Foster, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Providence County
Providence County, Rhode Island
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 621,602 people, 239,936 households, and 152,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,504 people per square mile . There were 253,214 housing units at an average density of 613 per square mile...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,606 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
History
Foster was originally settled in the 17th century by British colonists as a farming community. In the year 1662, Kim Shangraw, William Vaughan, Zachariah Rhodes, and Robert Wescott, purchased of the Indians a large tract of land called West Quanaug, bordering on Providence. The 'West Quanaug purchase', consisted of nearly the whole southern half of the town of Foster. The first settler was allegedly Ezekiel Hopkins. Many settlers from Newport were active in the town in the 18th century. Shortly before the incorporation of the town, Foster's first church, a Calvinist Baptist congregation was founded. Shortly afterwards, Six Principle Baptist and Free Will Baptist congregations were founded.Foster was incorporated with Scituate
Scituate, Rhode Island
Scituate is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,329 at the 2010 census.-History:Scituate was first settled in 1710 by emigrants from Scituate, Massachusetts...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in 1730, forming the western section of that township, and remained part of Scituate until 1781, when it was split off as a distinct and separate township. Foster derived its name, from U.S. Senator Theodore Foster
Theodore Foster
Theodore Foster was an American politician. He was a member of the Federalist Party and later the National Republican Party. He served as one of the first two United States Senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate...
. Mr. Foster presented the town with a library. Some of the library's original books and town records are still preserved. U.S. Senator Nelson Aldrich was born in Foster in 1841. Senator Aldrich was instrumental in starting the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
was active in the area, and one of the largest Klan rallies in the state was held in Foster on the Old Home Day grounds in 1924 with 8,000 in attendance and U.S. Senator J. Thomas Heflin
J. Thomas Heflin
James Thomas Heflin , nicknamed "Cotton Tom", was a leading proponent of white supremacy, most notably as a United States Senator from Alabama.-Biography:...
of Alabama speaking.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 51.9 square miles (134.4 km²), of which, 51.1 square miles (132.3 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.41%) is water. Foster contains Rhode Island's highest point, Jerimoth Hill
Jerimoth Hill
Jerimoth Hill is the name of the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, at 812 feet above sea level. It was once one of the most controversial U.S. highpoints due to property complications, but it is now accessible to the public 7 days a week 8AM to 4PM...
, with an elevation of 248 m (812 ft).
Famous residents
- Theodore FosterTheodore FosterTheodore Foster was an American politician. He was a member of the Federalist Party and later the National Republican Party. He served as one of the first two United States Senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate...
— U.S. Senator, the town is named after him. - Solomon DrowneSolomon DrowneDr. Solomon Drowne was a prominent American physician, academic and surgeon during the American Revolution and in the history of the fledgling United States.- Early life :...
— Physician, author, close friend of Foster. He lived on a farm called Mount Hygeia. - Nelson Aldrich — U.S. Senator, father of Abby Rockefeller.
- Lucinda Landon - Author of the "Meg Mackintosh" Children's book series.
- H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
— author, lived on Johnson Road, the historic house has since burned down. - Mark Picard — author of the Ultraquest series.
Demographics
Foster's Capt. Isaac Paine Elementary School, has the top spot for reading proficiency according to the New England Common Assessment Program, or NECAP, exams. 82 percent of its students attained proficiency, the state leader in that testing category.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,274 people, 1,535 households, and 1,198 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 83.6 people per square mile (32.3/km²). There were 1,578 housing units at an average density of 30.9 per square mile (11.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.26% White, 0.21% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.
There were 1,535 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $59,673, and the median income for a family was $63,657. Males had a median income of $39,808 versus $30,632 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $22,148. About 1.5% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
Foster is home to the Foster Town House. Built in 1796 and in use to this day, the Foster Town House is the oldest government meeting house of its type in the United States. Foster also contains one of Rhode Island's only two covered bridges, known as the Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge (the other is located on Ponaganset High School's Cross Country Course in North Scituate). Built in 1994 by Jed Dixon, a Foster resident, it is a reproduction of an early-19th-century specimen. Jerimoth HillJerimoth Hill
Jerimoth Hill is the name of the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, at 812 feet above sea level. It was once one of the most controversial U.S. highpoints due to property complications, but it is now accessible to the public 7 days a week 8AM to 4PM...
, the highest point of elevation in Rhode Island, is located in Foster.
Foster is home to the most scenic part of the North South Trail. Along the trail you can see the remnants of the Thomas O' Wagon Wheel Shop which was later converted to a shingle mill in 1919.
Historic Places in Foster
- Foster Center Historic District
- Breezy Hill Site (RI-957)Breezy Hill Site (RI-957)Breezy Hill Site is an historic site in Foster, Rhode Island.Breezy Hill contains various pre-historic archaeological evidence and Native American artifacts. The site was added to the National Historic Register in 1985....
- Clayville Historic DistrictClayville Historic DistrictClayville Historic District is a historic district in Foster and Scituate, Rhode Island. It is bounded by Cole Avenue, Plainfield Pike, Field Hill Road, and Victory Highway....
- Capt. George Dorrance HouseCapt. George Dorrance HouseThe Captain George Dorrance House is an historic house located at Jencks Road in Foster, Rhode Island.The house was constructed in 1720 and added to the National Historic Register on March 16, 1972....
(1720) - Moosup Valley Historic DistrictMoosup Valley Historic DistrictThe Moosup Valley Historic District is a historic district in Foster, Rhode Island near Harrington, Johnson, Moosup Valley, Barb Hill and Cucumber Hill Roads....
- Mount Vernon TavernMount Vernon TavernThe Mount Vernon Tavern is an historic structure in Foster, Rhode Island.The tavern was constructed in the 18th century and added to the National Historic Register in 1974. It also was known as the Bank House Tavern....
(1761) - Mt. HygeiaMt. HygeiaMt. Hygeia is an historic farm in Foster, Rhode Island that was home to Dr. Solomon Drowne.-History:...
(1808) - Hopkins Mill Historic District