A Brief History of Smithfield
The Town of Smithfield was named after John
Smith, "The Miller," who was granted land by Roger Williams.
Smith was one of the original party of six men headed by Roger
Williams that formed the first settlement in Rhode Island.
Settlement in the area to become known as Smithfield proceeded slowly
during the 17th century. A limited number of pioneering spirits ventured
from the nucleus settlement of Providence into the wilderness of the
outlands. In the beginning, these peoples coexisted with the Wampanoag
tribe who utilized this vast area for hunting and fishing. The
Smithfield of today was called Wionkhiege. The King Philip War in the
later 1600's defeated the Indians and destroyed the unity of their
tribal structure. The opportunity for a development pattern of increased
white inhabitation was created.
By 1730/1731 (1730 by Old Style Calendar
- Julian Calendar/1731 by New Style Calendar - Gregorian Calendar in use
today) supervision of the activities of the outland inhabitants had
become "burdensome" to the parent town of
Providence. Accordingly, the
"outlands" were set off as three separate townships and became the
communities of Smithfield, Glocester and Scituate. Smithfield comprised
a land area of approximately 73 square miles and a population of less
than 500 people.
The 18th century provided several important contributions to Smithfield's
development. With the incorporation of the Town of
Smithfield, the institution of the town
meeting began. Political structure of town meetings followed example
set by parent town of Providence established in 1636 by Roger Williams
and company. Adult male residents convened twice a year to vote on
matters which in turn influenced town policy. One meeting was devoted to
appropriating town funds and electing town officials. The other meeting
was held for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Rhode
Island General Assembly. The financial town meeting is still held
today.
The Waterman Tavern
as seen in an antique postcard.
The highway act of 1738 evidenced an innovative approach to establish
links with commercial centers. Able-bodied Smithfield men over the age
of 21 years were assigned to road construction details for a specified
number of days of each year. Throughout the 1700's, these roads helped
to encourage travel through
Smithfield and establish the many area taverns which flourished as
havens for the numerous number of weary travelers as well as local
centers for congregating.
The many watercourses located within the
town were utilized at an early date for their assistance in industrial
pursuits. The foundry industry of the Smithfield Farnums prospered to
such a degree that proceeds from the family business built the Farnum
Turnpike from Georgiaville to "Providence" (the Providence boundary of
the 1700's is the North Providence-Smithfield boundary of today) for the
primary purpose of transporting their product to the commercial markets.
Industrial pursuits of the early years demonstrated an enterprising
spirit which was to become prevalent in the 1800's.
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Georgia
Cotton Mill. Located in old Georgiaville Village, near
Higgins St. Built in 1813, the mill was established by
Samuel Nightengale, Samuel G. Arnold and Thomas Thompson as
the Georgia Cotton Manufacturing Company. It was one
of the earliest stone factories in Rhode Island. The mill
contained 1,000 spindles to spin cotton. |
Despite the innovativeness of a number of
Smithfield individuals, subsistence
farming continued to be the predominant occupation of most residents.
Throughout the century, a decided lack of cohesiveness was apparent
within the Smithfield community. The massive land area as well as the
rugged physical landscape helped to create an attitude of separateness
with no central unifying force except amongst residents living in
relative close proximity to one another.
The values of the large Quaker
population (also known as Society of Friends) provided a strong
influence upon societal concerns of this period. Exemption of persons
with “tender consciences" from the Revolutionary War draft, promotion
for the abolition of slavery, and support for free school are but a few
examples of this influence.
Politically, Smithfield supported the
war effort and freedom from foreign domination, however, strong
opposition was voiced relative to unifying the colonies into a single
nation. Upon declaring July 4th a holiday, Smithfield residents declared
their approval with the stipulation that such resolution did not
indicate their vote for the United States Constitution. For quite a
while, this feeling was expressed throughout Rhode Island; nevertheless,
enough votes finally were secured to allow Rhode Island to become the
last state to ratify the constitution and the birth of a nation.
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Georgiaville Grammar School 1896-1897 |
19th Century
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General
Store and Smithfield Town Clerk's office. This large
building was located on the corner of Putnam Pike and Smith
Avenue and was a hub of village commerce and daily life in
the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Oscar Tobey,
the store owner, was also the Town Clerk from 1871 to about
1903 and the town offices were located here. The
building burned in the 1920's.
Read more about Oscar Tobey,
Smithfield's first town clerk, here. |
The 19th century served as a Golden Age
for manufacturing in Smithfield and many other Rhode Island communities.
During this period, old Smithfield was transformed from an agrarian
society to a manufacturing center in
Rhode Island. At the turn of the century, Smithfield possessed a population of 3,120
persons. Within the next 70 years, these numbers would increase by 430%.
Samuel Slater's inventiveness in the
harnessing of water energy for manufacturing gave birth to the creation
of the textile industry in Rhode Island. Smithfield's numerous waterways
provided a perfect setting for the development of this economy. By the
mid-1800's, Smithfield had become the cotton manufacturing center in
Rhode Island. These mill operatives initially utilized laborers of WASP
(White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant) descent. Very soon, however, Irish
immigrants, and later French-Canadians became the predominant work
force. Entire families including children as young as seven years worked
in these mills.
Major new societal patterns of
development emerged over the next few decades. One important outgrowth
was the mill village. This type of village comprised a mill, mill store,
housing for the work force, ancillary structures, and adjacent land
areas, all of which were possessed by the mill owners. The mill village
frequently was totally self sufficient and many residents never left the
confines of the village. One of the first villages in Rhode Island based
upon this concept was Slatersville, then a part of old Smithfield.
Examples of villages existing today which developed upon this similar
foundation are Stillwater, Georgiaville, Spragueville, and Esmond
(previously known first as Allenville, then Enfield).
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The Old
Georgiaville Tavern. Built by Noah Farnum in 1840 -
the building still remains, minus the porch, at 78 Farnum
Pike. |
The tremendous manufacturing productivity of Smithfield led to related
strides in turnpike, reservoir, and railroad construction. Societal
concerns continued to promote educational opportunities and slavery
abolition as well as women's suffrage and temperance. Mill owners often
provided assistance in the successful accomplishments relating to these
concerns by providing financial support as benefactors which lead to the
cultural advancement of
Smithfield society.
Politically,
Smithfield citizens
placed pressure upon state legislators for modifications in the system
of representation in state government. Traditionally, allocation
methods in state government were based upon the number of landowners
rather than population counts. Positive reforms in this area developed
finally as an outgrowth of the Dorr Rebellion. (Dorr & his supporters
were defeated but a number of political reforms were still achieved.)
Within Smithfield proper, tensions
grew between the various villages as mid-century approached. The lack of
cohesiveness created by the physical landscape since the town's
incorporation as well as differences in economic, social, and political
priorities created identity problems which only worsened as time went
on. These problems eventually led to the division of the town into
separate political entities.
In 1871, the old Town of Smithfield divided. Three new Townships arose -
Smithfield, North Smithfield, and
Lincoln (Lincoln later divided further into Central Falls and Lincoln in
1895) - while the northernmost area was annexed to Woonsocket.
The new
Smithfield comprised a
land area of 27.8 square miles of which 1.1 square miles involved
waterways. The new population count identified 2,605 people and
represented a population loss of 84% (1870 census reported 16,537
Smithfield residents). The new Smithfield included the greatest
proportion of the old Town's road system and retained four significant
mill operatives. A new economy, the apple industry, soon would be
introduced and eventually would provide the Town with a new identity as
it undertook its "new" beginning.
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Smithfield
Exchange Bank $5 note issued July 4, 1848
(click photo for larger version) |
20th Century
| In 1943 a military
aircraft crashed on Wolf Hill in Smithfield during World War
II killing all three servicemen aboard. Read the full story
from local historian Jim Ignasher
here. |
The advancements of the 20th century
evidenced the transformation of Smithfield from a manufacturing center
to a suburban community. Subsequent to the Town's division, the
population grew slowly until the 1950's. At the turn of the century,
Smithfield's population was 2,107. Educational opportunities expanded
steadily. An initial boost was obtained in the early 1900's as the
result of support from the local area mill owner benefactors who
continued to exert a considerable influence upon the community.
Throughout the early part of the 20th
century, the apple economy grew. Smithfield would become known in Rhode
Island as Apple Valley. Economic opportunities and pressures within the
last few decades, however, gradually have allowed the formerly
predominant orchards to succumb to suburban developments. Likewise, the
textile industry has been altered in conformance with the demands of a
modern society. Textiles in Smithfield continued to flourish until the
1930's when the decline of the overall New England textile economy
began. Today the structures which once housed the productive mill
operatives have been modified to accommodate many smaller and more
diversified industries under the roof of a single complex.
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Apples at
Jaswell's Farm. The farm was started in 1899 and is
now operated by
the fourth generation of Jaswells. It is one of
several long-established farms of
this type remaining in the Town of Smithfield. |
Within the last 50 years, Smithfield has
witnessed a population boom of 308% (1950 Census - 6,690 persons/2000
Census - 20,613 persons). Until the mid-1960's, Smithfield retained much
of its rural character despite the growth of the residential areas.
Construction of the Apple Valley Mall in the later 1960's introduced the
beginning of commercial expansion. Further encouragement was provided in
the 1970's by the construction of Interstate Route 295 which provided
greater accessibility to and from the Town by both local commuters and
out-of-town transients. The Smithfield sewer system built in the mid
1970's has also stimulated increased development.
Today, the Town is
experiencing continued growth. Fidelity Investments, the nation’s
largest mutual fund company has located one of two New England regional
centers in Smithfield. Smithfield is also the home of a division of Dow
Chemical, Uvex Corporation,
FGX International (AAi Foster Grant) and many other large and
small companies. A regional shopping mall, “Smithfield Crossings”
recently opened. The Town is
also home to Bryant University, a top
business school. Bryant University also was the location for the summer camp of the
three-time
NFL Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots until 2003.
Bryant University
Since 1994, the town
has been administered under the Council/Manager form of government.
Partisan elections are held every two years to elect five Town Council
members who select a Council President. The Town Manager is appointed
by the Smithfield Town Council to serve as the administrative head of
the Town Government. The Manager appoints all Department Directors,
except the Town Clerk (Clerk of the Council) and the Town Solicitor.
Largely combining rural
and suburban lifestyles, the Town is predominately residential, with
commercial and industrial use development along Routes 7, 116 and 44.
Several major roads traverse Smithfield: Interstate 295 runs roughly
north-south through the town. Several state roads cross the town in a
roughly southeast-northwest direction – Putnam Pike (Route 44, Farnum
Pike (route 104) and Douglas Pike (Route 7) – linking a series of
villages: Esmond, Georgiaville,
Stillwater,
Spragueville and Greenville. These villages make up much of the town’s
civic and social fabric, steeped in a New England town tradition. The
Town is graced by a series of seven natural and manmade ponds, which
provide recreation and natural beauty for its citizens. The town
retains large undeveloped, heavily forested lands, including several
active apple orchards and farms. A small state airport, North Central,
is set on the northeastern border of the Town.
In the 250 years since its incorporation,
Smithfield has progressed from a small
agricultural community to an urbanized industrial center and finally to
a quiet residential community. The accomplishments of many people over
the years are evidenced in the fine community which Smithfield has
become*.
Fidelity Investments
This brief history of
Smithfield was prepared by Jeanne M. Tracey in 1981.
It has since been updated by
Bill Pilkington and Russell Marcoux.
*Apple Valley U.S.A.: In Recognition of 250 Years. by J. M. Tracey,
1980.
Thanks to Kenneth A. Brown, Sr. and James Ignasher for their contributions of
pictures
and information regarding Smithfield's history to this web
site.
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