Monadnock Moment No. 162

Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction - 1850 to 1877

The Town of Monadnock

Troy, New Hampshire was a late comer among the towns of Cheshire County. It was incorporated in 1815, with only the town of Harrisville being younger in the county. Troy was formed from portions of four other towns: Marlborough, Fitzwilliam, Richmond, and Swanzey. The people in this area requested that the town be formed because of the local geography and a system of roads that made it difficult for them to attend church, town meetings, and other public functions in their respective towns. In 1815 the residents of the area convinced the surrounding towns and the state legislature to grant their request. The new town was named Troy, for the town of Troy, New York.

The town was formed and the people established their own town government and built a church. Fifty years later, however, a problem arose with the name "Troy." In the days before postal zip codes, the hand written addresses Troy, N-H for the New Hampshire town and Troy, N-Y for the New York town looked very similar. As a result, mail and baggage addressed to Troy, New Hampshire would often be sent to Troy, New York and vice versa.

In 1866 several townspeople arrived at a possible solution to the problem. They placed an article on the town meeting warrant to change the name of the town to Monadnock, New Hampshire. There was undoubtedly a good deal of discussion on the article that spring in Troy. Monadnock is a pleasant name and the mountain is an important feature in the vicinity. In the end, however, the vote was 54 against the name change and only 15 in favor. The residents were proud of their town name, and Troy is still Troy.