Tiverton, Rhode Island

Tiverton was originally incorporated in 1694, as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A long boundary dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts was settled in 1746, and Tiverton, by Royal Decree, together with the Towns of Cumberland, Barrington, Bristol and Little Compton was annexed to Rhode Island. The town was incorporated in 1747.

For approximately three years during the Revolution when the British held Aquidneck Island, Tiverton was an asylum for Americans fleeing from British occupation, and the town became a mustering point for Colonial forces who gathered together to drive the British off the island.

In its early day, Tiverton was chiefly a farming community with some fishing and boat construction. Until 1900 the manufacture of menhaden oil, a fish derivative, was one of the primary industrial pursuits. Cotton and woolen mills were established as early as 1827. Today, trade establishments are the major employers in the town. Recent years have seen Tiverton grow as a summer resort and residential area. Development has been concentrated in the area known as North Tiverton.  To find out more about Tiverton, check out their website at http://www.tiverton.org/.