1812 Map of Fall River showing original location of Quequechan RiverThe falls today near Metacomet Mill, Anawan Street, Fall RiverThe mouth of the Quequechan near Battleship Cove
The Quequechan River is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts, that flows in a northwesterly direction from the northwest corner of the South Watuppa Pond[1] through the heart of the city of Fall River and into the end of the Taunton River at Mount Hope Bay at Heritage State Park/Battleship Cove. The word Quequechan means "Falling River" or "Leaping/Falling Waters" in Wampanoag, hence the city's name.[2]
The river is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) [3] and is mostly placid and stagnant in certain places, until it nears downtown Fall River near City Hall, where a quickly declining grade causes it to turn rapid down the hill into Mount Hope Bay/Taunton River. From 1813, with the establishment of the Fall River Manufactory, the river enabled Fall River to establish itself as a leading textile center during the early 19th century. It originally contained a series of eight small waterfalls in a narrow stream between what is now South Main Street and the tidal Taunton River. During the first half of the 19th century, the "Fall River" was nearly completely covered by textile mills. The upper portion of the river, east of Pleasant Street, was dammed to provide additional water power and storage for the mills.[4]
Between 1913 and 1914, the city of Fall River put together the Quequechan River Report published in 1915, to look into the problems the river was presented with. During the hot summer months, the water flowed very low and slowly and the water quality was becoming questionable.[5] Chemical reactions were occurring occasionally on the river's edge from industrial mill wastes combined with hot water discharge, human wastes and other wastes (a dump was located on the river), causing further sanitary health concerns, and critical interest in the river in general.[6]
During the 1960s, Interstate 195 was constructed through the city along the length of the Quequechan River. The portion west of Plymouth Avenue was routed underground through a series of box culverts, while much of the eastern section "mill pond" was filled in for the highway embankment including the start of the Quequechan River being filled in for Exit 2 on Route 24, and portions of Route 24 and 195 built directly on the Quequechan River resulting in a change in the water flow, fish and wildlife over the years. There is a bike path on the abandoned railroad that parallels Interstate 195 directly over the Quequechan, and plans to expose the falls where they were downtown are often discussed.
^Citizens Information Service
^Centennial History of Fall River, Mass.
^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 1, 2011
^History of Fall River, Henry H. Earl, 1877.
^"Report of the Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River Commission to the City Council, City of Fall River: Together with the Report of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike, Consulting Engineers". 1915.
^"Report of the Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River Commission to the City Council, City of Fall River: Together with the Report of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike, Consulting Engineers". 1915.
71°8′50″W / 41.69556°N 71.14722°W / 41.69556; -71.14722 The QuequechanRiver is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts, that flows in a northwesterly direction...
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ancestor (also named Richard) purchased land along the falls of the QuequechanRiver from Benjamin Church, along with a saw mill, a grist mill and a fulling...
Denver Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Quequechan Valley Mills Historic...
mile. The ponds are drained by the QuequechanRiver, and flows in a westerly direction through the center of Fall River from South Watuppa Pond to Mount...
established its headquarters on lower Pocasset Street on Fall River, along the QuequechanRiver, which was routed through a pipe to make way for Interstate...
dates back to the old school's perch on top of the hill north of the QuequechanRiver. The school is a member of the Southeast Conference. Elementary schools:...
constructed next to the QuequechanRiver, the source of power for the early textile mills. As part of the highway project, the river was diverted into an...
mill located in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was located just west of Main Street across the second falls of the QuequechanRiver. It was organized on...
were being forced out of business. The Fall River Manufactory, located on the QuequechanRiver in Fall River, Massachusetts, was founded in 1813 by Dexter...
Water for the steam-powered mills was drawn through a canal from the QuequechanRiver. Mill No. 3 was built in 1893, also in granite, but wider and with...
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Lake Quinsigamond: (Nipmuck) "pickerel-fishing place QuequechanRiver: (Wampanoag) "falling river" Quissett: (Nipmuck) "at the place of small pines" Sagamore:...
Robeson, where it split to the higher elevations on each side of the QuequechanRiver. The high-service system went into service in 1875, and was supplied...
The Quequechan Club is a historic building at 306 North Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States. The building was built in 1861 and added...
mostly beneficial, especially in the area around the Watuppa Ponds and QuequechanRiver. Precipitation in New Hampshire resulted in slippery roads, which caused...
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