Sen. Shaheen honors Dover in U.S. Senate

posted on 7/19/2023

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire honored Dover’s 400th anniversary in the U.S. Senate on June 22, 2023.

Deputy Mayor Dennis Shanahan read Shaheen’s full remarks at the City Council’s July 12 meeting, which are printed below.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the city of Dover, NH, on the 400th anniversary of its first settlement.

In 1623, brothers Edward and William Hilton, two fishmongers from London, sailed up the Piscataqua River and set up their Cochecho Plantation near Pomeroy Cove. The name of the settlement changed in the early years, first to Bristol, then to Dover, then to Northam, then back to Dover. But the settlers remained, which leads many historians to contend that Dover is the oldest continuously settled city or town in New Hampshire. It is also among the oldest cities in all of the United States.

The city of Dover's nickname, The Garrison City, has its roots in these early years. Its settlers took advantage of the area's abundant forestlands to fell trees for use in heavily fortified houses called ``garrisons.'' Made with sturdy logs and slits in the walls for rifles and muskets, these structures provided protection and a sense of security in cases of emergency or attack. Most of Dover's garrisons were destroyed in the late 1600s, but modern day residents and visitors can see for themselves the intact Damm Garrison at the local Woodman Museum. It is a symbol of the common threads of resilience, grit, and solidarity that are woven into the long and proud history of Dover.

The city of Dover has hosted many thriving industries over the past four centuries, including agriculture and shipbuilding in the 1700s and brickmaking in the 1800s. Yet anyone who takes a short stroll down Central Avenue can see the remnants of an industry that catapulted Dover to national prominence in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Textile manufacturers used the currents of the Cochecho River to power a sprawling mill complex that at one time employed over 2,000 workers. The Cocheco Manufacturing Company, its name the product of a clerical misspelling on incorporation documents, was one of the leading national producers of printed cotton and generated millions of yards of textiles annually. In 1828, it was the site of the first all-women strike in the United States when hundreds of ``mill girls'' marched off the job and through city streets in protest of meager wages. The nearby Sawyer Woolen Mills on the Bellamy River also grew into the largest manufacturer of woolens in all of New Hampshire. Like many textile manufacturing giants of the Northeast, these enterprises closed their operations in the mid-1900s. Their expansive brick buildings sat dormant for years; however, city leaders have worked tirelessly in recent decades to repurpose them for modern use. They are now home to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, restaurants, barbershops, toy stores, candy stores, small businesses, and apartments. They are once again the focal point of a vibrant downtown.

Throughout these many changes, challenges, and opportunities, Dover residents have remained determined to write their own distinct chapters in our American story. Many notable Granite Staters have called Dover home, including several Olympic athletes like swimmer Jenny Thompson and the first woman to be accepted into the bar and run for Governor of New Hampshire, Marilla Ricker. Many more are responsible for creating and sustaining a community that embodies the quintessential small town in New Hampshire, one bound together by nature, history, and – most important – its people.

My husband is a native of Dover, and we raised our family in the neighboring town of Madbury. We have always felt so welcomed by the city and its residents, and we look forward to joining our friends and neighbors in celebration of the Garrison City's 400th anniversary. I congratulate the city of Dover on this important milestone and wish the community all the best in its future endeavors.