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by Phyllis A. Dupere (Author)
Native Americans, Wampanoags, inhabited vast acreage abutting the Taunton River and its tributaries in Southeastern Massachusetts prior to the arrival of European settlers in the early 1600s. In 1672, the portion known as Taunton South Purchase was deeded to an organized lot of settlers. Survival skills of hunting and fishing were shown to male settlers, while females and children learned about farming and preparing shellfish found along river banks. This parcel became the Town of Dighton in 1712. Property on the eastern shore of the Taunton River was appropriated to the Town of Berkley in 1799. Shipping and ship building became a major source of revenue in Dighton for decades. As the population increased, more homes were built. Townspeople planted gardens on cleared land. Crops flourished in the fertile soil. Larger farms, which raised animals or vegetables, sprouted up over much of the southern part of town by the mid-1800s. Industry in the northern section took advantage of the rivers, using water power to operate machinery. Laden with history, the Town of Dighton continues to grow, incorporating its past with future endeavors.
