Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Woonsocket (/wʊnˈsɒkɪt, wən-/ wuun-SOK-it, wən-) is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts state line and constitutes part of both the Providence metropolitan area and the larger Greater Boston Combined Statistical Area.

The city is the corporate headquarters of CVS Health, a pharmacy services provider. It is home to Landmark Medical Center, the Museum of Work and Culture, and the American-French Genealogical Society.[3]

Before the arrival of European settlers in northern Rhode Island during the 17th century, today's Woonsocket region was inhabited by three Native American tribes—the Nipmucs (Cowesett), Wampanoags, and Narragansetts.[4] In 1661, the English theologian Roger Williams purchased the area from the "Coweset and Nipmucks", and in a letter referred to modern day Woonsocket as "Niswosakit".[5]

Other possible derivations to the name include several Nipmuc geographic names from nearby Massachusetts. These include Woonksechocksett, from Worcester County meaning "fox country", and Wannashowatuckqut, also from Worcester County, meaning "at the fork of the river".[6] Another theory states Woonsocket derives from "thunder mist", in reference to the largest waterfall on the Blackstone River, which lies at the center of the city.[citation needed] Yet another theory proposes that the city was named after Woonsocket Hill in neighboring North Smithfield.[citation needed]

PIAA football records

Smithfield, Rhode Island

Smithfield is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 21,430 at the 2010 census. Smithfield is the home of Bryant University, a private four year college.

The area comprising modern-day Smithfield was first settled in 1636 by several British colonists, including John Steere as a farming community and named after Smithfield, London. The area was within the boundaries of Providence until 1731 when Smithfield was incorporated as a separate town. Chief Justice Peleg Arnold lived in early Smithfield, and his 1690 home stands today. There was an active Quaker community in early 18th century Smithfield that extended along the Great Road, from what is today Woonsocket, north into south Uxbridge, Massachusetts. This Quaker community, and its members, became influential in the abolition movement, with members such as Effingham Capron and Abby Kelley Foster, and also gave rise to other Quaker settlements including one at Adams, Massachusetts where Susan B. Anthony was born as an early member. Elizabeth Buffum Chace is a well-known person from Smithfield who was influential in both abolition of slavery, and the women's rights movement. In the 19th century several mills were built in the town. In the mid-19th century the towns of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Lincoln, Rhode Island, became separate towns. The colonial ghost town of Hanton City is located within the boundaries of present-day Smithfield, but was a completely separate community in the eighteenth century. A Revolutionary war soldier, from the Smithfield side of the Massachusetts border, Captain James Buxton,[3] ended up as a Massachusetts militiaman and Continental Army veteran, who was deeded 300 acres in Worcester County by Governor John Hancock. For this reason Buxton was lost to the history of Rhode Island Revolutionary soldiers.(see South Uxbridge history). Buxton served at Valley Forge among other battles.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.9 km² (27.8 mi²). 68.9 km² (26.6 mi²) of it is land and 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.25% water.

As of the 2010 United States Census, Smithfield has 21,430 residents with a median age of 42 years and 16.9% of the population under the age of 18. The racial makeup as of 2010 was 95.7% White, 1.2% African Americans, 0.15% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races and 1.03% of two or more races. Hispanic and Latino of any race made up 2.17% of the population.[6] The median household income is $71,305 and 4.1% of the population live below the poverty line.[7]

North Kingstown, Rhode Island

North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. According to the 2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the population in 2015 was 22,358. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of the famous American portraitist Gilbert Stuart who was born in the village of Saunderstown. Within the town is Quonset Point, location of the former Naval Air Station Quonset Point, known for the invention of the Quonset hut, as well as the neighborhood of Davisville, location of the former Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center.

The town of Kings Towne was founded in 1674, by the colonial government, and included the present day towns of North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Exeter, and Narragansett. In 1722, Kings Towne was split into two parts, North Kingstown and South Kingstown, with North Kingstown, having the earliest settlements, retaining the 1674 establishment date. In 1742 the town of Exeter was taken from the western part of North Kingstown.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.3 square miles (151 km2). 43.6 square miles (113 km2) of it is land and 14.8 square miles (38 km2) of it (25.28%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 26,326 people, 10,154 households, and 7,310 families residing in the town. The population density was 603.9 people per square mile (233.2/km²). There were 10,743 housing units at an average density of 246.4 per square mile (95.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.71% White, 0.97% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population.

Tiverton, Rhode Island

Tiverton is located on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, across the Sakonnet River from Aquidneck Island (also known as the Island of Rhode Island). Together with the adjacent town of Little Compton, the area is disconnected from the rest of the state of Rhode Island. The northern portion of the town is located on Mount Hope Bay.

Much of the town is located along a granite ridge which runs in a north–south direction, rising approximately 170 feet in elevation from the bay. A large section of exposed granite can be observed at the highway cut for Route 24, near the Main Road interchange.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tiverton has a total area of 36.3 square miles (94.1 km²), of which 29.4 square miles (76.0 km²) is land and 18.0 km² (7.0 sq mi; 19.16%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 15,260 people, 6,077 households, and 4,405 families residing in the town. The population density was 519.8 people per square mile (200.7/km²). There were 6,474 housing units at an average density of 220.5 per square mile (85.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.98% White, 0.43% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.

North Providence, Rhode Island

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km2), of which, 5.7 square miles (15 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (2.07%) is water.

North Providence is bordered by Providence to the south, Johnston to the west, Smithfield and Lincoln to the north, and Pawtucket to the east. Has a total of 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and a highschool.

Settled shortly after Roger Williams arrived in 1636, North Providence was incorporated as a town in 1765. It originally included parts of what are today the cities of Providence and Pawtucket. Early colonial settlers built stone-ender houses such as the Joseph Smith House (1705), which is now listed the National Register of Historic Places. In 1874 the eastern part of North Providence became Pawtucket, resulting a large population drop.[3]

From at least 1921-1971, the Centredale Manor area of North Providence was contaminated by textile, chemical, and drum recycling industries that discarded toxic liquids and wastes into the surrounding soil and river (EPA 1999). In 2000, the United States Environmental Protection Agency declared a 9-acre (36,000 m2) area including parts of Centredale Manor and Brook Village, both affordable housing units for senior citizens, a superfund site. The agency documented high levels of toxic chemicals like dioxin, VOCs, and PCBs in fish as well as soil from the area. Because of this the area has been fenced off from the community with warning signs against eating contaminated fish, and is undergoing evaluation for clean-up.[4]

Wakefield-Peacedale, Rhode Island

Wakefield-Peacedale is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States that includes the villages of Peace Dale and Wakefield. The population was 8,468 at the 2000 census.

At the 2000 census,[1] there were 8,468 people, 3,221 households and 2,174 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 671.4/km² (1,739.4/mi²). There were 3,385 housing units at an average density of 268.4/km² (695.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.34% White, 2.01% African American, 3.08% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.56% from other races, and 2.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.

There were 3,221 households of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.

28.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.

Smithville – North Scituate, Rhode Island

Much of the community is included in a historic district on the Danielson Pike and West Greenville Road. The district contains many nineteenth-century buildings, including the Old Congregational Church (1834) and Smithville Seminary (1839). The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[2]

Warren, Rhode Island

Warren was the site of the Indian village of Sowams, located on the peninsula called Pokanoket (Mount Hope Neck). It was first explored by Europeans Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins in 1621. By the next year, Plymouth Colony had established a trading post at Sowams. In 1623, Winslow and John Hampden saved the life of Wampanoag Sachem Massasoit with medicine, gaining an important ally. In 1636, Roger Williams was banished from Salem, Massachusetts and fled to Sowams, where he was sheltered by Massasoit until he settled at Providence Plantations.

Permanent English settlement began east of the Indian village. In 1653, Massasoit and his oldest son sold to certain Plymouth Colony settlers what is now Warren and parts of Barrington, Rhode Island, Swansea, Massachusetts, and Rehoboth, Massachusetts. After the death of Massasoit, relations became strained between the Indians and the settlers, leading to King Philip's War in 1675. The English settlement at Sowams was destroyed during the war but was rebuilt. In 1668, the township was officially incorporated with the name Sowams; in 1691, the Plymouth Colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Warren was ceded to Rhode Island from Massachusetts in 1747.[3] The town was named "Warren" after British naval hero Admiral Sir Peter Warren after a victory at Louisburg in 1745. At the time of cession in 1747, Barrington was unified with Warren, until it was separated again in 1770.

In the mid-18th century, the town was well known as a whaling port, and shipbuilding became an important industry. The Revolutionary War seriously affected Warren's commercial prosperity, and the town suffered British raids in 1778 along with the rest of the region.

North Smithfield, Rhode Island

North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, settled as a farming community in 1666 and incorporated into its present form in 1871. North Smithfield includes the historic villages of Forestdale, Primrose, Waterford, Branch Village, Union Village, Park Square, and Slatersville. The population was 12,314 at the 2015 census.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.7 square miles (64 km2), of which 24.0 square miles (62 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (2.83%) is water. North Smithfield is in a New England upland region. The Branch River and Blackstone Rivers provided much of the power for the early mills in the town. The town consists mainly of temperate forests, with minor elevation changes. Residents can expect mild summers and harsh winters.

In the 17th century British colonists settled in North Smithfield developing a farming community that they named after Smithfield, London in England.[3] The town was part of Smithfield, Rhode Island until it was incorporated as North Smithfield in 1871.[3] The first colonization occurred after a Native American, "William Minnian, (or Quashawannamut) of Punkkupage" (present day Canton, MA) of Massachusetts Bay on May 14, 1666, deeded approximately 2,000 acres" to John Mowry and Edward Inman who partnered with Nathaniel Mowry, John Steere, and Thomas Walling in dividing up the purchased tract.[3] In the early 18th century, a Quaker colony developed in what is now North Smithfield (then Smithfield), which extended into south Uxbridge, Massachusetts.

Today North Smithfield is part of the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Blackstone Valley is the oldest industrialized region in the U.S. A local North Smithfield industry today, Berroco Yarns, is a continuation of an original family owned woolen company first established in this valley by Daniel Day in 1809.