Rhode Island

Brown University established one of the first athletic programs in the nation in 1857. As one of the oldest colleges in America, the university has been a pioneer in intercollegiate athletics for more than one hundred twenty-five years. Brown University Athletics: From the Bruins to the Bears explores this rich and storied history with rare archival photographs.

Brown University Athletics features some of the greatest teams and athletes in Brown history, as well as several others who have gone on to prominent careers, including Governor Don Carcieri, media mogul Ted Turner, and ESPN sports anchor Chris Berman. From football legends John Heisman, Joe Paterno, and Steve Jordan to baseball star Billy Almon, Brown athletes have enjoyed tremendous success and have won national championships in several sports.

In 1638, feisty colonists settled in Cranston and a century later defied the British over taxation. From the early town meetings that were rife with heated debate to the incorporation of a fully
functioning city, local historian and attorney Steven Frias charts the turbulent evolution of a democracy. Frias takes the reader through twenty consecutive mayors' terms, starting with Cranston's first mayor, Edward Sullivan, who never raised property taxes during his term while successfully managing to lower the debt of the city. Frias continues on with such mayors as John Horton, who provided liberal support for public education. Discover the corruption and scandal surrounding the installation of the sewer systems, and learn why the area was dubbed "City of Farms" and how current circumstances in Cranston reflect on past leadership.

The City by the Sea boasts an ambitious baseball history dating back to the early days of America's favorite pastime. In 1897, the Newport Colts became the first professional baseball team to ever tie in a playoff series. By the 1900s, baseball was being played daily on open fields and diamonds throughout Newport. The city has sported six major ball fields, including Cardines Field, host to the oldest continuously running amateur baseball team in the country. Discover the humble beginnings of players like Newport native Frank Corridon, who allegedly invented the now outlawed spitball, and the legacy of the great Trojans baseball club. Team up with baseball historian Rick Harris and walk through the history of Newport baseball from amateur games to the major leagues and all the strikes, homers and grand slams in between.

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.

In 1765, settlers to the west of Providence petitioned to form their own township. Their prayers were answered, and North Providence, Rhode Island, was born. While it sheltered religious dissenters, North Providence was also the sparking point of the Industrial Revolution--native sons and industrialists Samuel Slater and Zachariah Allen reinvented the cotton industry and altered the course of the nation. In this history of North Providence, author Paul F. Caranci celebrates the town's colorful characters and provides walking tours for the villages of Lymansville, Allendale, Centredale and Fruit Hill. Learn how North Providence native Stephen Olney became a Revolutionary War hero when he pulled an injured James Monroe from the battlefield and how Frank C. Angell became a spokesman for Centredale. Caranci reveals the unique history of North Providence and the people who shaped it.

This book will chronicle the history of baseball at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown has earned the distinction of being the most influential institution regarding baseball in Rhode Island. Fields, players, coaches are also included. Perhaps the most interesting parts of the book are the stories revolving around students and baseball games. Racial Integration on the ball field at Brown University is also explored, as well as women who played baseball at Pembroke College (Brown's sister college prior to integration of female and male students).

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.