Rhode Island History and Heritage
If you're looking for a quick and easy summary of Rhode Island history for a school project, check out the table of contents below for "Rhode Island Facts and Fun". If you're interested in really learning about the history of Rhode Island, read on...
Explore the hidden gems of Glocester!
Great Barns in Rhode Island's North Country
By John Pitocco
During the height of Rhode Island's Leaf Season, take a trip out to the country
to visit 14 barns representing a range of styles, ages and uses. From workshop to
retail shop, from horse barn to sheep barn, the self guided Great Barns of Glocester
Tour allows a peek inside some of the town's oldest and newest barn structures.
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Rhode Island Rum Running
Rum and Revolution Tour Focuses on History of Drinking in Newport
When the colonies were first established, the waters of Europe were so polluted that no sane person would consider drinking it. European colonists, including the upright Puritans, young children, and Baptist ministers drank prodigous amounts of hard apple cider and liquor. Soon, with the "triangle trade" bringing molasses from the Indies to be distilled into rum, Newport became a center for shipping. And, as England began clamping down on the free-spirited Rhode Islanders, Newport became a center of smuggling.
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Getting Ready in Newport
One Year Until The Tall Ships Return
The tall ships that visited Rhode Island in 1976, 2000, and 2005 are on their way back, and Newport
is working hard to put out the welcome mat....
The 1938 New England Hurricane And The Gold Thimble
A personal memory of the 1938 Hurricane that devistated Rhode Island
By Ann Emmons Petri
I did a lot of growing up that night. Even though I was only eight, September 21st, 1938 stands out in my memory like it was yesterday. There was death and destruction everywhere but also plenty of heroism and good old fashioned Yankee ingenuity. There was also the small miracle of an old but much beloved gold thimble washed out to sea at Narragansett, Rhode Island and deposited by the flood waters on the shore over 40 miles away in Mystic, Connecticut. ...
Carpenter's Grist Mill
Grinding through history
Photos of the historic water-driven turbine corn mill....
Japan in the Ocean State
Celebrating the Black Ships Festival in Newport
A century and a half ago, Newport’s own Commodore Matthew C. Perry established friendly trade relations with the Japanese. Until the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, the islands had been sealed to the West, but the “Black Ships” of the US Navy gave the rest of the world the chance to experience the arts, culture, cuisine, and heritage of the Japanese islands. Every year Newport celebrates the Black Ships festival, a four-day event that lets visitors see, sample, and experience authentic Japanese arts, foods, performances, and traditions. ...
Sunken Treasure
RIMAP and URI discover four more Revolutionary War shipwrecks in Newport Harbor
History article by By Todd McLeish
Four Revolutionary War-era ships including the long-lost Endevour, believed to be part of a fleet of 13 British transport ships deliberately sunk by British forces defending Newport in 1778, have been found in Newport Harbor by marine archaeologists from the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project and the University of Rhode Island.
...
A Step into the Past
Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum
Article By Linda Eagleson
The American Indian has held a magical mystique for me. Their simple life styles, their belief system and their constant pursuit of happiness is a source of wonder for many. There are a multitude of museums located throughout the country that depict the history of these beloved people and the land that was once theirs. The museums are rich in culture, costumes, artifacts, tribal ware, hunting weapons, utensils, cultivation and their strong family bond that stands true even until this day. Every one of them tells the Indians' survival stories in a different way, but all of them say one important thing; that the Indian belief system was something worth pursuing ourselves. ...
Shining a Light Into the Past
The North Lighthouse on Block Island.
RI History Article By Linda Eagleson
Block Island, in itself, retains such a remote quality that one can hardly imagine that there can be something even more remote on the island. That being said, the North Lighthouse is just that. If you go to the most remote spot on the island, and if you don’t mind trudging through soft sand for about 20 minutes, you can capture another glimpse into the island’s history.
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Muster! To Arms! To Arms!
Reenactments to hightlight a special photography exhibit at URI
History and Heritage
The exciting special exhibition called "States of Siege: A Consideration of Re-enactment Photography" including "Remains of the Campaign" by Dan Pollack, opens in URI's Fine Arts Center Galleries’ Main Gallery on January 31. To complement that thematic exhibition a performance-laden "Muster" event will run on Sunday, February 5, from noon to 5PM in tandem with an Opening Reception for the photo exhibit.
...
Astors’ Beechwood
A trip back in time
By Noreen O'Neil
When my bed & breakfast guests arrive at Murray House, one of my favorite places to send them is Mrs. Astor’s Beechwood. When they return, they’re full of the praise for the delightful afternoon they spent being entertained by the actors of the Beechwood Theatre group. They loved being taken back in time, a time never to be experienced again. A time when palatial mansions (summer cottages for those in the know) in Newport were de rigour for the rich and famous. If you’ve never been to Astor’s Beechwood, put it on your list of things to do. It’s quite and experience, and one you will thoroughly enjoy.
The Blizzard of '78
A Snow Plow Driver Remembers His Close Encounters of the Weird Kind
By David Porter
I am sure anyone around at the time has their own “Blizzard of 78" story. I hear people reminisce about how wonderful it was. I didn’t see it, I mean it wasn’t that way for me. I’m sure it was great for those lucky enough to be at home: an excused week out of work, what’s better than that.
The Richest Kids in the World
New Family Tour of Vanderbilt Mansion Offers Visitors a Child's Perspective on the Gilded Age
Let your children imagine they are the richest kids in the world. What would it be like growing up in a Newport Mansion? They'll discover that and much more on the new Family Tour at The Breakers, the 1895 summer home of the Vanderbilt family, founders of the New York Central Railroad and one of the world's richest families during the Gilded Age. The Family Tour is offered daily every half hour, and appeals to both children and their parents, focusing on stories of how the Vanderbilts lived in this palatial, 70-room villa built at the end of the 19th century.
Shopping Historically
Preservation Society Opens New, Expanded Retail Store at The Breakers
Just in time for the Christmas season, The Preservation Society of Newport County has opened its newly-expanded store at The Breakers, the flagship of its collection of historic Newport Mansions. Located in the basement of the 1895 mansion, the expansion of the store also opens to the public for the first time several historic areas of the building that have never been seen before.
History Comes Alive
The Brick Market c 1762-63
By Linda S. Manning, Staff Writer
Peter Harrison, renowned as America’s first professional architect, blossomed from merchant and ship-owner to designer and architect of a number of Newport’s well-known buildings. In his early years Mr. Harrison labored on the Redwood Library from 1748-1750 and later constructed the famed Brick Market.
The Blackstone Canal Celebrates 175 Years
By Nicole Camarda
Today, it seems like Rhode Islanders hop onto I-95 to get anywhere. With the exception of rush hour, it is the quickest route to most places in the state. It is regionally famous for the "Big Blue Bug" and maybe infamousfor the Thurbers Avenue curve. However, Rhode Island hasn't always been like this. Before there was a bustling city life, and bumper-to-bumper traffic almost everyday, Providence was a small urban center surrounded by rural countryside. The construction of one very important canal has made Southern New England, and Providence, an important industrial center of the United States.
Restoring Heroic Cannons
Saving the Pallas and Tantae Cannons
By Lt. Joe Giammarco, United Train of Artillery, Rhode Island Militia
The Rhode Island Militia, the town of Warren, and the historic recreation group Federal Blues is working to restore the historic Pallas and Tantae cannons that served our State and Country in the War for American Independence, during the Battle of Rhode Island in August, 1778. These guns, with ornate castings and engravings, remained in a place of honor at the Warren Town Hall until they were stolen in 1981. They were rediscovered in 1994 in one of Roger Williams Park's ponds, cut into pieces and with the indentifying engravings ground off. Now the groups are working together to restore the cannons to their original beauty while maintaining their historical integrity.
An Amazing Stroll through Time…
Walking the Walk…The Cliff Walk
By Linda S. Manning, Staff Writer
Outlining the perimeter of an ancient pathway, twisting, turning, and curving high above the ocean along the cliffs is the incredible and famous Cliff Walk. Stretching from Memorial Boulevard on the north to the very southern end of Bellevue Avenue, a 3.5 mile hike is known as one of most beautiful and diverse walks in America. Cliff Walk has been designated as a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service.
Four In Hand
A Historical Perspective on The Affluent Sport of Coaching
By Linda S. Manning, Staff Writer
Coaching, the Sport of Gilded Age Newport and New York is re-established every few years in the month of August. With the trotting horses, cracking whips, and sounds of the trumpets boasting the art of the stylish Antique Carriages, this event is one you must attend. Such an affair is flaunted on the famed Bellevue Avenue as horses and man form a pageant, exhibiting their best in clothing and carriage design. This event is usually followed by a Grand Ball at The Preservation Society's famous Breakers Mansion.
The Art Deco World of Cole Porter
Preservation Society Presents a Special Evening of Cole Porter
The Art Deco World of Cole Porter: New York, Paris, Newport, will come to life at Rosecliff at 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening, August 2, as the Preservation Society of Newport County and Sotheby's co-sponsor a special evening in honor of John Grenville Winslow, Chairman Emeritus of the Preservation Society.
Restoring A Legend
The IYRS is restoring the classic schooner Coronet
When International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) Founder Elizabeth Meyer and IYRS Trustee John Mecray learned of Coronet's existence, they quickly understood this yacht's great value to American history. "[Coronet] has a wonderful history," said Mecray, to viewers of The History Channel. "And to let this boat go would be like saying, 'Let's take the U.S.S. Constitution out and sink her.' This boat must be saved." But the prospect of restoring Coronet soon burgeoned into much more than an ambitious effort to salvage a rare survivor of a vanished era: this project became the spark that
On Covered Bridges
Rhode Island's Only Covered Bridge
By Patti Cassidy
When Robert Salisbury's son fell in love with covered bridges, he didn't realize that he'd be giving birth to one.
Crescent Park's Looff Carousel
Crescent Park was the largest and most spectacular of all of Rhode Island's Victorian-era amusement parks. Amusement parks in those days included boating, games, picnics, music, tunnels of love, and, noteably, carousels. Crescent Park featured a grand carousel with 62 hand-carved figures and four chariots -- a masterpiece of carousels designed as a showcase of the talents of Charles I.D. Looff.
Underwater Historical Treasure In Newport
The HMB Endeavour Lies Hidden In The Waters Of Newport Harbor
According to local legend, one of Captain Cook's ships used to sail around the world now rests at the bottom of Newport Harbor. It had been converted to a troop carrier during the war for American independence, and later sunk by the British to prevent the ship from being captured by the Americans.
Epidemic Rhode Island
The Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918
There was no flu vaccine in 1918. And that year's so called "Spanish Influenza" was roaringly deadly - killing 21 million people worldwide and over 2300 in Rhode Island alone during its short reign of terror.
A Portrait From Life
Documentary Investigating RI artist Gilbert Stuart
If you want to see a work of art by Gilbert Stuart, open your wallet. In the center of the one-dollar bill, sits George Washington -- looking somewhat glum. While millions of bucks get passed every day with Stuart’s famous painting of the father of our country, few can tell you about the artist whom contemporaries dubbed “the father of American portraiture.”
Renaissance Reborn?
The Venetian gondolas return to Waterplace Park
One of the greatest symbols of Providence's renaissance are Venetian-styled gondolas plying Waterplace Park. Lovers gliding along, accompanied only by a gondolier, a picnic basket, and a bottle of wine, have enjoyed the ride through Providence's Waterplace Park for years.
English Holiday Celebration in New England
The Misquamicut Players Bring Guy Fawkes Day Reenactment and Bonfire to Rhode Island
Just who is Guy Fawkes? The story begins in 1605, when Guy Fawkes (also known as Guido-yes, really) and a group of coconspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament.The conspirators were angered because King James had been exiling Jesuits from England. The plotters wanted to wrest power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. Today, they would be known as extremists.
Native Cultures Around the World In Rhode Island
Brown University's Haffenreffer Museum, Bristol RI
By Paul Pence
The Wampanoag tribes who had settled Rhode Island's East Bay held a special reverence for the land overlooking Mount Hope Bay. The
The Origins of Halloween
How We Learned To Say "Trick Or Treat"
By John Retzer
Americans has become one of America's favorite holidays. Last year Americans spent more than $3 billion last year on Halloween candy, costumes, pumpkins and decorations. Millions of children (and adults!) look forward to this happy event.
“On Behalf of the President of the United States…...”
The Rhode Island Military Honors Detachment
By Sgt. John Cervone, Rhode Island Army National Guard
On Memorial Day, many of us tried to recall the faces of those who are always forever young in our hearts. We try to make time to pay our respects to the legacy of unselfish loyalty and patriotism of Rhode Islanders now gone. Unfortunately, as the years pass us by, there are fewer and fewer individuals left in the state who are willing to carry that legacy into the future.
Touring the International Yacht Restoration School
By Paul Pence
The sounds of saws and mallets are intermittant, but the smell of fresh wood is constant, wafting from nearby stacks, waiting to be turned into gunwales and planking, spars and stays. Sometimes a dozen students swarm around the boat hulls, shaping and sawing, hammering and painting. Sometimes they're away in class or conducting research, and the small yachts, "beetle cats", nestle side-by-side in "Restoration Hall", all alone. But slowly, the yachts take shape under the hands of the craftsmen. Or, perhaps, "re-taking shape" is a more proper term, since they are being restored after years of abuse by the salt sea and harsh sun.
Nose to the Grindstone for Over 100 Years
Kenyon's Grist Mill, South County RI
By Paul Pence
If you're lucky, taking a drive in South County, you might find a barn-red building that every Rhode Islander knows about, but few have actually found. To Rhode Islanders, the old mill is part of legend -- grinding flint corn meal, a robust white corn meal that makes the unique Rhode Island jonny cakes. Not pancakes, hotcakes, or buckwheat cakes common in other parts of the country, but griddle-cooked cornmeal cakes, commonly eaten at Rhode Island's May Breakfasts and served in almost every Rhode Island diner. Rhode Island wouldn't be the same place without jonny cakes and real jonny cakes couldn't be made without the flint cornmeal like that ground at the Kenyon Grist Mill in Usquepaugh village, RI.
Monuments that Haunt You
King Phillip's War Memorials In Rhode Island
By Patti Cassidy
More Reasons To Visit the Newport Mansions
New Tours and Exhibits for 2005
A refreshing Lunch and Garden Tour of The Elms, an expansion of the popular Elms After Hours Tour, and extended operating hours are among the new features awaiting visitors to the Newport Mansions for the 2005 season, which opens on Saturday, April 9. The 2005 season also marks the 60th Anniversary of the founding of The Preservation Society of Newport County.
Remembering the Narragansetts
Statues Across the State Help Remind Us of the Narragansett Tribes
By Patti Cassidy
There are dozens of green men standing around Rhode Island. They're weathered bronze statues of
Reborn Elegance
The Narragansett Towers take on a new life
By Paul Pence
Looking at them, you may think "castle", maybe even "bridge", but the original concept of the century-old landmark along Narragansett's seawall was "gateway". The archetect saw the Towers in Narragansett as the gateway to the playground of the rich -- casinos, polo fields, tennis cocourts, sandy beaches, gourmet restaurants, and palacial hotels.
An Off-Limits Piece of History
Origins of the Naval War College
By Linda S. Manning, Staff Writer
One of the most interesting attractions of Aquidneck Island is one that most tourists to Newport may never see. The Naval War College (NWC), sitting around Coddington Cove and looking out at the Newport Bridge has a fine museum dedicated to underwater warfare and the naval tradition. Sadly, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, security measures have been taken requiring that only visitors with Military ID’s and those with sponsors having picture ID’s are admitted to the grounds.
Dynasties and Dragons
Newport Ball Celebrates 60th Anniversary of the Preservation Society
The Preservation Society of Newport County celebrated its 60th Anniversary August 13 with a Chinese-themed "Dynasties and Dragons" fundraising ball at Marble House, attended by nearly 600 people. The event was inspired by a gala ball hosted by Alva Vanderbilt Belmont in 1914 to celebrate the opening of her newly-built Chinese Tea House.
A Modern Lady in Olden Times
Fashion Exhibit Paints a Portrait of a Newport Victorian Lady
What is a traditional Victorian mother to do when her precocious little girl grows into a young woman with modern ideas? Visitors to the Newport Mansions will find out in an engaging exploration of the relationship between Gwendolen King Armstrong and her mother in an exhibition of fashions, accessories and letters.
Shiver Me Timbers! Pirates!
Ye'll Rant an' Ye'll Roar fer Cap'n Nick's Newport Pirate Walk
Did ye' know that Newport, Rhode Island has its own pirate cave? Want t' know more about Newport's notorious sea dogs, rum runners an' buried booty? If yer lookin' fer 90 excitin' minutes o' swashbucklin' scuttlebutt, set yer course fer Cap'n Nick's Newport Pirate Walk.
Sixty Years of Preservation
The Preservation Society of Newport County has 60 years of preserving Newport County's History
The Preservation Society of Newport County celebrates its 60th Anniversary in 2005 with a year-long series of special events, tours and exhibits, looking back at its accomplishments and looking ahead to future challenges as one of the nation's premier historic preservation organizations. The Newport Mansions, as the 11 historic properties maintained by the Preservation Society are collectively known, have hosted more than 25 million visitors in the last 25 years.
A New Carousel for Oakland Beach
Oakland Beach was once THE beach for Providence residents during sweltering summer weekends. The electric trolly ran south, along Warwick Neck, past Rocky Point amusement park, continuing on to Oakland Beach, where restaurants and cool Narragansett Bay waters awaited. The carousel, with its caliope music and hand-carved wooden horses made cooling off in the bay a magical experience.
Parade Day
Enjoying Small Town Parades In Rhode Island
By Paul Pence
CD of a Thousand Cuts...
URI makes largest collection of clothes patterns available on CD
By Jan Wenzel
The University of Rhode Island maintains the largest collection of clothing patterns in the world. Many of the patterns cannot be found anywhere else. Until now, that is.
Seeing the World that Was
Collecting Picture Post Cards
By Bob Lawrence
In the days before disposable cameras, long before, in fact, in the days that cameras were rare, heavy, expensive contraptions that only a few artists could master, the only visual documentation a tourist had of his trip were sketches and post cards. In a way, they're still popular today, featuring pictures of your tourist destination that the average visitor rarely has a chance to discover on their own.
Pow Wow
A Festival of Native American Heritage
By Linda Eagleson
Drumming... beat, beat, beat.... Pounding feet on the solid ground, hips swaying, hands flailing...
Hunting for the Queen of Aquidneck
By Patti Cassidy
So I've started, hound after hare, to find another mysterious public statue.
The State of Higher Education
Rhode Island Colleges and Universities
By Nicole Camarda
It may be the smallest state, but Rhode Island has some big names when it comes to education. Rhode Island is home to nine colleges and universities; each one unique and diverse in setting. Our state's history is dotted with the growth and expansion of education. One of the most well-known universities in our country is right here in Rhode Island, and it's one of the nation's oldest universities, too.
Rhody Ruins
A student film explores the Rhode Island you WON'T visit
By Katharine Shuster
In Rhode Island, it is always quite easy to find out what's "new": the Providence Place Mall, the renovated T.F. Green airport, and the housing developments throughout South County. And it's easy to find historical places of note, proudly restored -- Rhode Island has more buildings on the National Register of Historic Places than any other state. But what about the historic places that have been neglected and abandoned?
Rhode Island History
Inspiration for Horror!
By Diane C. Hundertmark
Ah, October in Rhode Island. Clear crisp windswept nights, perfect weather for inspiring just the right sort of Halloween spirit. Still, if you are looking for something more to get you into the proper mood, you need look no further then some of the quiet towns of Rhode Island to find your inspiration. These are the very same places that many researchers say Bram Stoker drew some of his ideas for "Dracula."
Fashion from a Gilded Age
Roseclif's Fashion Hisory Exhibits
By Andrea Carneiro
Rosecliff, the gleaming white terra cotta palace built by the Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1902, was inspired by the Grand Trianon at Versailles and built by architect Stanford White. The mansion was conceived as a stage set for the dinners, balls and costume parties that made up the social whirl of Newport during the Gilded Age.
Home for an Heiress
Doris Duke's Rough Point Mansion, Newport, RI
By Paul Pence
In 1925, a 13-year-old girl who built sandcastles on Newport beaches and who barely tolerated sitting still in fancy dresses inherited $80 million. In the course of her life, she grew that fortune to over a billion dollars, traveled the world and ammassed countless art treasures, and became the benefactor of artists, medical researchers, and charites that support the environment and work to prevent child abuse. In a way, Doris Duke never stopped being that 13-year-old girl.
Clean Water for Rhode Island
The story of the Scituate Reservoir
By Nicole Camarda
The construction of the Scituate Reservoir disproves the old saying that two wrongs don’t make a right. In fact, it took many wrongs to make a right, though it took many years of rehabilitation and reconstruction for the reservoir to be regarded as beneficial. The reasons for construction were clearly not evil or malicious, but to the Town of Scituate, however, there was a significant price to pay.
The Sentinel
Black Prince, Hero
By Laura Souliere
If you have lived in Rhode Islandsince you were a kid, chances are you have a photo of yourself perched on top of the Sentinel Dog Statue.
A Field Trip To The Past
Slater's Mill in Pawtucket, RI
by Kate Knowles
As a hugely popular field trip destination for students of all ages, most native New Englanders are all too familiar with the Slater Mill. For a transplanted New Englander like me (who grew up in Illinois), the Slater Mill should be a far less familiar historic site. But, despite growing up in the Midwest, I have always felt a connection to the Slater Mill, and to Samuel Slater in particular, not because I learned about him on a field trip but because he is my relative and my brother’s namesake.
Slater's Mill
The Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution
By Nicole Camarda
Are you sick of being stuck in an office all day? Is that 40-hour work week too stressful and tiring? Well, I don't have a solution to your problems. But, perhaps taking a step back in time will make you look at your job in a different light and gain a newfound appreciation for the workingplace of today. When the nation made the switch from agricultural to industrial work, there were no rules or regulations. Industry needed people to operate machinery, bottom line. Workers had little to no rights, were mostly children, and rarely saw daylight. And to think this all started in Little Rhody.
Murder at the Sprague Mansion
Rhode Island's "Unsolved" Mystery
By Nicole Camarda
Roger Williams was exiled to Rhode Island after demonstrating his then-radical beliefs on religious freedom to the settlers in Massachusetts. Williams openly invited all races and religions to live in peace in Rhode Island and aimed for peace among the white man and the Narragansett Indians.
Rhode Island Statehouse Renovation
Designed by famed architects McKim, Mead & White, the State House has been returned to its original glory following a 10-year, $17 million restoration that has swept away decades of inappropriate alterations and renewed the elaborate finishes that make this government workplace an artistic treasure.
Saint Joseph's Day in Rhode Island
The OTHER March celebration
By Nicole Camarda
Everyone knows that with March comes green decorations, shamrocks, and lots and lots of beer. St. Patrick's Day, often considered an Irish drinking holiday, calls for a reason to celebrate in New England. Especially with its high Irish population. However, amidst the parades, the festivities, and, of course, the bar hopping, we seem to forget another important holiday here in Rhode Island. St. Joseph's Day, celebrated on March 19th, gives us a chance to sober up, and enjoy some traditional Italian, more specifically Sicilian, foods.
Russian Sub Museum, Providence, RI
In response to a tide of visitors and growing interest from across the country, the Russian Submarine Museum is open to the public and available for private tours and events through the entire winter. Juliett 484, the former Soviet nuclear cruise missile submarine and "star" of Harrison Ford's K-19: The Widowmaker, opened Aug. 5 to enthusiastic crowds.
Swift Gymnasium
Serving East Greenwich since 1907
By Thaire H. Adamson
The last building constructed at the East Greenwich Academy weathered the destruction of the venerable old school and has lived on, a much-used facility as it approaches its second centrury.
Ships Ahoy! They're Coming Back!
Tall Ships Returning to Newport In 2007
Tall ships are returning to Rhode Island in 2007, and organizers are getting a two-year jump on a major celebration. All of the events will be held in Newport and include public touring of an expected 15-20 tall ships, culminating with a majestic Parade of Sail on Narragansett Bay.
The Tall Ships At Newport
By Paul Pence
Throughout the summer, Newport attracts more than itsshare of boaters, but when the "TallShips" were in port, every Rhode Islander who can pilota boat, drive a car, or catch a public busis drawn to Newport. Not that the famous seaport needsthe giant sailing ships to attract visitors,but it just feels so right that the historic ships andtheir modern brethren come to visit.
The Pride of Baltimore II
A Tall Ship Visits Newport
Secret Lives of a Tall Ship
By Tom Kindre
If you could look in on the Jeanie Johnston as she sails to America, you would see a sailing vessel with a live-aboard crew who handle the sails, do the chores and navigate her to her desired destination. That's a standard description of any tall ship and is nothing new.
Tracking Lost Trains
Abandoned Rail Lines in Rhode Island
By Paul Pence
Rhode Island's history was shaped first by the shipping in Narragansett Bay, second by the waterways and the mills that tamed them, and third by the railways that came to service the mills and the growing population of Rhode Island. Not much remains of these rail lines -- the main Amtrak line that snakes along the coast before shooting north toward Boston, a few minor spurs that still get intermittent traffic to factories, and the "Brown and Orange" Providence and Worchester railroad, that follows the Blackstone river.
Muster! To Arms! To Arms!
Reenactments to hightlight a special photography exhibit at URI
The exciting special exhibition called "States of Siege: A Consideration of Re-enactment Photography" including "Remains of the Campaign" by Dan Pollack, opens in URI's Fine Arts Center Galleries’ Main Gallery on January 31. To complement that thematic exhibition a performance-laden "Muster" event will run on Sunday, February 5, from noon to 5PM in tandem with an Opening Reception for the photo exhibit.
The Westerly Armory
A Place and a Memory for Everyone
By Roberta Humble
When a building is forgotten and neglected, memories often fade away. Fortunately, Rhode Island has not only some of the finest architecture in the nation, but preservationist societies and groups that rally to protect, restore, and maintain these historic structures, so much so that one out of every five buildings in the Registry of Historic Places is in Rhode Island.
Longfellow's Windmill Cottage
By Paul Pence
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" and "The Song of Hiawatha". One of his most enduring poems is "The Windmill", which begins "Behold! a giant am I! Aloft here in my tower, With my granite jaws I devour The maize, and the wheat, and the rye, And grind them into flour..."
Mills and Immirgants on the Blackstone
Woonsocket's Muesum of Work and Culture
by Nicole Camarda
There’s no need to dust off your old textbooks or turn on the History Channel. There’s another way to see and experience history, and you don’t have to go to a world- renowned museum in the city either. The Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket is a hands-on learning museum with exhibits and tours for all ages, with a one-of-a-kind understanding of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on Rhode Island.
If you're looking for a quick and easy summary of Rhode Island history for a school project, check out the table of contents below for "Rhode Island Facts and Fun". If you're interested in really learning about the history of Rhode Island, these articles may interest you...
