The
Ammonoosuc River is a
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
, 55 mi (89 km) long, in northwestern
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a
tributaryA tributary is a stream or river which flows into a main stem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body...
of the
Connecticut RiverThe Connecticut River is the largest river in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border between New Hampshire and Vermont, through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut into Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It has a...
, which flows to
Long Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean and various rivers in the United States that lies between the coast of Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound...
. "Ammonoosuc" is Abnaki for "small, narrow fishing place".
The Ammonoosuc rises on the western slope of
Mount WashingtonMount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at . It is famous for its dangerously erratic weather, holding the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, at on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, in
Sargent's PurchaseSargent's Purchase is a township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2000 census, the purchase had a total population of 0....
in the
White MountainsThe White Mountains are a mountain range that covers about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of southern
Coos CountyCoos County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, including the whole of the state's northern panhandle. The two-syllable pronunciation is sometimes made visible using diaeresis, notably in the Lancaster-based weekly newspaper The Coös County Democrat and on some county-owned...
. One branch of the river is the outlet of the
Lakes of the CloudsThe Lakes of the Clouds are a set of small ponds located at the col between Mount Monroe and Mount Washington in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire...
in the saddle between Mount Washington and
Mount MonroeMount Monroe is the highest peak south of Mount Washington in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire. It is the fourth highest mountain on the 4000 footers list for New Hampshire. The Lakes of the Clouds, and its AMC hut, lie nestled at the col between Mount Monroe and neighboring Mount...
. Leaving the vicinity of the
Presidential RangeThe Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the state of New Hampshire, almost entirely in Coos County. The most notable summits of the range are named for prominent Americans, either public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries or Presidents.-Notable summits:These...
, the river flows westwardly into
Grafton CountyGrafton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2000 census, the population was 81,743. Its county seat is North Haverhill, which is a village within the town of Haverhill. Until 1972, the county courthouse and other offices were located in downtown Woodsville, a...
, where it turns southwestwardly. Along its course the Ammonoosuc passes through
Chandler's PurchaseChandler's Purchase is a township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. It was granted by Commissioner Willey to Jeremiah Chandler of Conway in 1835 for $300 and contained about...
,
Bean's GrantBean's Grant is a township located in southern Coos County, New Hampshire, United States, north of Crawford Notch State Park. In New Hampshire, locations, grants, townships , and purchases are unincorporated portions of a county which are not part of any town and have limited self-government...
, and
Crawford's PurchaseCrawford's Purchase is a township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. It was granted by Commissioner Willey to Thomas Abbott, Nathaniel Abbott and Ethan Allen Crawford in 1834 for $8,000 and contained about...
; and the towns of
CarrollCarroll is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 663 at the 2000 census. The two largest villages are Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods. Carroll is an important access point for recreational areas in the White Mountains, including many 4,000-footers, the Zealand...
,
BethlehemBethlehem is a hillside town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,199 at the 2000 census. Bethlehem includes the villages of Maplewood and Pierce Bridge. It is home to Cushman and Strawberry Hill state forests. The eastern half of the town is within the White...
,
LittletonLittleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,845 at the 2000 census. Situated at the edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River....
,
LisbonLisbon is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,587 at the 2000 census. Lisbon hosts an annual "Lilac Festival" on Memorial Day weekend....
,
LandaffLandaff is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 378.- History :The name on the town charter is Llandaff, after the Bishop of Llandaff, chaplain to England's King George III. Originally, however, the land was granted as Whitcherville...
,
BathBath is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 893 at the 2000 census.- History :Named for William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, Bath was granted in 1761 and incorporated in 1760...
, and
HaverhillHaverhill is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,416 at the 2000 census. Haverhill includes the villages of Woodsville, Pike, North Haverhill and the district of Mountain Lakes. Located here are Bedell Bridge State Park, Black Mountain State Forest, Kinder...
to the village of
WoodsvilleWoodsville is a census-designated place in the town of Haverhill in Grafton County, New Hampshire, U.S., along the Connecticut River at the mouth of the Ammonoosuc River. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census...
, where it flows into the Connecticut River. It collects the
Gale RiverThe Gale River is a 13.1 mile long tributary of the Ammonoosuc River in northwestern New Hampshire in the United States. Via the Ammonoosuc, it is part of the watershed of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....
in Lisbon, and the
Wild Ammonoosuc RiverThe Wild Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Ammonoosuc River, about long, in northwestern New Hampshire in the United States. Via the Ammonoosuc River, it is part of the watershed of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....
in Bath.
Variant names and spellings
The
United States Board on Geographic NamesThe United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
settled on "Ammonoosuc River" as the stream's name in 1936. According to the
Geographic Names Information SystemThe Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, it has also been known as:
- Amminoo Suck River
- Amonoosuck River
- Amonsook River
- Upper Amonoosuck River
- Wild Amonoosuck River
See also
Defunct placenames of New HampshireDefunct placenames are those which are no longer used officially.Many populated places in New Hampshire once prospered and are now gone, subsumed by adjacent cities or renamed. Similarly, many geophysical features have had their names changed over time...
.
See also
- List of New Hampshire rivers
- Upper Ammonoosuc River
The Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through northern New Hampshire in the United States. Despite its name, the river is not connected to the Ammonoosuc River of the White Mountains...
- Wild Ammonoosuc River
The Wild Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Ammonoosuc River, about long, in northwestern New Hampshire in the United States. Via the Ammonoosuc River, it is part of the watershed of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....