One hundred years ago, New Hampshire was on the cusp of change. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson was president, and it was a leap year. Life was going on as it had for centuries (focused on farming and taking in the natural beauty of New Hampshire). But in Europe, World War I was already started, and in Portsmouth, as well as across the United States, recruits and higher-ups were beginning to prepare for the reality that The U.S. would become involved in the great war. Here is what New Hampshire looked like 100 years ago:

  1. You can still drive along tree-lined streets in Newport, but you’ll be a lot less likely to see a horse and buggy.

Wikimedia/creative commons

  1. This photograph taken in Portsmouth in 1905 shows how styles have changed. Even the most formal events in 2016 don’t hold a candle to this.

Wikimedia/Creative Commons

  1. The Danbury Inn provided lodging, because even in 1916 the Granite State was popular with tourists.

Wikimedia/creative commons

  1. The New Hampshire State Guard was created in 1916.

Wikimedia/creative commons

  1. Beaver Lake in Derry was a popular swimming spot in the early 1900s.

Derrypubliclibrary/flickr

  1. Young men in Portsmouth run a 440-yard dash.

USMC Archives/flickr

  1. Navy ships moored in Portsmouth.

USMC Archives/flickr

  1. New Hampshire activities – swimming and boating – haven’t changed much in the past century.

Derrypubliclibrary/flickr

  1. The Russian Orthodox Church in Berlin had a large congregation in 1915.

Paukrus/flickr

  1. Portsmouth and the Navy Yard are captured from the Wentworth Hotel in New Castle.

Derek S./flickr

  1. The USS North Carolina coming in to Portsmouth Harbor in 1911.

USMC Archives/flickr

  1. A working party outside the Naval Prison in Portsmouth in 1910.

USMC Archives/flickr

  1. The laundry room at the U.S. Navy Prison in Portsmouth.

USMC Archives/flickr

  1. Mill Pond in Henniker doesn’t look like it’s changed too much since 1914.

Wikimedia/Creative Commons

  1. This farm in Danbury shows what life was like for well-off New Hampshire residents in 1916.

Creative Commons/Wikimedia

It’s always so interesting to see how things have changed, and how similar some things still are!

Wikimedia/creative commons

Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Derrypubliclibrary/flickr

USMC Archives/flickr

Paukrus/flickr

Derek S./flickr

Creative Commons/Wikimedia

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.