Derry Town, New Hampshire

Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the fourth most-populous community in New Hampshire, with a 2000 population of 35,021 - more than the state capital, Concord.

As recently as World War II, Derry was still a sleepy farming community. The post-war suburban boom, its proximity to Boston in the south and Manchester to the west, and the construction of Interstate 93 through town led to a huge population boom. Although this growth has slowed somewhat, Derry still increased by 15 percent during the 1990s.

First settled by Europeans in 1719, Derry was not incorporated until 1827, as for a long time it was part of neighboring Londonderry[?]. It was named for Derry, Ireland.

Derry has two famous sons: poet Robert Frost and astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space. It is home to two of America's oldest private schools, Pinkerton Academy[?], which was founded in 1814 and is still in operation, and the defunct Adams Female Seminary.