Cranston, originally a part of Providence, was settled in 1638, by friends of Roger Williams known as the Pawtuxet Purchasers, among them William Arnold, the father of Benedict Arnold of Newport. In 1754, it separated from Providence and became a town. The City of Cranston was organized in 1910. Similar to the adjoining City of Warwick, the early growth of Cranston was due to the development of the textile and other industries along the Pawtuxet River, which provided water power. Western Cranston has become more desirable in recent years for both residential and industrial development. This is primarily due to the completion of Route 295 and the installation of sanitary sewers in the area. A small village wedged between the cities of Cranston and Warwick, the Pawtuxet Village section of Cranston is one of the oldest communities in Rhode Island. Pawtuxet Cove was an ideal harbor, and the falls in the Pawtuxet River provided water-power. The first village of Pawtuxet was a major casualty of King Philip's War, being completely destroyed by fire in an Indian attack on January 12, 1676. It was quickly rebuilt, and by the time of the Revolution, Pawtuxet was a busy seaport.
In the 19th Century the falls provided water power for a burgeoning Cranston textile industry, and in the early 20th Century, Pawtuxet became known as a fine summer resort. Despite the industrial development of surrounding areas, the center of Pawtuxet Village remains an identifiable community of Colonial and Victorian homes. Today the City of Cranston is one of the major commercial and industrial areas of Rhode Island. The manufacture of jewelry, food, combined metals and machinery are the largest employers in Cranston.
Government in Cranston, Rhode Island:
Cranston was Established in 1754, Incorporated in 1910 Cranston Form of Government: Mayor and nine member Council. Cranston Council Meetings: The fourth Monday of each month at 7 pm. Cranston Fiscal Year Begins: July 1
Cranston City Hall 869 Park Avenue Cranston, Rhode Island 02910 Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Cranston General Demographic Characteristics
Cranston Population: The population count for The City of Cranston as of April 1, 2005, was 79,269. This represented a 4.22% increase (3,209 persons) from the 1990 population of 76,060.
Cranston Rank: In 2005 Cranston ranks 3rd in population among Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.
Cranston Median Age: In 2005 the median age of the population in Cranston was 39.
Age Distribution: In 2000, 78.4% or 62,171 persons residing in Cranston were 18 years of age or older. 59,415 were 21 and over, 15,443 were 62 and over, and 13,711 were 65 and over.
Cranston Population Density: The 2005 population density of Cranston is 2,775 persons per square mile of land area. Cranston contains 28.57 square miles of land area (73,994,174 Sq. meters) (18,284.50 acres) and 1.36 square miles of water area (3,528,990 square meters) (870.4 acres).
Cranston Housing Units: The total number of housing units in the The City of Cranston as of April 1, 2005, was 32,068. This represented an increase of 1,552 units from the 30,516 housing units in 1990.Of the 32,068 housing units 1,114 were vacant. 100 of the vacant units were for seasonal of recreational use.
Cranston Households: In 2005, there are 30,954 households in Cranston with an average size of 2.41 persons. Of these, 20,238 were family households with an average family size of 3.01 persons.
Cranston Race:
Cranston total Population of One Race: 78,025
Cranston White Population: 70,703
Cranston Black of African American: 2,926
Cranston American Indian and Alaska Native: 236
Cranston Asian Population: 2,599
Cranston Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 33
Some Other Race in Cranston : 1,528
Cranston Total Population of two or More Races: 1,244
Cranston Hispanic or Latino: In 2005, 3,613 persons of Hispanic origin resided in Cranston. This represented 4.6% of the population. An increase of 2,081 or 135.8% from the 1980 Hispanic population of 1,532.
