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Pawtucket (RI)

City of Pawtucket
City
Downtown across the Blackstone River
Downtown across the Blackstone River
Motto: Rhode Island's Creative Community
Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island.
Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island.
Coordinates: 41°52′33″N 71°22′37″W / 41.87583°N 71.37694°W / 41.87583; -71.37694
Country United States
State Rhode Island
County Providence
Founded (town) 1671
Incorporated (city) 1886
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
 • Mayor Donald R. Grebien (D)
 • City Council Sandra C. Cano (D)
Thomas E. Hodge (D)
Lorenzo C. Tetreault (D)
David P. Moran (D)
Mark J. Wildenhain (D)
Terrence E. Mercer (D)
John J. Barry, III (D)
Mary E. Bray (D)
Timothy P. Rudd, Jr. (D)
Area
 • Total 9.00 sq mi (23.31 km2)
 • Land 8.7 sq mi (22.6 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 71,148
 • Density 8,177.9/sq mi (3,148.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02860–02862
Area code(s) 401
FIPS code 44-54640
GNIS feature ID 1218926
Website www.pawtucketri.com

Pawtucket /pəˈtʌkɪt/ is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.

Pawtucket borders Providence, Rhode Island and the state of Massachusetts.

The name "Pawtucket" comes from the Algonquian word for "river fall."

The Pawtucket region was said to have been one of the most populous places in New England prior to the arrival of European settlers.Native Americans would gather here to take advantage of the salmon and smaller fish which gathered at the falls. The first European settler here was Joseph Jenckes, who came to the region from Lynn, Massachusetts. He purchased about 60 acres near Pawtucket Falls in 1671. He established a sawmill and forge. These, along with the entire town, were later destroyed during King Philip's War.

Other settlers followed Jencks, and by 1775 the area was home to manufacturers of muskets, linseed oil, potash, and ship building. Also around this time Oziel Wilkinson and his family set up an iron forge making anchors, nails, screws, farm implements, and even canons.

Jencks House

Map of Pawtucket, Massachusetts, July 1848

Walcott Brothers' factory in 1855

The Pawtucket Times Building


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