In celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, and in collaboration with the Office of Mayor Chuck Grassie, Rochester Colonial Moments, a historical series highlighting notable moments from Rochester’s past, is brought to you by Patrick O. Connelly, Rochester, New Hampshire, historian.

Monday, June 16, 2026
As the “laying out,” or mapping, of the plots described in all of Rochester’s divisions became more widely circulated, it became clear that the proprietors had introduced a new structure that encouraged town development. This range-and-road structure included direct road access for each plot. Minor roads, usually 5-rod roads, were complemented by major 10-rod roads, assuring access, travel, and transit opportunities for each settler. It is noteworthy that later town plots, as America moved beyond the Appalachian Mountains, were configured in this fashion. Scholarship recognizes this feature as a feather in the town’s cap to this day.

Patrick O. Connelly is a historian, researcher, and author whose work focuses extensively on the colonial history and development of Rochester, New Hampshire. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in History and French, Connelly has spent decades researching Rochester’s earliest records, maps, land divisions, and settlement history.

Connelly is the author of two comprehensive works on Rochester’s colonial history: Rochester, New Hampshire: Territory to Township, 1620–1799 and In Their Own Words: Transcription and Research of the Original Records of Colonial Rochester, New Hampshire, 1722–1799. Both books are available through his website at RNHCC.com.