List of ghost towns in New Hampshire facts for kids

A ghost town is a place where almost no one lives anymore. Imagine a town that used to be busy with people, homes, and shops, but now it's mostly empty or even completely gone. New Hampshire has several of these fascinating places. They often become ghost towns because of big changes, like when a mine closes or a new road is built far away.

Exploring New Hampshire's Ghost Towns

What Makes a Town Empty?

A ghost town is a place that once had many people living and working there. But over time, most or all of the people left. This can happen for many reasons.

Why Towns Become Ghost Towns

• Jobs Disappear: Many towns grew up around a specific industry, like mining, logging, or a factory. If that industry closed down, people would move away to find new jobs.
• New Transportation: Sometimes, a new road or railroad line was built far from a town. This made it harder for people to get to the old town, so businesses and people moved closer to the new routes.
• Natural Disasters: Floods, fires, or other natural events could destroy a town. If it was too hard or expensive to rebuild, people might just leave.
• Changing Resources: For towns built around natural resources like forests or rivers, if the resource ran out or changed, the town might no longer be needed.
• Dams and Reservoirs: Some towns were flooded on purpose to create a reservoir, which is a large lake used to store water. The people had to move before the area was covered by water.

Famous Ghost Towns in New Hampshire

New Hampshire has several places that are now considered ghost towns. These places tell us stories about the state's past and how life used to be. Here is a list of some of them:

• Beebe River
• Carrigain
• East Weare
• Gosport
• Johnson
• Kilkenny
• Little Canada
• Livermore
• Monson
• Old Hill Village
• True Francestown
• Zealand

A Closer Look at East Weare

East Weare is one example of a New Hampshire ghost town. It was once a busy village. Over time, changes in how people traveled and worked led to fewer people living there. Today, you can find a historical marker that tells its story.

Zealand and Its Lumber History

Zealand was a town that grew because of the lumber industry. James Everell Henry was an important person in its history. When the logging business slowed down or moved, the town eventually became empty. A historical marker also remembers Zealand's past.

More About New Hampshire's Past

Related Historical Places

• Defunct placenames of New Hampshire: This is a list of other places in New Hampshire that no longer exist or have changed their names.
• New Milford, New Hampshire: This is a fictional ghost town. It was created as a hoax, which means it was a trick or a joke. It shows how stories about ghost towns can sometimes be made up!

New Hampshire Historical Markers

New Hampshire has special signs called historical markers. These markers tell about important places and events in the state's history. Several of them point out where ghost towns or old settlements used to be:

• No. 143: East Weare Village
• No. 185: Willowdale Settlement
• No. 198: Alderbrook
• No. 200: Wildwood
• No. 233: Zealand and James Everell Henry