The town of Hanover, chartered in 1761, began as a sleepy, idyllic community nestled in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. In 1770, noted Connecticut minister Eleazar Wheelock chose to relocate his school, Dartmouth College, to a virgin wilderness corner of the struggling young township. In spite of hardships, within several years Wheelock and his small college had taken root on the Hanover Plain, joining together with the local community that would come to be known as the "Village at the College." Over the next two centuries, the college and the village would grow together in triumph and tragedy, rich in history and events, to become a special place revered by generations of alumni and residents alike.
Frank J. Barrett Jr. is a Hanover native and longtime historian. Utilizing vintage historic images culled from both his personal archives and Dartmouth College Special Collections, he examines the early years of the college and the evolution of Main Street Hanover.