Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River is a city in southeast Massachusetts. The city had a population of 94,000 at the 2020 census.^[5] Fall River was founded in 1803.^[6] In 1804 the town name was changed to Troy, named for Troy, New York. In 1834 the name changed back to Fall River.^[6]

Fall River, Massachusetts
City
Downtown Fall River in September 2007
Flag Seal Logo
Nicknames:  "The Scholarship City", "The River", "Spindle City", "Where the River Falls" "The City of the Dinner Pail"[1]
Mottoes:  "We'll Try"[2] "Make It Here"[3]
Location of Fall River in Bristol County, Massachusetts
Fall River Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Fall River Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 41°42′05″N 71°09′20″W
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Bristol
Settled	1670
Incorporated (town)	1803
Incorporated (city)	1854
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
Area [4]
• Total	40.24 sq mi (104.22 km2)
• Land	33.12 sq mi (85.79 km2)
• Water	7.12 sq mi (18.43 km2)
Elevation	72 ft (37 m)
Population  (2020)[5]
• Total	94,000
• Density	2,837.91/sq mi (1,095.73/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	02720–02724
Area code	508/774
FIPS code	25-23000
GNIS feature ID	0612595
Website	www.fallriverma.gov

A fire in 1834 destroyed the center of the village. The rebuilding effort is the origin of the city's motto "We'll Try".^[6] It became a city in 1854. Fall River became famous as a leading textile manufacturing center in the United States. It is also known for Battleship Cove, the world's largest collection of World War II naval vessels.^[7] It is the home of the USS Massachusetts (BB-59).

Fall River was also the home of Lizzie Borden.^[8] In 1893 she was put on trial for the axe-murders of her parents. She was found not guilty, but the people of Fall River treated her like an outcast for the rest of her life.^[8]