Why Fall River
Fall River is a coastal city situated in Bristol County, Massachusetts, along the eastern shore of Mount Hope Bay at the mouth of the Taunton River. Positioned directly north of Tiverton, Rhode Island, it is the tenth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the second-largest in its county behind New Bedford. The city's geography is defined by its deepwater harbor, greyish-pink granite bedrock, and the 2.5-mile Quequechan River, a local waterway whose Native American name translates to falling waters as it flows into the bay.
Originally inhabited by the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe, the area was settled during the colonial era through territory that initially belonged to neighboring Freetown and Tiverton. After serving as a battle site during the American Revolutionary War and temporarily bearing the name Troy, the municipality officially incorporated as the city of Fall River in 1854. Fueled by the water power of the Quequechan River and advantageous maritime shipping access, Fall River developed into a dominant center for American textile manufacturing during the nineteenth century. Often referred to as the Spindle City, it became a major global producer of print cloth, filled with native granite and red-brick mills alongside multi-family triple-decker tenements built to house large populations of Irish and French Canadian immigrants.
Although major fires in 1843 and 1928 reshaped its central core and the textile industry eventually collapsed in the early twentieth century, the physical legacy of Fall River's industrial peak remains prominent throughout its landscape. The city adopted the official motto "We'll Try" following the 1843 fire, and later earned the nickname "The Scholarship City," alongside modern branding efforts such as the slogan "Make It Here." Today, the municipality retains a prominent Portuguese cultural identity and features notable historic mill architecture, including the 1847 Metacomet Mill.
Visitors to Fall River can explore several prominent historical landmarks and municipal features. Battleship Cove sits along the waterfront, hosting the world's largest collection of World War II naval vessels, which includes the battleship USS Massachusetts. The city is also widely recognized for its association with the historical Lizzie Borden case and features an unusual piece of civil engineering, with its city hall constructed directly over Interstate 195.
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