MANCHESTER, a town in Hillsborough county, state of New Hampshire, North America, is situated on the left bank of the Merrimack River, 18 miles S.S.E. of Concord, and 59 miles N.W. from Boston. The town is built on a plain at the height of 90 feet above the river, and is regularly laid out. The principal street is wide, and is upwards of a mile in length, parallel to the river. There are four public squares in different parts of the town, some of which are handsomely ornamented. The houses are mostly of brick, but there are many wooden houses, some of which are tasteful structures. The slope from the plateau on which the town stands to the river is occupied by the mills and houses of the workmen. Manchester possesses twelve churches belonging to different denominations; and the educational establishments consist of a high school, two grammar schools, besides others of an inferior class. Manchester has risen into importance quite recently by reason of the water power, which affords great advantages to the manufactories here. Not far from the town the river has a fall of 54 feet in a mile, which is taken advantage of by means of dams and canals, so that it turns many thousand spindles. The town is chiefly remarkable for its manufactures. One company possess four mills, which give employment to 2500 hands, and weave daily 65,000 yards of various stuffs. There are also at Manchester print-works, paper-mills, machine-shops, foundries, and other establishments. In the year 1839 this place only contained fifty inhabitants, but it has rapidly increased since that time. Manchester received its charter in 1846. Pop. (1850) 13,932, (1853) 20,000.