ATTLEBORO, a city of Bristol county in south-east Massa chusetts, U.S.A., I2m. N.E. of Providence. It is served by the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad. The area is 28 sq. miles. The population was 19,731 in 1920, of whom 4,723 were foreign-born; and 21,769 in 193o.
The 143 manufacturing establishments, with 5,636 employes, produced goods valued at $28,506,638 in 1926, of which 58% was jewellery and silverware. Attleboro manufactures also optical goods, wrenches, tools, building paper, cotton goods and boxes, and has one of the largest dyeing and bleaching plants in the world. The jewellery industry was established here in 1780.
The first settlement within the present bounds of the city was made in 1669 by John Woodcock. The name commemorates the market town of Attleborough, Norfolk, England, the home of some of the early settlers. The town was incorporated in 1694. In 1887 it was divided by the creation of the township of North Attleboro, which is also a manufacturing centre, and which had a population of 9,790 in 1925 (State census). The city was incor porated in 1914.
There is a glacial rock ledge in fine preservation near Attleboro; and an old powder-house where ammunition was stored in the days of the Revolution. Some old houses are still standing in the city. The Angle Tree monument was erected in 179o.
See J. Dagget, A Sketch of History of Attleborough to r887 (Boston, 1894)•