English settlers arrived in the location that is today Attleboro in 1634, though it was part of a large area they called Rehoboth. Attleboro was not established as its own town until 1694, 60 years later. However, at that point, it was much different than it is today; it included what is now North Attleborough as well as Cumberland, Rhode Island. It was, at the time, called Attleborough, but was shortened to Attleboro when it was changed to a city in 1914.
In the past, Attleboro was dubbed “The Jewelry Capital of the World” because of the sheer number of jewelers in the city. Many companies from the twentieth century still exist today, though not all are still located where they started. The most notable example is Balfour. Today, Balfour is most well known for selling class rings, but it started out as a regular jeweler in Attleboro. Because of this, Attleboro was a hub of sorts; people would travel there for goods or work, which contributed to its popularity and led to its size today. People from an array of ethnic backgrounds could work as jewelers, especially Europeans, which resulted in the diversity today. The city of Attleboro is triangular in shape and resides on the northern side of Bristol County, where the landscape is mostly flat plains and forests, though it contains several small rivers and ponds. The most known areas of the city are Briggs Corner and South Attleboro, but there are a few others. It directly borders Rhode Island. To the right you can see its location relative to Bristol County and the rest of Massachusetts. |
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