This hand-colored bird’s-eye view print of Winchester, New Hampshire was drawn and published by George E. Norris, Burleigh Lith. in 1887. Winchester was settled in the 1700's, northwest of Boston along the Ashuelot River. The area was primarily used for agricultural purposes in the early years.
In the 1850's, the Ashuelot Railway reached town, as it followed the river at that location. The railroad enhanced the manufacturing interests of the community, and by the 1880's, several manufactories emerged along the region’s waterways. Winchester’s population in 1880 reached 2,444.
A number of box manufacturers conducted business in Winchester during that era. C. M. Norwood and Company was turning out three hundred thousand boxes annually, while the A. M. Howard factory was producing four hundred thousand boxes annually. The Ashuelot Manufacturing Company was a large employer in Winchester. That company, and the Ashuelot Union Mills, produced thousands of yards of beaver cloth per year.
The colorful illustration includes labeled roads, buildings, waterways and railroad route.
Features references to the following locations:
Town Hall.
Congregational Church.
Methodist Church.
Universalist Church.
High and Graded Schools.
Meeting House Mountain.
Meeting House Hill.
Stone Mt.
Gardner’s Mts.
Winchester House, E. E. Winter, Prop.
Post Office, Geo. H. Snow, P. M. and Town Clerk.
Station.
Winchester National Bank, H. Abbott, Cashier.
Ashuelot Can Co., New Era Oil Cans, Sugar Buckets, Pickle Packages, etc.
Dickinson, Seaver & Co., Pails, Buckets & Fruit Packages.
A. M. Howard, Wood Packing, Toy & Fancy Goods Boxes.
Winchester Box Mfg. Co., H. C. Shepherdson, F. E. Russell, Lock Cornered Boxes for all uses.
Chas. M. Norwood, Lock Cornered Wood Packing Boxes.
Baker & Metcalf, Wood Packing Boxes.
Winchester Tannery.
H. B. Swan, Palm Leaf Hat and Wire Picket Fence Manufactory.
Geo. W. Pierce, Physician & Druggist.
W. L. Rixford, Flour, Grain, Groceries & Meats.
E. L. Roberts, Dry Goods, Boots, Shoes and General Merchandise.
John Hutchins, Paper, Stoves, Tin, Wooden and Glass Ware.
Geo. H. Snow, Clothing and Gents’ Furnishings.
Wm. A. Alexander, Clothing & Gents’ Furnishings.
J. T. Burnap, Mfr. & Dealer in Harnesses, Horse Clothing, etc.
D. S. Swan, Farmer.
Sheomet Poultry & Pigeon Yards, A. F. Pierce.
John Hutchins, Residence.
A. J. Hills, Residence.
Edw. Alexander, Residence.
Mrs. J. C. Smith, Residence.
Munsell’s Box Shop.
Cemetery.