Woonsocket is a city in

Sanborn County, South Dakota Sanborn County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,330. Its county seat and largest city is Woonsocket. The county was created by the Dakota Territorial legislature on May 1, 1883, with ...

, United States. The population was 631 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Sanborn County.

History

Woonsocket was developed in 1883 as a railroad town because of its location at the junction on the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad. C.H. Prior, the superintendent of the railroad, named the town Woonsocket after his home town of

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

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 ...

. The town was incorporated in 1888. Woonsocket was known for an

artesian well An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of Permeability (ea ...

which was drilled in 1888. It was claimed that in its prime, the well flowed over 8,000 gallons per minute out of the six inch wide pipe. The well was capped off in 1906.

2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak

On June 24, 2003, an F3 tornado passed just west of town; it was one of 67 tornadoes that touched down on June 24, holding a record for "Most tornadoes to touch down in the state in one day".

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 is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 655 people, 287 households, and 168 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 318 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.6% 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 were 1.5% of the population. There were 287 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age in the city was 48.9 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 720 people, 301 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.50%

, 0.42% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population. There were 301 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,341, and the median income for a family was $38,304. Males had a median income of $26,625 versus $17,552 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 $24,035. About 5.3% of families and 8.5% 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 8.2% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* George L. Cross, former president of the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

from 1943 to 1968. *

Eleanor McGovern Eleanor Fay McGovern ( ''née'' Stegeberg; November 25, 1921 – January 25, 2007) was the wife of George McGovern, who served as a U.S. Senator from South Dakota from 1963 to 1981, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1972. Early li ...

, wife of

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...

* Eloise Ramsey, professor at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...

, authority on children's literature * Volney F. Warner, retired

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

four-star general.

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Sanborn County, South Dakota Cities in South Dakota County seats in South Dakota