Manchester City Library

Manchester, New Hampshire. The Queen City. In its heyday it was the largest textile manufacturer in the world, living up to the legacy of its namesake and sister city, Manchester England. It supplied uniforms, rifles, and carbines for the Union army during the Civil War. While much has been written about the French-Canadian and European immigrants who moved to Manchester to take advantage of the economic boom, far less research has been done on those of African descent who also decided to make Manchester their home and the roles that they played in its development.

Stan Garrity has been working to change that. Through his partnership with the Manchester Historic Association, and countless hours of research in the Manchester City Library’s New Hampshire Room, Stan has uncovered incredible stories of Manchester leading Black citizens.

Join us on Friday July 26^th for a two-mile walk-through Manchester’s Forgotten Black History, hosted by Stan Garrity. Come learn about the woman who turned her house into a stop on the Underground Railroad, the first Black woman to graduate from Manchester High School, and much more! The event starts at 10am in the Rotunda of the Main Library at 405 Pine St.

This tour will take a couple of hours and will start and end back at the Main Library at 405 Pine Street. This is an outdoor program so please remember to wear comfortable walking shoes, apply sunscreen as needed, and drink plenty of water!