HANOVER

hanover, a township of grafton county, new hampshire, u.s.a., on the connecticut river, 75 m. by rail n.w. of concord. pop. (1900) 1884; (1910) 2075. no railway enters this township; the ledyard free bridge (the first free bridge across the connecticut) connects it with norwich, vt., which is served by the boston & maine railway. ranges of rugged hills, broken by deep narrow gorges and by the wider valley of mink brook, rise near the river and culminate in the e. section in moose mountain, 2326 ft. above the sea. near the foot of moose mountain is the birthplace of laura d. bridgman. agriculture, dairying and lumbering are the chief pursuits of the inhabitants. the village of hanover, the principal settlement of the township, occupies hanover plain in the s.w. corner, and is the seat of dartmouth college (q.v.), which has a strikingly beautiful campus, and among its buildings several excellent examples of the colonial style, notably dartmouth hall. the mary hitchcock memorial hospital, a cottage hospital of 36 beds, was erected in 1890-1893 by hiram hitchcock in memory of his wife. the charter of the township was granted by gov. benning wentworth on the 4th of july 1761, and the first settlement was made in may 1765. the records of the town meetings and selectmen, 1761-1818, have been published by e. p. storrs (hanover, 1905). see frederick chase, _a history of dartmouth college and the town of hanover_ (cambridge, 1891).