Editing Central Falls, Rhode Island (section)

== History ==

Before [[Europe]]ans arrived, the area was home to [[Nipmuc]], [[Wampanoag]] and [[Narragansett (tribe)|Narragansett]] peoples.
[[File:Broad Street (Central Falls) postcard.jpg|thumb|left|Broad Street {{circa|1908}}]]
[[File:U.S. Cotton Co., Central Falls, RI.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. Cotton Co. {{circa|1910}}]]

Central Falls has historic significance as the site of a major battle during [[King Philip's War]]. It was here, on March 26, 1676, that Narragansett Indians ambushed Captain Michael Pierce and his Plymouth Colony troops who (with 20 Christian Wampanoag Indians) were pursuing them. Nearly all those ambushed were killed, including nine taken prisoner and later tortured to death at nearby [[Cumberland, Rhode Island|Cumberland]]. A stone memorial marks the mass grave at the site known as "[[Nine Men's Misery]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=History – City of Central Falls |url=https://www.centralfallsri.gov/community/page/history |website=www.centralfallsri.gov |access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref>

In the 18th century, Captain Stephen Jenks built a trip hammer and blacksmith shop along the [[Blackstone River]], forming the nucleus of what eventually became Central Falls. Other manufacturers, including a chocolate maker, set up shop in the building, and the new village became known as Chocolateville.

In 1824, Jenks suggested the name Central Falls, thus giving the village its permanent name. Central Falls was incorporated as a town in 1730.

Originally, Central Falls was one of the many villages within the town of [[Smithfield, Rhode Island|Smithfield]], but in 1871, having experienced a growth spurt, it split into three smaller towns: Smithfield, [[North Smithfield, Rhode Island|North Smithfield]] and [[Lincoln, Rhode Island|Lincoln]]. Central Falls then became part of the town of Lincoln. Lincoln experienced its own growth spurt, so in 1895 Lincoln split into two towns, giving rise to the city of Central Falls.

While [[Quaker]]s made up the majority of the first European settlers in the area, they were soon followed by a diverse mix of immigrants from [[Ireland]], [[Scotland]] and [[French Canada]]. By the 20th century, Central Falls had experienced its own population explosion and for a while was the nation's most densely populated city.

In 1922, Central Falls' textile mills were temporarily shut down by the [[1922 New England Textile Strike|New England Textile Strike]] over an attempted wage cut and hours increase.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=E. Tilden |first=Leonard |date=1923 |title=New England Textile Strike |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41828627 |journal=Monthly Labor Review |volume=16 |issue=5 |page=14 (pdf, pg. 3) |jstor=41828627}}</ref><ref name=":122">{{Cite book |last1=Foner |first1=Philip Sheldon |title=History of the labor movement in the United States. 9: The T.U.E.L. to the end of the Gompers era / by Philip S. Foner |last2=Foner |first2=Philip Sheldon |date= 1991 |publisher=Intl Publ |isbn=978-0-7178-0674-4 |location=New York |pages=19–31}}</ref>

In recent decades, a large number of [[Hispanic]] immigrants have resided in Central Falls. Central Falls has historically been an extremely diverse city, so much so that when the city celebrated its 100th anniversary with a parade in 1995, more than 100 countries were represented.