Cranston is a township situated about five miles southwesterly from Providence; bounded northerly on Providence and Johnston, easterly on Providence river, southerly on Pawtucket river and the town of Warwick, and westerly on the town of Scituate. This township is about 7 miles in length, and about 4 and a half in breadth; containing aobut 19,448 acres.
The western section of the town is uneven, but the eastern section is generally level. The soil in the former is a moist loam; that of the western part of the latter, being the central part of the township, is rich and fertile, but the eastern part is light, and inclining to a siliceous sand. There is a mine of iron ore in this town, of an excellent quality for casting. Formerly, large quantities were raised, for the Hope furnace; and from this ore, many of the cannon in our navy were cast; particularly those used upon Lake Erie by the gallant Perry. The metal of Rhode Island, was proved by the battle of Lake Erie to be of an excellent quality...
A Gazetteer of the States of Connecticut and Rhode-Island: Written with Care and Impartiality, from Original and Authentic Materials : Consisting of Two Parts ... : with an Accurate and Improved Map of Each State
Authors John Chauncey Pease, John Milton Niles
Publisher W.S. Marsh, 1819
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