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The territory, which in 1862 became the town of East Providence was in the mainstream of early American history. The original settlement and development of the area take us back to two of the most famous movements in our history - the coming of the Pilgrims to Plymouth, and the Puritans to the Boston area. Both groups contributed settlers, ideas, and disagreements to the early history of East Providence. East Providence was first settled in 1636. Earlier in that year, Roger Williams and his followers were banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded a new community called "Seacunke", (Seekonk). Shortly thereafter Roger Williams and his group were informed by the Governor that their land was within territorial limits claimed by the colony of Massachusetts. Williams' party quickly departed and settled nearby, starting what would eventually become the City of Providence. In 1862, when East Providence was incorporated as a part of Rhode Island, many older residents of East Providence could boast of having lived in 3 towns and 2 states without ever having moved. In 1862 the westerly part of Seekonk was annexed to Rhode Island and incorporated as a town, which was named East Providence. Thus, settling the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Boundary question. East Providence proximity to Providence, and strong ties with Rhode Island, made this action inevitable. The city of East Providence is situated between the urban center of Rhode Island and rural southeastern Massachusetts. A large proportion of the city is bordered by bodies of water: The Seekonk and Providence Rivers to the west, Narragansett Bay to the south, and the Running and Ten Mile Rivers (including the James V. Turner Reservoir and Central Pond) along most of its eastern border. The land east of the Seekonk River was occupied by the Wampanoag Indians. Their villages were not permanent, but were moved with seasonal and agricultural changes. The Indian civilization nearly vanished by the turn of the eighteenth century, but had left East Providence with two legacies: the names Wampanoag and Sachem are used for everything from shopping areas to country clubs, and Indian trails have formed major present day transportation routes. Today, East Providence is a growing city with easy accessibility. Its modern development has been attributed to its central location on an available waterway, its modern highway and railroad routes, and to the suburban outgrowth from the City of Providence. East Providence, Rhode Island GovernmentEast Providence was Established in 1812, Incorporated in 1958 East Providence City Hall East Providence General Demographic Characteristics
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