Town History

SmithfieldRhode Island (From Hayward’s New England Gazetteer of 1839)

Providence county. This is a large town, containing an area of about 10 by 6 miles, and a great variety of surface and soil.

Smithfield has generally an undulating surface, presenting an agreeable diversity of moderate eminences and gentle declivities; but in some sections it is considerably rough and broken.

The manufacture of lime is an important and extensive business, and affords employment to a great number of persons. There is also a quarry of white stone at what is called Woonsocket hill, that sustains heat remarkably well, which renders it very valuable for furnace hearths. About two miles distant from this there is a quarry containing excellent whetstones for edge tools.

The soil is a gravelly and sandy loam, with some sections of a calcareous loam. It is generally rich and fertile, although in some places it has been reduced by an exhausting system of cultivation. There are, however, some low and marshy tracts, which are generally appropriated to mowing, and afford good crops of grass. The agricultural productions consist of the various articles common to the climate; Indian corn, rye, wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, flax, beef, pork, butter, cheese, apples, cider and hay.

The waters of the town consist of the Blackstone, which washes its northeastern border, and a branch of this river, nearly of equal size, which intersects the town, discharging its waters into the former, in the northern sections of the town. After the union of these streams, the Blackstone is from one to two hundred feet in width. At some seasons of the year, it overflows its banks, and has been known to rise from 15 to 20 feet above its usual height. Besides these, there are numerous small streams, some of which afford valuable sites for mills and manufacturing establishments, which are mostly occupied. In the south part of the town, within about 4 miles from Providence, there is a considerable body of water, called Scots Pond. It is nearly a mile in length, about half a mile in width, and of great depth. What is remarkable in this pond, is the steep descent of its shores. Cases have occurred, of persons being drowned in attempting to water their horses at this pond.

There is a remarkable fall of water upon the Blackstone river called Woonsocket falls, which is considered as quite a curiosity. The fall is about 20 feet, not perpendicular, but over a precipice of rocks for some distance. The fall of the water upon these rocks through a succession of ages, has occasioned numerous excavations, all of which are smooth and circular, and some of them very large, being sufficient to contain several hogsheads.

The beautiful village of Woonsocket is situated at these falls, on the line of Cumberland; the river dividing the towns, and the village into nearly equal parts. In this village are 15 cotton and 2 satinet factories, a large furnace, machine shops, sash factory, &c. The Blackstone canal passes through this village, and it is in contemplation to construct a rail road to meet the Boston and Providence rail road, either at Providence or at Dedham, Mass. This village is indeed a beautiful place, and exceedingly flourishing. It is 14 miles N.N.W. from Providence.

Slaterville is another beautiful village in this town, on Branch river, about 2 miles W. from Woonsocket.

Smithfield is a large manufacturing town, containing many other pleasant villages, almost exclusively devoted to manufacturing objects. The centre of the town lies 9 miles N.W. from Providence. Incorporated, 1730. Population, in 1830, 6,857.

© 2004–2007 NewEnglandTowns.org

Calendar

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
24
26
27
1
10:30 AM - Annual Egg Hunt
2
Walk & Talk Book Chat
03/09/2023    
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Drop in any Thursday morning to enjoy nature and chat about the books that you’ve been reading. Weather permitting.
Virtual Game Night
03/09/2023    
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us on Discord every Thursday night from 6-8 pm for game night! Whether you typically play board games or are an avid video gamer [...]
Maker Space:  Drop-in Play
Drop in during these hours to play with some of our polymer or air dry clay. We will show you how to use the pasta [...]
Thursday Night Book Group
03/23/2023    
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The 21st Annual Read Across Rhode Island Book: True Biz by Sarah Novic will be discussed this month. The Thursday Night book group will continue [...]
Virtual Game Night
03/23/2023    
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us on Discord every Thursday night from 6-8 pm for game night! Whether you typically play board games or are an avid video gamer [...]
Come & Create in the MakerSpace
03/25/2023    
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Join us in our MakerSpace every fourth Saturday from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm!
Drop-In Tech Help
03/27/2023    
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Stop by the library on Mondays at 11 am for drop in tech help. Have a more complicated question? Email tech@myespl.org before you come in.
Fantasy Book Club
03/27/2023    
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
$0.00
Title: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree Description: Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of [...]
April Story Times: Tiny Tots
03/28/2023    
10:30 am - 11:00 am
This story time will be held on Tuesdays mornings for children ages 18 months to 3 years old from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. We [...]
Craft - Clay Plant Markers
03/28/2023    
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Description: Make your own decorated clay plant marker, perfect for indoor or outdoor gardens! Location: Community Room Date: Tuesday, March 28th at 6 pm or [...]
April Story Times: Preschool
03/29/2023    
10:30 am - 11:00 am
$0.00
This story time will be held on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m for children ages 3 to 5. There will be age-appropriate [...]
Craft - Clay Plant Markers
03/29/2023    
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
$0.00
Description: Make your own decorated clay plant marker, perfect for indoor or outdoor gardens! Location: Community Room Date: Tuesday, March 28th at 6 pm or [...]
Creative Writing Workshop (Teen Program)
03/29/2023    
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
$0.00
At this casual, beginner’s workshop, learn ways to start a story, try on different craft techniques, peer review work, and share your own work. If [...]
Walk & Talk Book Chat
03/30/2023    
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
$0.00
Drop in any Thursday morning to enjoy nature and chat about the books that you’ve been reading. Weather permitting – we will email at 10 [...]
Cricut Club
03/30/2023    
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
We are beginning to have Cricut classes geared towards folks who have already completed the three introductory Cricut Classes. In these small workshops, we will [...]
On Medicare as Colonialism
03/30/2023    
6:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Join local author Michael Fine, MD for a reading and discussion of his newest book. Dr. Fine is a writer, community organizer and family physician. [...]
Virtual Game Night
03/30/2023    
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us on Discord every Thursday night from 6-8 pm for game night! Whether you typically play board games or are an avid video gamer [...]
Pajama Story Time
03/30/2023    
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
This story time is for children ages 3 to 8. Come to the library dressed in your pajamas. Bring your favorite stuffed animal. There will [...]
Anime Club (Teen Program)
03/31/2023    
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
$0.00
We meet monthly to watch 2-3 episodes of an anime and enjoy a few snacks. Screenings vary from classic anime to new releases and are [...]
Annual Egg Hunt
04/01/2023    
10:30 am
$0.00
Our egg hunt is for children ages 2-5. Join in the fun as the children hunt for eggs that the library bunny has hidden. Please [...]
Events on 03/09/2023
Events on 03/23/2023
Events on 03/25/2023
Events on 03/27/2023
Drop-In Tech Help
27 Mar 23
Fantasy Book Club
27 Mar 23
Events on 03/28/2023
Events on 03/30/2023
Cricut Club
30 Mar 23
Smithfield
Virtual Game Night
30 Mar 23
Pajama Story Time
30 Mar 23
Events on 03/31/2023
Events on 04/01/2023
Annual Egg Hunt
1 Apr 23