Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island. It is the fourth largest city in the state with a population of over 73,000 residents. The median income for a household in the city is $31,775, and the median income for a family is estimated at $39,038.

Originally, there were two Pawtuckets. Pawtucket west of the Blackstone River used to be part of nearby North Providence. East of the Blackstone River was originally settled as part of the Massachusetts town of Rehoboth. Once East Pawtucket (another alternate name for the area of Pawtucket east of the Blackstone) was transferred to Rhode Island in the 1860s, both sections (West and East Pawtucket) merged.

Pawtucket was also the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Slater Mill, built in 1790 by Samuel Slater on the Blackstone River in downtown Pawtucket, was the first commercially successful cotton-spinning mill with a fully mechanized power system in America.

Like nearby cities Providence (RI), Fall River (MA) and New Bedford (MA), Pawtucket hosts a significant population from across the Portuguese Empire. Pawtucket is also one of the few areas of the US with a significant Liberian population. Additionally, Pawtucket is becoming known as a center for arts and culture. Each September, the city in conjunction with members of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative produce an annual Arts Festival. The city also hosts Riversing, an independently-produced, day-long musical event.

Pawtucket has been frequently referenced in the cartoon series Family Guy, specifically the "Pawtucket Brewery" and the character "Pawtucket Pat." Pawtucket is home to the Pawtucket Red Sox, a minor-league baseball team. Pawtucket has a long history of professional baseball; the longest professional baseball game in history was played at McCoy Stadium. Hasbro, the world's second-largest manufacturer of toys and games, also calls the city home.