South Attleboro, Massachusetts facts for kids

Bethany Village Fellowship

South Attleboro is a small community, or "village," located within the city of Attleboro. It is in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. This area is just north of the Rhode Island state line.

South Attleboro used to be called SouthGate. It even has its own telephone system, separate from the rest of Attleboro. Many people know South Attleboro because of its train station. This station is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail's Providence/Stoughton Line. Important roads like U.S. 1 and Route 1A also go through the village.

South Attleboro is home to two schools for kids:

• Robert J. Coelho Middle School
• Hill Roberts Elementary School

You can also find Lees Pond Park here, which is a great place for outdoor fun. Many local families visit the park for activities. They enjoy fishing, playing basketball and baseball, and swimming in the city pools. The South Attleboro Lions Club hosts the yearly Lees Pond Festival at the park.

Along Route 1, you will see many businesses and places to eat. Around 7,000 to 10,000 people live in South Attleboro.

South Attleboro

Platforms at South Attleboro station

Wightman's Diner

A Look at South Attleboro's Past

Early Jobs and Factories

For a long time, many people in South Attleboro worked in factories. These factories were often textile mills, which made cloth. Most of these jobs were in nearby cities like Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island.

There was also a big factory called H&B right on the state line. Over a thousand people worked there. However, this factory closed down in 1957. The building was taken down in 2016.

In 1922, the textile mills in the area faced a big challenge. Workers went on strike because their pay was going to be cut. This event was part of the New England Textile Strike.

The Famous Wightman's Diner

From the 1920s to the 1940s, South Attleboro was famous for Wightman's Diner. This diner was located on Boston Post Road, also known as Washington Street or U.S. Route 1.

The diner started small in 1923 as just a lunch wagon. But it grew by adding more lunch cars together. By the 1930s, it was so big that it called itself "the largest diner in the world!"

Wightman's Diner even had a special area called the Old Mexico Room. Here, people could enjoy nice meals and a dance floor. They even had live shows. The diner was a very popular spot for many years.

Sadly, Wightman's Diner closed in 1946. Later, other businesses took over its location.