Strafford County, named in honor of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, was organized in 1773 as one of the five original counties. River and ocean access made the county's industries of shipbuilding and sawmills strong in the 1600s. Following the close of the Indian Wars, shipbuilding was one of the major businesses in Dover. After 1820 sawmills and gristmills gave way to cotton mills and the Cocheco Print Works. Shoe manufacturing was introduced in Dover in 1847. The Boston and Maine railroad came to Dover in 1841 and for a period in the mid-1800's ocean going schooners moved cargo between Dover and ports abroad. In the 1800's woolen mills, cotton mills, brickmaking and shoemaking became prominent industries in Strafford County.
Strafford County is comprised of three cities - Dover, Rochester and Somersworth; and 10 towns - Barrington, Durham, Farmington, Lee, Madbury, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Rollinsford, and Strafford and includes the village of Gonic. It is the smallest county in New Hampshire with a total land area of 370 square miles. It is bordered by Maine to the east, separated by the Salmon Falls and the Piscataqua Rivers. The two largest cities are Rochester and Dover. The county's approx. population is 106,000.
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Issues of New
The Rochester Courier/Times - Indexes Courtesy of The Rochester Library
Don Davis's Courier Indexes by Content:
Newpapers - Issues of Old - Facimile's of the Issues
Back to New Hampshire Counties Page
Table of Contents maintained by: C. Parziale
email: ALHN - Strafford County
