June 19, 1807: Parliamentary maneuvering in the Legislature results in Concord being named the capital, ending several years of roving state government.
June 19, 2000: Residents of Hull, Quebec, pedal through downtown Concord on a 33-passenger bicycle, part of a trek the Canadian town has organized to celebrate its bicentennial.
June 19, 2002: After 66 years, Washington Street School in Penacook closes. In the fall, students will attend Penacook Elementary School, a brand-new facility one mile away.
June 20, 1983: Gov. John Sununu says he has no plans to punish the 1,000 state employees who are back at work after calling in sick with “Sick of Sununu” flu. At the state hospital, some workers were replaced by members of the National Guard. The protest ended after Sununu got a back-to-work court order, threatening the State Employees Association with fines of up to $5,000 per day. At issue: raises for state workers.
June 21, 1788: At a meeting house near the present-day Walker School, delegates from around the state vote 57-47 in favor of the new U.S. Constitution. This makes New Hampshire the ninth and deciding state to ratify. Hopkinton's delegate votes in favor; Concord's delegate, the burly Capt. Ben Emery, votes no, as do representatives of Warner, Salisbury and Loudon.
June 21, 1909: The White Parks beat the Old Timers 14-0 in the first game of Concord's Sunset League. The four-team after-supper baseball league will have games daily – except Saturday – at 6:15 p.m. The teams play till dark or for five innings, whichever comes first. Crowds of 400-500 gather to watch.
June 21, 1990: With Steve McAuliffe and a large crowd of dignitaries and ordinary citizens in attendance, the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium is dedicated in Concord.
June 22, 1825: The Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution, visits Concord during his government-sponsored tour of all 24 states. Driven down Main Street in a four-wheel carriage, he is greeted by a crowd of 30,000 to 40,000. At the State House, 200 to 300 Revolutionary War veterans gather to shake his hand. Many weep. Nine years later, Concord's Fayette Street will be named in memory of this day. An elm planted on the State House lawn to commemorate the event will flourish until 1956, when the state pays $300 to get rid of it. Gov. Lane Dwinell will salvage a few engraved gavels from the Lafayette elm. Other residents will use slabs from the trunk for coffee tables.
June 23, 1785: A committee is appointed to lay out Main Street in Concord. A final report won't be drafted until 1798.
June 23, 2001: A strong economy and a shortage of apartments have pushed up the median cost of rent and utilities for a two-bedroom apartment in Concord by 23 percent over the last four years, the Monitor reports. What used to cost $710 a month now costs $873, according to the state Housing Finance Authority.
June 24, 1993: Residents who use Concord's buses, pools and libraries pack a public hearing to testify against proposed budget cuts. “I'm a little bit disturbed that the quality of life seems to be attacked every time we talk about budget cuts,” says Richard Croak.
June 24, 2000: New Hampshire Bituminous, the Merrimack Valley Little League champion, defeats the Eagles from Concord American Little League, 5-1. The result marks the first time in recent history that the Hilliker Cup will be headed to Penacook.
June 25, 1729: The proprietors of Penacook appoint a committee to find and hire a permanent Congregational minister for the settlement. The minister will be paid 100 pounds a year out of the proprietors' treasury. A year later, the proprietors will hire the Rev. Timothy Walker for the job.
June 25, 1959: State Sen. James Cleveland uses political savvy to defeat Gov. Wesley Powell's House Bill 348, a power grab intended to make several state departments answerable to the governor and cut the state workforce by hundreds. The Senate is deadlocked 12-12 on the bill, but with one opponent absent, Powell's forces try to jam it through. Cleveland calls for a brief recess. He and the rest of the opponents disappear, and the sergeant-at-arms can't find them. Without a quorum, the Senate cannot vote, and the bill dies.
