FALL RIVER, a city and port of entry of Bristol co., Mass., at the mouth of the Taunton river, where it empties into Mount Hope Bay, and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford rail road; 49 miles S. of Boston. It is con nected with New York City by steamers, and has a fine harbor capable of admit ting the largest vessels. The stream called Fall River is the outlet of Wa tuppa lake, and has a fall of 129 feet in less than half a mile, affording excellent water power.
Public Interests.—The city is built on high ground and covers an area of 42 square miles. The streets are well laid out and contain many handsome build ings, largely of granite, found in the vicinity. It is lighted by gas and elec tricity; has a waterworks system owned by the city, supplying 18,000,000 gallons daily from Lake Watuppa. Its educa tional institutions include the Durfee public high school, the Academy La Ste. Union des Sacres Cceurs, Notre Dame College, Fall River Conservatory of Music, and a civil service school. There are also a public library, several cir culating libraries, a State armory, and 50 churches, daily and weekly news papers, and electric street railways con necting with neighboring towns.
Business Interests.—Fall River is the largest cotton-milling city in the United States. The city has cotton goods estab fishments employing 40,000 persons and over $40,000,000 capital. Other impor tant manufactures are machines and machinery, food preparations, clothing, woolen goods, metals and metallic goods, drugs and medicines, paints and dyes, cordage and twine, and clocks, watches, and jewelry, boots and shoes, brass prod ucts, rubber, sash, etc. In 1919 there were 4 National banks. The exchanges at the United States clearing-house dur ing the year ending Sept. 30, 1919, aggregated $108,228,000.
History.—The city was originally a part of Freetown, but was incorporated separately in 1803. Later it was called Troy, but its first name was restored in 1834. The city charter was granted in 1854 and in 1862 Fall River in Newport co., R. I., was annexed. Pop. (1910) 119,295; (1920) 120,485.