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Manchester

Manchester, New Hampshire

You might be surprised to find a city in New Hampshire on our French-Canadian towns and villages page. While Manchester isn’t a French-Canadian city per se, French-Canadians did leave their mark here.

Amoskeag New Mill #1 in 1869

Amoskeag New Mill #1 in 1869

Incorporated: 1751 (as Derryfield); 1846 (as Manchester)

County: Hillsborough

Population (2018 est.): 112,525

Nickname: the “Queen City”

 


Manchester is a city located in Hillsborough County in southern New Hampshire, on the banks of the Merrimack River. It is 82 km (51 miles) northwest of Boston. It was settled in the early 18th century and was incorporated in 1751 under the name of Derryfield. That name was changed to Manchester in 1810 and was incorporated again in 1846. The new name was in reference to a Judge Blodget quote — he claimed the town would become the “Manchester of America.” 

The history of French-Canadian immigration to Manchester begins in the 19th century. Manufacturing companies were being established, including the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, which eventually became the largest cotton textile plant in the world. At its peak, the company operated 30 mills and employed some 17,000 workers in the city.

Amoskeag cotton houses (left) and Gingham Mill (right) in 1880

Amoskeag cotton houses (left) and Gingham Mill (right) in 1880

As Manchester’s plants and mills grew, so did their need for labour. French-Canadian workers from the provinces of Québec and New Brunswick moved to New England in search of work. A massive migration occurred during a relatively short period of time. Between 1840 and 1930, about 900,000 French-Canadians left Canada for the U.S., often at great economical, emotional and cultural costs. 

So, what compelled so many Canadians to leave their home? For the majority of migrants, they were farmers who left for economic reasons. Conditions in Québec were unfavourable, especially in the agricultural sector. For decades, the population in Québec kept increasing dramatically, while the amount of available, affordable and fertile land kept decreasing. Men needed to earn a living, and they left in droves. Some migrated to Eastern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, but many more went south to the United States, where an industrial boom was taking place, and where workers were needed. Wages were also higher in the U.S., and jobs were easier to find than in Canada.

High wages across the board meant that some city-dwellers and professionals also moved south, knowing that immigrant communities tended to patronize businesses owned by their fellow countrymen (doctors, lawyers and grocers) and networks were established along kinship and ethnic lines. Here they saw an opportunity to increase their own standards of living as well.

A young boy working at Amoskeag in 1909

A young boy working at Amoskeag in 1909

 What was life in the factories like?

“…wages were low, although higher than in Quebec, and work-related accidents were frequent. The heat created by the machines, and the proper lack of ventilation, was stiffening; the noise of dozens of machines all working at the same time was deafening and could be heard hundreds of meters away from the factories; cotton dust was everywhere and coated the workers’ lungs. Working hours were long, from 10-12 hours a day, up to six days a week, and much of it was spent standing while keeping an eye on several machines. […] The newcomers were frequently victims of discrimination, as immigrants with a different language and religion often were at the time. They were called "frogs", “pea-soupers" or Canucks. In this case, the national antipathy was compounded by the fact that French Canadians worked for lower wages, and sometimes were used as strike-breakers. They were blamed for keeping wages low and for resisting naturalisation. The classic pronouncement on this issue was in 1881, by Carroll D. Wright, Head of the Bureau of Statistics of Labor for Massachusetts who wrote that French Canadians were "the Chinese of the Eastern States" who had no interest in the American social and political institutions. The comparison with the Chinese, when one understands the very unfavourable view that North Americans had of them at the time, greatly offended leaders of the French-Canadian community. Intermarriage with people of other nationalities was not frequent, at least until the third generation.” (Bélanger & Bélanger)

The textile industry also had the terrible reputation of hiring women at a very low salary, utilizing child workers and establishing violent anti-union policies. 

Fred Normandin (bare arms) and fellow Amoskeag Mill #1 workers in 1909

Fred Normandin (bare arms) and fellow Amoskeag Mill #1 workers in 1909

These waves of movement to New England became what is termed chain migration (where migrants from a particular town follow others from that town to a particular destination). For French Canadians, this didn’t mean just fellow residents but also family members. Typically, a couple, or head of household, would move first to evaluate the situation at their chosen destination. If all went well, they would then return or send for their immediate family. This would incite cousins, uncles and even neighbours to make the move as well. It wasn’t unusual for an entire family, including older children, to work in the same factory or mill. As more and more French Canadians moved to a particular place, they would create “little Canadas” in their new home, bringing their language and culture with them. Here, life revolved around school and church, and residents could speak French between themselves, and with their local priest, dentist or doctor.   

At the height of Québec immigration to New Hampshire, 23,000 French-Canadians lived in Manchester. By 1910, French Canadians made up 35% of Amoskeag’s workforce and 38% of the city’s population. They were generally relegated to the poorest part of town, living in over-crowded tenements on the west side. Health conditions were poor, and disease was common. They also earned much less than their Irish, English or Scottish counterparts. Even despite this, French-Canadians continued to migrate to New England until about 1930, such was the comparatively dire situation at home in Québec.

Workers coming out of Amoskeag Mfg. Co. at 6 P.M. on May 24, 1909.

Workers coming out of Amoskeag Mfg. Co. at 6 P.M. on May 24, 1909.

In 1922, a long and bitter strike took place at the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company. This was the beginning of the migration slow-down to Manchester, and the beginning of the migration back to Québec for many settlers. Prior to the strike, workers at the mill were given more work hours along with a pay decrease. The industry declined steadily following the strike and the onset of the Great Depression led to many plant closures. According to author Gérard J. Brault, it is believed that 10,580 people left Manchester in the 1920s (over 13% of the population). When Amoskeag shut down operations in 1935, over 11,000 people lost their jobs, about half of them Franco-Americans.

Young boys on Marion Street in the French section, west of the river, in 1936

Young boys on Marion Street in the French section, west of the river, in 1936

Around this same time, the Canadian government launched a “Back to the land movement” campaign. 360 families from Manchester were convinced to return to Canada and take up farming in the western provinces.

Eventually, the presence of “Little Canadas” all over New England declined as immigration slowed, French-Canadians returned home, and assimilation took its course on those who stayed. Historians speculate that about half of all the Quebeckers that migrated to the U.S. returned home. By the 1960s, French in New England was only spoken by middle-aged and elderly people.

Leaving a legacy

“Emigrants also left their mark on New England. They strengthened its Catholic institutions and participated in its industrialisation process. The Credit Union movement in America began after Alphonse Desjardins helped Franco-Americans in several towns found their own Caisses populaires.” (Bélanger)

1937 street scene (note the Pariseau department store sign in the background)

1937 street scene (note the Pariseau department store sign in the background)

“Over the years, French Canadians in New England developed the great cultural, moral, and spiritual legacy they received from their ancestors. Today, many still cherish these ideals and are dedicated to passing them on to generations yet to come.” (Brault)





Disclaimer: this is a very concise and abridged history of French-Canadians in Manchester. To learn more, please consult the much more detailed sources I have outlined below.

Image Gallery

 

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Sources and further reading:

Image Credits:

  1. “AMOSKEAG NEW MILLS, NO. 4 MILL (1847-1899). PHOTOCOPY OF ENGRAVING c. 1850 LOOKING NORTHWEST.” Engraving. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105151p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  2. “AMOSKEAG MILLYARD FROM STARK MILLS TO THE MANCHESTER PRINT WORKS. PHOTOCOPY OF 1859 ENGRAVING LOOKING EAST.” Engraving. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105186p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  3. Durette, George, photographer. “AMOSKEAG NEW MILL NO. 1, NO. 6 AND NEW MILL NO. 2 PHOTOCOPY OF c. 1869 VIEW LOOKING SOUTHWEST.” Photograph. Manchester, NH. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105149p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  4. “AMOSKEAG MILLYARD FROM LANGDON MILLS TO AMOSKEAG MILLS. PHOTOCOPY OF 1870 ENGRAVING LOOKING EAST.” Engraving. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105187p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  5. “AERIAL VIEW OF AMOSKEAG MILLS. PHOTOCOPY OF 1878 ENGRAVING LOOKING SOUTHEAST.” Engraving. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105188p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  6. “AMOSKEAG COTTON HOUSES (LEFT) AND GINGHAM MILL (RIGHT). PHOTOCOPY OF c. 1880 VIEW LOOKING SOUTH.” Photograph. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105150p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  7. “AMOSKEAG MILLS, MANCHESTER MILLS AND CENTRAL DIVISION BOILER HOUSE. PHOTOCOPY OF c. 1895 VIEW LOOKING SOUTHEAST.” Photograph. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105191p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  8. “Église St-Antoine de Padoue à Manchester N. H. desservie par le Rév. Père G. A. Guertin, cette église a été ouverte récemment au culte et bénie”, digital image of a photo (unknown artist), Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, BAnQ numérique (http://collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/2071549), originally appearing in Album Universel, Vol. 22, no 1111 (5 Aug 1905), p. 424.

  9. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “Boy with bare arms, Fred Normandin, 15 Bridge St., has been working in Amoskeag Mfg. Co., mill No. 1, Manchester, N.H. for several months.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675251/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  10. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “6 P.M. Amoskeag Mills, Manchester, N.H. May 25, 1909. Witness E.W. Lord.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 25 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675267/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  11. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “6:00 A.M. May 21, 1909. Going to work in Amoskeag Mfg. Co., Manchester, N.H.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 21 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection.    https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675259/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  12. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “A few of the small girls and boys (not the smallest ones) that I found working in the spinning room of one of the Amoskeag Mfg. Co. mills at Manchester, N.H. Photo taken at 1:00 p.m., May 21, 1909, in hallway of spinning room. Many others there and in the other mills. Smallest boy (on left hand) is George Brown, No. 1 Corporation. Corner of Granite and Bedford Sts. Next is, Eugene Lamy, 16 Marion St. Girls: Melvina Proulx, 145 Cartier St. Laura Oclair, 145 Cartier St.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 21 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675135/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  13. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “Small boy working in the Amoskeag Mfg. Company, Manchester N.H. Said he has been there several months. Photo at Noon, May 25, 1909.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 25 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675162/  (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  14. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “3 Boys going to work at 1 P.M. May 21, 1909. Photo taken in outer hall of spinning room of one of the mills of Amoskeag Mfg. Co., Manchester, N.H., where I found them working. Smallest boy is 48 inches high. Jospeh Arthur Houle, 498 Cartier St.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 21 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675250/  (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  15. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “Noon, May 22, 1909. Amoskeag Mills, Manchester, N.H.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 22 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018673977/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  16. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “6 P.M. May 25, 1909. Amoskeag Mfg. Co., Manchester, N.H. Witness E.W. Lord.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 25 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675275/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  17. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “6 P.M. May 24, 1909. Coming out of Amoskeag Mfg. Co., Manchester, N.H.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 24 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675272/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  18. Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. “This boy works in Mill No. 1, Amoskeag Mfg. Co., Manchester, N.H. May 26, 1909.” Photograph. Manchester, NH, 26 May 1909. From Library of Congress: National Child Labor Committee collection.  https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018675255/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  19. “WOOD TENEMENTS, CANAL AND HOLLIS STREETS. PHOTOCOPY OF c. 1915 VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST.” Photograph. Manchester, NH: Manchester Historic Association. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105206p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  20. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “One of the many Amoskeag alleys near Canal Street, Manchester, New Hampshire”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716567/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  21. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “Granite Street Bridge view of Amoskeag mills. Manchester, New Hampshire”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017761711/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  22. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “Closed store of Amoskeag mills. Manchester, New Hampshire”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017761706/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  23. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “One of the employees' entrances on Canal Street of the Amoskeag mills. Manchester, New Hampshire”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017761713/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  24. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Family wash is heavy in this tenement section of the French quarter, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Oct 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716572/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  25. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “Main street in the French section, west of river, Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Oct 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716550/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  26. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Marion Street, French section, west side of river, Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Oct 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716535/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  27. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Marion Street, French section, west side of river, Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Oct 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716538/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  28. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Marion Street, French section, west side of river, Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Oct 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716539/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  29. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “Marion Street, French section, west side of river, Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Oct 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716536/  (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  30. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Public park scene, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Aug 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716650/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  31. Mydans, Carl, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Street corner, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Aug 1936. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017716673/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  32. Locke, Edwin, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Market in Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1937. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017728703/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  33. Locke, Edwin, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Theatre, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1937. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017728588/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  34. Locke, Edwin, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Street Scene, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1937. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017728614/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  35. Locke, Edwin, photographer. “[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Street Scene, Manchester, New Hampshire]”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, Sep 1937. From Library of Congress: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017728617/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  36. “26. VIEW SHOWING SOUTH ELEVATION, LOOKING NORTHEAST From newspaper clipping, 'Notre Dame Bridge, Manchester, New Hampshire', Manchester Union Leader, c. 1938, photographer unknown. - Notre Dame Bridge, Spanning Merrimack River on Bridge Street, Manchester, Hillsborough County, NH”. Photograph from newspaper clipping. Manchester, NH, circa 1938. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0202.photos.105069p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  37. Langenbach, Randolph, photographer. “AERIAL PHOTO #4: VIEW FROM THE NORTHEAST LOOKING TOWARD THE STARK NO. 3 MILL (BOTTOM CENTER) - Amoskeag Millyard, Canal Street, Manchester, Hillsborough County, NH”. Photograph. Manchester, NH, 1967. From Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0041.photos.105104p/ (accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  38. “Mills on the Merrimack River and the West Side of Manchester”, digital image of a photo by Mike Spenard, Wikipedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester,_New_Hampshire#/media/File:Manch-mills-westside.jpg : accessed 10 Jun 2019).

  39. “Ste Marie Church, Manchester New Hampshire - 2014”, digital image of a photo by John Phelan, Wikipedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ste_Marie_Church,_Manchester_NH.jpg : accessed 10 Jun 2019).