Bristol, Rhode Island

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Town of Bristol, Rhode Island
—  Town  —
Bristol Harbor
Location of Bristol in Bristol County, Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°41′3″N 71°16′7″W / 41.68417°N 71.26861°W / 41.68417; -71.26861Coordinates: 41°41′3″N 71°16′7″W / 41.68417°N 71.26861°W / 41.68417; -71.26861
Country United States
State Rhode Island
County Bristol
Incorporated 1746
Government
 - Type Council-manager
 - Town Administrator Diane C. Mederos (D) RI
Area
 - Total 20.6 sq mi (53.4 km2)
 - Land 10.1 sq mi (26.2 km2)
 - Water 10.5 sq mi (27.2 km2)
Elevation 131 ft (40 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 22,469
 - Density 2,222.5/sq mi (858.1/km2)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02809
Area code(s) 401
FIPS code 44-09280[1]
GNIS feature ID 1220083[2]
Demonym Bristolian ("brihs-TOH-lee-an")
Website www.bristolri.us

Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States.[3] The population was 22,469 at the 2000 census. Bristol, a deep water seaport, is named after Bristol, England.

Bristol gained national fame, despite its small size, as a result of claiming to have the oldest consecutive Independence Day celebrations in the United States, earning Bristol its nickname, "America's most patriotic town". This claim is also held by New Pekin, Indiana.

Bristol's diverse heritage is influenced by a strong Portuguese-American presence, mostly Azorean, as well as a significant Italian-American presence. Major industries include boat building (and related marine industries), manufacturing and tourism. The town's school system is united with neighboring Warren, Rhode Island.

Contents

[edit] History

The first battle of King Philip's War took place here in 1675; although Philip was eventually defeated, a variant of his Indian name, "Metacomet", is now the name of a main road in Bristol, "Metacom" Avenue (RI Route 136).

King Philip also made nearby Mount Hope (Montaup) his base of operations. "King Philip's Chair", a rocky ledge on the mountain, was a lookout site for enemy ships on Mount Hope Bay. After that war concluded, the town was settled in 1680 as part of the Plymouth Colony. It was presumably named after Bristol, England.

Bristol was the "shire town" (county seat) of Bristol County, Plymouth Colony, when the county was created in 1685. (It was later split into Bristol County, Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts.) It was sold for £1100 to four Boston investors by the names of Byfield, Walley, Oliver, and Burton. It remained a part of Massachusetts until the Crown transferred it to the Rhode Island Colony in 1747.

The DeWolf family was among the earliest settlers of Bristol. Bristol and Rhode Island became a center of slavery trading. James DeWolf mentioned among notable people below, had been a leading slave trader, later becoming a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Quakers from Rhode Island were involved early in the slavery abolition movement.

During the American Revolutionary War, the British Navy bombarded Bristol twice. On October 7, 1775, a group of ships led by Captain Wallace and the HMS Rose sailed into town and demanded provisions. When refused, Wallace shelled the town, causing some damage. The attack was stopped when Lieutenant Governor William Bradford rowed out to the Rose to negotiate a cease-fire, but then a second attack took place on May 25, 1778. This time, 500 British and Hessian troops marched through the main street (now called Hope Street (RI Route 114)) and burnt 30 barracks and houses, taking some prisoners to Newport.

Bristol also is noted for having the oldest, continuous Independence Day celebrations in the United States. The first mention of the Bristol Fourth of July Parade comes from July 1777, when a British officer noted sounds coming from across Narragansett Bay:

"This being the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Rebel Colonies, they ushered in the morning by firing 13 cannons, one for each colony, we suppose. At sunset, the rebel frigates fired another round of 13 guns, each one after the other. As the evening was very still and fine the echo of the guns down the Bay had a grand effect."
Crowded street scene prior to the Bristol Fourth of July Parade. The town's unique red, white, and blue center line is also visible.

The annual celebrations were established in 1785 and continue today, organized by the Bristol Fourth of July Committee [1]. The festivities officially start on June 14, Flag Day, beginning a period of outdoor concerts, soap-box races and a Firefighters muster at Independence Park. The celebration climaxes on July 4 with the oldest annual parade in the United States, "The Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade", an event that draws over 200,000 people from Rhode Island and around the world. These elaborate celebrations give Bristol its nickname, "America's most patriotic town". In 2009, a controversy erupted when one group handed out copies of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights during the parade. As a result, the group was given a permanent ban from participation in future celebrations.[4] The ban was later rescinded when it could not be proven that the group was responsible for distributing the offending materials.[5]

The summer celebrations usually conclude at Independence Park, on Labor Day Sunday with an open aired free concert featuring the Rhode Island Philharmonic and a spectacular fireworks display.

Until 1854, Bristol was one of the five state capitals of Rhode Island.

Bristol is home to Roger Williams University, named for Rhode Island founder Roger Williams.

The southerly terminus of the East Bay Bike Path[6] is located at Independence Park on Bristol Harbor. The Bike path continues North to East Providence, R.I. Constructed on an old abandoned railway, some of the best views of Narragansett Bay can be seen along this magnificent corridor. This path is a valued commodity to Bristol, it allows bikers, roller skaters and walkers to enjoy the area. The construction of the East Bay Bike Path was highly contested by Bristol residents before construction because of the potential of crime, the Bike Path has become a welcome asset to the community, and the anticipated crime was non-existent.

A Bristol boat company, (Herreshoff), built five consecutive America's Cup Defenders between 1893 and 1920. The Colt Estate is a well known site and was home to Samuel P. Colt, nephew of the man famous for the arms company. The Colt Estate is now known as Colt Park. Colt Park was created on August 3, 1965 when the late Senator (then Governor of Rhode Island) John Chaffee acquired 464 acres (1.88 km2) of waterfront property. The State of Rhode Island created a free park open to the public, the park is situated on magnificently manicured gardens that abut the "West Passage" of Narragansett Bay. Colt Park routinely is the site for picnics, weddings or family gatherings that offer unparalleled views of the waterfront, and spectacular sunsets.

Bristol is the site of one National Historic Landmark, the Joseph Reynolds House built in 1700. The Marquis de Lafayette and his staff in 1778 used the building as headquarters during the Battle of Rhode Island.[7]

[edit] Notable inhabitants

[edit] Geography

Bristol is situated on 10.1 square miles (26 km2) of a peninsula (the smaller sub-peninsula on the west is called Poppasquash), with Narragansett Bay on its west and Mount Hope Bay on its east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km2), of which, 10.1 square miles (26.2 km2) of it is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km2) of it (50.99%) is water. Bristol's harbor is home to over 800 boat moorings in seven mooring fields.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 22,469 people, 8,314 households, and 5,653 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,222.2 people per square mile (858.1/km2). There were 8,705 housing units at an average density of 860.9/sq mi (332.4/km2). The ethnic group makeup of the town was 97.14% European, 1.29% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 0.67% Asian, 0.62% African, 0.16% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% other ethnic group, and 1.03% from two or more races.

[edit] Points of interest and Registered Historic Places

Colt State Park
Mt. Hope Bridge

[edit] Places of Worship

[edit] See also

Rhode Island portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  4. ^ "Put that Constitution away!". The Glenn Beck Program. 2009-07-14. http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/27838/. Retrieved 2009-08-30. 
  5. ^ "Marina Peterson: Tea Party accepts apology over parade flap". The Providence Journal. 2009-07-22. http://www.projo.com/opinion/letters/content/LT_peterson_RDY_07-22-09_43F2OKE_v7.3f8c281.html. Retrieved 2009-09-25. 
  6. ^ http://www.riparks.com/eastbay.htm
  7. ^ http://www.eastbaychamberri.org/East_Bay_Life/index.cfm/Pages/Town_Descriptions/

[edit] External links

Search Wikisource Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Bristol (Rhode Island).
v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Bristol County, Rhode Island
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Barrington | Bristol | Warren
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