400    coos.

porated December 24, 1803, under the name of Coos, which is the
Indian name of the Connecticut, and signifies crooked. The Shire
towns are Colebrook, in the northern judicial district, and Lan-
caster, in the southern.

Agriculture. It is a little too far north for the raising of much fruit,
but it is the best county in the State for grass and grain, and much
attention is given to the growing of live stock. Some of the finest
farm lands in the State, can be found in Whitefield, and in the
river towns, on the Connecticut. The total value of farm pi oduc-
tions, is $ 1,395,063 annually; improved land, 120,000 acres, or
$ 11.62 to each acre. In Illinois it is $ 10.87 to the acre.

Manufactories. The manufacturing of lumber is the most exten-
sive business, being more than half of the manufactured products
in the county. 2,634,000 clapboards, 21,176,000 shingles and laths,
and 86,650,000 feet of boards and dimension timber are annually
sawed, and valued at $ 1,427,800. There is flour and meal, $ 169-
GOO, leather, $101,000, paper, $40,000, woolens, $ 12,000, starch,

$ 143,000, besides, carriages, machine shop and foundry work, and

mechanical work, annually produced, the total amounting to over    •

$ 2,582,000. (See tables.)

Valuation and Taxation. A^pssed valuation, in 1872, $ 4,946,910
—true value, $ 7,420,365. The State, county, town and school tax
was $ 98,272.95, or 19f mills on the dollar—true per cent. 131
mills.

Churches. There are 24 churches, and 23 church edifices ; num-
ber of seatings, 5,050, or 35 per cent, of its population—value of
church property, $ 49,500.

Schools. There are 148 schools, 11 of which are graded; number
of scholars—boys, 1,954, girls, 1,749 ; average attendance at schools
through the year, 2,151, or 60 per cent.; average length of schools
for the year, 16 weeks, value of school houses and lots, $ 48,125 ;
annual amount of money appropriated for school purposes, $ 17,

779, or $ 4.78 to each scholar in the county.

Railroads. The White Mountains Railroad extends from Beth-    *

lehem to Northumberland, and forms a junction with the Atlantic
and St. Lawrence Railroad which extends from Maine line to Ver-
mont line. These lines of roads will convey persons direct to al-
most any section of the country; number miles of railroads in the
county 75. (See tables.)

Miscellaneous. Population in 1870, 14,932—males, 7,955, fe-