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Attleboro, MA

Attleboro, Massachusetts
City
Historic Attleboro train station
Historic Attleboro train station
Official seal of Attleboro, Massachusetts
Seal
Nickname(s): The Jewelry City, A-Town
Motto: Go Big Blue
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Attleboro, Massachusetts is located in the US
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°56′N 71°18′W / 41.933°N 71.300°W / 41.933; -71.300Coordinates: 41°56′N 71°18′W / 41.933°N 71.300°W / 41.933; -71.300
Country  United States
State  Massachusetts
County Bristol
Settled 1634
Incorporated 1694 (town)
Reincorporated 1914 (city)
Government
 • Type Mayor-council city
 • Mayor Kevin Dumas (R)
Area
 • Total 72.0 km2 (27.8 sq mi)
 • Land 69.4 km2 (26.8 sq mi)
 • Water 2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
Elevation 42 m (138 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 43,593
 • Density 628.1/km2 (1,627/sq mi)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02703
Area code(s) 508 / 774
FIPS code 25-02690
GNIS feature ID 0612033
Website www.cityofattleboro.us

Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2010 census, Attleboro had a population of 43,593 in 2010.

Attleboro is located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Taunton, the same distance to Providence, 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Fall River, and 39 miles (63 km) south of Boston.

In 1634, English settlers first arrived in the territory that is now Attleboro. It was later incorporated from Rehoboth in 1694 as the town of Attleborough. It included the towns of Cumberland, Rhode Island, until 1747 and North Attleborough, Massachusetts, until 1887. The town was reincorporated in 1914 as the City of Attleboro, with the "-ugh" removed from the name, although North Attleborough kept it. Like many towns in Massachusetts, it was named for a British town.

During the Native American insurgency in the colonial era, Nathaniel Woodcock, the son of an Attleborough resident, was murdered, and his head was placed on a pole in his father's front yard. His father's house is now a historical site. It is rumored that George Washington once passed through Attleborough and stayed near the Woodcock Garrison House at the Hatch Tavern, where he exchanged a shoe buckle with Israel Hatch, a revolutionary soldier and the new owner of the Garrison House.

The city became known for jewelry manufacturing in 1913, particularly because of the L.G. Balfour Company. That company has since moved out of the city, and the site of the former plant has been converted into a riverfront park. Attleboro was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World", and jewelry manufacturing firms continue to operate there. One such is the Guyot Brothers Company, which was started in 1904. General Findings, M.S. Company, James A. Murphy Co., Garlan Chain, Leach & Garner, and Masters of Design are jewelry manufacturing companies still in operation.


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