South Kingstown was sparsely populated and mostly inhabited by farmers in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, due to the high demand for livestock and produce in Newport, and land speculators who wanted to hold the land to resell when more settlers inevitably came into the area. Widespread population of the land was discouraged due to a speculation company known as the Atherton Syndicate buying up land to resell, the powerful Narragansett Nation discouraging settlements, and a dispute over the land with neighboring Connecticut. Over time, most of these problems slowly went away with time. In the late 1660s, the Atherton Syndicate was run off to join Connecticut in its dispute over the territory and eventually going bankrupt. In 1675 the Great Swamp Fight, a battle of King Philip's War fought by the New England Confederation, essentially wiped out the Narragansett. However, in retaliation the Narragansett razed most of the settlements in South Kingstown, including Little Rest, the largest. After the destruction of Little Rest, the land was described as a "desolate wilderness". Finally, in 1723, Connecticut conceded that the territory belonged to Rhode Island, after decades of lobbying before the Court of St James's in London. In the same year, the Rhode Island General Assembly split the town of Kingstown into the towns of North Kingstown and South Kingstown. The towns were formally incorporated on February 25, 1723.
south kingstown was sparsely populated and mostly inhabited by farmers in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century due to the high demand for livestock and produce in newport and land speculators who wanted to hold the land to resell when more settlers inevitably came into the area widespread population of the land was discouraged due to a speculation company known as the atherton syndicate buying up land to resell the powerful narragansett nation discouraging settlements and a dispute over the land with neighboring connecticut over time most of these problems slowly went away with time in the late 1660s the atherton syndicate was run off to join connecticut in its dispute over the territory and eventually going bankrupt in 1675 the great swamp fight a battle of king philip's war fought by the new england confederation essentially wiped out the narragansett however in retaliation the narragansett razed most of the settlements in south kingstown including little rest the largest after the destruction of little rest the land was described as a "desolate wilderness" finally in 1723 connecticut conceded that the territory belonged to rhode island after decades of lobbying before the court of st james's in london in the same year the rhode island general assembly split the town of kingstown into the towns of north kingstown and south kingstown the towns were formally incorporated on february 25 1723