The six fascinating places that share their name with Wakefield

We might all know Wakefield as a cathedral city on the River Calder in West Yorkshire. With a population of almost 100,000, it is one of the biggest cities in the county.

Wakefield Is bathed in history, being one of the last towns to be granted city status due to having a cathedral and the site of the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses.

It was an important market town, a centre for wool, corn, coal and textiles. However, across the pond, there are other Wakefields, all scattered across the United States of America.

There are six places in the US that share the namesake of our beloved cathedral city. Using information we found online we have put together a little description of each place, where in the US it can be found and if there are any Yorkshire parallels.

Wakefield, Kansas

The first is a city in Clay County, Kansas. The population is a meagre 858, the city was founded in 1868 by Rev. Richard Wake and the name was chosen because another founder was a native of Wakefield, England.

The whole city takes up a tiny 0.50 square miles and unlike our Wakefield it has a constant humid subtropical climate. The one landmark of note in Wakefield, Kansas is the Kansas Landscape Aboretum which was established in 1972 by a university professor.

Wakefield, Virginia

The next town of Wakefield can be found in Sussex County, Virginia. With a slightly higher population of 927 this incorporated town first appeared on a map in 1752.

The town is widely known for the Virginia Diner, the Airfield Conference and the 4-H Education Centre, a place for budding young agriculturists.

Wakefield, Michigan

This city was founded in 1886 by George Mix Wakefield, born in 1839 in Henderson, New York. The general area was already being referred to as Wakefield as early as two years prior.

Mr Wakefield's father, James Patterson Wakefield was a capitalist who worked with other like-minded individuals to set up sawmills and log the pine forests in the area. The foundations of Wakefield lay in the early history of the discovery of iron ore. Several mining companies rushed to the area following the discovery and set up many mines.

In July of 2016, a storm flooded the area, with 90mph winds battering the city. The roof was torn off the local ice rink and local weather forecasters declared a tornado.

Wakefield, Nebraska

Over in the state of Nebraska in the American Midwest, you can find the city of Wakefield in Dixon and Wayne counties. The population of this city is around 1,500.

The city was founded in the year 1881, following the construction of the Chicago, St Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway through the territory. The city was named for L.W Wakefield, a railroad engineer.

A fun fact about this Wakefield is the largest employer there is an egg-processing plant which employs 800 people.

Wakefield, New Hampshire

Located in Carroll County, New Hampshire, this town has a population of 5,201 so it's one of the larger twins in the US. The town has Wakefield Corner, the historic town centre and is popular with tourists often visiting the antique buildings.

Wakefield was initially a native settlement that was attacked during Dummer's War, a battle between New England Colonies and the Wabanaki Confederacy. It was later settled by colonists nearby towns Dover and Somersworth.

Wakefield, Rhode Island

This village in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island is the commercial centre of the main town. Wakefield, Rhode Island was settled due to its location on the Saugatucket River which was laid out in the early 18th century.

Much like Wakefield in the UK, the textile industry was an important economic resource in the village. Factories were established and it saw considerable growth later on.

The village underwent a number of sales over the years, being sold six times until 1984. The area migrated away from the central business district to increase commercial areas which is where the majority of the money comes in for the economy.

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