From "Images of America – Manchester - The Mills and the Immigrant Experience" by Gary Samson - p.89
Manchester , New Hampshire was a small in the early 1800s. Who would have believed that the population would grow to 56,987 in 19071. The reason was the Merrimack river . It allowed New Hampshire residents to harvest trees providing lumber for building down to Lowell , Boston and Portsmouth . Additionally in the later half of the 1800s – Manchester became a mill town dedicated to producing all manner of textile goods. In fact, at one point Manchester , New Hampshire was the largest manufacturing city in the world.
Manchester , as we know it, was the extension of the Amoskeag Mill Company – which planned, created and directed the growth of the city from 1830 until 1936. Unlike Boston which has many narrow and one way streets – Manchester was designed with a thoughtful plan in mind.
After the first wave of immigration from Ireland and Italy into America – there was a wave from Canada . The economy in Canada – especially the province of Quebec was not very good in the later part of the 19th century, this fact coupled with an expanding industrial base in America led to a great migration of French Canadian laborers into Manchester and other New England towns. The existence of a railroad from Quebec to many places in New England helped the flow of workers into the United States . From 1850 to 1900 there were about 57,000 Canadians that came to New Hampshire . In 1877 – there were 4 Champagnes and 2 Dubés listed in the Manchester City Directory. By 1924 – there were 42 Champagnes and 32 Dubés listed. Mnay residents of Manchester were Canadian with many of them living on the West side around McGregor street - as the picture above indicates - right across the street from the mills in "Le Petit Canada". This is where the Dubés and Champagnes got their start in Manchester.
