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83-583: In 1767, the first meeting house in Dighton Village burned to the ground. A new meeting house was built in an area called Buck Plain, but residents were unhappy with the location. In 1769, a group of well-off traders and businessmen formed the Pedo Baptist Congregational Society. (The name "Pedo" referred to the practice of infant baptism). This group selected a new building site in the village at Lower Four Corners, at

166-593: A saw mill , grist mill , and a fulling mill on the Quequechan River. In 1714, Church sold his land, along with the water rights to Richard Borden of Tiverton and his brother Joseph. This transaction would prove to be extremely valuable 100 years later, helping to establish the Borden family as the leaders in the development of Fall River's textile industry. During the 18th century, the area consisted mostly of small farms and relatively few inhabitants. In 1778,

249-539: A carpenter for Samuel Slater in his early years. The Troy Mill opened in 1814 at the upper end of the falls. In 1821, Colonel Richard Borden (along with Maj. Bradford Durfee) established the Fall River Iron Works at the lower part of the Quequechan River . Durfee was a shipwright, and Borden was the owner of a grist mill. After an uncertain start, in which some early investors pulled out,

332-693: A central police station along Route 138 by the banks of the Segreganset River , separate post offices and fire departments near the center of town and North Dighton, and the Dighton Public Library at the center of town. Dighton has a conservation area and a small park next to the town hall near the intersection of Center Street and Route 138. Dighton is located in the Fifth Bristol state representative district, which includes Somerset and parts of Swansea and Taunton. The town

415-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

498-462: A few years after the merger with Plymouth Colony. In 1746, in the settlement of a colonial boundary dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Tiverton was annexed to Rhode Island , along with Little Compton and what is now Newport County, Rhode Island . The boundary was then placed approximately at what is now Columbia Street. In 1703, Benjamin Church, a hero of King Philip's War established

581-526: A large portion of downtown. City Hall was spared, but was badly damaged. Today, many of the structures near the corner of North Main and Bedford Street date from the early 1930s, as they were rebuilt soon after the fire. By the 1930s and the Great Depression , many of the mills were out of business and the city was bankrupt. The once mighty American Printing Company finally closed for good in 1934. In 1937, their huge plant waterfront on Water Street

664-537: A leading textile manufacturing center in the United States. While the textile industry has long since moved on, its impact on the city's culture and landscape is still prominent. Fall River's official motto is "We'll Try", dating back to the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1843. Nicknamed The Scholarship City after Irving Fradkin founded Dollars for Scholars there in 1958, mayor Jasiel Correia introduced

747-632: A member of the Continental Congress , and he traveled by horse from Dighton to Philadelphia for meetings. After the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, a copy was brought to Dighton. On July 13, 1776, a copy of the Declaration was read in the church, most likely read by Ezra Stiles . Stiles became the first minister of the church in 1777. The Pedo Baptist (Child Baptizing) Congregational Society of Dighton

830-531: A new bridge was built. In August 2015 a new two-lane bridge opened to traffic. Dighton's localities are Chestnut Tree Corner, Dighton, Dighton Rock State Park , North Dighton, Segreganset, South Dighton and Wheeler's Corner. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,175 people, 2,201 households, and 1,718 families residing in the town. The population density was 275.9 inhabitants per square mile (106.5/km ). There were 2,280 housing units at an average density of 101.9 per square mile (39.3/km ). The racial makeup of

913-460: A public water supply, and sewerage system were constructed to meet the needs of its growing population. From 1896 to 1912, Fall River was the headquarters of the E. P. Charlton & Company , a chain of five and ten cent stores . Founded at Fall River in 1890 by Seymour H. Knox and Earle Perry Charlton as the Knox & Charlton Five and Ten Cent Store, E.P. Charlton operated fifty-eight stores in

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996-490: A rock found in the shallows of the river which includes cryptic carvings whose origins are debated to this day. However, in 1799, that land on the east bank of the river was annexed by Berkley , thus giving that town the claim of being the home of the rock. In 1765, shortly after the renewal of the Molasses Act , Dighton's wharves were the site of the "Molasses Affair," a protest of British taxes on molasses similar to

1079-522: A sewer. In the 20th century the mills were abandoned and some of them burned, exposing the falls once more. Because of highway construction in the 1960s, the waterfalls were buried under Interstate 195 , which crosses the Taunton River at Battleship Cove. Plans exist to "daylight" the falls, restore or re-create them, and build a green belt with a bicycle path along the Quequechan River. In the south end, Cook Pond, also formerly known as Laurel Lake,

1162-412: A sheltered harbor at the edge of downtown. Fall River has two large lakes (originally one lake) and a large portion of protected woodlands on the eastern part of the city, which is higher in elevation, with the Quequechan River draining out of the ponds and flowing 2.5 miles (4.0 km) through the heart of the city, emptying out an estimated 26 million US gallons (98 × 10 ^  L) per day into

1245-517: A tow path on the east side of the river to Taunton. Herring were plentiful in the Taunton River, and at one point Dighton's herring fishery provided more income to the town than any other industry. Fish were preserved in salt and exported as far away as the West Indies . Shipbuilding started in Dighton as early as 1698. Thomas Coram built Dighton's first shipyard on the west side of

1328-509: A walking and biking path, picnic areas, a small boat launch, and fishing. Tricentennial Park, a small waterfront park along the Taunton River, was created as an Eagle Scout project by a young resident in honor of the town's tricentennial in 2012. Dighton is governed by an open town meeting led by a board of selectmen . Currently serving on the Board of Selectmen are: Leonard Hull (Chairman), Peter Caron (Clerk), and Nicole Mello. The town has

1411-459: Is Ed Markey and the state's senior (Class II) Senator is Elizabeth Warren . In a typical year, Dighton, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50 °F (10 °C) for 164 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 47.6 inches (1,210 mm) per year (above normal for the US) and snow covers the ground 40 days per year, or 11.0% of the year (moderate in the US). It may be helpful to understand

1494-586: Is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts , United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census , making it the tenth-largest city in the state . It abuts the Rhode Island state line with Tiverton, RI to its south. Located along the eastern shore of Mount Hope Bay at the mouth of the Taunton River , the city gained recognition during the 19th century as

1577-536: Is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km ), or 2.56%, is water. Dighton is bordered by Rehoboth to the west, Swansea to the southwest, Somerset to the south, the Taunton River and the town of Berkley to the east, and the city of Taunton to the north. In addition to being bordered by the Taunton River, it also is bordered by the Three Mile River , a tributary which empties into the Taunton along

1660-544: Is listed in the Revere Stockbook as "Bell Number 254." The bell was hauled from Canton to Dighton by two oxen in 1821, and hung in a small shed in the church yard. A tower was built for the bell, where it was installed in 1827 and rung frequently. The bell's yoke and wheel were restored in 2012–2013. The church was renovated in 1830, when the pew layout was changed and the Elm Street door removed. The church

1743-588: Is located in North Dighton, mere yards away from the Rehoboth town line. Its athletics teams are known as the Falcons, and its colors are green and gold. The Dighton Middle and Elementary Schools are located near the corner of Center Street and Somerset Avenue ( Route 138 ) at the center of town. The town is also the home of Bristol County Agricultural High School . The school operates a large farm along

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1826-696: Is located on the border of Dartmouth in North Dartmouth's Hixville section that borders Fall River. Copicut Hill, the highest point in Fall River, is located between North Watuppa Pond and the Copicut Reservoir. The hill has a summit elevation of greater than 404 feet (123 m) above sea level. The Quequechan River breaks out of its bed in the west part of the South Watuppa Pond, just west of The Narrows, and flows through

1909-548: Is named. In this distance the total fall is about 132 feet (40 m). and the volume of water 122 cubic feet (3.5 m ) per second. Originally an attractive feature of the landscape, the Quequechan has seldom been visible since it was covered over by cotton mills and the Bay Colony Railroad line in the 19th century. As the Quequechan became an underground feature of the industrial landscape, it also became

1992-658: Is represented in the state senate in the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes the towns of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Marion, Middleborough, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham. Dighton is patrolled by the Middleboro Barracks (D4) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Jake Auchincloss . The state's junior (Class I) Senator

2075-792: Is the North Watuppa Pond , the city's main reservoir. The southern pond is the South Watuppa Pond. The narrow strip of land where the two ponds meet is known as The Narrows. East of the North Watuppa Pond is the Watuppa Reservation, which includes several thousand acres of forest-land for water supply protection that extends north into the Freetown-Fall River State Forest , and east to the Copicut Reservoir . Copicut Pond

2158-622: Is the Sagamore Mills on North Main Street, which were constructed from similar rock quarried in Freetown and brought to the site by rail). Fall River rode a wave of economic prosperity well into the early 20th century. During this time, the city boasted a bustling downtown with several upscale hotels and theaters. As the city continuously expanded during the late 19th century, additional infrastructure such as parks, schools, streetcar lines,

2241-556: The Battle of Freetown , was fought here during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) after British raids badly damaged Bristol and Warren. The militia of Fall River, at that time known as Freetown, put up a stronger defense against a British force. In 1803, Fall River was separated from Freetown and officially incorporated as its own town . A year later, Fall River changed its name to "Troy." The name "Troy"

2324-456: The Brutalist style popular in the 1960s and 1970s, the new city hall drew complaints from city workers and residents almost immediately. In 1970, Valle's Steak House opened one of its landmark restaurants on William S. Canning Boulevard in the city's South End. The steak house was popular with Fall River residents, but economic challenges caused the chain to close all of its restaurants in

2407-561: The poverty line , including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over. Dighton is home of the Cow Chip Festival. The Dighton Lions Club hosts the event. Every June a traveling carnival comes and sets up behind the Town Hall. Fireworks have been a recent addition to the festival. There are rides and a carnival mid-way along with food, musical performances, a lawn tractor pull, woodsman competition pony rides and

2490-567: The "Make It Here" slogan as part of a citywide rebranding effort in 2017. Fall River is known for the Lizzie Borden case , the Fall River cult murders , Portuguese culture , its numerous 19th-century textile mills and Battleship Cove , home of the world's largest collection of World War II naval vessels (including the battleship USS  Massachusetts ). Fall River has its city hall located over an interstate highway . At

2573-705: The 1890s as a link between Center Street in Dighton and Elm Street in Berkley. It is the only span crossing the Taunton River between the Brightman Street Bridge between Somerset and Fall River, and the Plain Street Bridge in Taunton, a drive of 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (20 km) (and 4 mi or 6 km south of the Plain Street Bridge). In 2010, the old bridge was demolished and a temporary bridge handled traffic as

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2656-492: The 1960s, the city's landscape was drastically transformed with the construction of the Braga Bridge and Interstate 195, which cut directly through the heart of the city. In the wake of the highway building boom, the city lost many of its longtime landmarks. The Quequechan River was filled in and re-routed for much of its length. The historic falls were diverted into underground culverts. A series of elevated steel viaducts

2739-575: The 1980s. Also during the 1970s, several modern apartment high-rise towers were built throughout the city, many part of the Fall River Housing Authority. There were two built near Milliken Boulevard, two on Pleasant Street in Flint Village, another on South Main Street, and in the north end off Robeson Street. Today, these high-rises mostly house the elderly. In 1978, the city opened the new B.M.C. Durfee High School in

2822-545: The Fall River Iron Works was incorporated in 1825. The Iron Works began producing nails, bar stock, and other items, such as bands for casks in the nearby New Bedford whaling industry. They soon gained a reputation for producing nails of high quality, and business flourished. In 1827, Col. Borden began regular steamship service to Providence, Rhode Island . The American Print Works was established in 1835 by Holder Borden, uncle of Col. Richard Borden. With

2905-587: The North End, replacing the historic Rock Street building that had become overcrowded and outdated for use as a high school. The "new" Durfee is one of the largest high schools in Massachusetts . Since approximately 1980, there has been a considerable amount of new development in the North End of the city. A significant number of new single- and multi-family housing developments have been constructed, particularly along North Main Street. In 2017, Fall River

2988-486: The Quequechan's power had been all but maximized. The Massasoit Steam Mill was established in 1846, above the dam near the end of Pleasant Street. However, it would be another decade or so when improvements in the steam engine by George Corliss would enable the construction of the first large steam-powered mill in the city, the Union Mills in 1859. The advantage of being able to import bales of cotton and coal to fuel

3071-483: The South's large investment in new machinery and other equipment. In 1923, Fall River faced the first wave of mill closures. Several of the mills merged, allowing them to remain in business into the late 1920s. The worst fire in Fall River's history occurred on the evening of February 2, 1928. It began when workers were dismantling the recently vacated Pocasset Mill . During the night, the fire spread quickly and wiped out

3154-517: The Taunton River. Shipbuilding grew into a significant industry after 1800, peaking around 1850. During 1840–1845 twenty-two schooners, two sloops, four brigs, and three barks were built in Dighton. There were also cotton mills, paper mills, manufacturers and farming concerns in the town. From before the Civil War to at least 1912, the town was regionally known for its strawberry farms. With time, however, many of these industries left, leaving

3237-514: The United States and Canada by the time of its merger with several other retailers to form the F. W. Woolworth Company in 1912. In 1920, the population of Fall River peaked at 120,485. The cotton mills of Fall River had built their business largely on one product: print cloth. Around 1910, the city's largest employer, the American Printing Company (APC), employed 6,000 people and was the largest company printer of cloth in

3320-539: The banks of the Taunton River at its Center Street location. The town does not have any affiliation with a regional vocational school system, the closest one being Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School , located in Taunton, Massachusetts . Dighton is served by the Dighton Public Library. As of December 2009, the Library Director was Jocelyn Tavares. Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River

3403-506: The best tidewater privilege in southern New England. It was perfect for industrialization—big enough for profit and expansion, yet small enough to be developed by local capital without interference from Boston . The Fall River Manufactory was established by David Anthony and others in 1813. That same year, the Troy Cotton & Woolen Manufactory was founded by a group of investors led by Oliver Chace of Swansea. Chace had worked as

Dighton Community Church - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-407: The cemetery dates to about 1750. Many members of the locally prominent Baylies family are buried here. Medal of Honor recipient Frederick C. Anderson is buried in the cemetery. Dighton, Massachusetts Dighton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts , United States. The population was 8,101 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the western shore of the Taunton River in

3569-477: The chicken BBQ. The name was given to it because they set up squares on the field behind the town hall. They place cows out on the enclosed squares. People then place bets on the square that they believe will be defecated on first by one of the cows. Sweets Knoll State Park is a fifty-six acre park located in Dighton. It was purchased in June 2009, and includes two miles of old railroad bed which may be adapted into

3652-426: The city (partially underground in conduits) where it falls to a channel leading to what is now Fall River Heritage State Park at Battleship Cove on the Taunton River. The Quequechan River originally flowed unconfined over an almost level course for more than a mile. In the last half-mile (800 m) of its progress it rushes down the hillside in a narrow, precipitous, rocky channel, creating the falls for which Fall River

3735-402: The city before draining into the bay. Quequechan is a Wampanoag word believed to mean "falling river" or "leaping/falling waters." During the 1960s, Interstate 195 was constructed through the city along the length of the Quequechan River. The portion west of Plymouth Avenue was routed underground through a series of box culverts, while much of the eastern section "mill pond" was filled in for

3818-649: The city had one-sixth of all New England cotton capacity and one-half of all print cloth production. The Spindle City, as it became known, was second in the world to only Manchester, England in terms of output. To house the thousands of new workers—mostly Irish and French Canadian immigrants during these years—over 12,000 units of company housing were built. Unlike the well-spaced boardinghouses and tidy cottages of Rhode Island , worker housing in Fall River consisted of thousands of wood-framed, multi-family tenements, usually three-floor " triple-deckers " with up to six apartments. Many more privately owned tenements supplemented

3901-407: The city has a total area of 40.2 square miles (104.2 km ), of which 33.1 square miles (85.8 km ) is land and 7.1 square miles (18.4 km ), or 17.68%, is water. Water power from the Quequechan River and natural granite helped form and shape Fall River into the city it is today. The Quequechan River once flowed through downtown unrestricted, providing water power for the mills and, in

3984-644: The company housing. During the 19th century, Fall River became famous for the granite rock on which much of the city is built. Several granite quarries operated during this time, the largest of which was the Beattie Granite Quarry, near what is now the corner of North Quarry and Locust Streets. Many of the mills in the city were built from this stone, and it was highly regarded as a building material for many public buildings and private homes alike. The Chateau-sur-Mer mansion in Newport, Rhode Island

4067-608: The convention's delegates agreed on. In July 1843, the first great fire in Fall River's history destroyed much of the town center, including the Atheneum, which housed the Skeleton in Armor which had been discovered in a sand bank in 1832 near what is now the corner of Hartwell and Fifth Street. During this time, the southern part of what is now Fall River (south of Columbia Street) remained part of Tiverton, Rhode Island . In 1856,

4150-480: The deep Mount Hope Bay/Taunton River estuary in the western part of the city. The city lies on the eastern border of Mount Hope Bay, which begins at the mouth of the Taunton River starting south from the Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge . The greater portion of the city is built on hillsides rising quite abruptly from the water's edge to a height of more than 200 feet (60 m). From the summits of these hills,

4233-539: The eastern edge of a cornfield used by the Pokanoket tribe. A tree in this field was used by Native Americans as a meeting place; King Philip ( Metacomet ) was said to have visited the tree many times. Construction on the church building was "completed sufficiently for use" by Spring 1770; however, the church was yet unfinished, with no tower or steeple. During the Revolutionary War , the unfinished church

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4316-561: The highway embankment. In 1653, Freetown was settled at Assonet Bay by members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as part of Freeman's Purchase, which included the northern part of what is now Fall River. In 1683, Freetown was incorporated as a town within the colony. The southern part of what is now Fall River was incorporated as the town of Tiverton as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1694,

4399-591: The last 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) of its length, down a series of eight steep waterfalls falling 128 feet (39 m) into the Taunton River at the head of the deep Mount Hope Bay . Fall River and surrounding areas are located in the northeastern coastal forests, which make up the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome. Fall River was the only city on the East Coast of the United States to have had an exposed waterfall in part of its downtown area; it flowed less than 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) into

4482-615: The leadership of the Borden family, the American Print Works (later known as the American Printing Company) became the largest and most important textile company in the city, employing thousands at its peak in the early 20th century. Richard Borden also constructed the Metacomet Mill in 1847, which today is the oldest remaining textile mill in the city; it is located on Anawan Street. By 1845,

4565-502: The more famous Boston Tea Party . A local ship reported a cargo of 63 casks of molasses to the British custom officials, but the ship actually contained double that number. The customs official ordered the ship's cargo impounded while he departed for Newport for assistance. While he was gone, forty local men with blackened faces stole the cargo, ran the ship aground, and drilled holes in the hull to protest British tax policies. During

4648-477: The northeast border of town. The town is also crossed by the Segreganset River , another tributary of the Taunton which flows through the center of town, as well as several smaller brooks. The highest point in the town is in its northwest corner, where the elevation rises above 236 feet (72 m) above sea level. Dighton is the site of the Berkley–Dighton Bridge , originally a one-lane bridge built in

4731-524: The prosperity that followed. By 1868, it had surpassed Lowell as the leading textile city in America with over 500,000 spindles. In 1871 and 1872, a "most dramatic expansion" of the city occurred: 15 new corporations were founded, building 22 new mills throughout the city, while some of the older mills expanded. The city's population increased by 20,000 people during these two years, while overall mill capacity doubled to more than 1,000,000 spindles. By 1876,

4814-467: The river, Dighton was a shipbuilding community, and even had status as a port of call . North of Dighton the Taunton River becomes too shallow for ships to navigate, and this, along with its centralized location, allowed Dighton to become a shipping hub for southeastern Massachusetts. In 1789 Dighton was made a port of entry for the surrounding towns. Ships would unload in Dighton and goods were either transferred to smaller boats or towed by oxen along

4897-436: The route between Fall River and Taunton. Dighton was originally part of Taunton 's South Purchase and other surrounding towns. It was separated in 1672, officially incorporated in 1712. It was named for Frances Dighton Williams, wife of Richard Williams, a town elder. At the time of incorporation, the town included land on both sides of the Taunton River, including the land of Assonet Neck, which includes Dighton Rock ,

4980-513: The southeastern part of the state. Dighton's location has long made it a crossroads for travel. The "Old Bristol Path" took early settlers from the Pilgrim settlement in Plymouth, Massachusetts to Bristol, Rhode Island , the home of Massasoit. A ferry took travelers across the Taunton River. Later, a stage coach ran through Dighton, connecting Taunton and Bristol. Dighton was also along

5063-437: The steam engines to Fall River's deep water harbor (and ship them out from the same) made Fall River the city of choice for a series of cotton mill magnates. The first railroad line serving Fall River, The Fall River Branch Railroad, was incorporated in 1844 and opened in 1845. In 1847, the first regular steamboat service to New York City began. The Fall River Line , as it came to be known, operated until 1937, and for many years

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5146-448: The terrain extends back in a comparatively level table-land, on which a large section of the city now stands. Two miles (3 km) eastward from the shore lies a chain of deep and narrow ponds, eight miles (13 km) long, with an average width of three-quarters of a mile, and covering an area of 3,500 acres (14 km ). These ponds are supplied by springs and brooks, draining a watershed of 20,000 acres (81 km ). The northern pond

5229-606: The textile industry in Fall River grew out of the developments made in nearby Rhode Island , beginning with Samuel Slater at Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793. In 1811, Col. Joseph Durfee, the Revolutionary War veteran and hero of the Battle of Freetown in 1778, built the Globe Manufactory, a spinning mill at the outlet of Cook Pond on Dwelly St. near what is now Globe Four Corners in the city's South End. (It

5312-454: The time of the American Revolutionary War , Dighton gave refuge to several refugees from Newport, Rhode Island who had fled the British occupation there. These included Ezra Stiles and William Ellery . Stiles kept a diary of his time in Dighton. In January 1778 the town council voted in favor of the Articles of Confederation . As it was located at the beginning of the tidewater of

5395-632: The time of the establishment of the Plymouth Colony in 1620, the area that would one day become Troy City was inhabited by the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe, affiliated with the Pokanoket Confederacy headquartered at Mount Hope in what is now Bristol, Rhode Island . The "falling" river that the city's name refers to is the Quequechan River (pronounced "quick-a-shan" by locals) a 2.5 mi (4km) river which flows through

5478-412: The town as a rural suburban community with some small farms. In 2012, Dighton celebrated its Tricentennial with town selectmen donning historic costumes and crossing the Taunton River to Ferry Landing. Afterwards they held a ceremony at Founders Hall. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 22.6 square miles (58.5 km ), of which 22.0 square miles (57.0 km )

5561-409: The town of Tiverton, Rhode Island voted to split off its industrial northern section as Fall River, Rhode Island. In 1861, after decades of dispute, the United States Supreme Court moved the state boundary to what is now State Avenue, unifying both Fall Rivers as a city in Massachusetts (among other changes; see History of Massachusetts § Rhode Island eastern border ). The early establishment of

5644-401: The town was 97.80% White , 0.53% African American , 0.19% Native American , 0.49% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.28% from other races , and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population. There were 2,201 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had

5727-444: The world. Dozens of other city mills solely produced cloth to be printed at the APC. World War I had provided a general increase in demand for textiles, and many of the mills of New England benefited during this time. The post-war economy quickly slowed, however, and production quickly outpaced demand. The Northern mills faced serious competition from their Southern counterparts due to lower labor and transportation costs, as well as

5810-455: The yearly precipitation by imagining nine straight days of moderate rain per year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 39.8 days, or 10.9% of the year. Dighton and its neighboring town Rehoboth comprise one school district, the Dighton-Rehoboth School District . It was founded in 1987 to oversee the schools of both towns. The high school, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School , was founded in 1958 to serve both towns. The school itself

5893-408: Was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 58,600, and the median income for a family was $ 64,792. Males had a median income of $ 41,427 versus $ 28,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 22,600. About 1.0% of families and 2.6% of the population were below

5976-482: Was acquired by the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and soon employed 2,600 people. A handful managed to survive through World War II and into the 1950s. In October 1941, just a few weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor , another large fire broke out in the main building of the printworks. The fire was a major setback to the U.S. war effort; 30,000 pounds (13,607 kilograms) of raw rubber worth $ 15 million

6059-548: Was an initial group, which was wary of allowing free black full membership, so a second group (this one) was formed in response by Elizabeth Buffum Chace and her sisters, who were committed to allowing free black women membership. Sarah G. Buffman, a delegate from the group, was sent to the Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women in Philadelphia in 1838. Buffman signed all three of the statements that

6142-409: Was constructed from Fall River granite , known for its greyish-pink color. While most of the mills "above the hill" were constructed from native Fall River granite, nearly all of their counterparts along the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay were made of red brick due to the high costs and impracticality associated with transporting the rock through the city and down the hill. (One notable exception

6225-673: Was constructed to allow access the new bridge. Many historic buildings were demolished, including the Old City Hall, the Troy Mills, the Second Granite Block (built after the 1928 fire), as well as other 19th-century brick-and-mortar buildings near Old City Hall. Constructed directly over Interstate 195 in the place of it predecessor, the new city hall (known as Government Center) was opened in 1976 after years of construction delays and quality control problems. Built in

6308-575: Was incorporated June 25, 1798. In 1870 the church received an English Georgian era organ which had been used in the Harvard College Chapel. In 1949 a new organ was installed inside the case of the old organ. The name changed to Community Church in 1971. The bell tower features a Revere Bell . It was cast at the Revere Foundry and purchased by Joseph Revere in 1821. The bell bears the inscription "Revere Boston 1821", and

6391-525: Was lost in the inferno. With the demise of the textile industry, many of the city's mills were occupied by smaller companies, some in the garment industry, traditionally based in the New York City area but attracted to New England by the lure of cheap factory space and an eager workforce in need of jobs. The garment industry survived in the city well into the 1990s, by which point it had fallen victim to globalization and foreign competition. In

6474-662: Was modernized in 1861 and had a complete renovation in 1930. Various repairs and restorations were conducted in the 1980s, including repainting and a new roof. In 2002 the steeple was removed and transported to Vermont, where it was completely rebuilt, and re-installed in September of that year. On the West side of the cemetery, on the site of the old Indian cornfield, is a cemetery. The Massachusetts Historical Commission refers to this cemetery in MACRIS as DIG805. The earliest burial in

6557-422: Was part of Tiverton, Rhode Island at the time.) While Durfee's mill itself was not particularly successful, its establishment marked the beginning of Fall River's time as a mill city. The real development of Fall River's industry, however, would occur along the falling river from which it was named, about a mile north of Durfee's first mill. The Quequechan River , with its eight falls, combined to make Fall River

6640-613: Was ranked the 51st most dangerous city in the United States. It was also the third most dangerous city in Massachusetts and fourth most dangerous city in New England. On January 20, 2019, a cannabis dispensary opened in Fall River, becoming only the sixth dispensary in Massachusetts and the first in Southeastern Massachusetts to open to anyone 21 years or older. According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,

6723-550: Was the preferred way to travel between Boston and Manhattan . The Old Colony Railroad and Fall River Railroad merged in 1854, forming the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad. In 1854, Fall River was officially incorporated as a city; it had a population of about 12,000. Its first mayor was James Buffington. Fall River profited well from the American Civil War and was in a fine position to take advantage of

6806-472: Was used as a barracks for colonial soldiers, and sometimes to hold sheep. Construction was finally finished on the main building in 1798. At this time the building still lacked a bell tower. Ezra Stiles arrived in Dighton from Newport with a congregation which included William Ellery . They lived together in the Whitmarsh house on Elm Street, just north of the church. Ellery represented Rhode Island as

6889-472: Was used for 30 years and was officially changed back to Fall River on February 12, 1834. During this period, Fall River was governed by a three-member Board of Selectmen , until it became a City in 1854. In 1835, The Fall River Female Anti Slavery Society was formed (one of the many anti-slavery societies in New England) to promote abolition and to allow a women's space to conduct social activism. There

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