Ammonoosuc River

Ammonoosuc River
The Lower Falls of the Ammonoosuc
Map
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Hampshire
CountiesCoos, Grafton
Physical characteristics
SourceLakes of the Clouds
 • locationCoos County, New Hampshire, United States
 • coordinates44°15′31″N 71°19′8″W / 44.25861°N 71.31889°W / 44.25861; -71.31889
 • elevation5,025 ft (1,532 m)
MouthConnecticut River
 • location
Woodsville, Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
 • coordinates
44°9′19″N 72°2′16″W / 44.15528°N 72.03778°W / 44.15528; -72.03778
 • elevation
430 ft (130 m)
Length55 mi (89 km)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftZealand River, Little River, Gale River, Wild Ammonoosuc River
"Upper Falls of the Ammonoosuc, White Mountains, N.H." stereoscopic image by the Bierstadt Brothers

The Ammonoosuc River is a 55-mile-long (89 km) river in northwestern New Hampshire in the United States.[1][2] It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound. Ammonoosuc is Abnaki for "small, narrow fishing place".[3]

The Ammonoosuc rises on the western slope of Mount Washington,[1] in Sargent's Purchase in the White Mountains of southern Coos County. One branch of the river is the outlet of the Lakes of the Clouds in the saddle between Mount Washington and Mount Monroe. Leaving the vicinity of the Presidential Range, the river flows westwardly into Grafton County, where it turns southwestwardly. Along its course the Ammonoosuc passes through Chandler's Purchase, Bean's Grant, and Crawford's Purchase; and the towns of Carroll, Bethlehem, Littleton, Lisbon, Landaff, Bath, and Haverhill to the village of Woodsville, where it flows into the Connecticut River. It collects the Gale River in Lisbon, and the Wild Ammonoosuc River in Bath.[4]

Ammonoosuc River
Ammonoosuc River behind downtown Littleton

Variant names and spellings

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The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on "Ammonoosuc River" as the stream's name in 1936. According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known as:[2]

  • Amminoo Suck River
  • Amonoosuck River
  • Amonsook River

See also Defunct placenames of New Hampshire.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry". Archived from the original on 2005-12-08. Retrieved 2006-05-24.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ammonoosuc River
  3. ^ Huden, John C. (1962) Indian Place Names of New England, Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation
  4. ^ DeLorme (1999). New Hampshire Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-242-0