Dover, cities, United States

Dover. 1 City (2020 pop. 39,403), state capital, and seat of Kent co., central Del., on the St. Jones River; founded 1683 on orders of William Penn, laid out 1717, inc. as a city 1929. In a fertile farming and fruit-growing region, it is a shipping and canning center with varied light industries. Dover Air Force Base, a principal military air cargo terminal, is a major factor in the city's economy, as is Dover Downs, with auto and horse racing and a casino.

The old statehouse on the green, built in part in 1722 as the county courthouse, has been the capitol since 1777; the green is part of the First State National Monument. Numerous historic houses and sites remain including the John Dickinson Plantation. The state museum is in the Old Presbyterian Church (1790). Also there is an agricultural museum and the Air Mobility Command Museum. Delaware State Univ. and Wesley College are the city's noted higher education institutions.

2 City (2020 pop. 32,741), seat of Strafford co., SE N.H., on the Bellamy, Salmon Falls, and Cocheco rivers near their confluence with the Piscataqua; settled 1623, inc. as a city 1855. The 30-ft (9-m) falls of the Cocheco there have empowered industry since the late 1700s. Among the many manufactures are electrical and business equipment, plastic, and shoes.

The first permanent settlement in New Hampshire, Dover was organized in 1633 but grew slowly. Lord Saye and Sele and his group had large holdings there from 1633 to 1641. A massacre by Native Americans occurred in 1689. In 1812 the first cotton factory was established and the town thrived as a textile center. Dover's historic attractions include the garrison house (late 1600s); the Hale house (1806), where Lafayette and James Monroe stayed; and a library that was organized in 1792.

3 Industrial town (2020 pop. 17,331), Morris co., N central N.J., on the Rockaway River; settled 1722, inc. as a town 1869. In an iron ore area, the town grew as an iron-manufacturing center on the old Morris Canal. It still has iron- and steelworks as well as a variety of manufactures. The U.S. army Picatinny Arsenal is nearby.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography