The Assonet River is located in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It flows 7.4 miles (11.9 km)^[1] in a westerly direction through Freetown and joins the Taunton River near Assonet Neck in Berkley, Massachusetts.^[2]

Description

The Assonet River is formed from the Cedar Swamp River near the border of Freetown and Lakeville just south of Myricks village. It is joined by Quaker Brook at Forge Pond. From this point it flows parallel to Route 79 through a series of small mill ponds. It becomes tidal near the Elm Street Bridge in Assonet village where it widens and becomes Assonet Bay to the west of Route 24.

Assonet Bay contains several small coves fed by small streams including Payne's Cove (fed by Terry Brook from the south) and Shepherd's Cove located at its southwest end. The bay is also fed by Stacy's Creek from the north. Assonet Bay is surrounded by several small hills (drumlins). Past Shepherd's Cove the Assonet River narrows again for its last mile or so before joining the wide Taunton River between Conspiracy Island and Winslow Point. This portion of the river forms the town line between Berkley and Freetown.

At its mouth, the Assonet River also forms Hathaway Cove in Assonet.

History

The Assonet River is a major river of southeastern Massachusetts, along with the Taunton River. Throughout the history of colonial and early America, the river and its tributaries provided the power to run grist mills and saw mills, and later the Crystal Springs Bleachery. It provided for a minor port, and is also a prime location for herring runs.

During the 18th century, the river played a part in the American Revolutionary War. British ships travelled both it and the Taunton River when fighting in the colonies. Such attacks led to the Battle of Freetown, as well as the burning of river-centered village centers.

During the 19th century, fishing and cargo ships regularly used the Assonet River to reach their home port of Assonet, Massachusetts. From these ports on Water Street and South Main Street were delivered products such as food, dairy, lobster, fish, lumber, and for a span of time guns. The N. R. Davis Gun Factory, located on Water Street adjacent to the river, supplied many weapons to forces in the Civil War.

In the 20th century, the river continued to see its share of action, but only briefly. The last ship to sail from Assonet set out in 1902. Small bootlegging operations used the river sporadically. The Green Dragon Tavern was torn down in the 1930s, and the Town of Freetown constructed its bandstand on the riverside site, providing a wonderful greenspace. The gun factory burned in 1925, and the bleachery followed suit in 1955, essentially bringing the commercial life of the river to a close.

Assonet Bay Shores, a former summer community, is a peninsula formed by Assonet Bay, Payne Cove, and Shepherd's Cove. It was first settled early in Assonet's history, with this major development following in the early 1960s. Across Shepherd's Cove is an abundance of higher-end homes, proving that the river has found new life as a beautiful backdrop for rural life.

References

^ 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
^ USGS Quadrangle Map

v t e Taunton River Watershed
Tributaries	Assonet River Canoe River Cedar Swamp River Cocasset River Cotley River Forge River Hockomock River Lady Slipper Brook Matfield River Mill River Nemasket River Poor Meadow Brook Quequechan River Rumford River Salisbury Plain River Satucket River Segreganset River Shumatuscacant River Snake River Taunton River Three Mile River Town River Wading River Winnetuxet River
Lakes/Ponds	Assawompset Pond Assonet Bay Great Quittacas Pond Little Quittacas Pond Lake Nippenicket Norton Reservoir Lake Mirimichi Lake Rico Lake Sabbatia Leach Pond Long Pond Pocksha Pond Somerset Reservoir Turnpike Lake Watson Pond Winnecunnet Pond
Miscellaneous	Hockomock Swamp

Rivers of Massachusetts by drainage system

Atlantic Ocean

Buzzards Bay	Acushnet River Agawam River Back River Copicut River Crooked River Mattapoisett River Nasketucket River Paskamanset River Pocasset River Sippican River Slocums River Wankinco River Westport River Weweantic River
Nantucket Sound	Bass River Bumps River Childs River Coonamesset River Mashpee River Mitchell River Oyster Pond River Popponesset Creek Quashnet River Santuit River
Others	Tiasquam River

Gulf of Maine

Cape Cod Bay	Bluefish River Eel River Herring River Jones River Little Pamet River Pamet River Town Brook
Massachusetts Bay	Aberjona River Alewife Brook Canton River Charles River Chelsea Creek Cochato River Fore River Fresh River Indian Head River Malden River Millers River Monatiquot River Muddy River Mystic River Neponset River North River Saugus River Stony Brook (Boston) Stony Brook (Waltham) Stop River Weir River Weymouth Back River
Merrimack River Watershed	Artichoke River Assabet River Back River Beaver Brook Cochichewick River Concord River Little River Merrimack River Nashua River Nissitissit River North Nashua River Phillips Brook Powwow River Quinapoxet River Salmon Brook Shawsheen River Souhegan River South Branch Souhegan River South Nashua River Spicket River Squannacook River Stillwater River Sudbury River Trout Brook Vine Brook Whitman River
Others	Annisquam River Blackwater River Eagle Hill River Egypt River Ipswich River Jericho Creek Roger Island River Rowley River Skug River

Long Island Sound

Connecticut River Watershed	Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River
Housatonic River Watershed	Housatonic River Konkapot River Schenob Brook Umpachene River
Thames River Watershed	French River Quinebaug River

Narragansett Bay

Mount Hope Bay (Taunton River Watershed)	Assonet River Canoe River Cedar Swamp River Cocasset River Cotley River Forge River Hockomock River Matfield River Mill River Nemasket River Poor Meadow Brook Quequechan River Rumford River Salisbury Plain River Satucket River Segreganset River Shumatuscacant River Snake River Taunton River Three Mile River Town River Wading River Winnetuxet River
Providence River Watershed	Abbott Run Blackstone River Bungay River Chockalog River Mill River Mumford River Peters River Quinsigamond River Sevenmile River Tannery River Ten Mile River West River Wilde River
Others	Barrington River Cole River Coles Brook Kickamuit River Lees River Palmer River Runnins River

Upper New York Bay

Hudson River Watershed	Hoosic River Kinderhook Creek

41°47′49″N 71°03′55″W / 41.7969°N 71.0653°W / 41.7969; -71.0653

Description

History

See also

References