New England

A history of the Narragansett Tribe of RI from early European encounters to the tribe's return to sovereignty in the 20th Century.

Before Roger Williams set foot in the New World, the Narragansett farmed corn and squash, hunted beaver and deer, and harvested clams and oysters throughout what would become Rhode Island. They also obtained wealth in the form of wampum, a carved shell that was used as currency along the eastern coast. As tensions with the English rose, the Narragansett leaders fought to maintain autonomy. While the elder Sachem Canonicus lived long enough to welcome both Verrazzano and Williams, his nephew Miatonomo was executed for his attempts to preserve their way of life and circumvent English control. Historian Robert A. Geake explores the captivating story of these Native Rhode Islanders.

Death in early New England came early and often during those harsh first decades of settlement.

Epidemics, hunger, accidents and childbirth contributed to a heavy toll in New England. Disease in some cases erased entire families, and almost always affected the majority of individuals in the communities. For most families, death was still a private affair. Traditions brought over with European customs and others that were strictly American were eventually interwoven, and these ceremonies, tokens and portraits of remembrance became part of these rites and rituals of mourning. Other forms of remembrance were carved into stone with heart-wrung epitaphs, the cause of death and brief biographies. Burial sites themselves evolved from family plots and church graveyards to public, garden-like cemeteries.

Historian Robert A. Geake explores the development of rites and rituals of death in this New World. 

During World War I and World War II, Rhode Island was dotted with coastal forts filled with large caliber guns. Yet they were never fired in anger.  By contrast, from 1929 to 1933, during Prohibition, U.S. Coast Guard vessels frequently fired machine guns at rumrunners in Narragansett Bay.

Machine gun fire killed three rumrunners and wounded another on the notorious Black Duck.  Despite the incident drawing national protests, the carnage continued.  The Coast Guard fired machine guns at dozens more rumrunners in Rhode Island waters, killing another man, severely wounding two others, and causing several boats to explode or sink.

Join author and historian Christian McBurney as he explores the use of excessive force in Narragansett Bay and other Rhode Island waters.

Join author & reporter Kelly Sullivan Pezza as she investigates and recounts the murder of 5-year old Maggie Sheffield.

On a summer day in 1893, little Maggie Sheffield was murdered. Maggie's own father did the unthinkable against a backdrop of laughter and barrel organ music at Rocky Point Amusement Park. The tragedy aroused a strange reaction from the peaceable community of Warwick, Rhode Island. Many seemed to be more concerned for the murderer, Frank Sheffield, than for his young victim. Frank was rumored to be insane or addicted to drugs, and after a trial, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. The murder did not tarnish Rocky Point's reputation as a premier destination, and the park operated until 1995. Investigating official records and newspaper archives, author Kelly Sullivan Pezza uncovers the facts and oddities behind a grim crime in Rhode Island's summer paradise.

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A fascinating history of the landmarks and architecture that serve as the remnants of Rhode Island's colonial past.

Roger Williams purchased the fertile Aquidneck Island from the Narragansett tribe in 1637. The intrepid dissenters of Rhode Island Colony saw their community flourish with the founding of Portsmouth and Newport townships. It was here that Anne Hutchinson, along with William Coddington and other colonists who had been banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, found shelter from persecution. The Battle of Rhode Island was the only clash between American colonials and the British on Rhode Island soil during the Revolutionary War. From the mercantile success of the Atlantic triangle trade routes to the establishment of the United States Navy, noted historian Richard V. Simpson brings these and other stories from the Ocean State to life. Join Simpson as he explores the landmarks and architecture of the period to discover the remnants of Rhode Island's colonial past.

Treasured by locals and visitors alike, the charm of Block Island, Rhode Island, first developed as a summer resort in the late 1800s, is shown here throughout its history, from its begininning in 1637, to farming and fishing community, to summer scenes of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Block Island explores the evolution of the small, 7-by-3-mile island that lies between Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Montauk Point, New York. In 1637, Block Island, also known as New Shoreham, was claimed by Massachusetts soldiers who took the land away from the Manisses Indians. When the island was sold to 16 proprietors in 1660, the history of Block Island as part of Rhode Island began. At any time of the year, Block Island has a special look and charm of its own. In addition to its beautiful sandy beaches and thundering surf, the island is plentiful with rolling hills, fertile valleys, and ponds. Within these pages, meet the early residents of the island and learn how this farming and fishing community first developed as a summer resort destination in the late 1800s. Summer scenes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including views of the steamers that arrived daily carrying thousands of passengers from New York, Connecticut, and other parts of Rhode Island, are also featured in this collection.

Documenting the destruction caused by the 1938 hurricane along New England's coast and the ways in which victims united to rebuild their communities.

The Hurricane of 1938 was one of the most devastating storms to strike New England's Atlantic coast. It forever changed the landscapes of cities and towns in its path. Throughout the hurricane, the Coast Guard worked tirelessly to provide aid to countless displaced residents. Entire communities were leveled by the hurricane's powerful winds and waves.

After the storm subsided and the destruction was evident, the enormous task of rebuilding and reuniting the community began.

Sail the seas and journey with Newport, Rhode Island's pirates beginning with war and ending with revolution that inspired swashbuckling legends for generations to come!

From 1690 to the American Revolution, many of Newport's fathers, husbands and sons sailed under the black flag. They would return home from plundering the high seas to attend church and serve in public offices. The citizens of Newport welcomed pirates with their exotic goods and gold to spend. The community changed its tune when Newport's prosperous shipping fleet was on the receiving end of piracy during the early 18th century. The locals who had once offered safe haven were suddenly more than pleased to cooperate with London's hunt for pirates.

Author Gloria Merchant delves into the fascinating history of Newport's pirates from Thomas Tew and Captain Kidd's buried treasure to the largest mass hanging of pirates in the colonies at Gravelly Point.

This collection of historic photographs and illustrations will guide you through quaint  Narragansett's early years into its peak in the late 19th century.

Narragansett By-the-Sea is a narrow strip of land along the southwestern shore of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. A sparsely populated agricultural society in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Narragansett was transformed in the nineteenth century into one of America's busiest and most popular seaside resorts. A remarkable collection of historic photographs and illustrations will guide the reader through Narragansett's early years into its golden age at the end of the nineteenth century. See the growth of great wooden hotels, the establishment of a railroad, and the summer cottage period. Share the excitement of the rich and the famous as they were drawn to the finest beach in the northeast and the unique Narragansett Casino, which offered dining, dancing, theater, lawn tennis, and bowling. The quaint charm of Narragansett is what sets it apart from other seaside resorts.

The Pawtucket Red Sox examines the history of the PawSox from their origin as a Double-A affiliate of Boston to their ascension to Triple-A status in 1973, right on through the ownership years of Ben Mondor. More than two hundred photographs chronicle the players, managers, and other key figures behind the franchise's success, as well as the defining moments in PawSox history: the 1977 International League championship, the longest game in professional baseball history, the unveiling of the new McCoy Stadium in 1999, and many others.

From the driver's seat, author and guide Edward Morris provides a diverse collection of biographical sketches that reveal the outrageous and opulent lives of some of America's leading entrepreneurs.

Newport, Rhode Island, was the summer playground of the Gilded Age for the Astors, Belmonts and Vanderbilts. They built lavish villas designed by the best Beaux Arts-style architects of the time, including Richard Morris Hunt, Charles McKim and Robert Swain Peabody. America's elite delighted in referring to these grand retreats as summer cottages, where they would play tennis and polo and sail their yachts along the shores of the Ocean State. The coachman had an important role as the discreet outdoor butler for Gilded Age gentlemen--not only was he in charge of the horses, but he also acted as a travel advisor and connoisseur of entertainment venues.

Visit the town of Newport, one of New England's largest seaports, through this new and exciting photographic history.

Founded in 1639, the city of Newport offered a temperate climate and a wealth of natural resources to early settlers seeking religious freedom. In Colonial times, Newport flourished as one of New England's largest seaports, a prosperity dimmed only by the Revolutionary War and subsequent three-year British occupation. Despite the fact that more than one-third of existing homes in Newport were destroyed by the British during their stay, Newport today still has the largest number of eighteenth-century homes of all cities in the United States. In 1968, the Newport Restoration Foundation was founded by tobacco heiress Doris Duke to preserve, protect, and restore the city's eighteenth and nineteenth-century architecture. The foundation's extensive photographic archives have been made available to area resident and modern-day photographer Rob Lewis in the creation of this new and exciting photographic history.

Experience the history of Rhode Island and learn about the Ocean State's most fascinating and wild women.

Read of Mercy Brown, a nineteen-year-old consumption victim who was thought to be a vampire and whose body was exhumed and discovered with blood in the heart. There was Goody Seager, accused of infesting her neighbor's cheese with maggots by using witchcraft, and Tall Dutch Kattern of Block Island, an opium-eating fortune teller whose curse, legend says, set a ship aflame after its crew cast her ashore. Hear of the revolutionaries, like Julia Ward Howe, who invented Mother's Day and wrote the words to The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and religious reformer Anne Hutchinson, said to be the inspiration for Hawthorne's heroine in The Scarlet Letter, in these thrilling tales from author M.E. Reilly-McGreen.

This revised edition of Newport: A Concise History tells a more inclusive story of Newport’s past with the aid of new scholarship and images.

Beginning with the area’s first Indigenous inhabitants, this book explores Newport's colorful history, uncovering the traditions and innovations that shaped the city. Founded in 1639 by religious dissenters, Newport became a thriving seaport in the eighteenth century. Yet the town’s success as a center of commerce derived from the enslavement of Africans who were captured and brought to Newport unwillingly. In the ensuing centuries, this city has undergone periods of economic distress and phases of rejuvenation, evolving into one of the most beloved tourist destinations in the country.

As Newport forges into the twenty-first century, we look to history to commemorate and celebrate the City-by-the-Sea. 

Founded in 1638, Pawtuxet is one of Rhode Island's oldest and most historic villages. Its history is uncovered in this fascinating book.

The Pawtuxet River divides this unique settlement almost in half; the northern section belongs to Cranston and the southern to Warwick. The village is a distinct entity, however, and the object of much pride. After making significant contributions to our nation's fight for freedom—the British schooner Gaspee was burned off the shores of this village in the first act of violence in the American Revolution—Pawtuxet became known as a prosperous seaport and, later, as the home of Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, an entertainment mecca that attracted visitors from far and wide. Many a couple met and courted at this exquisite resort, whose charms included ballroom dancing, big band music, canoe rentals, and regional culinary fare. The village of Pawtuxet has retained much of its attractive historical character over the years; by-passed by new roads and superhighways, Pawtuxet's heritage has been preserved.

Providence College Basketball: Take a journey with the small school from the country's smallest state that became New England's college hoops powerhouse.

Providence basketball's journey from a realtive unknown to national brand has captured the attention of sports fans in Rhode Island and throughout New England for over 45 years. Friar hoops historian Richard Coren sets the scene of how the small Dominican school on Smith Hill started from humble beginnings and has produced a story reminiscent of David and Goliath. The legend persists: tiny Providence College taking on and beating the big boys of college basketball. Run on a shoestring budget in the 1950s and 1960s, the program rose up out of nowhere to pull upset after upset. The school went on to dominate college basketball in New England, recording more postseason tournament games and victories, more 20-win seasons, more All-Americans, and more players in the pros than any school in the region. Providence College Basketball: The Friar Legacy examines the 75-year history of Friar hoops and celebrates the great players, coaches, games, and moments that have made Providence College basketball so unforgettable. Relive the annual trips to the National Invitation Tournament and the two Final Fours and discover how Rhode Island became hooked on the Friars.

In 1871, Betsey Williams, a descendant of Roger Williams, founder of Providence, Rhode Island, willed her family’s 102-acre farm to the city. One year later, the park added a small collection of animals, creating Roger Williams Park Zoo, the third-oldest zoo in the country.

As the animal collection developed, so too did the landscape of Roger Williams Park, with the entire collection eventually becoming consolidated into a localized area within the park, forming what is today known as Roger Williams Park Zoo. Owned by the City of Providence and operated by the Rhode Island Zoological Society, the zoo celebrated its 150th birthday in 2022. In that time, the zoo has welcomed multiple generations of local families and has attracted visitors from around the world, joining in the zoo’s mission to protect wildlife and wild places. Through its diverse animal collection, groundbreaking educational programs, and spectacular nighttime events, Roger Williams Park Zoo continues to push toward the future while reflecting fondly on its past.

Leigh Picard is the manager of interpretation and graphics at Roger Williams Park Zoo and has been in the guest service field for over 30 years. Susan Ring is an award-winning author with over 100 books under her belt and is the former manager of interpretation at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Foster, Rhode Island with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Foster, originally incorporated as part of Scituate in 1731, became a separate community in 1781.

The town was named in honor of Theodore Foster, a coauthor of the Bill of Incorporation. By 1820, the population topped out at 2,900 and then sharply declined. The building of the Scituate Reservoirbetween 1915 and 1925 contributed to this decline as the Providence and Danielson Railwaydecided not to relocate trolley service to the area. The population would not surpass the 1820 figures until 1975, when it reached 3,000. Today, Foster is known for its simple, country lifestyle; friendly and neighborly residents; and plentiful open spaces with clean air and clear streams.

Author Raymond A. Wolf is a member of the Scituate Preservation Society, the Foster Preservation Society, and the Rhode Island Historical Society. Besides the Foster Preservation Society, over a dozen residents of Foster graciously loaned their collections of postcards, photographs, and documents to bring this book alive.

The opulent facades of the City by the Sea concealed the scintillating scandals, eccentric characters and unsolved mysteries of its wealthiest families.

Newport, Rhode Island, is renowned for its stunning cliff-side vistas and the luxurious summer homes of the Gilded Age elite. Learn how Cornelius Vanderbilt III was cut out of the family's fortune for his unapproved marriage to Grace Wilson and how John F. Kennedy's marriage to a Newport debutante helped to secure his presidency. Travel to the White Horse Tavern, where a vengeful specter still waits for his supposed murderer to return to the scene, and discover the mysterious voyage of the Sea Bird and its missing crew. Historian Larry Stanford searches the dark corners of Newport's past to expose these scandalous tales and more.

A collection of rare and vintage images documents the fascinating history of Westerly and its many stages of development over time.

These images take us on a journey into the past. We see pictures of local buildings and businesses, many of which no longer exist but are still warmly remembered by native citizens, and we also see the many stages of development, including street widening and drainage, which have revolutionized life for local people over the decades. Other photographs show how much transport in particular has changed, as we see the great sailing vessels of the early nineteenth century and early modes of transport such as horses and carriages and open trolleys. From livery stables in the 1800s we are transported to the era of the automobile with pictures of Hoxsie Plymouth Dodge in the early 1900s and early autos from the 1920s and 1930s. There are images of the famous local Smith quarries, showing granite employees at work and the oxen-drawn carts used at that time. Taken over many decades, the photographs collected here bring home just how much the town has changed over the years. We experience bad times as well as good as we witness the many fires which have so drastically changed the landscape of Westerly and also the harsh years of the 1930s when the area was devastated by the Great Depression. Most important of all, we encounter the local people of Westerly, at work and at play over the decades, including school groups, sports teams, fraternities, and individual portraits of the men, women, and children who have created Westerly's history. Combining fascinating old photographs and concise, yet informative, text, this compelling visual history will delight young and old, resident and visitor alike.

Downtown Providence, Rhode Island, became an important business center in New England beginning in 1866 due to an increase in immigration, urbanization, municipal planning, public and private investments, and new technologies. The business buildings of the past, some of them gone, still coexist with the modern structures of today in the 21st century.

Louis Azar II chronicles the history of the commercial downtown with historic postcards and present-day photographs from his collection along with images from the Providence Public Library and research from the Rhode Island Historical Society.

The United States Naval Air Station at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, originally built as a Neutrality Patrol seaplane base, became a unique and fundamental asset to our nation's armed forces.

In World War II, more than half of all U-boats sunk by U. S. aviation were destroyed by Quonset-trained shore and carrier-based squadrons. In the years following World War II, Quonset Point Naval Air Station remained a premier industrial naval air station, sending squadrons or overhauling equipment for use in the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War conflicts. For 34 years and through four wars, the Quonset Point Naval Air Station stood proud and tall on behalf of the U. S. military. This second volume of Quonset Point images uncovers nearly 200 more scenes of the installation's achievements and activities during the entire period of its service.

In 200 rare historical photos, Rhode Island's Mill Villages fascinating  history comes to life.

Some 200 rare and historic photographs are coupled with detailed and informative captions that immerse the reader in the daily lives and environments of these communities. In the years surrounding the Civil War, European immigrants and textile workers came to Rhode Island to work in the state's mills. Soon, villages and neighborhoods formed around these mills, creating unique and closely knit communities in which the wealthy families who owned and operated the mills lived side by side with those who labored for them. The photographs presented here offer a glimpse at the development of these familial communities that are such an integral part in the history of both Rhode Island and the United States.

This book chronicles the history of the HMS Gaspee, a sloop in the British Royal Navy that was sent to patrol the waters of Narragansett Bay in 1772.

The Gaspee cracked down on smugglers and enforced British customs regulation, particularly the Stamp Act. The ship and her captain, William Duddington, were quickly hated by colonists for their campaign of brutality, harassment, and arbitrary enforcement. When the Gaspee ran around in shallow waters, while in pursuit of a colonist merchant ship, they took immediate action. The colonists, led by John Brown and other local notables, burned Gaspee and wounded her captain. This act of revolt preceded the Boston Tea Party by 18 months.

See how Rhode Island's hard-shell clam industry came about and remains as popular as ever to this day.

Steamships once plied the waters of Narragansett Bay, carrying thousands of guests to feasts of clams prepared in every way imaginable at scenic spots like Rocky Point and Crescent Park. After hurricanes and pollution destroyed Rhode Island's soft-shell clam and oyster beds, the quahog became the state's favorite bivalve, and Rhode Islanders took to their automobiles and drove to the beach for clam cakes and chowder at the shacks and chowder houses that carried on the old traditions. Quahogging remains a major business in Rhode Island, where men and women continue to make a living from the sea.  The long lines at take-out windows attest that the future of Rhode Island's clam shacks is secure as they successfully balance changing tastes with time-honored recipes.

Welcome to the spooky streets and shores of Newport!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. Did you know that a flaming phantom ship with one lone passenger sails along the shores of Newport in the winter? Can you believe that the beautiful mansions owned by America’s wealthiest families are now home to ghosts? Can you believe the spirit of a keeper refuses to leave the lighthouse he once looked after?
Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Newport, Rhode Island, and have you sleeping with the light on!

This is a visual history of the youngest county in Rhode Island from emancipation from Warwick in 1912 to present day.

By 1912, the citizens of the western portion of Warwick had been talking about secession. They possessed all the mills on the Pawtuxet River and were largely democratic, while the eastern section was primarily republican. Finally in 1913, the town of West Warwick was incorporated and became the youngest town in the state of Rhode Island. West Warwick still maintains that status today as it celebrated its centennial in 2013. The town of nine villages-Arctic, Centreville, Clyde, Crompton, Lippitt, Natick, Phenix, River Point, and Wescott-has grown to be the 10th largest out of 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. It is mainly located in the Valley of the Pawtuxet.

Through vintage photographs, Narragansett Brewing Company chronicles the fascinating history, tragic fall, and exciting rebirth of this local icon.

Narragansett Brewing Company was developed in 1890 by German American descendants in Cranston. Taking advantage of an underground aquifer, the company also made ice for thousands of customers. During Prohibition, the brewery continued to make and deliver ice, as well as a type of soda. After the repeal of Prohibition, the Haffenreffer family purchased the brewery and began recalling previous workers to help restore the brewery and bring it to the highest production rate ever. After World War II, advertising manager Jack Haley shifted the company focus to hospitality with the now famous slogan, Hi Neighbor, Have a 'Gansett! Before long, Narragansett was the number one beer in New England. Through vintage photographs, Narragansett Brewing Company chronicles the fascinating history, tragic fall, and exciting rebirth of this local icon.

From humble immigrant beginnings, the Italian-American community in Rhode Island grew to become a significant factor in the state's development.

In government, business, religion, and civic affairs, Italian-Americans contributed a great deal to the development of their communities in the Ocean State. This marvelous new photographic history seeks to recognize those contributors and spotlight their achievements. Covering the period from 1884 to 1996, this volume showcases images from the author's personal archives, and the collections of local families, the Providence Public Library, and the Coalition of Italian Organizations. Major Italian-American figures in the state's history are illustrated, and detailed captions offer family histories—including information about the family's hometown in Italy—and brief summaries of the individual's achievements. This accessible and colorful presentation will appeal to many who wish to remember the contributions of their ancestors.

Hidden History of Rhode Island delivers the best Ocean State stories you've never heard before.  

Surprising tales and unexpected anecdotes color Rhode Island's legacy, from the accounts of its three brave Titanic survivors to the whirlwind Revolutionary War romance between a Smithfield girl and a French viscount. Rhode Island historian Glenn Laxton uncovers the exceptional citizens whom history has forgotten, like Robert the Hermit, a man who endured three escapes from slavery before finding liberty and peace in Rumford; the illustrious Lippitt family, who spearheaded advancements in deaf education; and Christiana Bannister, a Narragansett tribe member, nineteenth-century entrepreneur and wife to the most successful African American artist of the time. With moments of tragedy, as in the Lexington steamboat disaster, as well as triumph, as in the case of small-town boy turned baseball hero Joe Connolly, Laxton reveals Rhode Island beneath the surface.

This photographic history tells the story of Coventry, a bucolic New England town with a fascinating history.

On August 21, 1741, the area west of what is now the town of West Warwick was incorporated into the Township of Coventry. The railroad would traverse Coventry in the mid-1800s, providing the gristmills, sawmills, and farmers with a quicker way to send their goods to market and to receive supplies in return. Along with the railroad came the industry of harvesting wood to supply the locomotives with fuel. In the mid-1900s, the railroads disappeared and the mills began moving south where cotton was grown. The majority of Coventry has evolved into a service town with banks, retail stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and the like. To travel to the western portion of Coventry today is like stepping back in time, where life moves at a slower pace and the post office is still in the local general store. The eastern portion of Washington, Quidnick, and Anthony has remained a busy area where businesses have replaced the mills.

From the grand majesty of the Breakers to the beautiful proportions of Rosecliff, these houses are enduring reminders of the architectural flowering of the Gilded Age.

 Where the salty air mingles with the far-off laughter of women in ball gowns, the houses of the Newport Cliff Walk preside in grandeur over the crashing waves below. Walking along the paved trail, it's easy to imagine the faintest hint of a waltz coming from the windows of Beechwood, or to envision the Duchess of Windsor's carriage arriving for a visit at Fairholme. Ed Morris takes you on a tour of twenty-four historic mansions and landmarks, entertaining along the way with tales of splendor and style, social maneuvering and matchmaking.

The US Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, RI, was originally built as a Neutrality Patrol Seaplane Base.

The base eventually became a unique and fundamentally important asset to the American armed forces. In World War II, more than one half of all U-boats sunk by U. S. aviation—including the first two—were destroyed by Quonset-trained shore and carrier-based squadrons. In the years following World War II, Quonset remained a premier industrial naval air station, sending squadrons or overhauling equipment for use in the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War conflicts. For thirty-four years and through four wars, the Quonset Point Naval Air Station stood proud and tall on behalf of the United States military.

The visual history of the navy in Newport from mercantile trade to world war and the Naval War College.

Known throughout the world as The City by the Sea, Newport, Rhode Island, has a long history of maritime activity. Since the Colonial period, Newport has been recognized as both an important seaport for the mercantile trade and a harbor of inestimable value for naval vessels. I n 1869, the U. S. Navy opened its pioneer site in the region, the Naval Torpedo station on Goat Island in Newport harbor. The Naval War College on Coasters Harbor Island and the Naval Training Station soon followed. The navy's presence expanded through two world wars; and in the 1940s the U. S. Naval Operating Base with headquarters in Newport, included extensive naval facilities on both sides of Narragansett Bay. Today, Newport remains an integral site of naval training, research, and development. The prestigious Naval War College, the Naval Education and Training Center, and other navy command schools, in addition to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center with its Division Newport, have kept this branch of the armed services a leading employer in Rhode Island and southeastern New England.

Rhode Island's contribution to World War II vastly exceeded its small size.

Narragansett Bay was an armed camp dotted by army forts and navy facilities. They included the country's most important torpedo production and testing facilities at Newport and the Northeast's largest naval air station at Quonset Point. Three special, top-secret German POW camps were based in Narragansett and Jamestown. Meanwhile, Rhode Island workers from all over the state - including, for the first time, many women - manufactured military equipment and built warships, most notably the Liberty ships at Providence Shipyard. Authors from the Rhode Island history blog smallstatebighistory.com trace Rhode Island's outsized wartime role, from the scare of an enemy air raid after Pearl Harbor to the war's final German U-boat sunk off Point Judith.

This richly illustrated, Gilded Age inspired sketchbook reveals a fascinating side of a titan of American architecture alongside pages for a reader’s own expressions of beauty.

Considered the preeminent nineteenth century American architect, Richard Morris Hunt (1827–1895) designed some of the greatest landmarks of the Gilded Age such as the Vanderbilt mansions, including Biltmore, the Breakers, Marble House and more. Part of the unique milieu of Hunt’s inspiration was his devotion to the art of collecting. From fine art and jewelry to antiques and collectables, Hunt scoured Europe and America for objects of interest. He kept extensive sketchbooks of his drawings and notes that reveal not only his collecting mindset, but the ideas, aesthetics and inspirations that shaped his approach to architecture. 

Author Sam Watters presents a glimpse inside the creative mind of Richard Morris Hunt, and explores a historic and elegant world of beauty. Including pages for sketches and notes inspired by Hunt’s designs.

Welcome to Rhode Island! Follow parent and child Rhode Island Red Chickens as they tour the Ocean State together. Join the pair as they visit the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Green Animals Topiary Garden, and the Beavertail Lighthouse. Along the way they ride the Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill, play on Narragansett Beach, celebrate July 4th in Bristol, and see the amazing WaterFire in Providence! Our feathered tour guides will remind children and their loved ones of their own great visit to Rhode Island.Bestselling author Martha Day Zschock is an artist and former elementary teacher with a passion for helping children explore new places. The Hello! series illustrates how exploring real places yields new discoveries. Through these journeys, kids can explore and become experts on the world they see inside and outside the book, through the engaging, bright, and detailed illustrations. For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Bursting with delightful colors and bright illustrations, Local Baby: Rhode Island engages babies’ attention and encourages families to explore what makes the Ocean State so great.

See the Big Blue Bug, sail in Narragansett Bay, take a bike ride on Block Island, and watch the parade in Bristol. Explore your state with this joyfully grabbable and wonderfully local board book that is sure to bring generations together.

Established in 1924 by freshman Irving Harris, the Brown University Band is one of the school’s oldest student-run organizations. Its participation at sporting events, convocation and commencement makes it an integral part of campus life, providing music and spirited fun for the Brown and Providence communities.

A “scramble” band, rather than a traditional marching band, the Band provides cheeky entertainment on and off campus. Legendary antics from the world’s only ice-skating band include the infamous bass drum heist by the “Foxboro Four” and notable halftime shows at hundreds of football games. While invariably adapting over the years, the band keeps school songs and spirit alive and maintains its long-standing traditions. Author and former percussionist Sean Briody pays homage to the band’s roots and vibrant history.

Never before seen photographs of the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion Center at Davisville document the accomplishments of those once stationed here.

The U.S. Naval Construction Battalion Center at Davisville, Rhode Island, is first remembered as the original Home of the Atlantic Seabees. During World War II, 100 battalions as well as dozens of other U.S. Navy Builder-Fighter units were formed, outfitted, trained, and prepared for overseas deployment. Here, in the first photographic history of the base, is the story of the men and women who came to Davisville and their legacy of superb accomplishments in the service of their country. Established on February 27, 1942, the base was designated to manufacture and ship overseas materials and equipment and to outfit and embark construction battalions and other naval units. Between 1942 and 1994, when the base was closed, the Seabees participated in every war involving the United States. The Quonset Hut and the Davisville Pontoons were both developed at the Davisville Seabee Center. The base has schooled and trained thousands of officers and tens of thousands of Seabees.

In 1915, the general assembly appointed the Providence Water Supply Board to condemn 14,800 acres of land in rural Scituate. The hardworking people of the five villages were devastated.

By December 1916, notices were delivered to the villagers stating that the homes and land they had owned for generations were to be taken and destroyed. Construction was well under way by 1921, and water was being stored by November 10, 1925. On September 30, 1926, the treatment plant began operation. It now serves more than 60 percent of Rhode Islanders. The $21 million project was the largest ever undertaken in the state at the time. The dam that annihilated the villages is 3,200 feet long and 100 feet high and holds back more than 40 billion gallons of water. Today these quiet villages lie up to 87 feet beneath the cold, dark waters of the Scituate Reservoir.

A fascinating history of Tiverton and Little Compton, documenting its historic roads, farms, life on the sea, and the daily routines of citizens.

With Tiverton and Little Compton, authors Nancy Jensen Devin and Richard V. Simpson invite you to travel historic roads, to explore late-nineteenth-century life in town, on the farm, on the sea, and at leisure. The reader will delight in sweeping views of the Sakonnet River and the Portsmouth shore from Fort Barton, and ride in a one-horse carriage down Main Road to Little Compton and the industrious fishing village at Sakonnet Point. A series of views from the Portsmouth Hummock offers a spectacular perspective of the Tiverton shore, where breakers crash majestically along the rocky coast. This narrow strip on Rhode Island's eastern flank forms one of the most peaceful, beautiful, and remote corners of the state. Readers will also observe the legacy and traditions of the Wampanoag Indians who settled this land centuries before the Puritans from Plymouth Colony.

The stately granite buildings from the past are still at the center of Peace Dale village, but the town’s history is more than just tales of a privileged few.

The legacy of the Irish and Italian immigrants who came to work in the mills and stayed to build a way of life in their new home is as important in the community today as the legacy left by the wealthy Hazard and Rodman families. Discover these early residents of Peace Dale in a remarkable collection of images, complemented by the text of author and local historian Betty J. Cotter. From Peace Dale’s famous arched bridges to the mom-and-pop stores that ring Peace Dale Flats, this unique collection explores the memories of yesteryear. The photographs date from the mid-19th century to the 1960s, and were gathered from the collections of the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society, the Peace Dale Library, and local residents.

Ghosts of Newport plumbs the depths of Newport's history and reveals a host of chilling tales in which fact and folklore intertwine.

  Today's Newport attracts countless visitors from around the world; its streets are alive with art, culture, wealth and beauty. Yet the city harbors echoes of a dark and turbulent past, including a variety of haunted sites: the Jailhouse Inn, Astor's Beechwood, the White Horse Tavern—America's oldest tavern—and many more. These stories show a side of Newport that history books alone could never tell, and help you peer past the city's gilded façade to discover dark secrets sure to spook and surprise.

An unsettling story of corruption and exploitation in the Ocean State from slave ships to politics.

Over thirty thousand slaves were brought to the shores of colonial America on ships owned and captained by James DeWolf. When the United States took action to abolish slavery, this Bristol native manipulated the legal system and became actively involved in Rhode Island politics in order to pursue his trading ventures. He served as a member of the House of Representatives in the state of Rhode Island and as a United States senator, all while continuing the slave trade years after passage of the Federal Slave Trade Act of 1808. DeWolf's political power and central role in sustaining the state's economy allowed him to evade prosecution from local and federal authorities--even on counts of murder. Through archival records, author Cynthia Mestad Johnson uncovers the secrets of James DeWolf.

Following the success of World War II Rhode Island, author Christian McBurney returns, with new coauthors Norman Desmarais and Varoujan Karentz, to present extraordinary personal stories of local contributions to the war effort.

From John F. Kennedy’s training as a PT boat commander at Melville to George H.W. Bush’s training as a pilot at Charlestown, the smallest state played an oversized role preparing navy officers and sailors. Important innovations are credited here too. Radar used on night-flying aircraft was developed at Jamestown’s Spraycliff Observatory and tested at Charlestown, and at Davisville, Seabees developed a pontoon aircraft landing field tested on Narragansett Bay. Scituate was home to the nation’s most successful spy listening station. After these and more captivating stories are revealed, the final chapter details existing World War II sites across the state readers can visit.

A collection of archival images, Pawtucket brings to life the history of this city, including the people, places, landmarks, and events that shaped it.

Pawtucket is a thriving and proud community with a rich history that spans over one hundred years. This compelling visual history is a valuable contribution to the movement to preserve Pawtucket's heritage. For decades, the Pawtucket Public Library and the Spaulding House Research Library have built up two remarkable archives chronicling the vivid history of Pawtucket from the 1820s to the 1990s. Now, these institutions have published over two hundred of the most fascinating images from their archives, bringing to life over one hundred and seventy years of Pawtucket's history—the people, places, landmarks, and events that have shaped this vibrant city. Accompanied by the authors' lively and authoritative text, these images invite us to journey back into the past and meet legendary Pawtucket characters such as Peter Palagi, aviator Jack McGee, and Fanny the elephant; to experience the bustle of Main Street or Broad Street in the 1870s and 1920s; and to rediscover landmarks such as the Music Hall building and Shartenberg's department store. As we meander through these pages, we see how much has been lost and yet how a sense of community has endured across the decades. It will be a source of education and fascination for young and old, resident and visitor alike.

Although residents of East Providence are proud of the development their city has seen in the 20th century, there still remains an allegiance to the community's small-town heritage.

The town of East Providence was incorporated in 1862, the same year it was traded to Rhode Island by Massachusetts. Two bridges across the Seekonk River gave easy access to people to and from East Providence, helping it transform from a sleepy fishing village to a central hub of commerce and entertainment. The East Providence Historical Society pays tribute to their little town in this delightful collection of photographs from the first one hundred years of the town's existence.

The town of Bristol, Rhode Island, has been celebrating Independence Day in grand fashion since 1785.

Americans from near and far have long regarded the town as a center of patriotism and history. With this pictorial history, Bristol resident and Fourth of July Historian Richard V. Simpson presents a lively tribute to his town's heritage. Simpson has combined carefully selected images—many rare and previously unpublished—with informative and compelling text to take his readers on a journey through the history of this dynamic and diverse community. Readers are taken inside Hope Street's historic mansions and family-run shops, gaining valuable insight into the lifestyles of Bristolians in the early 1900s. By contrast, the growth and development of the town in the 20th century is revealed in aerial views taken over a period of 50 years.

The geographic heart and soul of Rhode Island is a 25-mile estuary of great beauty and ecological importance. A talented photographer teams with the offical Narragansett BayKeeper to create a remarkable gift book that is as thought-provoking as it is attractive.

This marvelous selection of photographs, which chronicles the history of Burrillville from the 1890s through the 1940s, is the first photographic history of the town and its people ever published.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has come to serve as a powerful and exciting tool in the preservation and documentation of American history. As time passes by, photographs from the past remind us of the way things used to be, calling to mind fond memories and amusing stories.  Including images of Burrillville's mills, railroads, lakes, and schools, this fascinating new book brings to life the town's rich heritage. Burrillville, incorporated in 1806, grew and prospered as a result of several prominent mill industries. Saw and grist mills were followed by great producers of cotton and wool—together these industries profoundly affected the community's character for decades to come. Residents of such villages as Bridgeton, Pascoag, Harrisville, Glendale, Oakland, Mapleville, and Nasonville all worked in the mills, achieving renown for their skilled production of fabric for use in the military uniforms of three wars.

Heritage Room committee members Shirley D. Arnold, Eleanor R. Guy, and Ruth S. Rounds tell the story of how Scituate became what it is today.

Scituate, Rhode Island, was first inhabited by the Nipmuc and Narragansett Indians. The first white settler, John Mathewson, came in 1694 and found a land of many ponds and streams. More emigrants came from Massachusetts in the early 1700s, and the town was incorporated in 1731. These hard-working settlers made their living from the land, coaxing apples, corn, and potatoes to grow from the hilly and rocky soil. Scituate's plentiful water resources brought manufacturing to the area in 1806, and 16 villages developed around the many mills that were established here. Scituate's abundant water supply also made it the chosen site for a reservoir to provide water for the growing needs of the city of Providence. By 1915, the City of Providence began to condemn by eminent domain over 25 square miles of Scituate's land area. Upon completion in 1926, the reservoir had flooded the villages and changed the way of life for the townspeople forever. The history of these so-called lost villages has not been shown in pictures before.

Dave Brussat has made a significant contribution to the history of Providence. For those interested in that history, Lost Providence is a real find. Providence Journal

Providence has one of the nation's most intact historic downtowns and is one of America's most beautiful cities. The history of architectural change in the city is one of lost buildings, urban renewal plans and challenges to preservation. The Narragansett Hotel, a lost city icon, hosted many famous guests and was demolished in 1960. The American classical renaissance expressed itself in the Providence National Bank, tragically demolished in 2005. Urban renewal plans such as the Downtown Providence plan and the College Hill plan threatened the city in the mid-twentieth century. Providence eventually embraced its heritage through plans like the River Relocation Project that revitalized the city's waterfront and the Downcity Plan that revitalized its downtown. Author David Brussat chronicles the trials and triumphs of Providence's urban development.

Dutch Island and Fort Greble, a fascinating visual journey through the past, will delight and educate both the avid historian and the casual observer.

Dutch Island is an 81-acre island situated at the southern end of the West Passage to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. It served an important role in our country's military history, from its acquisition by the United States Army in 1864 until its closing by the military in 1947.

This volume is the first pictorial history illustrating the military development and facilities of Fort Greble on Dutch Island, spanning the period from the Civil War to World War II. Readers will step back in time and wander through the early earthworks and different incarnations of Fort Greble, stroll along the pristine parade ground before it was covered in briar and bramble, gaze upon the huge coastal artillery guns pointing toward the sea, and watch uniformed soldiers performing their duties on this fortified island.

Author Walter K. Schroder, author of Defenses of Narragansett Bay, has compiled an amazing collection of photographs, many from the official federal archives, that detail and examine a memorable chapter in our country's military past.