Nashua << NASH oo uh >> (pop. 91,322) is the second largest city in New Hampshire. Only Manchester has more people. Nashua and Manchester form a metropolitan area with 422,937 people. Nashua lies at the junction of the Merrimack and Nashua rivers. The city’s products include electronic equipment for the military and fabricated metal products. The first permanent settlement was made there between 1665 and 1670. A town charter was granted in 1673 under the name Dunstable. The town was renamed Nashua in 1837. The early settlers referred to the Indigenous (native) people who lived in the area as the Nashaways. Nashua was incorporated as a city in 1853. Nashua is the home of Rivier University. A mayor and board of aldermen head the city’s government.
