Seekonk, Massachusetts Seekonk, Massachusetts Seekonk Town Hall Seekonk Town Hall Seekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Massachusetts border.
Until 1862, the town of Seekonk also encompassed what is now the City of East Providence, Rhode Island.
The territory in the half of the town was given to Rhode Island by the United States Supreme Court as part of a longstanding boundary dispute with Massachusetts. The earliest known inhabitants of Seekonk were Native Americans from the Wampanoag Tribe.
The region now known as Seekonk and Rehoboth provided agricultural and water resources with abundant food supplies.
In the winter months the Natives lived inland, including a several locations in Seekonk.
At one time there were three Native American villages in the region we now call Seekonk.
In 1641, the small-town Native Americans had granted a large part of modern-day Seekonk to purchasers from Hingham, including Edward Gilman Sr., Joseph Peck, John Leavitt and others. In 1653 Ossamequin and his son Wamsetto, also known as Alexander to the English, signed a deed granting the territory that is now Seekonk and the encircling communities to Thomas Willitt, Myles Standish and Josiah Winslow.
Three of the earliest English men to settle in the region now known as Seekonk and Providence were William Blackstone, Roger Williams and Samuel Newman.
Accounts of Town Meetings amid these years communicate just how contentious deciding what was best for this region could be.
Boundary disputes were common and the territory that is now Rehoboth, East Providence, Pawtucket and Seekonk was claimed by both Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
In 1812 the border disputes were settled by the courts and the present town of Seekonk was incorporated.
Two industrialized villages advanced to supplement the agricultural economy, with such businesses as the Rumford Chemical Works, but what had been the industrialized area of the town in the late 18th and early 19th century was lost when East Providence was incorporated in 1862 taking half of the town's territory, two-thirds of its valuation and more than two-thirds of its population.
With the opening of the Providence and Taunton street stockyards in 1891, Seekonk became increasingly a residentiary suburb of Providence.
Developers have turned the farms into housing divisions and Seekonk is used largely as a suburban home improve for citizens who work in the Rhode Island and Boston areas.
It is now well known for its retail region along Route 6, which includes a movie multiplex, many different chain stores and restaurants, Seekonk Speedway, a 1/3 mile oval track positioned along Route 6, as well as Seekonk Grand Prix, with multiple amusement rides and miniature golf.
Although there has been a great deal of building in Seekonk since the Wampanoags first lived here one can still see many of the "black" Canada geese which give the town its name.
On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, a massive fire broke out at the Attleboro Dye and Finishing Plant in a neighborhood in North Seekonk.
According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town has a total region of 18.4 square miles (48 km2), of which, 18.3 square miles (47 km2) of it is territory and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it is water.
It is bordered by Rehoboth to the east, Barrington, Rhode Island and Swansea to the south, East Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island to the west, and Attleboro to the north.
Much of the populace is concentrated in two areas; one, the Lebanon Mills and Perrins Crossing neighborhoods in the north, and the other, the southern neighborhoods of Luthers Corners and South Seekonk, mostly positioned between Interstate 195 and Route 44.
Seekonk is just five miles (8 km) east of Providence, Rhode Island, and is 48 miles (77 km) southwest of Boston.
The Town lies inside two watershed areas, the Ten Mile River Watershed and the Narragansett Bay Watershed.
The town can be accessed through one interstate, I-195, as well as Route 6, Route 44, Route 152 and Route 114 - A.
Seekonk has its own exit on I-195, Massachusetts Exit 1, Route 114 - A, which provides easy access to Route 6 to the south and Route 44 to the north.
Route 152, while not connected to any other state route in town, is a primary route running between East Providence and Attleboro.
Source: United States Enumeration records and Population Estimates Program data. The ethnic makeup of the town was 96.57% White, 0.52% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other competitions, and 1.18% from two or more competitions.
In the town, the populace was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older.
On the state level, Seekonk is part of the Fourth Bristol state representative district, including Rehoboth and parts of Norton and Swansea, and the Bristol and Norton state senatorial district, including part of the town/city of Attleboro and all or parts of the suburbs of Dover, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Sharon and Walpole.
Seekonk's state representative is Steve Howitt representing the 4th Bristol District.
Seekonk is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks (located in Middleborough) of the Massachusetts State Police.
On the nationwide level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Joe Kennedy.
Seekonk is governed by an open town meeting led by a board of selectmen.
The town has a central police station, led by Chief Craig Mace, on Route 44, and a central postal service at the corner of Routes 44 and 114 - A.
The Seekonk Public Library is positioned near the center of town along Route 152.
The Seekonk Fire Department provides all fire and paramedic services to the town.
Seekonk Fire Department Company No.
Seekonk has its own enhance school system, with four active schools.
Hurley Middle School, recently retitled for a prominent town educator, is positioned along Route 152 and serves the entire town's 6th through 8th undertaking population.
Seekonk High School is positioned near the center of town.
Seekonk is the southernmost member of the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School district, which is centered in Franklin.
High school students may also choose to attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, or any of a number of theological schools in the encircling communities (the closest school in-state being Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro).
"Massive fire damages vacant Seekonk, Mass.
"Massive fire burns in abandoned Seekonk building".
"TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Enumeration Summary File 1".
"1990 Enumeration of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF).
"1980 Enumeration of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF).
"1950 Enumeration of Population" (PDF).
"1920 Enumeration of Population" (PDF).
"1890 Enumeration of the Population" (PDF).
"1870 Enumeration of the Population" (PDF).
Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.
Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.
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Town of Seekonk Municipalities and communities of Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Categories:
Seekonk, Massachusetts - Towns in Bristol County, Massachusetts - Providence urbane region - Towns in Massachusetts - 1812 establishments in Massachusetts
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