Lincoln, Rhode Island

Lincoln, Rhode Island
Town

Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island.
Coordinates: 41°55′16″N 71°26′6″W / 41.92111°N 71.43500°WCoordinates: 41°55′16″N 71°26′6″W / 41.92111°N 71.43500°W
Country United States
State Rhode Island
County Providence
Government[1]
 • Type Elected administrator-council w/ Financial Town Meeting
Area
 • Total 18.9 sq mi (49.1 km2)
 • Land 18.2 sq mi (47.2 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (1.9 km2)
Elevation 249 ft (76 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 21,105
 • Density 1,159.6/sq mi (447.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 02802, 02865, 02838
Area code(s) 401
FIPS code 44-41500[2]
GNIS feature ID 1220074[3]

Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 21,105 at the 2010 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence.

Lincoln was settled in the 17th century and several colonial stone-enders still exist in the town.[4] Lincoln Woods State Park is located within the town. The Hassaquansett tribe originally inhabited the area.[5]

Limestone quarrying has occurred there since colonial times at the village of Lime Rock. Lincoln was a part of the town of Smithfield until 1871, when it was split off and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln became an important mill town in the late 19th century, with many textile factories running along the Blackstone River. Lincoln's villages include Manville, Albion, Lime Rock, Londsdale, Fairlawn, Quinnville, and Saylesville.

Very recently, the town was ranked #63 in Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live".

Lincoln is in the lower Blackstone Valley of Rhode Island and in the John H. Chafee, Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, New England's historic National Park area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.9 square miles (49 km2), of which, 18.2 square miles (47 km2) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it (3.80%) is water.

Lincoln is home to Lincoln Woods State Park and Twin River Casino (formerly a racetrack known as Lincoln Downs and Lincoln Park).

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 20,898 people, 8,243 households, and 5,778 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,146.6 people per square mile (442.6/km²). There were 8,508 housing units at an average density of 466.8 per square mile (180.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.55% White, 0.84% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.64% of the population.

There were 8,243 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,815, and the median income for a family was $61,257. Males had a median income of $41,508 versus $30,089 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,779. About 3.9% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

National Historic Register sites

Arnold House, 1691, Lincoln, Rhode Island

Economy and Infrastructure

Education

Lincoln School Department has three early learning centers (Pre-K) at Lonsdale, Central, and Northern Elementary. In total there are four elementary schools (Full day K-5): Saylesville Elementary School, Lonsdale Elementary School, Central Elementary School, and Northern Lincoln Elementary School. Lincoln has one Middle School, and one high school, Lincoln Senior High School. Their mascot is a lion. At one point, the middle and high school shared one campus, but in 2006 a new middle school was opened on Jenckes Hill Road. The high school, in desperate need of additional classrooms, expanded into the former middle school area. The Community College of Rhode Island's Flanagan Campus is situated in Lincoln.

Healthcare

Lincoln is home to the Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC), which performs thousands of radiotherapy reviews per year. QARC's primary support comes from federal grants at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and contracts with the pharmaceutical industry. It receives radiotherapy data from approximately 1,000 hospitals in both the United States and abroad.[6] The center maintains a strategic affiliation with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is located along the George Washington Highway.

Business

Lincoln is also home to the Amica Mutual Insurance Company. Founded in 1907, it moved to Lincoln in 1994, after first being located in both Boston and Providence. The company mostly underwrites policies for property and casualty insurance, which includes automobiles, homeowners, and personal liabilities. Lincoln is also home to A. T. Cross, a world famous pen company since 1846.

References

  1. ↑ Town Charter
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ↑ http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/arnold.htm Eleazer Arnold House
  5. ↑ Jones, Charles. "Indigenous populations.". Demography of Early Rhode Island Inhabitants. McGall Hill. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "History". Quality Assurance Review Center. Retrieved 2007-01-20.

External links

Wikisource has the text of a 1921 Collier's Encyclopedia article about Lincoln, Rhode Island.