PROVIDENCE (ante), is the principal port of entryand one of the capitals of Rhode Island, and the shire town of Providence county. It. was incorporated as a town in 1640, and as a city in 1832. During the 140 years after its settlement the town increased slowly, and in 1770 the population was only 4,355; but after the close of the revolution it began to increase steadily. By the last census, 1880, its population was 104,852. The city is a place of much wealth, the center of a large manufacturing district, turd has an extensive trade, especially in cloths, chemicals, dyestuffs, coal, etc. Its manufactures include cotton and woolen goods, iron, gold, and silver wares, and nnmerous other articles. During 1875 the value of the products of woolen manufactures wits 84,291,573; of the cotton manufactures. $1,874,300; of calico prints, $3,850,828; and of won manufactures, $8,488,402. The manufacture of jewelry, however, is the most extensive industry in the city, the annual product being about $5,000,000. The iron manufactures inchale steam engines and boilers, butt-hinges, screws, locomotives, muskets, iron castings, and others of less importance. There are also several bleaching and establish ments, and manufactories of alarm tills, toilet and laundry soaps, ribbons, etc. The commerce of the city is confined chiefly to the coasting trade. For the year ending in June, 1875, the exports amounted to $23,086 and the imports to $566,459. Some of the receipts by vessels and railroad were: cotton, 249,897 bales; flour, 345,440 barrels; grain, 2,107.000 bushels; and coal, 691,847 tons. Of the railroads which connect the
city with the principal points in New England, the most important are the Boston and Providence, the Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill, the Providence and Springfield, the Providence and Stonington, the Providence and Worcester, and the Fall River, Warren, and Providence. Steamboat lines connect the city with New York, Phila delphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, and Charleston.
The charitable institutions are numerous and well supported, and the incorporated educational institutions, as well as the public schools, have a high character. In 1874 there were 70 public schools, having 325 teachers, and a regular attendance of 12,439 pupils. The city is the seat of Brown university.(q.v.) The religious organizations include 13 Raptist, 2 Christian, 7 Congregational, 12 Episcopal, 1 Evangelical Lutheran, 5 Free Baptist, 1 Friends, 2 Jewish. 10 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 10 Roman Catholic, 3 Unitarian, and 2 Universalist.
The city is divided into 10 wards, and its government is vested in a mayor, with one alderman and 4 councilmen from each ward. The valuation of real estate in 1874 was $81,040,300; personal estate, $12.642,500; rate of tax, $14.50 per $1000; amount of tax, $1,793,403. The city's expenditures during 1874 were $7,505,590, of which 130,158.354 were classed as extraordinary, leaving a balance in the treasury of $462,643. At that time the funded debt amounted to $5,400,000, and the floating debt, $2,043,800.