Smithfield (Rhode Island)

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Smithfield
Smithfield (Rhode Island)
Smithfield
Smithfield
Location in Rhode Island
Basic data
State : United States
State : Rhode Island
County : Providence County
Coordinates : 41 ° 53 ′  N , 71 ° 32 ′  W Coordinates: 41 ° 53 ′  N , 71 ° 32 ′  W
Time zone : Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 )
Residents : 21,430 (as of 2010)
Population density : 311 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 71.9 km 2  (approx. 28 mi 2 ) of
which 68.9 km 2  (approx. 27 mi 2 ) is land
Height : 122 m
Postcodes : 02828, 02917
Area code : +1 401
FIPS : 44-66200
GNIS ID : 1219817
Website : www.smithfieldri.com

Smithfield is a city in Providence County , Rhode Island , United States and includes the historic villages of Esmond , Georgiaville , Mountaindale , Hanton City, and Greenville . The population was 21,430 at the 2010 census .

history

Smithfield had been inhabited since the 17th century. It takes its name from John Smith , a miller who was among the first six men to set up the first settlement ( Providence ) on Rhode Island under the direction of Roger Williams . The village developed slowly, with few venturing out of the fields into the Outlands. These trappers still lived in harmony with the Indians of the Wampanoag tribe. This changed with the King Philip's War . The Indians had been defeated; a large settlement area was now available to the whites for this purpose.

The year 1731 is considered to be the official founding year of the city, when the town separated from Providence and became independent. The place covered 73 square miles and a population of less than 500 people. Shortly after it was founded, the roads were expanded, which was important for the economy of the town, which is still characterized by agriculture. Smithfield had a large proportion of Quakers in the population who spoke out against war and slavery . The whole of Rhode Island was not convinced of the idea of ​​the American Confederation, and the state was the last to decide to ratify the United States Constitution.

In the 19th century, industrialization prevailed and replaced agriculture as the main line of business. Between 1800 and 1900 the population more than quadrupled. The main driving force behind the industry was the abundant hydropower here . By the mid-19th century, Smithfield had become the center of the cotton industry on Rhode Island. The so-called factory villages that formed around the factories powered by water power became characteristic. Houses for the workers, shops and other facilities were built around the factories, all of which belonged to the factory owners, but allowed the villages to become largely independent. However, social ideas prevailed early on and the factory owners also resisted slavery and the exploitation of workers.

Due to various cultural differences, old Smithfield was split up in 1871. Smithfield, North Smithfield and Lincoln , which was later divided again, emerged on the old local area. The place now covered 27.8 square miles, 1.1 square miles of which were waterways. 2605 people still lived in the place, a population loss of 84%. However, most of the transportation infrastructure and four important factories belonged to the new Smithfield.

In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was active in the area and KKK rallies were held in the city.

Fruit growing soon established itself as a new pillar of the economy in the new Smithfield. The village became known under the takeover of Apple Valley . The textile industry steadily lost its importance after 1930 at the latest, but other, more diversified economic enterprises stepped into the breach. Between 1950 and 2010 the population increased from 6,690 to 21,430.

Demographics

At the time of the 2000 United States Census, Smithfield had 20,613 residents; 7194 households and 4992 families were counted. The population density was 299 people per km². There were 7396 housing units at an average of 107 per km². The racial Smithfield population was 97.35% White , 0.80% African American, 0.12% Native American , 0.89% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, and 0.13% other ethnic groups; 0.70% indicated the descent from several ethnic groups. 0.93% was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 7,194 households, 29.6% had children or adolescents living with them. 57.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% were single mothers, and 30.6% were non-families. 26.8% were single households and someone lived in 12.9% of all households aged 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02.

The population was divided into 19.5% minors, 15.2% 18–24 year olds, 25.4% 25–44 year olds, 23.3% 45–64 year olds and 16.6% aged 65 and over or more. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 women there were 95 men. For every 100 women over 18, there were 91.4 men.

The median household income in Smithfield was 55,621 US dollars and the median family income reached the amount of 66,320 US dollars. The median income for men was $ 45,946 and that for women was $ 31,981. The per capita income was $ 23,224. 4.3% of the population and 2.8% of families had an income below the poverty line , including 3.9% of minors and 9.6% of those aged 65 and over.

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Smithfield (Rhode Island)  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Robert L. Smith: In the 1920s, the Klan ruled the countryside. (PDF; 892 kB) pp. 7–10, accessed on March 17, 2013.
  2. ^ Smithfield town, Providence County, Rhode Island , Datasheet with the results of the 2000 census at factfinder.census.gov .