Jamestown (Rhode Island)

Newport County

44-36820

Jamestown is a city in Newport County, Rhode Iceland in the United States. Jamestown is for the most part on Conanicut Iceland, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.

Geography

The urban area of Jamestown is located approximately in the middle of Conanicut Iceland, located at the exit of Narragansett Bay to the Atlantic. With the mainland to the west Jamestown is connected by the Jamestown - Verrazano Bridge, with Newport on the east by the Newport Bridge. The distance to Providence, capital of Rhode Iceland, and the surrounding Providence Metropolitan Area is about 40 kilometers.

Population

At the 2000 census, 5,622 residents lived in Jamestown. More than 97 % of them were white. The per capita income was 38 664 U.S. dollars, nearly 3% of the population lived below the poverty line.

History

The area of Narragansett Bay has been inhabited for a long time. The oldest found on the island of Conanicut artifacts have been dated to around 3000 BC. Prior to white settlement the area was inhabited by the Narragansett and Wampanoag.

Narragansett Bay was first visited in 1524 by the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano, who, however, did not stop there long. About 1638 islands were used in the Bay of Dutch and English as pastures for sheep, they paid for the use of a fee to the Narranganset. On the Dutch, the name Dutch Iceland goes back, Conanicut Iceland should be named after the Narranganset chief canon. 1657 sold the Narranganset Dutch Iceland, Iceland and Conanicut Gould Iceland to a group of white settlers. In 1675 the ferry was taken to Newport and Conanicut 1678 Iceland was declared the administrative area of the city there founded Jamestown. The name of Jamestown was chosen in honor of Prince James, later King James II

Around the year 1700 there were about 200 settlers in the rural city. In the following years, the basic features of today's road network were laid, and in 1728 a windmill was used for grinding grain, built to compensate for the lack of hydropower. While the surrounding towns developed into lively commercial courts and a large number of ships were talking, Jamestown remained of Agriculture determined.

In the American War of Independence some buildings of Jamestown were destroyed, and the Port of Newport was for a time under British occupation.

Beginning of the 19th century were the improved travel opportunities through the introduction of steam navigation and railways, a lively tourist arise from the Newport especially benefited. Conanicut Iceland has been a popular destination for day trips and summer vacation, after 1873, regular steamboat ferry service between Newport and Jamestown was taken. WH Knowles was 1873, the Bay View Hotel built, and the population of Jamestown grew within the last 30 years of the 19th century to three times. Other hotels were built, as well as numerous guest houses, summer residences and private homes.

With the advent of the car, the decline of the big hotels started in Jamestown. 1940 the first bridge was built, the Jamestown joined to the mainland, the Jamestown Bridge. The last large hotel in Jamestown, the Bay View Hotel, was closed in the 1960s. In 1969, the second bridge was built, the Newport ( Pell ) Bridge. With the completion of the Newport Bridge, the regular ferry service between Jamestown and Newport was abandoned. In 1992, the Jamestown - Verrazano Bridge was opened, which had a larger capacity than the old Jamestown Bridge. Simultaneously a highway has been built, the crossed the island over the entire length.

Many of the inhabitants of Jamestown work outside, and the growth of new residential areas has increased. However, the island has a rural character, and it will continue to agriculture.