Founded in 1803, Fall River changed its name the following year to
Troy, after a resident visiting Troy, New York, enjoyed the city. In
1834, the name was officially changed back to Fall River. The city's
motto, "We'll Try," originates from the determination of its residents to
rebuild the city following a devastating fire in 1843. The fire resulted
in 20 acres in the center of the village being destroyed, including 196
buildings, and 1,334 people were displaced from their homes. Once the
capital of cotton textile manufacturing in the United States, by 1910,
Fall River boasted 43 corporations, 222 mills, and 3.8 million spindles,
producing two miles of cloth every minute of every working day in
the year. The workforce was comprised of immigrants from Ireland,
England, Scotland, Canada, the Azores, and, to a lesser extent, Poland,
Italy, Greece, Russia, and Lebanon.