Smithfield, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Smithfield is a town 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
.
colonists 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. There was an active Quaker community in early Smithfield that extended north to Uxbridge
, in the early 18th century. 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. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan
was active in the area, and KKK rallies were held within the town. Also, the colonial ghost town of Hanton City
is located within the town.
, a private university with programs in business and the arts and sciences, is located in Smithfield. Smithfield contains several public elementary schools and a public high school, which was ranked 17th out of 52 high schools in Rhode Island in 2006. St. Phillip's School, a private Roman Catholic academy offering education in grades K-8, is situated in Greenville. Mater Ecclesiae College, a Catholic college, is also located in the town in a facility that was formerly the St. Aloysius Orphanage.
Providence County, Rhode Island
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 621,602 people, 239,936 households, and 152,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,504 people per square mile . There were 253,214 housing units at an average density of 613 per square mile...
, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond
Esmond, Rhode Island
Esmond is a historic mill village in Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. Old County Road School, Anna M. McCabe School, East Smithfield Public Library, and the historic Allenville Mill are located in the village....
, Georgiaville
Georgiaville, Rhode Island
Georgiaville is a village in Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The village was named after the Georgia Cotton Manufacturing Company mill located in the area. The Georgiaville Pond Beach is located in the village and is a popular recreation spot. In the 1920s the Ku Klux...
, Mountaindale
Mountaindale, Rhode Island
Mountaindale is a locale in the town of Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The area is currently included in the Greenville, Rhode Island census-designated place and is sometimes referred to as part of Spragueville.Mountaindale is one of the named villages of Smithfield...
, Hanton City
Hanton City
Hanton City is a colonial era ghost town in Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States.The remains of Hanton City consist of several stone foundations, a burial site, a defunct dam apparently used for irrigation, and a dilapidated scattering of stone walls, typifying it as a standard small New...
, Stillwater and Greenville
Greenville, Rhode Island
Greenville is a village and census-designated place in the town of Smithfield in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 8,626 at the 2000 census...
. The population was 21,430 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
History
The area comprising modern-day Smithfield was first settled in the 17th century by BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonists as a farming community and named after Smithfield, London
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
. The area was within the boundaries of Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
until 1731 when Smithfield was incorporated as a separate town. There was an active Quaker community in early Smithfield that extended north to Uxbridge
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was first settled in 1662, incorporated in 1727 at Suffolk County, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. Uxbridge is south-southeast of Worcester, north-northwest of Providence, and southwest of Boston. It is part of...
, in the early 18th century. In the 19th century several mills were built in the town. In the mid-19th century the towns of North Smithfield, Rhode Island
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...
, and Lincoln, Rhode Island
Lincoln, Rhode Island
Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 21,105 at the 2010 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence....
, became separate towns. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
was active in the area, and KKK rallies were held within the town. Also, the colonial ghost town of Hanton City
Hanton City
Hanton City is a colonial era ghost town in Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States.The remains of Hanton City consist of several stone foundations, a burial site, a defunct dam apparently used for irrigation, and a dilapidated scattering of stone walls, typifying it as a standard small New...
is located within the town.
Education
Bryant UniversityBryant University
Bryant University is a private university located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S., that grants the degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and master's degrees in business, taxation and accounting. Until August 2004, it was known as Bryant College...
, a private university with programs in business and the arts and sciences, is located in Smithfield. Smithfield contains several public elementary schools and a public high school, which was ranked 17th out of 52 high schools in Rhode Island in 2006. St. Phillip's School, a private Roman Catholic academy offering education in grades K-8, is situated in Greenville. Mater Ecclesiae College, a Catholic college, is also located in the town in a facility that was formerly the St. Aloysius Orphanage.
Noted residents
- Cyrus AldrichCyrus AldrichCyrus Aldrich was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota.Aldrich was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island, June 18, 1808. He followed the occupations of sailor, boatman, farmer, contractor on public works, and mail contractor, and moved to Illinois and settled in Alton in 1837...
- (1808–1871), born in Smithfield, United States Congressman from MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. - Ronald K. Machtley - Former U.S. Representative.
- Peleg ArnoldPeleg ArnoldPeleg Arnold was a lawyer, tavern-keeper, jurist, and statesman from Smithfield, Rhode Island . He represented Rhode Island as a delegate to the Continental Congress in the 1787–1788 session...
- delegate to the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. - Daniel Mowry, Jr.Daniel Mowry, Jr.Daniel Mowry, Jr. was an American cooper and farmer from Smithfield, Rhode Island. He served as a delegate for Rhode Island in the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1782.-Early life:...
- delegate to the Continental Congress. - Arthur SteereArthur SteereArthur Wallace Steere was a Rhode Island politician and prominent businessman and landowner.-Biography:Arthur W. Steere was born in Glocester, Rhode Island on September 3, 1865 to Seth Hunt Steere and Lucy L. Smith...
- politician, businessman. - Don OrsilloDon OrsilloDon Orsillo is the play-by-play announcer for Boston Red Sox games on the New England Sports Network.-Early life and career:...
- Commentator for the Boston Red Sox on New England Sports Network(NESN). - David Wilkinson (machinist)David Wilkinson (machinist)David Wilkinson was a U.S. mechanical engineer who invented a lathe for cutting screw threads, which was an extremely important development in the development of the machine tool industry in the early 19th century....
- co-builder of Slater MillSlater MillA National Historic Landmark, the Slater Mill is located next to the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Modeled after cotton spinning mills first established in England, the Slater Mill is the first water-powered cotton spinning mill in North America to utilize the Arkwright system of...
. - Elizabeth Buffum ChaceElizabeth Buffum ChaceElizabeth Buffum Chace was an influential American activist in the Anti-Slavery, Women's Rights, and Prison Reform Movements of the mid-to-late 19th century.- Birth and early life :...
- (1806–1899) Influential American activist in the Anti-Slavery, Women's Rights, and Prison Reform Movements of the mid to late 19th century.