Smithfield (Rhode Island)

Providence County

44-66200

Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Iceland, United States and includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgia Ville, Mountaindale, Hanton City and Greenville one. The population was 21,430 in the census in 2010.

History

Smithfield has been inhabited since the 17th century. It takes its name from John Smith, a miller, who was one of the first six men who founded under the leadership of Roger Williams, the first settlement ( Providence ) Rhode Iceland. The village grew very slowly, a few ventured away from the fields into the Outlands. Still, these trappers lived in harmony with the Indians of the Wampanoag tribe. This changed by the King Philip 's War. The Indians had been defeated; for it was now the whites a large settlement space.

The year 1731 is considered the official founding year of the city, when the city of Providence and was replaced independently. The place consisted of 73 square miles and a population of less than 500 people. Shortly after the foundation began with the expansion of the road, which was important for the economy of a still dominated by agriculture town. Smithfield had a large proportion of Quakers in the population, who spoke out against war and slavery. Quite Rhode Iceland was not convinced by the idea of ​​American States federal government and the state was the last who could decide to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In the 19th century the industrialization prevailed and displaced agriculture as the main source of income. Between 1800 and 1900 the population increased by more than fourfold. Main driving force for the industry here was the abundant hydropower. Mid-19th century Smithfield had become the center of the cotton industry in Rhode Iceland. Characteristic were the so-called factory villages that formed around the driven by the hydropower plants around. To the factories emerged houses for the workers, shops and other facilities that belonged to all the factory owners, but the villages were largely independent. Early on, however, sat down by social thoughts and also the factory owners resisted slavery and exploitation of labor.

Because of various cultural differences the old Smithfield in 1871 was divided. Smithfield, North Smithfield and Lincoln (Rhode Iceland ), which was later divided again emerged on the old town area. The place now encompassed 27.8 square miles, 1.1 square miles of it were waterways. 2605 people were still living in the village, a population loss of 84%. However, among the majority of the transport infrastructure and four major factories for new Smithfield.

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

As a new mainstay of the economy in the new Smithfield soon established itself the fruit growing. The village became known as the acquisitions Apple Valley. The textile industry lost at least after 1930 increasingly important, but were other, more diversified farms in the breach. Between 1950 and 2010, the population has risen from 6,690 to 21,430.

Demography

At the time of the census of 2000, there were 20,613 persons Smithfield; were counted 7,194 households and 4,992 families. The population density was 299 persons per km ². There were 7,396 housing units at an average 107 per km ². The racial the population was Smithfields composed of 97.35 % White, 0.80 % African American, 0.12 % Native American, 0.89 % Asianten, 0.01 % residents from the Pacific Islander and 0.13 % from other ethnic groups; 0.70 % said the lineage of several ethnicities. 0.93% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 7,194 households out of which 29.6 % have children living with them. 57.9 % were married couples living together, 8.5 % had a female householder with no husband, and 30.6 % were non-families. 26.8 % of all 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 is 3.02.

The population was spread out with 19.5 % under the, 15.2% 18-24 year olds, 25.4 % 25 -44- year-old, 23.3% 45-64 year olds and 16.6 % under the age of 65 years or more. The average age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95 males. In the over -18s accounted for 100 women 91.4 males.

The median household income in Smithfield was 55 621 U.S. dollars, and the median family income reached the level of 66 320 U.S. dollars. The average income of men was 45 946 U.S. dollars, the women's 31,981 U.S. dollars. The per capita income amounted to 23,224 U.S. dollars. 4.3% of the population and 2.8 % of families had affected an income below the poverty line, including 3.9 % of minors and 9.6 % of those age 65 or over.