Washington County, Rhode Island Explained

County:Washington County
State:Rhode Island
Founded Date:June 3
Founded Year:1729 (Took its current name on October 29, 1781)
Seat Wl:South Kingstown
Largest City Wl:South Kingstown
City Type:town
Area Total Sq Mi:563
Area Land Sq Mi:329
Area Water Sq Mi:234
Area Percentage:41%
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:129839
Population Density Sq Mi:830
District:2nd
Time Zone:Eastern
Ex Image:Washington County Courthouse (Rhode Island).jpg

Washington County, known locally as South County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,839.[1] Rhode Island counties have no governmental functions other than as court administrative boundaries, which are part of the state government.[2]

History

The area today known as Washington County was part of the ancestral lands of the Narragansett Indian Tribe. During the second half of the 17th Century, about a dozen English colonists from Newport and Massachusetts colonies moved to the area to establish farms; the larger of these were known as "Narragansett Planters."[3]

By the mid-18th century, there were 25 to 30 large plantations in the county, and their owners became very wealthy. The labor for these farms came from enslaved people; it is estimated that about 15% and 25% of Washington County’s population was enslaved.

Washington County was created as Kings County in 1729 within the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed Washington County on October 29, 1781, in honor of George Washington. At the earliest stage of colonial settlement, the area was called "The Narragansett Country", named after the Naragansett tribe and its tributary tribe the Niantics, both of whom lived in the area.

Early land purchases in the Narragansett Country were effected by settlers after the establishment of Indian trading posts at Fort Neck in Charlestown, and at Smith's Castle in Wickford. A series of conflicts involving the Manisseans on Block Island gave that island to the Massachusetts Bay Colony for a number of years, before being transferred to the Rhode Island Colony under Newport County, and then finally to Washington County in 1959.

The borders of the Narragansett country were disputed for nearly 100 years among the colonies of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Narragansetts had pledged their fealty to King Charles, and the area was known as "The King's Province" and was placed under the authority of Rhode Island "until the King's pleasure was further known". In 1664, a royal commission under Charles II stepped in to adjudicate these conflicting claims. The commission extinguished the claims of Massachusetts, and Rhode Island was granted jurisdiction until the commission finished processing Connecticut's appeals, which were not ended until 1726. Settlements of King's Province were named to reflect the English Restoration, in honor of King Charles II. Towns reflecting this history include the two Kingstowns and Charlestown, as well as the villages of Kingston and West Kingston.

Washington County is also known in Rhode Island as "South County",[4] [5] though some definitions of South County include outside towns, such as East Greenwich in neighboring Kent County, and exclude towns within Washington County, such as New Shoreham.[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (41%) is water.[7] It is the largest county in Rhode Island by total area. The county's topography ranges from flat along the shoreline to gently rolling hills farther inland. The highest point is a large area approximately 560feet above sea level in the Exeter neighborhood of Black Plain;[8] the lowest point is sea level along the coast. The northern boundary west of Davisville is approximately 41.60°N. The western boundary north of Westerly is approximately 71.79°W.

National protected areas

Major highways

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 126,979 people, 49,177 households, and 32,297 families residing in the county.[9] The population density was . There were 62,206 housing units at an average density of .[10] The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% white, 1.6% Asian, 1.2% black or African American, 0.9% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population.[9]

The largest ancestry groups were:[11]

Of the 49,177 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.3% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 42.3 years.[9]

The median income for a household in the county was $70,285 and the median income for a family was $87,999. Males had a median income of $59,598 versus $44,851 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,737. About 3.4% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other villages

Politics

Similar to other counties in Rhode Island, Washington County votes Democratic in presidential elections, having last voted Republican in 1984.|}

See also

External links

41.39°N -71.62°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census - Geography Profile: Washington County, Rhode Island. United States Census Bureau. November 20, 2021.
  2. Web site: National Associations of Counties listing for Washington County, Rhode Island. naco.org. May 6, 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20030507051009/http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_county&Template=%2Fcffiles%2Fcounties%2Fcounty.cfm&id=44009. May 7, 2003.
  3. Web site: What did southern Rhode Island’s Colonial economy look like? . Slavery in Southern Rhode Island . South County History Center . February 19, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240219143436/http://southcountyhistorycenter.org/slavery-southern-rhode-island . February 19, 2024.
  4. Web site: South County isn't an official Rhode Island county. So why does everyone call it that? . March 26, 2024 . The Providence Journal . en-US.
  5. Web site: About South County.
  6. Web site: Towns . South County RI . February 27, 2022.
  7. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 14, 2015. August 22, 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304135829/http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_44.txt. March 4, 2016.
  8. 41.5858°N -71.6544°W
  9. Web site: DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data . January 12, 2016. . https://archive.today/20200213021038/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US44009 . February 13, 2020. dead .
  10. Web site: Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County . January 12, 2016. . https://archive.today/20200213190303/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US44009 . February 13, 2020. dead .
  11. Web site: DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates . January 12, 2016. . https://archive.today/20200213033702/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US44009 . February 13, 2020. dead .
  12. Web site: DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates . January 12, 2016. . https://archive.today/20200213035059/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US44009 . February 13, 2020. dead .