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Woonsocket, the Indian name for "thundermist", has a long and interesting history.
The area known as Woonsocket was first settled in the late 17th Century. The early settlers farmed the land and utilized the power of the Woonsocket Falls. The City's abundant water power was a significant factor in determining the development of Woonsocket, which was mainly industrial. From the time it was first settled until nearly a hundred years later, Woonsocket was a quiet backwoods region inhabited by Quaker farmers and millers. The city was noted as a stop on the highway to Boston, Worcester, Connecticut and Providence. The peaceful serenity of this early New England community soon changed. Between 1810 and 1830, six manufacturing villages sprang up. New settlers arrived from surrounding towns, Europe, and large numbers of French Canadians. In a short time Woonsocket became a bustling, industrial and ethnically diverse community.
Today manufacturing still dominates Woonsocket's economy, but to a lesser degree. Woonsocket's many residents work within the city as well as in nearby Massachusetts.
Route 146, and the Providence and Worcester Railroad, link Woonsocket to the two major centers in the region, and Interstate 295 intersects Route 146 four miles south of the city.
Woonsocket's central location and easy accessibility makes the City an ideal location for business development and residence.
BAS-RELIEF OF SAMUEL FOSS. On facade of building at 75 Main Street. Foss, father of Woonsocket journalism, served as trustee of Woonsocket Public Library, 275 Clinton Street, where his portrait now hangs.
CITY HALL. 169 Main Street. Originally founded as the Harris Institute by Edward Harris, a prominent wool manufacturer. Abraham Lincoln spoke here, 1860, in his first presidential campaign. OPEN: Mon-Fri, 8:30-4 p.m. 762-6400.
CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL. 224 Prospect Street. Features a hand-blown chandelier from Milan, Italy. Stained glass windows produced by an understudy of Marc Chagall. Group tours arranged. OPEN: Mon-Thu, 1:30-5 p.m.; Fri, 12-3:30 p.m.Sat & Sun mornings. 762-3651.
MALLET LIBRARY. 68 Cumberland Street, Plaza Center. In the Plaza Center Building. Out-of-print French language newspapers on microfilm. French-Canadian family histories. Research facility of the Franco-Americans in New England. OPEN: Mon-Fri, 8-4:30 p.m. 800-225-USJB.
RIVER ISLAND PARK. Located off Bernon Street, adjacent to Woonsocket's Market Square. River Island Park offers an attractive environment in which to appreciate Woonsocket's unique combination of urban atmosphere and natural beauty. Within steps of the City's Main Street, Allen Street and Island Place Historic Districts, visitors may enjoy peaceful strolls, savor views from the scenic overlook, or launch canoes to more closely experience the power and majesty of the Blackstone River. OPEN: Dawn to dusk. 334-7773.
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL STATE PARK. Social Street. Site of annual Autumnfest and many summer events.
Population: The population count for the City of Woonsocket as of April 1, 2000, was 43,224. This represented a -1.5% change (-653) from the 1990 population of 43,877.
Population Density: Woonsocket contains 19.952 square kilometers of land area (7.703 Sq. Miles) and 0.644 square kilometers of water area (0.249 Sq. Miles). Total area is 20.596 square kilometers or 7.952 square miles.
The 2000 population density of Woonsocket is 5,613.5 persons per square mile of land area.
Age Distribution: In 2000, 32,069 persons residing in Woonsocket were 18 years of age or older.
| Population: | 1990 | 2000 | Change |
| Total | 43,877 | 43,224 | -653 |
More Census 2000 data on Woonsocket and the State of Rhode Island is available at the Statewide Planning Program Website.
City Hall
169 Main Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
FAX: 765-4569
| Location: | Providence County |
| Form of Government: | Mayor and seven-member City Council. |
| Council Meetings: | The first and third Mondays of each month at 7 pm |
| Fiscal year begins: | July 1 |
**Information above provided by the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development Corporation
