Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 censusGR: 2.

History

Attleboro was incorporated from part of Rehoboth in 1694 as the Town of Attleborough. It was reincorporated in 1914 as the City of Attleboro. Attleboro included the town of North Attleborough until 1887, and Cumberland, Rhode Island, until 1747. When the city re-incorporated in 1914, the "-ugh" was removed from the name; North Attleborough kept it. Like many towns in Massachusetts, it was named for a British town.

During the colonial period, Nathaniel Woodcock lived in North Attleboro. During the Native American insurgency Woodcock's son was murdered and his head was placed on a pole in his front yard. The house where Woodcock lived is now a historical monument. It is rumored George Washington once passed through and stayed near the Woodcock Garrison House at the Hatch Tavern where he swapped one shoe buckle with Israel Hatch, a revolutionary soldier and new owner of the Garrison House.

Geography

Attleboro is located at (41.928099, -71.314564).GR: 1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.3 square miles (73.2 km²), of which, 27.5 square miles (71.3 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.0 km²) of it (2.72%) is water. Its borders are the shape of an irregular polygon, resembling a pointless triangle pointed west. It is bordered by North Attleborough, MA to the north, Mansfield, MA, Norton, MA to the east, Rehoboth, MA, Seekonk, MA and Pawtucket, RI, to the south, and Cumberland, RI, to the west. It includes the localities of Briggs Corner, Dodgeville, East Junction, Hebronville, and South Attleboro.

The Ten Mile River, a tributary to the Blackstone River, runs through the center of Attleboro, and is fed by several brooks and the Bungay River. Several small ponds are in the city, as well as the Manchester Pond Reservoir, located along Interstate 95. There are also two reservation areas, the Antony Lawrence Reservation Area and Coleman Reservation Area, as well as the Bungay River Conservation Area located in the north of the city.

Demographics

Attleboro is officially a part of the Providence metropolitan area.

As of the censusGR: 2 of 2000, there were 42,068 people, 16,019 households, and 10,924 families residing in the city, and the population density was 1,529.1 people per square mile (590.4/km²). There were 16,554 housing units at an average density of 601.7/sq mi (232.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.30% White, 1.64% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.82% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.29% of the population.