1894 Map of Kent

About this map

Pawtuxet River and its various branches dominate the landscape of central Rhode Island in the late nineteenth century, powering a dense network of mill villages. Industrial settlements like Arkwright, Phenix, Lippitt, and Arctic cluster along the riverbanks, illustrating the region's intense reliance on water power for manufacturing. This 1888 survey, published just before the century's end, captures the complex hydraulic engineering of the era, including the Flat River Reservoir and Quidnick Reservoir. To the west, the New York and New England Railroad Providence Division cuts through more rural terrain, connecting isolated stations at Summit and Greene to the coastal industrial centers. The map also delineates the transition into the southern part of the state, where the Wood River and Beaver River drain through Black Plain and into smaller hamlets like Barberville and Wyoming.