History of Somerset, Massachusetts, USA

Somerset, Massachusetts
Bristol county. This town is pleasantly situated on the north side of Taunton river, opposite to Fall River, and is the proposed depot of a rail road from Fall River to Providence, R.I. It is 16 miles S.E. from Providence, 13 S. from Taunton, and 45 S. from Boston. Population, 1837, 1,063. Incorporated, 1790.

There are some manufactures of stone and earthen wares, but ship building is the principal branch of mechanics in the town.

Somerset, before its incorporation, was a part of Swansey, known as the Shawamet Purchase.

It is pleasantly situated on the bank of Taunton River, which is navigable to this place for considerably large vessels.

The inhabitants pay some attention to shipbuilding, and the manufacture of stone and earthenware.

Distance from Taunton, 13 miles; from Boston, 45.

Somerset, a post-village in Bristol co., Massachusetts, on the northern side of the Staunton river, near the Fall River railroad, 50 miles S. by W. from Boston. Population of township, 1166.

Somerset, near the centre of Bristol County, lies on the west bank of the Taunton River, opposite the city of Fall River. Dighton lies on the north, and Swansey on the west, also on the north of a southwestern projection; and on the south is Mount Hope Bay. The form is long, narrow, and curved southwestward. The assessed area is 4,705 acres. The Fall River and Newport line of the Old Colony Railroad has a station at Somerset (village), in the northeast, 45 miles from Boston; and the Fall River, Warren and Providence Branch of the same road terminates at the southeast extremity of the town. The first road, and a carriage bridge three fourths of a mile long, connect it with Fall River. A ferry, also, and many boats, convey passengers and freight

The surface of the town is undulating, and the gently sloping eminences afford very beautiful views of the city, river and bay. There are many tracts of oak and maple; and the latter and elms shade many streets. The geological structure is...

Somerset, a post-village in Somerset township, Bristol co., Mass., on the W. bank of the Taunton River, and on the Old Colony Railroad, 43 miles S. of Boston, and 6 miles N. of Fall River. It has a graded school, 7 churches, ins: works, a stove-foundry, and manufactures of stone. Pop. of the township, in 1880, 2006; in 1890, 2106.

Somerset. - This is the fifteenth town formed in Bristol county. It was originally called the Showamet Purchase and was a part of Swansea, from which it was set off on February 20, 1790. There was no territorial change until April 4, 1854, when a small part of Dighton was annexed. The population by the census of 1895 is 1,983, and the number of registered voters in 1897 was 422. The town is situated in the central western part of the county, an is bounded on the north by Dighton, on the east by Taunton River, on the south by Mt. Hope Bay, and on the west by Swansea. It is a part of the Thirteenth Congressional District, and with Wards 8 and 9 of Fall River, and the town of Swansea, constitutes the Eleventh Representative District, with 6,827 legal voters, entitling the district to three representatives.

Taunton River is navigable for vessels of considerable burden far past the eastern boundary of Somerset, which is past years gave the town quite a degree of commercial importance...