Lincoln was set off from Smithfield and incorporated as a Rhode Island town in 1871. Lincoln preserves in a rural setting, the homes of some of Rhode Island's first white settlers and the remains of small-scale industrialization. The earliest settlement in Lincoln took place about 1650. The area now constituting the City of Central Falls was once part of Lincoln, but it was separated and incorporated as a separate entity in 1895. The Great Road (Rte. 123), which extends between the villages of Saylesville and Limerock, following the course of the Moshassuck River, presents in a .6 mile stretch a series of structures ranging from the 17TH to the 19TH Centuries that is little interrupted by modern intrusions. Manufacturing is the principal source of income today in Lincoln. Jewelry, silverware and primary metals are the leading manufacturing groups, but recent years have shown a trend toward increased diversification, with the advent and growth of newer industries.
Government in Lincoln, Rhode Island:
Lincoln was Established in 1650, Incorporated in 1871 Lincoln Form of Government: Elected Town Administrator and five member Town Council with Home Rule Charter. Lincoln Council Meetings: The third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm. Financial Town Meeting held the second Monday in May. Lincoln Fiscal Year Begins: July 1
Lincoln Town Hall 100 Old River Road Lincoln, Rhode Island 02865 FAX: 333-3648 Hours: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Fourth Monday of each month from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Lincoln General Demographic Characteristics
Lincoln Population: The population count for The Town of Lincoln as of April 1, 2005, was 20,898. This represented a 15.81% increase (2,853 persons) from the 1990 population of 18,045.
Lincoln Rank: In 2005 Lincoln ranks 17th in population among Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.
Lincoln Median Age: In 2005 the median age of the population in Lincoln was 39.8.
Lincoln Age Distribution: In 2005, 75.3% or 15,741 persons residing in Lincoln were 18 years of age or older. 15,178 were 21 and over, 3,982 were 62 and over, and 3,444 were 65 and over.
Lincoln Population Density: The 2005 population density of Lincoln is 1,147 persons per square mile of land area. Lincoln contains 18.23 square miles of land area (47,207,014 Sq. meters) (11,665.20 acres) and 0.72 square miles of water area (1,872,728 square meters) (460.8 acres).
Lincoln Housing Units: The total number of housing units in the The Town of Lincoln as of April 1, 2005, was 8,508. This represented an increase of 1,227 units from the 7,281 housing units in 1990. Of the 8,508 housing units 265 were vacant. 36 of the vacant units were for seasonal of recreational use.
Lincoln Households: In 2005, there are 8,243 households in Lincoln with an average size of 2.51 persons. Of these, 5,775 were family households with an average family size of 3.05 persons.
Lincoln Race: > Lincoln Total Population of One Race: 20,661 > Lincoln White Population: 19,967 > Lincoln Black of African American: 176 > Lincoln American Indian and Alaska Native: 16 > Lincoln Asian Population: 366 > Lincoln Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 2 > Some Other Race in Lincoln : 134 > Lincoln Total Population of two or More Races: 237 > Lincoln Hispanic or Latino: In 2005, 343 persons of Hispanic origin resided in Lincoln. This represented 1.6% of the population. An increase of 160 or 87.4% from the 1980 Hispanic population of 183.
