Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I was reading the book CONSTANT TURMOIL where it discusses the Sarah Cornell murder of 1832, and it mentions that the town of Troy changed it's name back to Fall River to dissociate itself from the murder, but it doesn't give a source for this. Does anyone know if this is true or not.

On Wikipedia, it says:

In 1803, when Fall River was separated from Freetown and officially incorporated as its own town. A year later, Fall River changed its name to "Troy." The name "Troy" was used for 30 years and was officially changed back to Fall River on February 12, 1834.

This would have coincided roughly with the end of Rev. Avery's second trial and acquittal.

Richard @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:43 am wrote:I was reading the book CONSTANT TURMOIL where it discusses the Sarah Cornell murder of 1832, and it mentions that the town of Troy changed it's name back to Fall River to dissociate itself from the murder, but it doesn't give a source for this. Does anyone know if this is true or not.

On Wikipedia, it says:

In 1803, when Fall River was separated from Freetown and officially incorporated as its own town. A year later, Fall River changed its name to "Troy." The name "Troy" was used for 30 years and was officially changed back to Fall River on February 12, 1834.

This would have coincided roughly with the end of Rev. Avery's second trial and acquittal.

Haven't heard of that one, Richard. Could be another Wikipedia error. According to Fenner's book "The History of Fall River", 1911, page 16:

"A bill was presented and passed, and was approved by Governor Caleb Strong, Feb. 26, 1803, which divided the town as desired and incorporated the southerly part as Fallriver, spelled as one word. This name was not pleasing, however, to those citizens who did not live in the little community near the stream, and at a town meeting on May 19, 1804, it was voted to change the name to Troy, a word said to have been selected in consequence of a favorable impression made on one of the residents by the town of Troy, New York . A petition to the legislature followed, and the change was authorized on June 18 of that year. The community continued to be known as Troy for 30 years, till 1834, when the present title was resumed. The change from Troy back to Fall River was urged on two grounds, one that the village where most of the business was transacted was known as Fall River and the other that there was constant confusion in mail owing to the fact that there were other towns named Troy."

It's in the Keeley Library at this URL:

http://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/fenner1911.pdf

Very interesting guys.......,never heard that one before.

I would have to question changing a city's name just because of a crime or murder. Could be true but my guess would be that it was unlikely.

Again, would be interesting to discover where the author attained the info.

Here is seems that Wikipedia doesn't have any misleading information. But the book CONSTANT TURMOIL doesn't cite a source for its claim. When I get home tomorrow, I'll quote it directly.

So in 1832, when Sarah Cornell died, was the town called Troy? Why would the book Fall River Outrage refers to it as Fall River when discussing the events of 1832-1833?

Probably so it would not be confused with Troy, New York. My paperback copy of the book is 1986, am not sure if there was a hardcopy earlier, but if I saw "Troy"- I would not think of Fall River for a minute. Andrew Jennings was a pitcher for the Troy baseball team and he looks snazzy in his uniform. And of course FR still has Troy St -firehouse at the corner- not far from the Borden House.

There also used to be a Troy-City gas station on Broadway almost at the Globe 4 corners when I was a child.

Oh yes, Troy gas. They use to get robbed once a month.

I use to date a girl who lived right next door to Troy Gas. She had the face of an angel with a heart as cold as ice. (as Foreigner's Lou Gramm would have said)

One day I was in her living room waiting as she got ready for our date. Her father sat in a chair near-by in his grey shoulder strap tee shirt staring at me with a dazed vanished glare........, drunk as a skunk.

I tried not to look at him, but it was inevitable. Our eyes finally met and my wandering eyes locked on to his sinister stare. I remember, I smiled and desperately tried to think of something polite to say. Suddenly he spoke...

"Why're ya goin out wid my daughta? She's gettin married ya know."

I was glad to get out of there.

When I asked my date about what her father had said she insisted that he would say strange things when drunk.

I believed her.

We continued dating for 2 or 3 months. Suddenly, one day she refused to take my calls. Finally, I discovered that he was in the Navy and now...... she was married.

Good old Maureen. No wonder she could drink me under the table.

I was dating a girl, who later became my wife. We had been to a movie on this particular evening, and my date invited me in to partake of a cake she had made that day, just for me.

I sat at the table - there was an object in the middle covered with a large napkin. With a flourish Marjorie whipped off the napkin, saying, " I hope you like strawberry shortcake."

We both gazed in horror at a grinning pig's head, complete with an apple in its mouth, resting on a platter

It seems her grandfather, half Irish and half comedian, had made a substitution for my darling's cake, which was later retrieved from the refrigerator and devoured with great relish.

Live and learn , Michael. live and learn. We can pick our brides, but not our relatives

Oh- what a great way to start the week- am on the floor rolling! You guys need to write a book- or better yet a sitcom for TV!!

Oh William, that is just too funny. I probably would have had a heart attack.