Fall River, Massachusetts

"Lizzie Borden took an ax,
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one!"

Yes... I am a "Lizzie Borden Cuckoo!"  I probably own every book written about the murder and trial, including authentic newspaper reports.  Even though the crime was committed in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lizzie's trial was held in my hometown, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and was the most sensational event ever held in Southeastern New England.

I have a speech that I have given a few times.  And, in my "humble" opinion, it is one of the best I've ever given.  I don't tell the audience who the subject of the speech is.  I lay out all the facts and let the audience come to the conclusion that I am obviously talking about the "O.J. Simpson Trial."  But I'm not.  The crime, the undiscovered weapon, the famous lawyers, the testimony, .... lots of similarities between Lizzie's trial and O.J.'s trial.

The murder location in Fall River was a "Bed and Breakfast" for a while.  I thought that it might be fun to stay overnight there... but Elaine said it would be too scary.  Some of the folks that stayed there swore that they heard and saw ghostly presences during the night.   Brrrrr!

Incidentally, in the newspaper accounts, there were interspersed many advertisements for the Vaughan Undertaking Establishment.

Three days ago, I found out that there was an "Images of America" book devoted to Fall River.  I ordered the book and in just one day, I had it in my hand. (Faster than drone delivery?)  Lots of interesting pictures.  But one thing struck me very vividly:  the number of fires in the city.

1821  Troy Mills Fire
1843  Fire burned through the business district.
1874  Granite Mill fire
1886  Fire
1903  Fire burned the first Notre Dame Church
1916  Fire destroyed thirty businesses
1928  Fire burned the Pocasset Mill and the Granite Block
1930  Fire at Sandy Beach amusement park
1982  Fire burned the second Notre Dame Church and 35 buildings in the Flint neighborhood.

And of course, the 1938 hurricane did a job on the city. 

Since New Bedford was only 6 miles or so away, fire equipment was usually sent to help put out the flames.  For years, Fall River did not have an efficient water supply system, so fires were not easily contained.

From 1867 to 1937, a boat line named The Fall River Line ran regularly from New York to Fall River.  Some of the ships involved were quite elegant.  Somewhere I have an ad that shows the unbelievably small amount of money it took to take the trip.  Too bad it didn't continue.  Another "nice" thing gone. 

A guy named Rob Lewis put this Fall River book together... lots of interesting photographs from what is now a "long time ago!"

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