Manton, Providence, Rhode Island

Toward the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the proximity of the Woonasquatucket River was responsible for the establishment of a few tanneries in Manton and neighboring Olneyville.

Taking advantage of the water power provided by the Woonasquatucket River, early industrialists established mills, the first two being constructed in 1827 and 1830.

Railroad lines running east through Olneyville to Downtown facilitated the rapid development of the area, which was heavily industrial by the end of the 19th century.

The closure of the textile mills and collapse of heavy industry encouraged the exodus of working class residents to the suburbs.

A public housing project, Manton Heights, was built in 1953, and may have contributed to the white flight.

The largest sources of employment were professional services (28.2%), manufacturing (21.4%), and retail trade (19.4%).