A view of Portsmouth in Piscataqua River

The heavily forested areas of New Hampshire contributed to a thriving lumber and shipbuilding business on the Piscataqua River. As seen in this detail view of Portsmouth, N.H., the city grew into a bustling port after the French and Indian War, and was a key supplier to the mast trade and the shipbuilding industry on the eastern seaboard. The town also exported fish and other provisions to sugar plantations in the Caribbean. Samuel Holland, Surveyor General for the Northern District, relocated from Québec to Portsmouth in 1770 to begin the survey of New England, a task that would take the next five years to complete.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library