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What was it like growing up in Southern New Hampshire?
When I tell new friends that I’m from New Hampshire, they can’t really imagine what that means. Especially if they’ve never been there. Often, they’ll allude to farmland. Pastures are definitely part of my childhood/adolescent landscape, but I didn’t grow up on a farm. I didn’t help raise any animals, and for me, my childhood/adolescence was less oriented around nature and more around seeking entertainment.
For those of you who grew up in cities or who grew up in small towns in other areas of the country, here’s what growing up (mostly — I lived a few other places) in Derry, New Hampshire was like.
First off, a Little History of Derry:
According to Wikipedia, Derry was settled by Scots-Irish families and aptly named after the city in Ireland deriving from the Irish word “Doire” which means “oakgrove.”
The first potato planted in the United States was planted in Derry in 1719, so you’re welcome for your potatoes. Suck it, Idaho.
In 2010 (the year after I graduated from high school), the population was 33,109. Despite it having a city-sized population, Derry is still always referred to as a town, and it is the “fourth most populous community in the state.”
