Town of Somerset
Incorporated February 20, 1790

In June of 1621 the first white men entered the land of Shawomet, the future Somerset, walking an old Indian trail from Dighton. They were with Squanto and 5 other Indians on there way to visit Massasoit, Great Sachem of the Wampanoag Nation.

On July 13, 1677, the General Court of Plymouth ordered the sale of Shawomet to defray the debt incurred during King Philip's War. This order also officially made Shawomet a part of Swansea. Actually the land had been sold on March 7, 1677, to a company of 31 individuals called Proprietors. In 1680 Charles II of England formally conveyed Shawomet to Plymouth. It was then that the settlement of the town began.

Shawomet Land was finally separated from Swansea on February 20, 1790 although the Proprietorship continued as a force in town until 1850 when they turned their land over to the town.

Initially the settlers cleared land and established farms for subsistence then their attention turned toward the sea. The first commercial shipyard was built in 1695. Others were started later to build both commercial and family boats.

During the Revolutionary War the growth of the fleet was curtailed when the British blockaded the east and west passages of Narragansett Bay at Newport. Close to home, the British raided Brayton's Point and carried away Obadiah Slade, an ardent patriot, and five other men all of whom died aboard a prison ship in New York Harbor. In the War of 1812 the British also blockaded Narragansett and Mount Hope Bays until 1815. Since one-half to three-quarters of Somerset residents relied on maritime trading for their living, the effect was devastating.

Early industries in Shawoment included several grist mills, at least one of which was steam-driven, shoes that "never wore out", and daguerreotype plates. An iron company was established in 1853 for the manufacture of rolled plate and nails and a foundry was built in 1854 where stoves and sinks were made.

Pottery was a major industry beginning as early as 1705. From the early 1800's, potteries flourished in the center of town giving the area the name of Pottersville. In the late 1800's the industry switched from the manufacture of stoneware to that of brick. The very early 1900's saw the final closing down of the pottery kilns.

Shawomet was early interested in education. Very early on the Proprietors hired itinerant teachers and the first schoolhouse was built in 1718. By 1728 two more schools were built, establishing three school districts. A permanent schoolmaster was hired in addition to several hours a day in each school, he sometimes held evening classes. A schoolmistress was added in 1763. By 1830 the administration of schools was centralized and a school committee formed.

Ferries connected early Somerset with Fall River across the Taunton River. The first was a rowboat based in Fall River which started operation in 1678. A second service started in Somerset, the two sharing land facilities. Later a sail-powered, flat, square ended craft replaced the smaller boats. This later gave way to horse powered vessels in 1826. Horses on deck turned a turntable which ultimately turned paddle wheels. The ferry was steered by an oar. The steam-powered "Faith" replaced the horse powered boats in 1847 and continued to 1876 when the Slade's Ferry Bridge was opened.

After a long wait two railroads came to Somerset in the mid-1860's. Passengers on the Consolidated Line, approaching from the West, disembarked at the Taunton River and crossed to Fall River, without charge, to a point within walking distance of the Fall River Railroad station where they could make the connection to Newport or Boston.

The Old Colony Line, originally called the Boston and Newport Railroad, served Somerset after the construction of a drawbridge linking the town to Fall River. It transported goods for the foundry, the iron works, and the potteries. Annually, it carried more than 200 tons of strawberries to Boston but its greatest use was in moving the 200,000 tons of coal brought in by ship. Coal elevators on the pier served four vessels at once.

Somerset was to have two power plants, both in service today. The first, Montaup Electric, opened in 1923. The second, the New England Power plant on Brayton Point started in operation in 1963.

Somerset is extensively developed primarily with residences. Shipbuilding and repairing remain vital in the present day Somerset.

www.townofsomerset.org



Historical Sites

World War I monument, Riverside Ave.

World War II monument, Washington Ave. and County St., Rt. l38

Vietnam Veterans Plaque, American Legion Hall, Roosevelt St.

Friends Meetinghouse (1732), Prospect St. - First church in Somerset

Somerset Historical Society Museum, 274 Main Street - to be relocated to the Village School on High St. corner School St. in the Fall of 1990.

52 homes are proposed for registration on the National Register of Historic Places

An historic inventory has been completed listing some 167 places of historic significance but work has not been started.