Woonsocket

Related Category: U.S. Political Geography

(wnsŏk´ĭt, wn–), city (1990 pop. 43,877), Providence co., N R.I., on both sides of the Blackstone River; settled c.1666, set off from Cumberland 1867, inc. as a city 1888. The demise of the textile industry, which long shaped the city, has hurt its economy. Worsted weaving and package dyeing are still carried on; more contemporary manufactures are electronic equipment, plastics, and sporting goods. Of interest are the river falls in the center of the city and the unusual potholes worn by swirling stones in the riverbed. Also in Woonsocket are a library in which Abraham Lincoln spoke (1860) and the John Arnold House (1712).