The thirty-six square mile town that was to become Deering was carved out of a large land grant the British king gave to Captain John Mason in 1621. In 1746 John Tufton Mason, great grandson of the original John Mason, sold his entire claim to twelve wealthy merchants from Portsmouth. This group of investors was known as the Masonian Proprietors. The unsettled portion of their land was called the "Society Lands." It was bounded on the south by the present towns of Lyndeborough, Peterborough and Dublin; on the north by Hillsborough and Henniker; on the west by Nelson and Stoddard and on the east by Weare and New Boston.

One of the major efforts of the new Deering citizens was to build a town meeting house. After considerable argument over where the center of the town actually was, the town meeting agreed to erect a building. Deering and volunteers from neighboring towns turned out to raise the building and the new meetinghouse was completed in 1788, later extended by a third to its present size in 1927 by members of the Community Club. From 1788 until 1829 the meetinghouse served as both church and civic center, before becoming the "Town Hall." This old building, much in need of attention after 221 years of constant use, remains the historic center of Deering and symbolizes its collective sense of community.

Deering almost doubled in population from 1970 to 1980, it grew from a town of 578 people to a town of 1,041. Deering in the 1980s experienced the most rapid population increase in its history. By 1990 the town had 1707 citizens, the largest number in its history. By 2000 this large population had slowed to around 1,875, but more growth is sure to come.

As these diverse groups strive to find their places in a rapidly changing and expanding community, Deering, like most growing towns, has its share of divisions and contentious debates over town politics. Old Yankees have traditionally been suspicious of large egos, too much talk and too many lawsuits and have had a great antipathy to zoning, building codes and town planning. But today's residents must tackle the daunting issues of town planning and the development of a more complex and integrated systems of government, education, and civic amenities. And, of course, as good citizens of New Hampshire, they hope to accomplish all these worthy goals without raising taxes.

Those of us who are residents of Deering endeavoring to build a modern sense of community that allows for great individual freedom must recognize that we no longer share the common set of values that united Deering's first settlers and were passed on to subsequent generations of newcomers in the public schools, religious organizations and close families. We come from many backgrounds and worldviews, and the older organic, face-to-face bonds of community have given way to faith in mobility and individual rights. Yet, present Deering residents are no less in need of communal bonds. With our desire for privacy and individualism on the one hand and our wish for intimate personal relationships on the other, each person must participate in the search for a balance between his or her own personal desires and the greater good of our larger community. This is an American dilemma that most small towns are experiencing, and Deering also faces this daunting challenge. As Deering citizens seeking to achieve both maximum personal happiness, while at the same time filling their deep need to strengthen civic bonds and serving as responsible citizens, all Deeringites are privileged to be living in one of the most exciting times in Deering history.