Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of the

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

state line and constitutes part of both the

Providence metropolitan area The Providence metropolitan area (Providence MSA) is a region extending into eight counties in two states. Its urban area, core is in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts; its largest city is Providence, Rhode Island. With an estimated po ...

and the larger

Greater Boston Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston, the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England, and its surrounding areas, home to 4,941,632. The most s ...

Combined Statistical Area. The city is the corporate headquarters of

CVS Health CVS Health Corporation is an American healthcare company that owns CVS Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy chain; CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager; and Aetna, a health insurance provider, among many other brands. The company is the worl ...

, a pharmacy services provider. It is home to Landmark Medical Center, the Museum of Work and Culture, and the American-French Genealogical Society.

History

Before the arrival of European settlers in northern Rhode Island during the 17th century, today's Woonsocket region was inhabited by three Native American tribes: the

Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian languages, Eastern Algonquian language, probably the Loup language. Their historic territory Nippenet, meaning 'the f ...

(Cowesett),

Wampanoag The Wampanoag, also rendered Wôpanâak, are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Northeastern Woodlands currently based in southeastern Massachusetts and forme ...

, and Narragansett. In 1661, the English theologian

Roger Williams Roger Williams (March 1683) was an English-born New England minister, theologian, author, and founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Pl ...

purchased the area from the "Coweset and Nipmucks", and in a letter referred to modern day Woonsocket as ''Niswosakit''. Other possible derivations of the name include several Nipmuc geographic names from nearby

. These include ''Woonksechocksett'', from Worcester County meaning "fox country", and ''Wannashowatuckqut'', also from Worcester County, meaning "at the fork of the river". Another theory proposes that the city was named after Woonsocket Hill in neighboring North Smithfield. Woonsocket Falls Village was founded in the 1820s. Its fortunes expanded as the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

developed in nearby Pawtucket. With the

Blackstone River The Blackstone River in the United States is a river that flows through Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is long with a drainage area of 475 mi2 (1229 km2). It drains into the tidal river, Pawtucket River at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Pawtuck ...

providing ample water power, the region became a prime location for

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

mills. In 1831 Edward Harris built his first textile mill in Woonsocket. The town of Woonsocket was not established until 1867, when three villages in the town of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...

, namely Woonsocket Falls, Social and Jenckesville, officially became the town of Woonsocket. In 1871, three additional industrial villages from Smithfield– Hamlet, Bernon, and Globe, were added to the town, establishing its present boundaries. Woonsocket was incorporated as city in 1888. The growth of industries and associated jobs attracted numerous immigrants, predominantly Québecois and

French-Canadians French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the provi ...

from other provinces. When the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Holyoke organized a national cultural and

benefit society A benefit society, fraternal benefit society, or fraternal benefit order is a voluntary association formed to provide mutual aid, benefit, for instance insurance for relief from sundry difficulties. Such organizations may be formally organized with ...

in 1899, the Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste d’Amérique, Woonsocket, with its proximity to several industrial areas having large French-Canadian populations, was chosen for the organization's headquarters. By 1913, a survey by the American Association of Foreign Language Newspapers found the city had to have the 6th-largest population of French or French-Canadian foreign nationals in the country. In the decades that followed this population grew, and by time the local textile industry shuttered during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, ethnic French Canadians comprised 75 percent of the population. French-language newspapers were published; radio programs, movies, and most public conversations were conducted in French. As recently as 1980, 70% of Woonsocket's population was of French-Canadian descent. The

New England French New England French () is a variety of French spoken in the New England region of the United States. It descends from Canadian French because it originally came from French Canadians who immigrated to New England during the Grande Hémorragie. New ...

language their ancestors spoke gradually vanished from public discourse.Anctil, "Franco-Americans in New England", p. 41 Throughout the 20th century the city's fortunes ebbed and flowed with national trends. During the Great Depression the textile economy of Woonsocket came to an effective standstill; however, it was revived during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The city became a major center of fabric manufacturing for the war effort, including production of military uniforms. Woonsocket_District_Courthouse_2015

In the postwar years, the Woonsocket economy diversified as manufacturing declined, and other commercial sectors, such as retail, technology and financial services took hold. In the early 1980s Woonsocket was struggling with high unemployment rates. Beginning in 1979, Woonsocket sponsored Autumnfest, an annual cultural festival that takes place on

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. He went ashore at ...

weekend, at World War II Veteran's Memorial State Park. It has become one of the city's most popular events, attracting thousands of attendees. File:Woonsocket from the East.jpg, Woonsocket from the East, 1886 engraving File:North Smithfield2.jpg, Woonsocket Medical Corporation, founded in 1839 by Dr. Seth Arnold File:Post Office Square, Central Part of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.jpg, Woonsocket in 1855 File:Downtown Woonsocket Rhode Island engraving.jpg, Woonsocket, 1886 engraving

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (3.14%) is water. Woonsocket is drained by the

. Adjacent communities include Blackstone and Bellingham,

, along with

and North Smithfield,

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Climate

Woonsocket has a strong

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfa'') with four distinct seasons. Being influenced by both the sea and the interior during winter,

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...

is relatively high, with days most often being above freezing before severe frosts hit at night.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 43,240 people, 18,287 households, and 9,497 families in Woonsocket. The population density was . There were 19,754 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 64.41% (27,850)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(59.68%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 7.86% (3,399)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.62% (267) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 5.79% (2,502) Asian, 0.06% (28)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 9.64% (4,167) from other races, and 11.63% (5,027) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 21.01% (9,086) of the population. Of the 18,287 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18; 30.2% were married couples living together; 33.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 34.6% of households consisted of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 12.4% of the population. 21.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 104.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 107.8 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $44,310 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,816) and the median family income was $55,818 (+/- $4,785). Males had a median income of $38,889 (+/- $2,065) versus $27,544 (+/- $2,343) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $33,424 (+/- $2,183). Approximately, 15.0% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 34.8% of those under the age of 18 and 15.1% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census Woonsocket had a population of 41,186. The population was 71.3%

, 14.2% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% African American, 5.4% Asian, 0.4% Native American and 4.3% reporting two or more races.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 43,224 people, 17,750 households, and 10,774 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 18,757 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.14%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 4.44%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.32% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.03%

, 4.86% from other races, and 3.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.32% of the population. Woonsocket is a part of the

, which has an estimated population of 1,622,520. There were 17,750 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. Of all households, 32.7% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,819, and the median income for a family was $38,353. Males had a median income of $31,465 versus $24,638 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $16,223. About 16.7% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the

, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over. In March 2013, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' reported that one-third of Woonsocket's population used food stamps, putting local merchants on a "boom or bust" cycle each month when EBT payments were deposited. At the 2000 census, 46.1% of Woonsocket's population were identified as being of French or

French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...

ethnic heritage. The city has referred to itself as .

Arts and culture

Historic sites

Properties and districts in Woonsocket listed on

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * 1761 Milestone * Allen Street Historic District * Alphonse Gaulin Jr. House (1885) * Bernon Worsted Mill (1919) * Cato Hill Historic District * Frank Wilbur House (1923) * Glenark Mills (1865) * Grove Street Elementary School (1876) * Hanora Mills (1827) * Harris Warehouse (1855) * Henry Darling House (1865) * Honan's Block and 112-114 Main Street (1879) * Hope Street School (1899) * Island Place Historic District * Jenckes Mansion (1828) * John Arnold House (1712) * L'Eglise du Precieux Sang (1873) * Linton Block (1888) * Logee House (1729) * Main Street Historic District * North End Historic District * Philmont Worsted Company Mill (1919) * Pothier House (1881) * Smith-Ballou House (1906) * Smithfield Friends Meeting House, Parsonage and Cemetery (1719/1881) * South Main Street Historic District * St. Andrews Episcopal Chapel (1894) * St. Ann's Church Complex (1913) * St. Charles Borromeo Church Complex (1867) * Stadium Building (1925) * Union Village Historic District * Woonsocket City Hall (1856) * Woonsocket Civil War Monument (1868) * Woonsocket Company Mill Complex * Woonsocket Depot Square (1847) * Woonsocket District Courthouse (1894) * Woonsocket Rubber Company Mill (1857)

Notable people

* Greg Abate, musician * Norm Abram, master carpenter, TV host/personality * Nicholas Alahverdian, child welfare reform advocate and scammer * Jonathan Earle Arnold, politician * Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, politician * Rocco Baldelli, former baseball player and current manager of the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

Latimer Whipple Ballou Latimer Whipple Ballou (March 1, 1812 – May 9, 1900) was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island. Biography Latimer Whipple Ballou was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island on March 1, 1812. He attended the public schools and the local academie ...

, congressman * Bryan Berard, hockey player *

Brian Boucher Brian Boucher ( ; born January 2, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who is a game analyst on national TNT games and also Philadelphia Flyers games on NBC Sports Philadelphia. He played 13 seasons in the National Ho ...

, hockey player * Josephine Byrd, civil rights activist * Percy Daniels, populist politician * Marcel Desaulniers, chef * Eddie Dowling, actor, screenwriter and songwriter * Allen Doyle, golfer *

Denise Duhamel Denise Duhamel (born 1961 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island) is an American poet. Background Duhamel received her B.F.A. from Emerson College and her M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. She is a New York Foundation for the Arts recipient and has been r ...

, poet * Gregory Duhamel, historian and author * Susan Eisenberg, voice artist *

Eileen Farrell Eileen Farrell (February 13, 1920 – March 23, 2002) was an American soprano who had a nearly 60-year-long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. NPR noted, "She possessed ...

, opera soprano * Marie Rose Ferron, stigmatist * Ernest Fortin, theology professor *

Stuart Gitlow Stuart Gitlow (born November 29, 1962) is an American psychiatrist who is a past president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Biography Gitlow was born on November 29, 1962. Following completion of his bachelor of science degree fro ...

, physician * Edward Harris, manufacturer, philanthropist, and abolitionist * Gabby Hartnett, baseball player and manager * Michelle Holzapfel, woodworking artist * Ambrose Kennedy, congressman *

Clem Labine Clement Walter Labine (August 6, 1926 – March 2, 2007) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) best known for his years with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960. As a key member of the Dod ...

, baseball player *

Nap Lajoie Napoléon Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "the Frenchman", he represented both Ph ...

(1874-1959), baseball player * Neil Lanctot, historian and author * Francis Leo Lawrence (1937–2013), college president * William C. Lovering, congressman * James McAndrews, congressman * J. Howard McGrath, politician * Dave McKenna, jazz pianist * Susan Menard, politician * Isabelle Ahearn O'Neill, Rhode Island's first woman legislator * Edwin O'Connor, radio personality and novelist * Aram J. Pothier, governor * Duke Robillard, blues guitarist * Christopher Robinson, congressman * Mathieu Schneider, NHL hockey player * Andre Soukhamthath, mixed martial artist * Bill Summers, umpire

Filming location

Woonsocket has served as a filming location for several movies, including '' Lost in Woonsocket'' (2007), '' Hachi: A Dog's Tale'' (2009), and '' The Purge: Election Year'' (2016).https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Woonsocket,+Rhode+Island,+USA

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Providence County, Rhode Island Cities in Rhode Island French-American culture in Rhode Island History of the textile industry Providence metropolitan area