As it was located at the beginning of the tidewater of the river, Dighton was a shipbuilding community, and even had status as a port of call.
North of Dighton the Taunton River becomes too shallow for ships to navigate, and this, along with its centralized location, allowed Dighton to become a shipping hub for southeastern Massachusetts.
 In 1789 Dighton was made a port of entry for the surrounding towns.
Ships would unload in Dighton and goods were either transferred to smaller boats or towed by oxen along a tow path on the east side of the river to Taunton.

Herring were plentiful in the Taunton River, and at one point Dighton's herring fishery provided more income to the town than any other industry.
Fish were preserved in salt and exported as far away as the West Indies.

Shipbuilding started in Dighton as early as 1698.
Thomas Coram built Dighton's first shipyard on the west side of the Taunton River.
Shipbuilding grew into a significant industry after 1800, peaking around 1850.
 During 1840-1845 twenty-two schooners, two sloops, four brigs, and three barks were built in Dighton.

There were also cotton mills, paper mills, manufacturers and farming concerns in the town.
From before the Civil War to at least 1912, the town was regionally known for its strawberry farms.
With time, however, many of these industries left, leaving the town as a rural suburban community with some small farms.
As it was located at the beginning of the tidewater of the river, Dighton was a shipbuilding community, and even had status as a port of call. North of Dighton the Taunton River becomes too shallow for ships to navigate, and this, along with its centralized location, allowed Dighton to become a shipping hub for southeastern Massachusetts.  In 1789 Dighton was made a port of entry for the surrounding towns. Ships would unload in Dighton and goods were either transferred to smaller boats or towed by oxen along a tow path on the east side of the river to Taunton.
Herring were plentiful in the Taunton River, and at one point Dighton's herring fishery provided more income to the town than any other industry. Fish were preserved in salt and exported as far away as the West Indies.
Shipbuilding started in Dighton as early as 1698. Thomas Coram built Dighton's first shipyard on the west side of the Taunton River. Shipbuilding grew into a significant industry after 1800, peaking around 1850.  During 1840-1845 twenty-two schooners, two sloops, four brigs, and three barks were built in Dighton.
There were also cotton mills, paper mills, manufacturers and farming concerns in the town. From before the Civil War to at least 1912, the town was regionally known for its strawberry farms. With time, however, many of these industries left, leaving the town as a rural suburban community with some small farms.
Dighton, Massachusetts