Fall River, Massachusetts, USA
1854 - Fall River

Fall River, an important manufacturing post-town and port of entry of Bristol county, Massachusetts, at the entrance of Taunton river into Mount Hope bay, the eastern arm of Narraganset bay, and at the terminus of the Boston and Fall River railroad, 58 miles S. S. W. from Boston. It has a fine situation on elevated ground, and enjoys superior ad vantages for manufacturing : a stream, the outlet of Watuppa ponds, uniting with the Taunton at its mouth, furnishes a never-failing hydraulic power. The town is well built, much of it of granite which is obtained in large quantities from quarries in the vicinity, and contains 10 or 12 churches, 2 newspaper offices, 2 banks, a fine granite building occupied as a market house and town hall, and several flourishing schools. The streets are handsomely adorned with shade-trees, which, during the summer months, add much to the comfort and beauty of the place. Fall river, from which the town derives its name, is about 2 miles in length, the greater part of which distance it flows over a rocky bed, between high banks, and in the last half mile of its course has a descent of about 130 feet. This portion of it is occupied with extensive manufactories, generally with a separate dam each, either extending partially or entirely across the stream; and so rapidly do they succeed each other that there is scarcely room between the buildings to admit air and light. About 50,000 spindles are employed in the production of cotton fabrics, of which nearly 20,000,000 yards are annually turned out. The most extensive establishment in the place is for the manufacture of iron rods, hoops, castings, &c, the machinery for which is propelled by steam. The company employ about 500 hands, and use nearly 12,000 tons of iron annually. Woollen goods, machinery, and sperm oil are also largely produced. Fall river enjoys excellent advantages for commerce. Its harbor is safe, capacious, easy of access, and of sufficient depth to admit vessels of the largest class. The shipping of the port. June 80th, 1852, amounted to an aggregate of 3808 tons registered, and 11,375 tons enrolled and licensed. Of the former, 856 tons were employed in the whale fisheries, and of the latter, 4826 tons in steam navigation; (none in the cod or mackerel fisheries.) The foreign arrivals for the year were 23, (tons, 4023,) 14 of which (tons, 2808) were of American vessels. The clearances for foreign ports were 12, (tons, 1966.) of which only 751 tons were in American bottoms. During the same year 12 vessels, (4 of them ships,) with an aggregate burthen of 4227 tons, were admeasured. July 2d, 1843, Fall river was visited by a destructive conflagration, in which about 200 buildings, including several churches and manufactories, were consumed. The loss of property was esti mated at upwards of $500,000. Population of the township, 11,524.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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