Historical Markers in Providence County, Rhode Island
A Family Business
A Livelie Experiment
A Mechanic's Life
A Place for Your Ideas
A Shelter for Persons Distressed
Across the River from Market Square
Alice Mill World War I Memorial
Ambrose Burnside Memorial
Annye
Around the Corner from Market Square
Beneficent Congregational Church
Bernon Worsted Mill
Bethel A.M.E. Church
Birthplace of American Manufacturing
Blackstone River Valley
Bridging the Seekonk
Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski
Brown University Slave Trade Memorial
Burning of British Taxed Tea
Burrillville Veterans Monument
Burrillville Veterans Plaque
Captain Wilbur Kelly
Channeling Progress
Civil War Memorial
College Hill Historic District
Colonial Wharf at South Water Street: 1910-1942 /Fox Point and the Night Boat Era 1822-1932
Community Development
Congdon Street Baptist Church
Court and State House
Crawford Street Bridge Without Crawford Street
Crescent Park Looff Carousel
Daggett House
Easter Rising
Ethnicity
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church in America 375th Anniversary
First Professional Theater
First Successful Cotton Mill in America
First Town House of Providence
First Universalist Church
Fleur-De-Lys Studio
Fountain Street
Fox Point Cape Verdean Community
Fox Point: The 19th Century Port of Providence / Shipping Expands Around the Point
Gabriel Bernon
Gaetano Del Guidice
Gano Park - Centuries of History
Giovanni Da Verrazzano
Grover C. Walker Memorial
Harnessing the Power of the Blackstone River
HMS Gaspee
Hope College
Horace Mann
In Honor of WWII Veterans
In Memory of Henrietta I. Drummond
In Memory of Korea and Vietnam Veterans
In Memory of Our Townsmen
Indomitable
John Brown House
John F. "Jack" McGee
KellyÂ’s Mill
Lady Carrington and The Blackstone Canal
Lincoln St World War II Memorial
Lippitt House
Looff Carousel
Luigi Scala
Major Gales and Hurricanes around Market Square
Major Henry Harrison Young
Marconi
Milling Machines
Monastery Bell
Morris Brown House
Nine MenÂ’s Misery
North Smithfield Vietnam War Memorial
Old Slater Mill
Olney Street Riot 1831
On This Location 5 August 1943 Three Servicemen Perished
Pawtucket City Hall
Pawtucket Public Library
Pawtucket Public Library / Old Pawtucket Post Office
Pawtucket Veterans Memorial
Pembroke College Tribute
Pierce Park and Riverwalk
Prince Hall
Prince Hall Masonic Lodge F.A.M.
Providence
Providence Harbor History
Providence Marine Corps of Artillery
Providence Preservation Organizations
Providence River Bridge
Providence River Park
Realizing Providence
Repentance for Slavery
Revolutions: American and Industrial
Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial
Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial
Rhode Island Korean Veterans Memorial
Rhode Island Soldiers and Sailors Memorial
Rhode Island State House
Rhode Island World War II Memorial
Rise of the Gangways (1704-1844) / Fall of the Gangways (1844-1983)
River and Fields at Pawtucket
River Relocation Project and Providence River Park
River Relocation Project and Providence River Park
Rochambeau's Army in Rhode Island
Roger Williams Founded Providence Here in 1636
Roger Williams Landing 1636
Roger Williams National Memorial
Seasonal Gathering
Shakespeare's Head
Sissieretta Jones
Site of Roger Williams House
Slater Mill
Snowtown Riot 1831
Spanish American War Memorial
Splendid Mansion of Eleazer Arnold
State Arsenal 20th Century Wars Memorial
Steeple Street
Steeple Street
Steeple Street Complex
Stephanie and Ashley
Stephen Hopkins
Styles
The Arcade
The Bicentennial of Haitian Independence
The Boys of Adams' Battery "G"
The Brown Bear
The Changing Face of the West Bank / The West Bank
The Crawford Street Bridge
The First Baptist Church
The First Baptist Meetinghouse
The First Official Residence of the President of Brown University
The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier/A Second Life for the Hurricane Barrier
The Glory Days of Providence's Old Harbor
The Grand Lodge of Rhode Island
The History of The Weybosset Bridge
The Hurricane and Flood of September 21, 1938
The Hurricane of September 21st 1938
The Interstate 195 Relocation Project and the Old Harbor Plan
The Landing Place of Roger Williams
The Meeting Street School
The Moshassuck River
The Old Harbor
The Old Slater Mill
The Original Water Supply
The Perfect Place
The Prophet of Religious Freedom
The Puritan and the Indian
The Second Freewill Baptist (Pond Street) Church
The Site of Hardscrabble Riot 1824
The Wellspring of Providence
The Wilkinson Mill
The Woonasquatucket River
Thomas A. Doyle
To Our World War II Veterans
Tockwotton and the Indiamen / Sails to Rails 1835: Providence's First Train Station
Union Station
University Hall
Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial
Wall of Hope
Washington Street
Water Works
Welcome to India Point Park
Wilkinson Mill
William Gilbane
Witness to History
Women of Woonsocket
Woonasquatucket River
Woonsocket Civil War Memorial
Woonsocket Civil War Monument
Woonsocket Spanish-American War Monument
Woonsocket Veterans Monument
Woonsocket YMCA
World War I Memorial
World War I Memorial
World War I Monument
World War II Memorial
About Providence County
Providence County Timeline
Providence County, located in the state of Rhode Island, has a rich and storied history that spans several centuries. The area was originally inhabited by the Narragansett Native American tribe before European colonization began in the 17th century. In 1636, Roger Williams founded the settlement of Providence, which would become the capital city of Rhode Island and the county seat of Providence County.
During the 18th century, Providence County experienced rapid industrial growth. The region became a major center for manufacturing, particularly in textiles, which helped fuel the Industrial Revolution in America. Mills and factories sprang up along the banks of the Blackstone River, utilizing its water power. This economic expansion led to an influx of immigrants, including Irish and Italian populations, who played a significant role in the area's cultural diversity.
Providence County played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. It was the site of important military actions such as the burning of the British revenue cutter Gaspee in 1772, a famous act of resistance against British authority. The county also supplied troops for the Continental Army, and notable figures like General Nathanael Greene, a trusted aide of George Washington, hailed from the area.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Providence County continued to thrive industrially and economically. It became a center for innovation in fields like jewelry manufacturing and machine tool production. Additionally, the county witnessed significant social advancements, such as the establishment of institutions for higher education, including Brown University in Providence.
Today, Providence County remains a vibrant and diverse region. Its rich history is showcased through numerous museums, historic sites, and cultural events. The county's legacy as an industrial and cultural hub continues to shape its identity and contribute to Rhode Island's overall heritage.
During the 18th century, Providence County experienced rapid industrial growth. The region became a major center for manufacturing, particularly in textiles, which helped fuel the Industrial Revolution in America. Mills and factories sprang up along the banks of the Blackstone River, utilizing its water power. This economic expansion led to an influx of immigrants, including Irish and Italian populations, who played a significant role in the area's cultural diversity.
Providence County played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. It was the site of important military actions such as the burning of the British revenue cutter Gaspee in 1772, a famous act of resistance against British authority. The county also supplied troops for the Continental Army, and notable figures like General Nathanael Greene, a trusted aide of George Washington, hailed from the area.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Providence County continued to thrive industrially and economically. It became a center for innovation in fields like jewelry manufacturing and machine tool production. Additionally, the county witnessed significant social advancements, such as the establishment of institutions for higher education, including Brown University in Providence.
Today, Providence County remains a vibrant and diverse region. Its rich history is showcased through numerous museums, historic sites, and cultural events. The county's legacy as an industrial and cultural hub continues to shape its identity and contribute to Rhode Island's overall heritage.
Providence County Timeline
This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Providence County, Rhode Island.
- 1636: Providence County was founded by Roger Williams when he purchased land from the Narragansett tribe.
- 1643: Providence Plantations, including Providence County, joined the New England Confederation.
- 1703: Providence County was officially established as one of three counties in the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
- 1780: The Rhode Island General Assembly divided Providence County into five separate towns: Providence, Pawtucket, Cumberland, and Smithfield.
- 1804: The city of Providence was officially incorporated as a separate municipality within Providence County.
- 1831: The city of Pawtucket was officially incorporated as a separate municipality within Providence County.
- 1868: The town of East Providence was separated from the city of Providence and incorporated as a separate municipality.
- 1871: Burrillville was separated from Glocester and became a separate town in Providence County.
- 1910: Woonsocket was incorporated as a city within Providence County.
- 1972: Foster and Scituate were transferred from Providence County to neighboring Kent County.
- 1986: The town of Smithfield was expanded to include the former town of Georgiaville.