Amoskeag Suite
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People have been coming to Amoskeag for 9,000 years. Manchester has had many names. Before it became Manchester, the city had been called Derryfield. And, before that, this area around the falls of the Merrimack River was called Amoskeag.
The Amoskeag Falls have been a place for people to come together to trade, work, live and celebrate – from the nomadic paleo-indians following herds of Caribou 9,000 years ago to the Namoskeags 3,500 years ago, to the migration of Europeans 300 years ago.
The Namoskeags were members of the Penacook tribe, which was part of the Algonquin Nation that dominated northern North America. "Namoskeag" means "great fishing place." The Namoskeags called the river "Merrimac," which means "place of strong current."
When the Atlantic salmon, shad and alewives would migrate to the falls, the Namoskeags would gather them in large nets known as weirs. After a long day of catching, cleaning and drying fish on large rocks, they would have large feasts and celebrations of thanksgiving. The Namoskeags’ main settlement was located on the high bluff on the east side of the river above the falls. This bluff is now the site of the Brady Sullivan Tower and parking lot.
This area was the site of major archeological excavations in 1969 and 1985, with some of the artifacts dating back to between 7,800 BC and 9,000 BC. The excavations also unearthed evidence of an extensive trading network. In fact, an obsidian tool was found – Wyoming is the nearest known source for this tool in North America.
The long history of gathering and celebrating at Amoskeag is still alive and well in Manchester today.