureau, Goffstown has a total area of 37.5 square miles.  Of that total, 36.9 square miles is land comprising 98.35% of the town, and 0.6 square miles is water, comprising 1.65% of the town.
	Did you know...The idea of a town history was prevalent in the minds of some of the citizens of Goffstown many years ago.  So, in 1889, Judge Samuel Upton made an attempt to bring the matter before the townspeople, and called a meeting of several of the citizens of the town at his office, among whom were Hon. John M. Parker, Edward C. Shirley, Samuel M. Barnard, William S. Whipple, Edwin Flanders, George Pattee, George P. Hadley, and others.  The matter was discussed in its different bearings, the feasibility, possibility and expense attending.  They were unanimously in favor of publishing a history, but no organization was attempted, and the matter was eventually dropped.
	Did you know...Goffstown's original meetinghouse (also used as a house of worship) was built in Goffstown Center (now known as Grasmere) in 1768. For 101 years it was used regularly, but in 1869, the structure was sold and relocated in Manchester.  The second meetinghouse in town was erected in 1815 and 1816 (dedicated July 3, 1816), and it stood quite near the house of a Mr. Samuel M. Christie. The building was large, with galleries on 3 sides and had a bell. In 1845 it was taken down and moved away. The third meeting-house was built in 1838, which was the one occupied by the Methodists, and which was struck by lightning and burned later.
	Did you know...Goffstown currently has the 37th highest property tax rate among New Hampshire's 222 cities and towns.
	Did you know...A mast was once cut from a tree on the farm of George A. Bell that was larger in size and length any other ever cut in this region.  Indeed, it was so large that local word had it that a yoke of "seven-feet oxen" could be turned with ease upon its stump.
	Did you know...During the French and Indian war in 1757, captured men were put to horrendous scalpings and decapitations by the Indians, all while the French looked on.  But John Dinsmore and Samuel Blodgett, both of Goffstown, used ingenious methods to avoid such fates. Dinsmore escaped from an Indian who had seized him by his shoulders by slipping out of his coat and outrunning his pursuer. He spent two nights in the wilderness and finally arrived at Fort Edward three days later. Blodgett hid under a flat-bottom boat, where he remained until he thought it safe to venture from his hiding place. But he was soon discovered by a band of Indians who stripped him of all his clothing before he, too, managed to escape to Ft. Edward, arriving three days later - in his birthday suit.
	Did you know...On June 20, 1907, a freight car jumped the track of the Union Incline Railway at Shirley Station at approximately 9:00 PM, smashing the stone watering-trough and stopping in the front yard of Ralph Marden, fatally injuring three and seriously injuring three others. One unidentified man escaped unharmed. The injured were all section hands returning with a freight car from the base of the Uncanoonuc Mountain, and evidently lost control of the car some distance before they reached the place of the accident.
	Did you know...The early inhabitants of Goffstown, following the custom and practice of their ancestors in England, established animal pounds in which to confine stray domestic animals found at large doing damage. Any cattle, horses or other animals doing damage on the highway or within the enclosure of any person other than their owners, were liable to be taken to the pound and there kept until redeemed by the owner. These enclosures, built of logs were about thirty feet square and six feet high, had a huge door or gate and no overhead covering.
	Did you know...Mast Road was thusly named as it was the route where trees, marked for the use by the King of England, were pulled by oxen to the Merrimack River.  From there, they were transported to Portsmouth to be fashioned into masts for sailing vessels.
	Did you know...In late October of 1872, Frederick G. Merrill, son of Stephen and Lydia Short Merrill and a resident of Parker's Village, was discovered missing from his home. Although there were suspicions of foul play on the part of some, no diligent search was made for him. Five months later in March, 1873, Merrill's body, disfigured due to time time and exposure and with head and face shaven, was finally found on the bank of the river below Grasmere and brought back to Goffstown. A coroner's jury was convened in Manchester to hear evidence in the case, but no indictment was ever returned and the matter was dropped.  His death remains a mystery to this day.
	Did you know...In 1776, a malignant form of smallpox visited Goffstown, and at least six families were stricken with the disease. The authorities were obliged to care for those sick. The sickness and suffering with this disease, with such limited accommodations for their care, led to the agitation of the construction of a town hospital, for the care of those sick with the smallpox, and other contagious diseases in the future, but after much discussion in open town meeting the matter was "voted down."
	Did you know...In 1896, a tremendous rainstorm swept through Goffstown from February 28th and March 1st. The rains caused unprecedented damage throughout the state. The Merrimack River reached its highest point between 9 and 10 o'clock on March 2nd, the electric light plant at Kelley's Falls washed out, part of Granite bridge across the Merrimack washed away, Parker's gristmill was damaged, large quantities of grain were lost in the river, and a portion of the dam was carried away. This was followed on March 2nd by a severe snowstorm.
	Did you know...In 1809, in anticipation of war with England (later to become the war of 1812), Congress organized an army of 100,000 men.  Accordingly, the town of Goffstown then voted "To give the minute-men twelve dollars per month if called into actual service and one month's advance pay."
	Did you know...Built atop Uncanoonuc Mountain south in 1907 and accessed by the Uncanoonuc Incline Railway, the Uncanoonuc Hotel was a five and a half story building with 37-38 guest rooms and a dining room that accommodated 120.  It also offered outstanding views of the surrounding valley, including Manchester, connected by electric trolley to the railway's base station. The hotel burned down in 1923, and the train was later used to transport skiers to the top.
	Did you know...In 1761, one of the first acts of the first board of selectmen chosen in Goffstown was to relay certain roads laid out by the proprietors committee, and all, or nearly all of the other roads that were then traveled.  This was the first money expended on roads after the incorporation; surveyors were chosen, jurisdiction assigned and improvements began.  As soon as possible they began to clear the highways, and to render them passable, at this time even as heretofore many of them had been known only as bridle paths, or trails which were followed by marked trees.
	Did you know...In 1675, a Rhode Island tribe of Indians began a three-year war against the colonists. It was to the survivors of the Massachusetts militia in this war that the town of Goffstown was originally granted, and the descendants of some of that militia afterwards became citizens of the town.
	Did you know...Goffstown, as originally laid out, was bounded to the east by the Merrimack River for a distance of five miles, beginning a short distance above the Granite St. bridge and extending up the river to the northeast corner of the Todd farm near the Quincy Shirley place. As such, the islands in the river at Amoskeag Falls were once within the limits of Goffstown.