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/iP^^^^#n 



. -^DEGieS— REPETTTA-PLACEBIT;^ 



Picturesque 



Rhode Island 



PEN AND PENCIL SKETCHES 



Of the Scenery and History of its Cities, Towns and Ham- 
lets, AND of Men who have made them Famous. 



BY 



WILFRED H. MUNRO. 



Providence : J. A. & R. A. Reid, Publishers. 

1881. 



/ : 



' I 



Copyright. 

J. A. & R. A. REID, Provxdkncb. 

iSSi. 




PREFACE. 



"Decies repetita placebit." — Though ten times repeated, 
the story of the earlier and later days of the towns and cities of his 
native state will always be pleasing to ever}' true-hearted American. 
PicTURESQiiE Rhode Island is not meant to be a history of the 
" State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ; " the extended 
and comprehensive work of Mr. Samut;l G. Arnold, and the admir- 
able little volume of Professor Greene, render further labors in the 
Rhode IsUind historical field unnecessary at the present time. Its 
object is to give in concise and simple form a picturesque account 
of the origin and growth of the several towns of the State, and to 
note the prominent features they now present to the eyes of thoSe 
who look upon them. To accomplish this object both pen and pencil 
have been employed. Brief sketches of the careers of men whose 
lives have been unusually noteworthy have been given, and many 
particulars, which, though interesting in themselves, would possibly 
be crowded by stern necessity from the chapters of a purely historical 
work, have found a place in its pages. 

As is almost always the case where a preface is written before all 
the pages that are to follow it have been placed in the hands of the 



PicTUREsciyE Rhode Island. 



printer, it has become necessary to make a few additions to the " fore- 
words" put forth some four months ago, in the preceding paragraph. 
Before the first half of this book had been placed in type it had 
become plainly evident that if I adhered to the plan previously 
marked out it would be quite impossible to complete the work in time 
for its publication for the summer season. Unexpected events had 
made such an inroad upon my time that assistance became abso- 
lutely necessary. The pen of Mr. Robert Grieve, of Providence, 
was therefore placed at my disposal. To Mr. Grieve must be given 
moat of the credit for the articles upon Pawtucket, North Providence 
and Lincoln, the two Smithfields, Johnston, Cranston, Scituate, Fos- 
ter, Coventry, Exeter, Hopkinton and Jamestown ; and for the notes 
upon the commerce and the manufactures of Providence and of War- 
wick. The sketches of Woonsocket, Burrillville, Glocester, East 
and West Greenwich, Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond and New 
Shoreham, and most of the historical portion of the article upon 
Providence are from the careful hand of Miss Ellen R. Luther, of 
Bristol. 

WILFRED H. MUNRO. 

Bribtol, R. I.. June 15, 1881, 





CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE EARLY VOYAGERS ALONG THE COAST OF RHODE ISLAND 

THE NORTHMEN SEBASTIAN CABOT VKRRAZANI BAR- 
THOLOMEW GOSNOLD AND HIS COLONY ADRIAN BLOCK, THE 

DUTCH NAVIGATOR LATER VOYAGERS, . . . PaGES 17-22 

CHAPTER II. 

NEWPORT — HOW THE TOWN CAME TO BE FOUNDED — ALONG 
THE WHARVES — PIRATES AND PRIVATEERS — THE JEWS — 
FAMOUS MEN AND PRINCELY MERCHANTS OF THE OLDEN 

TIME THE BRITISH OCCUPATION AND ITS RESULTS — "THE 

VISIT OF THE FRENCH TROOPS THE BELLES OF AQpiDNECK 

AFTER THE WAR THE WONDERFUL REVIVAL OF THE 

" CITY BY THE SEA," PaGES 23-52 



CHAPTER 



II. 



MIDDLETOWN DEAN BERKELEY ISAAC BARKER'S SERVICES 

DURING THE REVOLUTION. PORTSMOUTH THE SETTLE- 
MENT AT POCASSET — THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. LITTLE 
COMPTON — AWASHONKS, THE SQi/AW SACHEM, AND CAPT. 

BENJAMIN CHURCH. TIVERTON WEETAMOE, QJJEEN OK 

POCASSET THE CAPTURE OF THE " PIGOT" GALLEY, 

Pages 53-76 



8 PicTURESQjJE Rhode Island. 



CHAPTER IV. 

BRISTOL THE VOYAGES OF THE NORTHMEN PHILIP OF POKA- 

NOKET THE PRIVATEER ''YANKEE" THE SLAVE-TRADE 

COMMERCIAL PROSPERITY AND DECAY. WARREN MAS- 

SASOIET, THE FRIEND OF THE WHITE MAN SOME FAMOUS 

SHIPS. HARRINGTON THE THREE RANKS OF INHABITANTS 

CAPT. THOMAS WILLET, PaGES 77-IO3 



CHAPTER V. 

EAST PROVIDENCE SILVER SPRING OCEAN COTTAGE SQUAN- 

TUM A RHODE ISLAND CLAM-BAKE TRISTAM BURGES. 

PAWTUCKET FALLS THE FIRST SETTLERS THE JENKSES 

— CAPT. Pierce's fight — the falls at various times 

sam patch samuel slater and the development 

of manufactures. north providence. lincoln, 

Pages 104- 134 

CHAPTER VI. 

CUMBERLAND WILLIAM BLACKSTONE NINE MEN's MISERY. 

WOONSOCKET EDWARD HARRIS AND THE HARRIS INSTI- 
TUTE MANUFACTURES EDUCATION. SMITHFIELIX AND 

NORTH SMITHFIELD. BURRILLVILLE JAMES BURRILL 

THE forger's cave, Pages I3S-IS7 



CHAPTER VII. 

GLOCESTER THE TORY EXILES THE DORR WAR. FOSTER 

THEODORE FOSTER AND SOLOMON DROWNE. SCITUATE 

COMMODORE HOPKINS STEPHEN HOPKINS. JOHNSTON 

LOTTERIES. CRANSTON THE SPRAGUES. PAWTUXET 

STATE INSTITUTIONS, PaGES I58-I78 



Contents. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

• 

PROVIDENCE ROGER WILLIAMS AND ** SOUL LIBERTY" ^MAN- 
NERS AND CUSTOMS IN EARLY DAYS — OLD-TIME ** CON- 
VENIENCES " FOR TRAVELING ROGER WILLIAMS PARK 

CHURCHES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS DETAILS RE- 
SPECTING THE COMMERCE THE RISE OF MANUFACTURES, 



Pages 179-226 



CHAPTER IX. 

WARWICK SAMUEL GORTON FAMOUS SHORE RESORTS 

ROCKY POINT — OAKLAND BEACH BUTTONWOODS MANU- 
FACTURES CAPTURE OF THE ** GASPEE." COVENTRY 

EARLY DAYS AND SETTLERS. EAST GREENWICH JEMIMA 

WILKINSON. WEST GREENWICH THEOPHILUS WHALLEY. 

EXETER AND HOPKINTON, PaGES 227-255 



WESTERLY 



CHAPTER X. 



THE NIANTIC INDIANS THE FIRST WHITE SET- 



TLERS THE GREAT AWAKENING WESTERLY GRANITE 

FOUR NOTED MEN. CHARLESTOWN NINIGRET's FORT 

THE CORONATION OF QUEEN ESTHER. RICHMOND THE 

FIGHT AT SHANNOCK MILLS, PaGES 256-274 



CHAPTER XI. 



NORTH AND SOUTH KINGSTOWN RICHARD SMITH THE GREAT 

SWAMP FIGHT — LARGE ESTATES — ANCIENT NARRAGANSETT 

SLAVE ELECTIONS NARRAGANSETT PACERS DR. 

McSPARRAN — THE '* UNFORTUNATE HANNAH ROBINSON*': — 
GILBERT CHARLES STUART. JAMESTOWN. BLOCK ISLAND. 
THE LEGEND OF THE ** PALATINE," .... PaGES 275-3OI 




ILLUSTRATIONS. 



The Rogers High School, New- 
port 

View of Newport from the H 



bor, 



Gay Head Light, . â–  â–  
Bren ton's Reef Lightship, 
Landing of Gosnold, 1602, 
Fort Adams, Newport, . 
The Beach at Newport, . 
Thames Street, Newport, 
The Casino, Newport, . 
The Channing Memorial Church, 

Newport, 

Spouting Rock, Newport, 

Lime Rocks, Newport 

The Drives, Newport, 

The Jewish Cemetery, Newport, 

The Old Coddington House, 

Newport, 

Ancient Days, Newport, . 
A Newport Cottage, . . 
The Lorillard Cottage, Newport, 
Bird's-eye View of Newport, 
Redwood Library, " 
Trinity Church, " 

Perry Monument, " 
Forty Steps, " 

Land's End, " 

Purgator>', " 

The Old Mill, 



TheTenton theBeach, Newport, 53 

Whitehall, Newport, .... 57 

Happy Valley, 59 

The Glen, 61 

A Glimpse of Bristol Ferry, . 63 

Old Wind-mill, 63 

Mount Hope, 69 

Cold Spring Monument, Mount 

Hope, 71 

The Northmen's Rock, Mount 

Hope Bay, 73 

Residence of A. O. Bourn, 

Bristol, 76 

The Oldest house in Bristol, . 78 
Residence of Wm. T. C. Ward- 
well, Bristol 80 

Bristol from the Harbor, ... 81 

St. Michael's Church, Bristol, . 82 
Chapel of St. Michael's Church, 

Bristol, 82 

High Street, Bristol. .... 83 
Residence of Mrs. R. D. Smith, 

Bristol 84 

The Rogers Free Library, Bris- 
tol, 85 

The Town Hall, Bristol, ... 86 
The Congregational Church, 

Bristol, 87 

The Methodist Episcopal 

Church, Bristol, 88 



12 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 



PAGE. 

89 
90 



« 



9^ 

92 

93 
95 
97 
99 



Residence of Gen. A. E. Burn 

side, Bristol, 

The Baptist Church, Bristol, 
Residence of S. P. Colt, Esq. 

Bristol, 

The Methodist Episcopal Church, 

Warren, 

Warren — From the Beacon, 
A View of Main St., Warren, 
The Baptist Church, 
Nayatt Point, . . , 
The Old Watson House, Bar 

rington, loi 

Silver Spring, 105 

Squantum, 107 

Hunt's Mills, East Providence, 109 

Ocean Cottage, no 

Pawtucket Falls, 1881, . . .111 
Universalist Church, Pawtucket, 112 
Pawtucket Falls, 1789, . . .113 
Trinity Church, Pawtucket, . .114 
A View in Main Street, Paw- 
tucket, 115 

Pawtucket from below Division 

Street Bridge, 116 

Music Hall, Pawtucket, . . .117 
The Congregational Church, 

Pawtucket, 119 

The River, from Exchange St 

Bridge, Pawtucket, . . . .121 
The Pumping Station, Pawtucket, 123 

127 
129 

131 

133 

134 

137 

139 

143 

HS 
146 

147 



(C 



First Baptist Church, 
Old Slater Mill, Pawtucket, 
Glimpse of Lonsdale, . . . ' 
Butterfly Factory, Lincoln, . 
Baptist Church, Central Falls, 
University Buildings, Prov., 
Valley of the Abbott's Run, 
The Blackstone at Woonsocket 
The Falls at Woonsocket, 
Main Street, Woonsocket, 
Harris Block, Woonsocket, 
High School, Woonsocket, 



cc 



(t 



PAGE. 

Woonsocket from the East, . .149 
View of Greenwich, . . . .151 
Village of Slatersville, . . .155 

View of Pascoag, 157 

Providence from Smith's Hill, . 162 
Lake Moswansicut, Scituate, . 167 
View on the Woonasquatucket, 171 

On the Pawtuxet, 173 

The State Prison, 175 

Field's Point, 177 

Providence from Prospect Ter- 

.race, 

Old City Building, Providence, 
The State House, 
The New City Hall, 
Soldiers* and Sailors' Monu- 
ment, Providence, . . . 
Crystal Lake, Providence, . 
Exchange Place, Providence, 
Hoppin Homestead, 
U. S. Custom House, 
Butler Exchange, 
The Athenaeum, 
New Court House, 
The Arcade, 
Infantry Armory, 
The High School, Providence, 
Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co.'j 

Buildings, Providence, 
Roger Williams Monument 

Providence, 
Park Garden Pavilion, Provi- 
dence, . . . 
Works of the Nicholson File 

Co., Providence, 
The Betsey Williams House. 

Providence, . 
The What Cheer Cottage, Provi- 

dence, 

R. L Hospital, Providence, 
The Butler Hospital, Providence, 198 
The Friends' School, " 198 

Narragansett Hotel, ^* 199 



(( 



t( 



u 



Cfc 



(( 



(( 



(( 



178 
180 
180 
181 

182 

183 

184 

185 

186 

187 

188 

189 

190 

191 

192 

193 
194 

194 

19s 

196 
196 

197 



List of Illustrations. 



13 



Westminster Street, Providence, 300 

Hotel DoTrance, Providence. . zoi 

Low's Opera House, " . 202 

The Cathedral. " . 205 

Grace Church, " . 207 

Union Congregational Church, 

Providence, 211 

First Congregational Church, 

Providence, 215 

Beneficent Congreg'l Church, 

Providence, 217 

First Universalis! Church, Provi- 
dence, 219 

First Baptist Church, Provi- 
dence, 221 

Chestnut St. M. K Church, 

Providence, 223 

A View of Phenix, 229 

Rocky Point, 231 

Restaurant, Rocky Point, . . 233 

Flying Horses, Rocky Point, . 333 

Oakland Beach, 235 

Falls at Washington Village. . 237 
East Greenwich from the Water, 241 
Academy, East Greenwich, . . 243 
Street View in East Greenwich, 245 
Episcopal Church, East Green- 
wich, 249 

Beach Pond, Exeter 251 



Hope Valley, Hoplclnton, . . 255 
Broad Street, Westerly, . . . 257 

Westerly, 263 

Congregational Church, West- 
erly, 265 

Seventh-Day Baptist Church, 

Westerly, 271 

Dixon House, Westerly, . . . 273 

Watch Hill Light, 273 

Indian Burying-ground, Charles- 
town, 274 

The Court House at Kingston, 277 
Congregational Church, Peace- 
dale, 379 

A Bit of Wickford, . . . . 281 
Swamp Fort, South Kingstown, 385 
Hazard's Castle,* Narragansett 

Pier, 287 

Hazard's Gate, Narragansett 

Pier, 289 

Bathing Scene, Narragansett 

Pier 390 

Narragansett Pier, .... 291 
Indian Rock, Narragansett Pier, 293 

Fort Dumplings, 293 

Point Judith, 293 

Block Island Light 295 

New Shoreham, Block Island, . 299 




MAPS. 



MAP OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, Between pajres 144 and 145 

MAP OF NARRAGANSETT BAY, Between pages 37a and 373 

MAP OF THE CrrV OF PROVIDENCE Between pages ao8 and 309 

MAP OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT Between pages 64 and 65 




CHAPTER I. 



THE EAHLY VOYAGEHS ALONG THE COAST OF RHODE ISLAND — THE NORTHMEN 
— SEBASTIAN CABOT — VERRAZANI — BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD 
AND HIS COLONY — ADRIAN BIXXTK. THE DUTCH NAVIGATOR — 
FElt \'OYAGERS. 

Rocked incessantly b}- the heaving billows of the 
Atlantic Ocean, at one time soothed by their gentle 
caresses, as the infant in its cradle is lulled to repose by 
the tender hand of its mother, at another tossed wildly 
n about by the raging tempests when the demons of the 
storm hold high carnival upon the ocean ; in summer a 
pleasant refuge from the scorching breezes that sweep 
over thf land ; in winter a dreadful prison, whose thick 
walls of oak are often cased with thicker walls of ice ; 
always, in summer breezes and winter storms, alike 
hailed with delight by the homeward-bound mariner, 
rides the Brenton's Reef Lightship. 

Like the sea which it inhabits, the stout vessel upon 
whose seaworthiness the safety of so many lives de- 
pends, appears ne%'er to change. Just as it challenged the attention 
of the sailor when its home was first fixed near its dangerous reef, 
so it demands the notice of every one who sails through the entrance 
of Narragansett Bay to-day. As one wave sweeps onward and gives 
place to another while the ocean itself seems always the same, so 
lightship may have yielded to lightship, but the change has been un- 
noticed by the passing voyager. Almost unconsciously the mind 
of him who gazes upon it is carried backward to the earliest days of 
American history. As the sun goes down in the western sky and 
the evening shadows creep slowly over land and sea, visions of the 
ships that once sailed these waters come crowding before our eyes. 




l>i 



PicTfRE«t.E Rhode Ulan 



st^ircv oiriTT.ar.- Wix ar.c -.avage :* vit appears 
;.- eve- thsr. ±e:r tcrribi 
sl'-aas;.- : 



hatred ■A^l'.r^. M-re —gh:: 



â– r.-Aarc. s:r'.r,i: anr.;. 

ircj "iie brea*: o:" each 

.-•i' those ia:r- 

eipous. gleam 

N" i'jngcr ihe Vikingii 



•>ar.i£ of •• cJ.ar.'Jr.a :r,&ii ■*:•.••. :he:r lanc^*:" they were Christians 
wr.er. "J'.e;. ^and-r'i â– ^p'^r. :he ihorei of Xew Ejiijland. b'jl the soften- 
ing •r.f.^.fr.^i ',{ Chrf-tianir/ had hardly be^n ic- make itself felt 
amon;^ then;. Other ships from Iceland and Greenland succeed the 
pioneer verse! of Le:f Encs^Jii. One of these bears within its ice- 
scarred v.ali* a mother and her infant ^m, the rirst child "i Euro- 
pean rie^cerjt hf/m up'jn the 'hore- "f the Americiin continent. 
Snorri Thor^inn^^-jn was the name of the boy. Thorvaldsen. the 
famou.s sculpt^^r. claimed him as his ance>tor. As the last of the 

l.-nj; keeU from 

Greenland a r c 
drawn up iipt>n the 
shores of •- Vinland 
the Good." their 
crews are telling of 
the immense glaciers 
tliat arc creeping 
d im n upon their 
northern homes, and 
wondeiHiig why no 
vessel for s<^ many 
years has reached 
their ice-bound col- 
ony from the shores 
(if their Norwegian 
fatherland. The 
darkne.<i.s of midnight settles down upon the ocean as the sails of 
that hardy race sink below the horizon. 

The bold hand of Sebastian Cabot, •■ The Great Seaman." of 
whom it has been said. " he gave England a continent — and no one 
knows his burial-place," thrusts it aside. In 1498. with t^vo ships 
and 300 men, Cabot sailed from Bristol, England, to search for the 
northwest passage to China and Japan. From, Labrador to Mary- 




Thb Early V'ovagers. 




land lie itaili'd ntong the const, and then went back id England, He 
liad opened a new world to English enterprise, and nimust regal 
hnnnrs giected his rotum. 

Next, a ship from the plea»anl shores of France comes tiniling 
into view. The Italian Verrazani, is her commander; he bears a 
commission tVom King Francis 1. In die spring di" 1524 Verrazani 
mailed along the coii5t frnm North Carolina to Newfoundlund. Tn 
the whole country he gave the name of New France. Of his voy- 
age, an account, which U generally received as authentic, may be* 
found in Hakluyt's Voyages. It contains the earliest full descrip- 
tion of the North American coast. For mure than a rorinighl the 
ship of Verrazani lay at anchor in the harbor of Newport, and every- 
day the natives of the country, *' the goodliest people " he had fcnind 
hi his voyage, repaired to sec his ship. As we read his picturesque 
narrative (heir dusky forms seem I0 rise In bodily presence before 119, 
#0 vividly and perfectly does he describe them. 



no 1*rcTi'itF.scii'K Rhode Island. 

Thf biirk of Bitrtiiolamew Gosnold follows in the wake of the 
French exploring ship. Friday, March 26. i6oz, Cnptajn Gosnold 
sailed from Falmouth, Enghind. His vessel, the " Concord," carried 
Ihirty-two men, twenty of whom were intending !« remain as settlers 
in the New World. Gosnold sighted land on Friday, May 14. The 
next day he anchored near a cape, in fifteen fathoms of water, and 
" took a great store ofcodtisli." The name Cape Cod i» dup to that 
chance anchorage. Sailing by No Man's Land, then a •' disinliab- 
ited island," and Gay Head, which he called " Dover Cliff." the 
Englishman landed upon the shores of Cuttyhunk. This island was 
also "altogether unpeopled and disinhabited." The name of EUza- 
beth's Island was bestowed upon it. The colonists determined to 
make (heir abode and plantation upon a rockj' islci in a pond of 
fresh water not far from the place where tliey had landed. The 
project was afterwards given up, but the fact remains that upon this 
island was founded the first English setUenient in Norlli America. 
In 1797 the " cellar of Gosnold's atorc-hou.'ic *' was easily found by a 




Unrit<f et dot' 



The Early Vovagkrs, 



company of ;intiquarians ; in 1848 another company ••examined the 
locality, described with minute exactness in the journals of Gosnold's 
voyage, and the outlines of their works were then distinctly visible," 

Adrian Block, the Dutch navigator, who first of all Europeans 
sailed through Hurlgate, succeeds Gosnold. Sailing into Narra- 
giinsett Bay he " commemorated the fiery aspect of the place, caused 
by the red clay in some portions of its shores, by giving it the name 
of Roodt Eylandt, the Red Island. The names Rhode Island and 
Block Island still testify to his visit. 

The shadowy sails thicken upon the ocean. With their faces 
lighted with the stern joy that danger always gave them, the men of 
Plymouth and of Boston urge their little shallops over the boiling 
surges. The ships of Rhode Island come next. The expanding 
commerce of the little colony stretches out over all seas. Into the 
harbors <if N"ewp<)rt and Bristol and Providence sail vessels iVom the 
West Indies, from the Spanish Main, from the ports of Northern and 
Southern Europe. From a greater distance still come some of these 
little craft. Tliey are engaged in a hideou.s traffic, though the world 
did not then regard it as such. The dark-skinned forms that lie list- 
lessly about their decks have been turn from the wilds of their native 
Africa to serve as slaves in the country' that called itself /)r»- America. 



22 PicTUREsqyE Rhode Island. 

Peaceful merchantmen give place to black war-ships, and the thun- 
ders of a naval battle reverberate over the waters as the French and 
English fleets of D'Estaing and Ho%ve engage in a contest which is 
terminated by the irresistible force of outraged Nature. Primitive 
.steamboats succeed the sailing-vessels. At first they pick their way 
cautiously from point to point, but gradually plow fearlessly on- 
ward through the opposing waves. Waking at last from the dreams 
of the pa,st to the wonderful realities of the present, we behold within 
the horizon's rim the ocean studded with sails ho numerous that the 
eyes grow wearied as we attempt to count them. Almost every day, 
during the warm months, more vessels than the coasts of America saw 
during the first two centuries after the discovery of Columbus, pass 
within sight of the Brenton's Reef Lightship. 




^^^^Ij^^ 


'fii^' " 


E^^^^^^lT^ 


B. ) 


.â– â– df-^^^*\] 


Wi4*/ 




^;:^,:~*'^,„w^ 



CHAPTER II. 



NEWPORT — IK 



\\ THE TOY 
PI HATES J 
PRINCELY 



E TO BE FOUNDKO— ALONG THE WIIAKVE 
VATEERS — THE JFAVS — FAMOIS MEN A 
ANTS OF THE OLDEN TIME —THE RRIT] 



OCCUPATION- AND ITS RESULTS — THE VISIT OK THE KRENCH 
TROOPS— THE BEI.LKS OF AqulDNECK — AFTER THE WAR- THE 
WONDER KIL REVIVAL OK THE "CITY UV THE SEA." 



^PON the shore of the beautiful island of Aquidneck, 
Nicholas Easton, William Brenton, and Thomas Haz- 
ird were standing one day in great perplexity. It was 
in the Year of Our Lord 1639. A few weeks before, 
^ they had chosen a site for the town they proposed to 
build. The great forest trees that shot upward from its 
hillsides had been felled, but a low, swampy ground, 
cftvered with a dense growth of underbrush, had been 
reached, which seemed to render additional labor futile, 
The tremendous waves rolling in upon Easton's Beach 
had shown them it was useless to hope for a safe anchor- 
age there. Reluctantly they had turned away, and had decided to 
place their dwellings upon the spot where the city of Newport now 
stands. Nature again appeared to defy their feeble powers. An 
Indian canoe approached the spot where the three men were stand- 
ing. One of the white men addressed its occupants and asked them 
"How much they would take to clear that swamp." After a short 
consultation one of the Indians replied. "If you will give me your 
coat, the pale-faces shall have the land made clear." The coat was 
given. The warrior cut from it its large brass buttons, and put them 
upon a string. Then he tied the coveted ornament around his neck, 
and went to summon his companions to assist him in t'ultilling his 




24 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

agreement. The Indians shortly afterwards set fire to the under- 
brush, and thus, without any difficulty, disposed of one great 
obstacle that had hindered the work of the colonists- By the united 
efforts of the Indians and Englishmen the swamp was cleared of 
timber, filled in with gravel and sand, and made sufficiently firm for 
building lots. 

The founders and first officers of the little settlement were : Wil- 
liam Coddington. Judge ; Nicholas Easton, John Coggeshall, William 
Brenton, John Clarke, Jeremy Gierke, Thomas Hazard, and Henry 
Bull, Elders ; William Dj're. Clerk. All these men had once been 
prominent citizens of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Having es- 
poused the weaker side in the famous Hutchinson controversy, they, 
with nine others, had been first disarmed and afterwards forced to 
leave Massachusetts by their triumphant opponents. After examin- 
ing various lands that had been offered them for settlement, they de- 
termined to make their new home in Delaware. With this end in 
view the colonists had sent their household goods by ship around 
Cape Cod, intending themselves to go overland and take the vessel 
at Providence. After thev had reached Providence the representa- 
tions of Roger Williams and his influence with the Indian owners of 
_ the island in- 

duced them to 
change their 
plans, and to 
take up their 
;i b o d e ii j> o n 
Aquidneck. Ac- 
cordingly, on the 
24th of March, 
1638. they began 
a settlement at 
Pocasset, now 
called Ports- 
mouth, upon the 
northern end of 
the island. So 
rapidly did the 
colony increase, 
that in the follow- 
ing year it was 




^F^*^^^^^^ 


r 


^^^1 




^^^^1 










dtcided to fontui tin- w.vi (own upon the southwestern part of the ^^^^^H 
island, whosi- bcj^nnning has just been traced. ^^^^^H 
On the first day of May. 1639, they landed near the site of New- ^^^^^H 
port: on the i6th the town was laid out and named- four acres ^^^^^H 
were as!si|;iied for each house-lot. and six acrcfl were granted to Mr. ^^^^^^^| 
Ccjddington for an on.:hard. (This was the second orchard planted ^^^^^H 
in the State. William Blackiitonc had planted the Hrst in 1635. } ^^^^^H 
The first street marked out was Thames Street. It wae about a mile ^^^^^H 
ill length, and was laid out â– â–  according to the convenience of the ^^^^^H 
share," as the quaint phrase of the olden lime puts it. Almottt oil ^^^^^H 
of the dwelling-hniises were placed upon the east side of the street- ^^^^^H 
It was hurdl.v supposed that buildings would ever Ik plnced upon the ^^^^^H 
west side, except in a few unu»ually favorable locations. No room ^^^^^H 
was iherefore left for ihe purpose. But in course of time the neces- ^^^^^H 
sitics of commerce called lor tlie erection of stores and warehouses, ^^^^^H 
the owners of the adjoining land encroached more a.nd mure upon ^^^^^H 
the highway, attd the narrow street which now sn surprises ihe visi- ^^^^^H 



PiCTURESQjJE Rhode Island. 




As the traveler 
lands to-day upon 
the wharvesof New - 
port, it is almost im- 
possible for him to 
realize that he has 
reached the most 
famous summer re- 
sort upon the West- 
ern Continent. In- 
stead of the beauti- 
ful residences he 
had expected to see 
— those palatial 
structures, rich with 
all the treasures 
wealth and taste can 
gather together, 
which have made 
the Newport 'â–  Cot- 
tage" so famous 
throughout Amer- 
ica, — his eye rests 
only upon old and 
weather-wornbuild- 
ings, standing iike 
monuments to commemorate the spot where once a world-wide com- 
merce found its home. He hardly needs to be told in his guide-book 
that Newport was once, with the exception of Boston, the most 
flourishing commercial town in America. Every old building seems 
to speak in pathetic accents of that dead past. It requires only a 
slight eflbrt of the imagination to make these old wharves groan 
once more beneath the load of rich freight, and to crowd these old 
warehouses again, almost to bursting, with the varied merchandise 
from lands that lie far beyond the swelling seas. The eighteenth 
century was the period of Newport's commercial importance. Dur- 
ing the fifty years that preceded the American Revolution it reached 
the zenith of its maritime prosperity. When the Revolutionary War 
broke out its population was over ii,ooo. In the town were seven- 
teen manufactories of sperm oil and candles, five rope-walks, three 



NkWI'OKT. 



27 



sugar refineries, one brewery, and twenty-two dislilleries for the 
manufacture of rum. In its foreign commerce upwards of t\vo hun- 
dred ships were employed ; its domestic trade called for the services 
of nearly four hundred coasting vessels. In the two months of June 
and July, 1774, sixty-four vessels from foreign voyages were entered 
at the Newport Custom House. In the same time one hundred and 
thirty-two coastwise vessels, and seventeen engaged in the whale- 
fishery, were also entered. A regular line of packets kept up com- 
munication with Londim. At this time at least three thousand sea- 
men thronged the streets of the port, or found employment upon the 
ships which lined its docks. In many cases goods could not be 
stored for lack of room, 
though the coasters would 
take the foreign freight 
directly from the wharves 
to the less important ports 
which depended upon New- 
port for their supplies. As 
many as eighteen Indiamen 
are recorded to have ar- 
rived in one day. It was 
about this time that a far- 
seeing writer in the New- 
port Mercury, after con- 
gratulating New York upim 
its health j'growth, ventured 
to predict that the home of 
the Knickerbockers might 
one day, in the far-distant 
future, "rival Newport in 
commercial prosperity and 
greatness." The British 
fleet which anchored in its s <â–  r k 

harbor in 1775, gave the 

death-blow to its commercial supremacy. " Its manufactories were 
soon closed, its ships, one by one, fell into the hands of the enemy, 
and its patriotic population, impoverished and despairing, were forced 
to flee for safety to the inland towns. From the efl^ects of ' the British 
occupation' Newport never recovered. Not until 1850 did it again 
number as many inhabitants as in 1775 ; its lost ships have never 
been replaced." 




28 PiCTUREsqpE Rhode Island. 

The oldest wharf in the city is Long Wharf. This has lately 
been more than doubled in size by the " filling-in " of the shallows 
near it. There, in the very earliest days, the nine founders of 
the town and those who joined fortunes with them, used to land. 
" Qyeen-hithe, " the wharf was then called, and on the earlier 




maps this name always appears. Hithe or Hythe means a small 
harbor ; the termination is found in many English names. Many a 
strange scene has this old wharf beheld. Thither, in 1729, rushed 
the Rev, Mr. Honeyman, prayer-book in hand, to welcome a " great 
dignitary of the Church of England, called the Dean." Mr. Honey- 
man was holding a service in Trinity Church when the letter from 
Dean Berkeley was handed to him. He read it aloud, and then, 
accompanied by all his flock, ran down to the wharf to greet the 
distinguished stranger. There, during the wars with France, that 
began In 1744 and in 1756, were landed the freights the swift-sailing 
privateers had plundered from the Spanish Main. In the year 1745 
more than twenty prizes were sent into Newport, and from 1756 to 
1763 almost fifty private armed vessels of war sailed out from the 
port. Along the old wharf Washington and Rochambeau walked 
bare-headed between lines of enthusiastic soldiers, when, in March, 
1781, the American Commander-in-Chief came to confer with his 
French allies. Washington wore that day the insignia of a Marshal 
of France. The office had been bestowed upon him when the 
French troops were sent to aid the struggling Americans. Without 
the honor he could not have commanded the French army. Once 
it was used as a market-place. Upon the side of the patient crea- 
ture that was waiting to be slaughtered, each hungry purchaser 
marked with a piece of chalk the cut he desired to have from the 
fresh carcass. A refinement of cruelty the practice seems, as we 
look back upon it. How hideous would have been the thoughts of 
the victim, could it have understood the speech of those who sur- 
rounded it. 







^^^r Newport. 29 


1 




Upon tlie soutliern side of tlie Long Wharf of to-day is a row 
of boat-buildcrs' shops, carefully placed tn catch the brightest ray« 
of the niiJler's sun. Various oiher butlilinjjs also encumber Us sur- 
face. The iiitricatc bv-ways ajuong- them recall the daye when ves- 
sels of doubtful antecedents lay at anchor in the outer harbor, and 
the swarthy nifFians who manned tliem lurked about the wharves to 
meet the cautious purchasers of their ill-gotten merchandise. Men- 
tion of pirates is frequently made in the colonial records of Rhode 
Island. In 1723- two sloops, which had been committing extensive 
piracies in the West Indies, and rnhbinii the vessels thiit plied along 


1 






1 




the coast of the Soiitliem Coloniea, sailed northward in search of 
more prolitablc cruising-grounds. Near the coast of Long Island 
they made several valuable captures, and at last attacked what they 
suppoaed was a rich merchant ship. It proved to be His Britannic 
Majesty's sloop-of-war " Greyhound." of twenty guns. The pirate 
vessels were not long in finding out their mistake. One of them suc- 
ceeded in making its escape ; tlic other was not so fortunate. After 
a de8i>craie struggle it was captured, and the thirty-six men who 
formed its crew were taken into Neivport to be tried. Their trial 
lasted Iwri days, and resulted in the conviction of tw^entj'-six of the 
number. They were straightway sentenced to he hung. The ex- 
ecution took place July 19. on Gravelly Point (called also Bull's 


J 



30 PlCTITRESQUE RlIODE Isi.AND, 



Point). The bodies were buried on the Goat Island shore, between 
high and low-water mark. It was a great event for Newport. Peo- 
ple flocked into the town from all the surrounding country to see the 
wonderful sight. One of the more aesthetic spirits among the pirates 
composed a poem for the occasion, and almost all of them took ad- 
vantage of the unequaled opportunity which was aftbrded them to 
address the spectators in most edifying terms. 

North of the Long Wharf light row-boats pass to-day over sub- 
merged capstones. The merry oarsmen little think of the tales of 
departed commerce those immense masses of granite tell. Through 
those great iron rings, that are sometimes seen in the depths of the 
clear waters, were passed the detaining cables of many a stout ship ; 
and where the tide each day sweeps onward without obstruction, the 
products of many Kinds once lay piled in rich profusion. At one 
_ time this was the busiest portion 

of the busy port. The Revolution- 
ary War caused this part of the 
harbor to be deserted. The feeble 
commerce that was revived after 
peace came chose other wharves 
for its home. The old piers had 




survived their usefulness, and 
when the great gale of 1815 
burst in fury upon the town, the 
swelling seas of that terrible Sep- 
tember day found nothing here 
to oppose them. Exultingly they 
seized the opportunity to satiate 
their vengeance upon the solid walls that had so long withstood the 
ocean's power. Along the abandoned wharves scarcely one stone 
was left upon another when the wind went down. 

Upon some of the smaller wharves, to the southward, the battered 
warehouses of past generations are yet standing. A grisly tale is 
told of one of them. Instead of the stout wooden shutters which 
now close its windows, rows of iron bars once shocked the gaze, 
and the dark faces of those to whom liberty had forever ceased to 
be anything more than a name, looke^ despairingly through them. 
The building was used for a slave-pen many, many years ago, before 
the consciences of Englishmen had been awakened to a sense of the 
sinfulness of the traffic in human fiesh. In the second story of some 




of these warehouses 
were the counting- 
rooms of the Jews, 
whose enterprise did 
so much to enhance 
the commercial 
prosperity of the 
town. The name 
of Aaron Lopez is 
connected with one. 
Lopez is said at one 
time to have own- 
ed eighty vessels. 
Many of these were 
whalers ; twenty- 
seven were square- 
rigged. All were of n* oid codding«n hou... 
light tonnage; a 

whip of three hundred tons was considered an enormous vessel in 
those days. 

The first Jews came to Newport during the last quarter of the 
seventeenth century. The deedof their burial-place is dated in 1677. 
They were of Dutch extraction, and came fromCura^a. After the 
Lisbon earthquake of 1755, many of their Portuguese countrymen 
came to settle with them. There were more than sixty families of 
the Hebrew faith in the town in 1763. Many of these Portuguese 
Jews became naturalized citizens. The privilege of naturalization 
was sometimes denied them, though it is difficult to conjecture why the 
distinction was made. Thus, in 1761 " Lucena the Portuguese " was 
naturalized by the General Assembly, and in the following year the 
petition of Aaron Lopez for the same privilege was rejected. The 
case of Lopez was peculiar in every respect. When the Court re- 
jected his petition, a synagogue, the only one in America, had been 
commenced. It was dedicated in the following year, and the Hebrew 
faith was here most amply protected, while in every other colony 
it was denounced. 

The Jews brought many new branches of industry into the town- 
Thus, Jacob Rodriguez Riveira introduced the manufacture of sperma- 
ceti, of which Newport enjoyed the monopoly before the Revolution ; 
and Moses Lopez obtained from the Colonial Assembly a patent for 



PicTURESQpE Rhode Island. 




ruined town. Not one of the descendants 
now remainti in the island metropolis. 



an improved method 
of making potash. 
In 1774 there were 
three hundred Jew- 
ish families in New- 
port. Ail of them 
left the place very 
soon after the war 
began, and verj- few 
ever came back. 
Joseph Lopez was 
the only one of the 
race who resumed 
business in the 
if those princely merchants 



Nâ„¢ Psainis 'if J>:ivid ii-iw thtir *ilfi.cc 
■io Rabbi reads lh« anL-icnt Dccali'guc 



Isaac Touro, the priest, fled to Jamaica when the Brtdsli troops 
took possession of the town. His son Abraham, who died in Boston 
in 1822, left a fund of $10,000 for the support of the synagogue and 
cemetery, and $5,000 to keep in repair the street on which they front 
— Touro Street. Another son, Judah Touro, born in Newport in 
1775, was a philanthropist, and a staunch patriot also. When a 
young man he removed to New Orleans, and there acquired a large 
fortune. He served as a volunteer .it the battle of New Orleans, and 
was wounded by a cannon-ball in the hip. In 1842 he erected the 
granite entrance and the railing around the cemetery', at a cost of 
$11,000. Though a Jew, he contributed generously to many Chris- 
tian church enterprises. Towards the erection of the Bunker Hill 
Monument he gave $10,000. 

A story told of Abraham Riveira illustrates the sterling worth of 
those Hebrew merchants. At one time, losses upon the sea had so 



Nkwport. 



33 



crippled his resources that he was obliged to make an assignment of 
his property. Recognizing his honesty and his great ability, his 
English creditors offered him very easy terms of settlement, and pro- 
vided him with money and goods with which to resume business- 
Success once more smiled upon him. After a few prosperous years 
he gave a great dinner-party, to which he invited all of his old 
creditors who could possibly be reached. Beside his plate, every one 




of his guests found a check for the amount that was originally due 
him, with interest added from the date of the failure. 

The names of many of the founders of Newport are heard upon 
its streets to-day. The family of Coddington has become extinct. 
William Coddingtcm, the first governor, was born in England- He 
was a man of considerable influence, and of large landed property in 
his native country, and was named an Assistant in the Massachusetts 
Colony before he left England- In the records of the early days of 
Boston he is often spoken of as one of its principal citizens, and is 
said to have built the first brick house in that town. He became 
perhaps the largest land-holder upon Rhode Island, and was probably 
the wealthiest of the Newport settlers. All things went well with 
him until his ambition led him to procure for himself greater official 
station than his own qualifications or the wishes of his associates 
seemed to warrant. Then he fell from his high estate, and never 
recovered his lost influence. At present a shadow rests upon his 
name, and Rhode Island historical authorities by no means agree as 
to the place he should hold in the records of the State. The story 
goes that his last male descendant in his early years inherited an 
ample estate. This he gradually wasted away in reckless dissipation, 



34 PicTURKSQiJE RnoDK Island. 



until at length nothing was left to him but the ancestral shield which 
bore the arms of his family. Through all his reverses this degenerate 
scion of a noble race maintained the loftj^ bearing of a high-toned 
gentleman. One day, when his well-worn suit of clothes had for a 
long time been shining with the unwelcome gloss of age, he was 
offered a new suit in exchange for the old escutcheon. With the 
greatest indignation he repulsed the offer. '' What," said he, *' sell 
the coat-of-arms of a Coddington ! " The ancient relic hangs to-day 
in the City Hall, for the old roue ended his days in the poor-house, 
and the city inherited this last remnant of his patrimonial estate. 

Upon the Brenton family, Fate has smiled more kindly. William 
Brenton, the surveyor, was the first of the race in America. Coming 
to this country in 1634, '^^ brought with him a commission from King 
Charles I., which allowed him a certain number of acres per mile on 
all lands he should survey in the New England Colonies. The tract 
he chose for his home in Newport comprised very nearly two thousand 
acres of the best land in the Colonv. Brenton's Point, at the extrem- 
ity of which Fort Adams now stands, formed a part of it. Upon this 
farm was built the edifice commonly called ** The Four Chimney 
House,'' said to be the largest house in the colonies at the time of its 
erection. It was one hundred and fifty feet square. Through it ex- 
tended a hall that was sixteen feet wide. Upon its roof, which was 
surrounded by a railing, seats were built and a promenade was con- 
structed. The grounds surrounding it w^ere laid out in the most 
artistic manner, and were kept in a high state of cultivation. The 
fruit trees in the orchards were mostly imported from England. 
Amonir them were found manv varieties never before cultivated in 
this country. It is said that the *' yellow russet" apple was first 
grown upon the Brenton grounds. A wall of granite, five feet in 
height, surrounded the estate, which was named Hammersmith, from 
its owner's English birth-place. 

In 1660 Mr. Brenton was chosen President of the Rhode Island 
Colony, and thus happened to be its chief ofl[icer when the family of 
the Stuarts was placed again upon the English throne. The Court of 
Commissioners for the Colony was sitting at Warwick when the news 
of the Restoration was received. President Brenton, as a loyal sub- 
ject of King Charles II., immediately appointed a day of thanksgiv- 
ing and rejoicing, to be observed throughout the Colony. He also 
directed that processions in each town should commemorate the 
event, and that a holiday should be given to ser\'ant5 and children. 



Newport. 



35 



Tradition says that a long procession passed through the streets of 
Newport on the night of the celebration. The thronging people car- 
ried lanterns with which to illumine the darkness, and kettle-drums, 
hand-bells, and fifes 
for the more perfect 
manifestation of 
their joj'. Upon a 
platform was carried 
a person dressed to 
represent the late 
Lord Protector. Be- 
hind him stood one 
who was supposed 
to personate His 
Satanic Majesty. 
One of the hands 
of the ruler of the 

lower world was placed npon Cromwell's head, while the other 
brandished a spear in air. Fnim time to time the procession halted 
to listen to tJie repetition of these lines : 




Wirlcllilhi-nwitlllirr;! 



PnrttTKMlKinKChnrl 



This practice of marching through the streets on the anniversary 
of the Restoration was maintained for many years. At last it became 
.simply a nuisance, and as such was suppressed by the town author- 
ities. 

Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton and Captain Edward Pelham Bren- 
ton, both of the British navy, and Sir Brenton Halliburton, long the 
Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, were all descended from William 
Brenton, and were all born in Newport, 

William Brenton's son, Jahleel, was about twenty-one years of 
age when King Philip's War broke out. When the news of the 
destruction of Providence bj' the Indians was received in Newport, 
he quickly manned a schooner and hastened to the relief of the home- 



36 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



less fugitives. Jahleel Brenton, after serving as His Majest\''s Col- 
lector of Customs in Boston, for some years, came back to end his days 
in Newport. He was for a time Collector of Customs for Newport 
also, and thus became very prominently identified with the commercial 
history of the port. In 1720, he built the famous Channing House, 
which is still standing upon Thames Street. 

Says the novelist Cooper, in the Red Rover: *' Enjoying the 
four great requisites of a safe and commodious haven, — a placid 
basin, an outer harbor, and a convenient roadstead with a clear 
offing, — Newport appeared to the eyes of our European ancestors 
designed to shelter fleets and to nurse a race of hardy and expert 
seamen." During the coUectorship of Brenton, and from that time 
forward until the Revolution, Newport seemed in a fair way to realize 
that splendid commercial future of which its people dreamed. 

The name which stands forth most prominently, as we peruse the 
records of those golden davs, is that of Wanton. Four of the familv 
— ^William, John, Gideon, and Joseph — were at different times elected 
governor of the Colony ; another, Joseph, Jr., held for two years the 
office of deputy-governor. The Wantons w^ere shipwrights when 
they took up their abode upon Aquidneck. Edward Wanton, first 
of the name in America, was an officer of the guard at Boston when 
Mary Dyer (wife of the first secretary of Newport) suffered death 
because guilty of the unpardonable crime of being a Quaker. The 
unshaken firmness with w^hich she submitted to her fate moved Wan- 
ton greatly. *' Alas! Mother I " said he, as he went into his house 
after the execution, *' We have been murdering the Lord's people :" 
and, taking off* his sword, he made a solemn vow never to wear it 
again. Not long afterward he became a member of the society of 
Friends, and, moving to Scituate, Mass., established a shipyard in 
that town. Like their father, the sons were also members of the 
society of Friends, but the spirit sometimes moved them to deeds 
their quiet sire by no means approved. For resenting an insuh to 
their father thev were forced to flee from Scituate. This is the 
story of one of their exploits after they had taken up their abode 
upon Rhode Island. It won them fame not only throughout the 
length and breadth of the American Colonies, but in England as well. 
** A piratical ship, of three hundred tons, mounting twenty cannon, 
appeared off' the harbor of Newport, cruising between Block Island 
and Point Judith, interrupting every vessel that attempted to pass, 
capturing property, and treating the officers and crews with great 



Newport. 37 



severity. To remove an annoyance so injurious to the comfort and 
prosperity of the inhabitants of Newport, two young men, William 
and John Wanton, sons of the first Edward, determined to attempt 
her capture, and the means they resorted to were as novel as the suc- 
cess was glorious. No sooner had they made known their intention 
than they were joined by about thirty young men of their acquaint- 
ance, and a sloop of thirty tons was engaged for the enterprise. The 
brave fellow^s went on board with only their small-arms to defend 
themselves, and sailed out of the harbor, apparently on a little coast- 
ing excursion, every person being concealed below except the few 
required to navigate the vessel. After cruising a few days they 
espied the object of their search. As they drew^ near the piratical 
vessel, with the intention, apparently, to pass, the pirate fired a shot 
at them. This was what they desired, in order to give them an 
opportunity to approach the pirate. The sloop immediately low-erec^ 
the peak of her mainsail and lufted up for the pirate, but instead of 
going alongside they came directly under her stern. Her men at 
once sprang upon deck, and, with irons prepared for the purpose, 
grappled their sloop to the ship and wedged her rudder to the stern- 
post so as to render it unmanageable. Having so far succeeded in 
their purpose w ithout alarming the piratical crew, or leading them to 
suppose they were approached by anything but a little coaster, each 
man seized his musket, and taking deliberate aim, shot every pirate 
as he appeared on deck. After making great efforts to disengage 
themselves, and finding it impossible so to do, the rest surrendered, 
and were taken into the harbor of Newport by their brave and gallant 
captors, and turned over to the authorities, where,* after a trial, they 
suffered the penalty of their crimes by being hanged. When this 
affair took place William Wanton was but twenty-four, and John 
twenty-two years of age." Many like stories might be told con- 
cerning these brothers. They were fit leaders for the adventure- 
loving young men who thronged the streets of Newport. In 1702 
thev went to London, and w^ere received at court with other heroes 
w^ho had contributed to swell the renow^n of the English navy. 
Queen Anne granted them an addition to their coat-of-arms, and 
presented them each with two pieces of plate. A complimentary 
inscription (in Latin, of course,) adorned each silver vessel. 

William Wanton did not long remain a Quaker. When he was 
twenty-one years old he married Ruth, the beautiful daughter of 
Deacon John Bryant, of Scituate. There was much oppositi(^n to 



.> â–  



Nkwport. 39 



the match from both their families. Deacon Bryant was a rigid 
Presbyterian. He detested Quakers. The Wanton family, on the 
other hand, frowned whenever the idea of a Presbyterian daughter- 
in-law was brought forward. The eager lover quickly cut the 
Gordian knot. '*Ruth," said he to the maiden one day, as they 
were standing in the spacious *' sitting-room" of her father's house, 
" let us break from this unreasonable bondage. / will give up my 
religion, and thou shalt thine ; we will both go to the Church of 
England and to the devil together." A happy marriage it proved 
to be. 

Joseph Wanton was the last of his race to hold the office of gov- 
ernor. The Revolution terminated his political life. He was a Tory, 
and his large estates were therefore confiscated and sold. But though 
he was thus despoiled of his property, he never lost the respect of his 
fellow-townsmen. During the British occupation he remained in 
Newport, living very quietly and unostentatiously. After the de- 
parture of the troops he was not molested by the patriot party, but 
continued to reside until his death in the town of which, for almost a 
century, his ancestors had been the most conspicuous citizens. 

Another famous merchant of that early time was Godfrey Malbone. 
When a mere lad he ran awav to sea, and was not heard from for 
many a year. About the beginning of the last century he settled in 
Newport, and soon became the most noted of all its merchant princes. 
Dark and full of mvstery are some of the tales that are told concern- 
ing him. His ventures upon the sea seem to have been unusually 
lawless, even for that lawless age, and the fair fame of the city in 
which he dwelt suffered in consequence. During the French war, 
which began in 1744, Newport sent forth more than a score of pri- 
vateers. The Frenchmen called the town a " nursery of corsairs," and 
planned its capture. *' Perhaps we had better burn it as a pernicious 
hole, from the number of privateers there fitted out, as dangerous in 
feace as in war^^^ wrote one officer to his superior in rank. Smuggling, 
Malbone of course indulged in. It was hardly deemed discreditable 
to any one, — not at all to be censured if he who engaged in it hap- 
pened to be a man of wealth. Persons now living have seen upon 
the estate Malbone once owned, the entrance to an underground pas- 
sage which afforded easy communication with the beach, and thus 
enabled him to elude the vigilance of the custom-house officers. It is 
said that his '' corsairs " preyed upon both Spaniard and Frenchman 
with an impartial disregard for treaties ; and it is a well-established 



40 PicTrRKSQi'E Rhode Island. 



fact that larjro sums of money were recovered from him in Enghind, 
bv legal process, for the spoliations he systematically practiced upon 
the Dutch. In 1745 two of his privateers, large and beautiful ves- 
sels, fresh from the stocks, sailed out of the harb*)r on the day before 
Christmas, biumd for the Spanish Main. A vic^lent snow-storm came 
up. and the gale soon changed t(» a hurricane. Newport had two 
hundred widt»ws in ci>nsequence, for the ships were never heard of 
afterward. 

The hospitality of Malbone was proverbial. Sometimes tempered 
with shrewdness it was. withal. Thus, the gossips affirm that after a 
successful vovaije lie was accustomed alwavs to invite his buccaneer- 
ing crews to a splendid feast in his princely banquet-hall. At the 
clt'se of the repast, when the fun was waxing tierce and furious, the 
>hipping-books were produced, and his impulsive guests were easily 
inducevl xo enn^ll ihem>elves for new ventures. 

The buildintj oi the famous counirv-huuse of Godfrev Malbtme 
was commenced in 1744. It was without dtnibi the tinest mansion in 
the colvinies when it was completed. It was built o\ stone brought 
from a L\«nnecticut quarry (some v\ this >ti»ne was used in the con- 
struction nf the house which now occupies its site), was two stories 
higli. and had in the centre a circular stairca>e. leading to the cupi»la 
upon its roof. This staircase was esteemed an architectural marvel, 
and is reputed u* have cost nuicli more than an ordinary h<.«use. In 
the consiruciion of the edifice S 100.000 was expended: an enormous 
sum for ihe davs when t^ne mii^hl li\e in eleifani stvle for Ssoo a 
\ ear. C^ne da\ . in the vear 17W. the t»wner ff the mansion — 
( ".'.V';.!/ MalbiMU" he was tlien — had bidden a >elect company of the 
f.V/t* of Aquivlneck to a more than usually mai^ninceni feast. More 
co>:]\ ihan even his l.ivish liospitaliiy had viesigned. it pri»ved to 
be. Just as liu* sl.i\es were placing the \iands upon the table, the 
!iou>e caugh: nre. and the llames spreavl so nipidh ill at all attempts 
:o >a\e i: were in vain. Ii was earh sumnur. and with ^-ne x^i those 
iTve.i: i Mills i!iat nWled >*> easin from !iis lips. :he nwner swore that 
:!;ougV. his hou>e was und«nibledly K^si. his dinner >hi'uld not be. By 
his oriiers :he i.ibies were spreac* i«nce nii've upon :!:e lawn, the rare 
olii wines were brouc-i"* forili n\^:n :he collar. a:u; s. •. bv the lis^hl of 
::u' biirv.ini; dweriini:^. :he foasi was nnished. One version of the 
>:or\ ascribes :iie io>> of ::u- r..*v.se :«• liie :*asiidi'i;> pride k^\ Mrs. 
M.i'.bo:u-. Tli.i: eu':r«»"' "ic.x refu>eii :.- .i'.*/'w li.e r;ide tread of 

• 4V«,\Jtl*. iVV. .%' >^ . 1 •iVi k*V..t..».lk«. i...>«^.ti^ — tV.\.'**.>. \.\V«. I'.'i bill. I'Ui — 



Newport. 




pose of saving the mansion from destruction. The gulf which sep- 
arated the two classes of society was much broader and deeper in the 
old colonial days of Newport, than that which the more enlightened 
judgment of a later age deems necessary for the welfare of mankind. 

The most •prominent of 
the contemporaries of Mal- 
bone was Abraham Red- 
wood. Radically different 
were the characters and lives 
of the two men. Redwood 
was a Q^iaker. a native of 
tlie island of Antigua. lie 
was horn the heir to an im- 
mense estate, and was edu- 
cated at Philadelphia in the 
enjoyment of all the advan- 
tages that unlimited wealth Htd-ood uwir* 
could command. Very early 

in life he became a resident of Newport. For almost seventy years 
(he died March 8, 1788), his stately presence graced the streets of 
the town. "He lived in a style of opulence becoming his fortune, 
mixed with the elegant simplicity of a Quaker. His town house and 
country house were appointed with every refined luxurj', and his* 
munificence not only made his name famous by donations to public 
institutions, but inspired a hundred private charities which made it 
blessed." The famous " Literary Club," which numbered among its 
members such men as Callender. Ellery, Ward, Honeyman, Checkley, 
Updike and Johnson, flourished with wondrous vigor in those days. 
That genial society of scholars did much to make Dean Berkeley (of 
whom more will be said in another chapter) such an ardent lover of 
the town. The gentle English scholar, charmed with the unusual 
attainments and pleasant converse of his companions, — all the more 
delightful to him because entirely unlooked for, — is said to have 
suggested the formation of a permanent literary society which should 
perpetuate these happy features of Aquidnecklife. ' 

The Redwood Library is the result of that, suggestion, although 
the "Library Company" was not formed until several years after 
Berkeley had gone hack to England. In 1747 the society was incor- 
porated. Toward the purchase of the books that were most needed, 
Abraham Redwood contributed £500. Stimulated by this ready gene- 



42 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



rosity, his fellow-townsmen experienced but little difficulty in raising 
£5,000 for the erection of the building to which they gratefully gave 
his name. A more beautiful and more enduring monument than the 
chaste, Doric structure, it would be difficult to find. Henry Collins, 
" the Lorenzo de Medici of Rhode Island," presented to the society 
the lot of land upon which the edifice was erected. Peter Harrison 
was the architect employed. In this age of cheap books and free 
libraries, it is almost impossible for us to realize how much the Red- 
wood Library has done for Newport. When it was founded books 
were a rare luxury in America. The acquisition of learning was re- 
garded as the happy privilege of the few, and not the inherent birth- 
right of the many. There were then only four colleges in the colonies. 
All of these were poorly endowed, and the eager aspirants for knowl- 
edge were for the most part obliged to seek it in the lands beyond the 
sea. To this little temple, with its precious store of books, flocked 
not only thoughtful students of limited means, but polished, scholarly 
gentlemen also, from all parts of the country. Thus the town quickly 
acquired the enviable distinction which it enjoyed in the days that pre- 
ceded the Revolution — of being the most congenial abode for learned 
opulence which could be found in America. The ruthless hands of 
the British invaders despoiled the Library of the greater portion of its 
treasures, and in those dreary, hopeless years that followed the war, 
it seemed hardly possible that its lost fortunes could ever be repaired. 
Of those years, one of Newport's most eminent sons, who was then 
in his quiet, studious boyhood, William Ellery Channing, afterward 
wrote : *' The edifice was then so deserted that I spent day after day, 
and sometimes week after week, amidst its dusty volumes, without 
interruption from a single visitor." Gradually the wounds the war 
had inflicted were healed, but it was not until late in the present cen- 
tury that a healthy life was infused again into the languid veins of 
the historic society. Then such generous contributions of money, 
books, and works of art were poured in from all quarters, that the 
old building was no longer able to accommodate its ever-increasing 
treasures, and in 1875 ^^^ enlargement became an imperative necessity. 
The most prominent benefactor of the Library in these later days 
was Charles Bird King. At his death he bequeathed to it real estate 
amounting in value to $9,000, his valuable library, his carefully 
selected engravings, and more than two hundred of the paintings 
which now adorn its walls. The jealous restrictions which once kept 
the general public away from its carefully-guarded precincts have 



Newport. 



43 



been gradually removed, and the Library has become a popular and 
much frequented reading-room. 

Peter Harrison was the assistant architect of Blenheim House — 
that magnificent residence which grateful England erected at a cost 
of £500,000, as a slight 
token of its esteem for the 
Duke of Marlborough. He 
was for many years a resi- 
dent of Newport, and the 
Redwood Library is not the 
only evidence of his skill 
which the city possesses. 
The ancient State House, 
from the balcony of which 
the election of the governor 
of the "State of Rhode Isl- 
and and Providence Planta- 
tions" is annually proclaimed 
with a pomp that savors of 
the dusty flavor of colonial 
days, was designed by him. 
From the steps of this old 
building the Declaration of 
Independence was read on 
the twentieth day of July. 
1776. During the war which 
followed, it was used as a 
hospital, both by the En- 
glish and French troops. 
Stuart's famous life-size portrait of Washington — ^a present from the 
artist to the city in which he once dwelt — graces its senate-chamber. 
In the early part of the eighteenth century it is recorded that the 
street leading to this building was paved from the funds derived from 
the importation of slaves. 

Trinity Church is another of his buildings. This edifice, "ac- 
knowledged by the people of that day to be the most beaudful timber 
structure in America," was completed in 1726. Harrison also de- 
signed King's Chapel, Boston. He was the recognized head of his 
profession in New England, and, as a late writer has well said, " he 
did what he could to drag architecture out of the mire of Puritan 




inlly ChuK 



44 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



ugliness and neglect." Notwithstanding the frequent changes that 
have been made in Trinity Church since the day when the first ser- 
vices were held within its walls, it still retains many of the features 
with which those who built it w^ere familiar. Upon its spire is fixed 
the crown which t}'pified the sovereignty of Great Britain. Below 
the crown, the clock Jahleel Brenton presented even now holds an 
honored place. William Claggett, a Welshman who lived for a 
quarter of a century in the tow^n, was the maker of this clock. A 
" cunning workman," was this old horologer ; he is said to have con- 
structed the first electrical machine ever known in America. Within 
the church, the organ Berkeley presented, and the pulpit from which 
the famous dean was wont to preach, still greet the eye. The or- 
ganist tells us that his quaint instrument, after a hundred and fifty 
years of service, still possesses some pipes of unrivaled excellence. 
A crown surmounts it, supported by a mitre on either side. A huge, 
old-fashioned sounding-board over the pulpit, and square, high- 
backed pews, with their seats facing in four directions, quickly 
aw^aken the mind of the visitor to recollections of the earlier days of 
the town. Sitting in one of these pews, w^hen the mellow notes of 
the old organ are floating through the air, it is easy to fancy the 
church filled once more with the congregation of a hundred years 
ago, — with the forms of those now^ sleeping peacefully in the quiet 
graves around it. All the other places of worship were converted 
into riding-schools or hospitals when the English troops held pos- 
session of the town. The old church, which their own *' Society for 
Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts" had fostered for man}" 
years, they did not desecrate. Its congregation continued to worship 
within its walls during all the Sundays of the British occupation. 
The greater proportion of the Church of England people were, very 
naturally. Royalists. They followed the troops to New York, and 
adversity seized upon Old Trinity. The hot-blooded young patriots 
ofthe tow-n hastened to despoil the edifice that had been cherished 
by their hated foes. The emblems of royalty upon the spire and the 
organ they were unable to reach. Thus those relics happily remain, 
to delight the eye of the antiquarian. The altar-piece, a most con- 
spicuous feature ofthe church, was the principal object upon which 
their wrath was expended. It had been placed against the great 
east window, and consisted of the king's arms, the lion and the 
unicorn. These the iconoclasts quickly tore from their place, and 
vengefuUy trampled under foot. Afterward, they carried them away 



Newport. 



45 




from the church and used them for a target until so riddled with 
musket-balls as to be no longer serviceable, even for that purpose. 
The church itself was closed, and no services were held in it for 
several years. 

On Sunday, the eighth day of De- 
cember, 1776, the British fleet and army, 
under command of General Clinton, took 
possession of the island of Rhode Island. 
The land forces consisted of five British 
regiments and four regiments of Hessians. 
They were quartered in farm-houses scat- 
tered over the whole island, as well as in 
the larger dwellings of Newport. For 
three years they maintained their position 
upon Aquidneck, and almost as terriblt 
as one of the plagues of Egj-pt their st1^ 
proved to be. Not only on this one island 
was their destructive presence felt. All 
along the shores of the Bay, desolation 
and devastation marked the path of their 

foraging parties. Most dreaded of all foragers were the German 
mercenaries. Frightful excesses not seldom attended their steps. 
The unfamiliar language the Hessians spoke naturally intensified 
the feeling of abhorrence with which they were regarded, but their 
conduct upon the island only sensed to deepen the cordial hatred 
their first coming had excited. 

How could it be otherwise I For the humblest and most ignorant 
soldier among the British troops there was a possibility of future ad- 
vancement. Chance might some day open for him the way to honor- 
able distinction, if only his courage and his manhood did not fail 
when the hour of trial came. For the Hessian there was no such 
possibility. Never could he hope to attain to exalted station. To 
procure for himself the means with which to indulge in more ex- 
tended debaucheries, the petty tyrant in whose dominions he had 
been born had sold him and his companions to a foreign king. 
From these unfortunate creatures every incentive to honorable con- 
duct had been taken away, and they had been made to feel that 
they were hardly better than brute beasts. Whether they lived or 
died was a matter of but little concern to their careless owner. Fresh 
victims to fill their places he could easily draw from his too-crowded 
dominions when they fell. 



'J'i, 



: Et,i 







I *^!i:» :ri '.i.e -*. rv -.ri'iv Rt-v-.^uiii.^n m^.-re pathetic 
ii**; 'A:;:cri bt-iV^l -■■ ir.iir.v ••; ",ht.-*e p-r-ir wretches 
fc -.vtr-Lt-T '>{ i;;"*- Ncvi-r. >;ni.e the senk-mem of 
.rt- oi" :he Xarra;:anser:. had such 
I oi" cid been km-wn. For 
-:x \vefk« :he buy «a« frozen from 
shi.ri- t-i sh..re.,;ind a< far as the 
i-'.i- L'.uld reach ihc ice i-xtended 
'â– lit I'l sea. On the twi-ifth day of 
litccmber. when immen>c drifts of 
-now already co\ereu tlie earth, 
anotherbiindin^sti-rmcamesweep- 
:nL' "ver the island, and raged tor 
hours with irrusis^tible fury. The 
inti-n>ity f>{ c -Id als* > was unpar- 
allirled. yi-t the Hessian sentinels 
WL-rc stationed at their po?ts. as on 
F ... -.... the balmy day> of summer. 

Thouyb the snow was whirling in 
stitlin;^ ^^leet^ around them, and the piercing wind was Cimgealing 
tht'ir very lift-blood, they were compelled tn perform their accus- 
innu-d dniy. After the storm had cea-^cd. the fmzen bodies of some 
ol' tlit-in wi.-re found standing bolt upright, amid the deadly drifts, 
with the umIl-s wi.-a|>ons tijjhtly grasped in their icy fingers. So 
many pi'ri>hed from cold and exposure on that awful night, that the 
gale ha- ever since been known in Newport as the ■• IIe>sian storm." 
f>n the twenty -ninth day of Julv. 1778. the first rav of light broke 
through the dark war-cloud that had lor so long a time shrouded 
A»iiirdiK-ck. On that day twi-hx- ships of the line and four frigates. 
under i;oiiimand of Count D'Hstaing, arrived olV Newport. Most of 
the Kngli^li shi|>s in the harbor were at once scuttled or burnt, to pre- 
vent tljein from falling into the hands of the enemy. Hut the gleam 
of ho|>e wliicl. the- coming of the French Heel had lighted, quickly 
faile.l away. Lord llnwe, with an English fleet of thirty -six sail. 
ciinie in sight of the island on the ninth of the following month, and 
a few <lays later l-)'K>taing sailed forth to meet him. A must violent 
Inirricane pnv<nte<l the contlict. although some of the ships at- 
tiiii|>li-d lo tight in tin- midst nf the gale. Three of the French ves- 
sels were diMtiasted : all were more or less disabled, and the ad- 
miral deemed it necessary to proceed to Ijoslon to relit. Not until 



Newport. 4^ 

Oct. 25, 1779, was Newport relieved from the presence of the enemy. 
At sunset of that day the Enfrlish garrison sailed away, and the 
town's people realized that they were once more free. 

To the dismal period of the British occupation, the brilliant epi- 
sode of the French sojourn succeeded. Never was there contrast 




more marked. Life and property had never been safe while the 
mercenaries of King George held possession of the town. The 
country people who came to view the French camp ("the different 
deputations of savages," our polished allies called them, in the epis- 
tles they sent back to La Belle France,') '* could not recover from 
their astonishment at seeing apple-trees loaded with fruit above the 
tents which the soldiers had been occupying for three months." 
Ordinarily, in time of war the property of the citizens of a garrisoned 
town is almost equally preyed upon by friend and foe. The French 
soldiers, with the most scrupulous care, paid for the slightest article 
of value they converted to their own uses. Their coming had been 
dreaded, but their departure was lamented by all. 

Some of the most accomplished soldiers and gentlemen of France 
were numbered among these troops. It must be confessed, however, 
that their military career in America did not add lustre to the reputa- 
tion these distinguished soldiers had gained by their bravery and 
skill upon the famous battle-fields of Europe. The unfamiliar con- 
ditions of their life in this country, and their disgust at being obliged 
to 8er\'e under American generals, who were not soldiers but " only 
lawyers, shoemakers, and blacksmiths." may have had something to 
do with this- They could not realize that patriotism might inspire 



^x 



PiuTi'«i:sui;ii Kiioiii! Island. 



in these same blacksmiths, shoemakers, and lawyers, a couraj^e that 
could not be subdued, an invincible determination that not even a 
regular military education in the most famous military schools of 
Europe could supply. When their own fair land was deluged with 
blood, not many years after\vard, 
the ideas of many of these gay 
courtiers were strangely broadened, 
and not a few of them paid the 
penalty for their lack of knowledge 
upim the crimson platform of the 
guillotine. 

The Chevalier de Tiernay com- 
manded the lleet, the Count de 
Kochambeau the French army. 
Admiral de Tiernay died not long 
after his arrival in Newport, and 
was buried in Trinity Church- 
yard. He could not endure the 
reproaches heaped upon him for 
his seeming lack of energy and 
courage. The brave old Rocham- 
beau was made of sterner stufl", but 
pj^ 5 even this gallant general was 

scarce!}- able to bear the taimts of 
his impetuou.s allies. It is quite possible that, hampered by his 
instructions, he was unable to act as his own judgment dictated. 
Thi.s is the note he wrote to one of hi,s young ollicers who had urged 
him at once to join battle : 

â– â–  I owe it to llie most scnipulous c.v am in at ion of my conscience, 
that of about lifleen thou.><and men killed or wounded under my 
orders in ditlerent grades and in the bloodiest actions. I have not to 
reproach myself with having caused the death of a single one to 
gratify my own anibitiim. 

â– â–  Lc z/iux f'- re RoL-ii.\MHKAu." 

llc)w many names, famous in French lii,story, greet the eye as we 
peruse the records those brilliant {jHlcers have left us of their stay In 
Newport. Tiiat of the Due de Lauzun. the most ufited gallant of his 
times, a man whose amours were almost as endless as they were 
entirely unscrupulous, heads tlie list. The Viscount de Noailles is 




Newport. 49 



almost as prominent; in his regiment Napoleon afterwards served 
as a subaltern ; to his happy lot, when ambassador to England, it 
fell to convey to Lord Weymouth the tidings of the acknowledgment 
of the independence of the American Colonies. The Marquis de 
Chastellux was the **host beyond compare." Tender recollections 
of his fetits soupers continued for long years to tantalize the thoughts 
of those who had sat around his festal board. Viom^nil, Bozon de 
Talleyrand, Dumas, Desoteux, afterward a Chouan leader in the 
French Revolution, Broglie, Jourdan, the future commander of the 
army of the Sambre et Meuse^ Berthier, friend of Napoleon, all these 
we find, — many others beside might be mentioned. 

These men were fresh from the intrigues of the most licentious 
capital of Europe. From earliest youth they had been accustomed 
to breathe its tainted air, and they had engaged in this expedition 
mainly because it seemed to promise distraction and fresh excite- 
ments to their wearied senses. The stern patriots who remained 
with their families in the city, looked forward with the gloomiest 
apprehension to their coming. Very different from the picture pater- 
nal fears had painted, its realization proved to be. He who reads 
the French memoirs of that period will note with astonishment the 
tone of respectful admiration their authors use in speaking of Ameri- 
can women. From the easy smiles of the noble ladies whose pres- 
ence graced the Court of France at the very culmination of the old 
regime, these jaded voluptuaries fled with delight when the prospect, 
of new conquests in untried fields was held out. The most hardened 
debauchee among them was forced to kneel in reverence before the 
beauty, the dignity, and the purity of the daughters of Newport. In 
the reputation of these fair maidens, the busy tongue of scandal 
could find no vulnerable point through which to thrust its envenomed 
darts. 

The daughter of Abraham Redwood was one of the leading belles. 
It is said that when she walked the streets of the town, even the 
rough sailors involuntarily raised their hats in homage, and turned 
to look back with sincerest admiration upon her retreating form. 
*' The beautiful Miss Champlin " attained even a higher fame. Her, 
Washington selected for his partner, at the ball the citizens gave in 
honor of his visit to* his allies, and asked to select the dance. She 
chose '*A Successful Campaign," and the gallant French officers, 
taking the instruments from the hands of the musicians, themselves 
furnished the music for the distinguished couple, as they stepped 
7 



50 PlCTURKSQlJE RlIODE LsLANI). 

■- - - — 

through the stately minuet. The two Misses Hunter, "of noble 
aspect, an air of high breeding, and spiritual face and grace of 
movement," also attracted universal admiration. Both these ladies 
afterwards found homes in Europe. The elder became the bride of 
the Count de Cardignan ; the younger was married to M. Falconnet, 
an opulent Swiss banker, who was engaged in business at Naples. 

But by unanimous consent, the most charming of all that galaxy 
of beauties w^as the Quaker vestal, Polly Lawton. (With the in- 
genuous disregard for the plain and simple English orthography, 
which always characterizes the French nation, her infatuated ad- 
mirers either spelled her name Leighton or Leyton ; never Lawton.) 
This is the account of his visit to the maiden, which the Prince de 
Broglie has sent down to an appreciative posterit}^ In company 
with his friend, M. de Vauban, he entered the house of her father. 
'*A silent, serious old man, who verj' seldom bared his thoughts, 
and never his head," received them with a gravity somewhat amus- 
ing from its singularity, and yet hardly satisfactory to their fevered 
imaginations. '* Suddenly we beheld the Goddess of grace and of 
beaut\', Minerva in person having exchanged her sterner attributes 
for pastoral charms. It was the daughter of the Quaker, Polly Law- 
ton, In accordance with the customs of her sect, she addressed us 
familiarly {jiotis farla en nous tutoyant)^ but with a simplicity and 
grace which I can only compare to that of her toilet. It was a kind 
of English dress, fitting the figure closely, and was white as milk, 
a muslin apron of the same color, and a large handkerchief gathered 
close around the neck. Iler coiflfure, composed of a simple little 
cap of baftistc^ with round plaits, and permitting only a half-inch 
of hair to be perceived, completed the virgin attire of Polly Law^ton. 
I confess that this seductive Lawton appeared to be the chef d" ccuvre 
of Nature ; and whenever I recall her image, I am tempted to write 
a great book against the finery, the factitious graces, and the co- 
quetry of many ladies whom the world admires." The Count de 
Segur is equal!}'' enthusiastic : "So much beauty, so much simplicity, 
so much elegance, and so much modesty," says he, enchanted, " were 
perhaps never combined in the same person."' We can readily be- 
lieve these fascinated swains when they confess that the beautiful 
Quakeress drew their minds away from the frivolities which, up to 
that time, they had deemed so necessary to their happiness. 

Even after the w^ar had ceased the gallant Frenchmen came 
back from time to time, across the ocean, to bask once more in the 



Newport. 



51 




light of the smiles that had so charmed them. But while they still 
dilate with unfailing rapture upon the never-fading beauty of its 
maidens, they all lament the decay that seemed the inevitable lot of 
the town. Most melancholy is this description, from the pen of 
Brissot de War\'ille, the exiled Girondist : 

"The solitude which reigns here, and 
which is only interrupted by groups of 
idlers who stand listlessly at the street 
corners, the general dilapidation of the 
houses, the wretched look of the shops, 
which oft'er for sale nothing but bunches 
of matches and baskets of apples, or other 
articles of little value, the grass growing 
in the square opposite the Court House, 
the muddy and ill-paved streets, the rags 
at the windows or which cover either hid- 
eous women " (the citizen Brissot sighed in 
vain to enter that charmed circle which 
had welcomed the members- of the old 
noblesse), "lean children, or pale, wan Th. oid hhi 

men, with deep eyes and sinister looks, 

making the observer very uncomfortable, all proclaim misery, the 
reign of bad faith, and the influence of a bad government." Not 
without some reason, this dismal chronicler believes paper money 
to be the principal cause of ail this misery which he beholds. 

For almost half a century the town remained in this state of ex- 
treme prostration. The feeble symptoms of reviving life which it 
manifested in the early part of this century, quickly vanished when 
the War of 1812 began. From 1815 to 1828 not a house was built 
withm its limits. Not until 1830 did its renaissance commence. In 
that year boarding-house keepers began to find their resources taxed 
to furnish accommodations for the summer visitors. From Providence, 
from the Southern States, and from Cuba came the first of the return- 
ing tide of pilgrims to this island Mecca. Ten years later the hotels 
could no longer contain the swelling throngs. About that time some 
man of genius conceived the idea of building for himself a habitation 
which might protect him from the mild inclemencies of the summer 
months. It did not cost much to live in Newport in those days. 
Land was cheap, and a very respectable dwelling could be erected at 
a comparatively slight cost. So, without a thought of the immense de- 



$2 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

velopment it would afterwards attain, the system which is the marked 
feature of this great watering-place was begun. According to the 
guide-book of last year, more than two hundred and fifty persons 
owned " summer cottages" in the city. For the last thirty years the 
annual sales of real estate have averaged more than half a million 
dollars. In all that time the value of land has been steadily increas- 
ing. There have been no ** real estate panics" in this ** City by the 
Sea." 

To the eye of the visitor, searching, like Dr. Syntax, for ** the 
picturesque," Newport presents very many attractive features. Nat- 
urally and properly, on the first favorable day, the venturesome 
enthusiast turns his steps toward the Spouting Rock^ just beyond the 
western end of Bailey's beach. Huge rocks surround on every side 
a great cavern. During the violent easterly storms that sometimes 
sweep along this coast, fierce seas rushing in from the open ocean 
fill this cavern with a boiling mass of water. The waves, following 
steadily in constant succession, force the imprisoned surges out through 
an opening in its roof, and fill the air with dense clouds of foam. 
Not far from Sachuest Beach is Ptirgatory (represented in the cut 
upon page 48). The story common to such places, — of the careless 
maiden who tested her lover's devotion by requiring him to leap 
across the chasm (it is from eight to fourteen feet wide), — is, of 
coyrse, told concerning it. The guide-books also speak of satanic 
(?) foot-prints, plainly visible in the rough graywacke^ and give 
vague traditions of the terrible fate that once befell a sinning Indian 
maiden in this romantic spot. Toward the Lime Rock Lighthouse^ 
the eyes of all those who enter Newport from the Bay instinctively 
turn. It is the home of Ida Lewis, ** the Grace Darling of America." 
In Touro Park stands the monument which commemorates Com. 
M. C. Perry, of the United States Navy, the officer who commanded 
.the famous expedition to Japan. In the Island Cemetery, a plain, 
granite shaft marks the grave of Oliver Hazard Perr}^ the hero of 
Lake Erie ; he, also, was a son of Newport. On Bellevue Avenue, 
not far from the Ocean House, stands the Casino^ the pioneer build- 
ing of its class in America. On Easton's Beach stands the cool and 
commodious structure, called ** The Tent on the Beach." On 
Church Street stands the Rogers High School. For the erection of 
this building, William Sanford Rogers left in his will the sum of 
$100,000. To prolong the enumeration is needless. More than to 
mention the places of interest would be impossible. In the guide- 



Newport. 



S3 




books glowing descriptions of them can be read. To the guide- 
books, therefore, the reader is respectfully referred. 

For the transportation of visitors, the facilities are ample and con- 
venient. The city may be reached by the Old Colony Line, of which 
J. H. Jordan, is the 
agent in Newport ; 
by the Newport and 
Wickford Line, 
Theodore Warren, 
agent ; or by the 
Continental Steam- 
boat Line. 

The leading ho- 
tels of Newport to- 
day, are the Ocean 
House, J. G. Weav- 
er & Sons, proprie- 
tors, with accom- 
modations for 300 guests; Hotel Aquidneck, L. P. Attleton, pro- 
prietor, accommodating 150; Perry House, 100 guests, E. V. West- 
cott, proprietor; United States Hotel, 100 guests, W. B. Hathaway, 
proprietor; Cliff Cottag? Hotel, 75 guests, M. S. Flagg, manager; 
and Hall's Cliff House, 50 guests, William T. Hall. 

Newport is not a manufacturing city. The two manufactories of 
special note are the Perry Mill and the Aquidneck Mill, both cotton 
factories. 

Among the many enterprising business men of to-day, to whom 
the city is indebted for much of its reviving prosperity, may be 
mentioned : T. M. Seabury, John C. Seabury, Wm. C. Cozzens & 
Co., A. C. Titus, J. F. Marden, M. Cottrell, Bateman & Gardner, 
Julius Sayer, J. H. Crosby, Jr., Slocum & Black, Bull & Powell, 
Job T. Langley, J. B. Finch, Albert Hammett, H. D. Scott, J. D. 
Richardson, Swinburne & Peckham, R. S. & W. B. Franklin, Cas- 
well, Hazard & Co., H. E. Turner & Co., King & McLeod, Wm. 
Sherman, Caswell, Massey & Co., Walter Sherman, B. F. Downing, 
R. H. Taylor, W. H. Colton, W. S. N. Allan, J. S. Hazard & Co., 
Wm. Fludder & Co., G. P. Lawton, A. L. Burdick, W. C. Lang- 
ley, J. Alderson, C. S. Murray & Co., A. H. Hayward, A. Stewart 
& Co., H. M. Casttdff, W. T. Bowler, Hiram Murray, E. P. Swan, 
Gould & Son, Geo. A. Weaver, Langley & Bennett, J. M. R. 



54 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



South wick, C. 11. Burdick & Co., J. T. Burdick & Co., H. A. 
Heath & Co., E. C. Blain, D. C. Denham, D. L. Cummings, G. O. 
Herrmann, Geo. C. Barker & Son, J. C. Stoddard, T. Gladding & 
Son, Ira E. Wilson, W. K. Covell, Jr., Langley & Sharpe, Alfred 
Smith & Sons, F. B. Porter & Co., T. G. Ford, J. N. Howard 
& Co., C. P. Barber, Peckham & Manchester, Stafford Bryer, 
McAdam & Openshaw, C. Sherman & Co., R. S. Barker, E. P. 
Allan, A. C. Landers, Smith Bosworth & Co., J. H. Hammett, 
Carry Brothers, G. B. Re3'^nolds & Co., Pinniger & Manchester, 
Wm. Swinburne, Perry Brothers, Brown & Howard, C. E. Ham- 
mett, W. P. Clarke, E. W. Lawton, J. H. Cozzens & Son, A. 
Goffe, Wm. B. Sherman, and Taylor & Bennett. 

*' It is more difficult to find the end of this oration than the begin- 
ning," said the immortal Tully, almost two thousand years ago, when 
he was about to pronounce that splendid panegyric upon the eminent 
virtues and the extraordinary talents of Gneius Pompey, with which 
every classical student is so familiar. Again and again will the 
words of the Roman orator recur to the mind of him who attempts to 
describe the ancient glories of Newport, — to tell the fascinating 
story of its later days. Even before the task is fairly outlined the 
reluctant pen must be forced away from the enchanting theme. To 
do it justice would require not one book but many. As the eye of 
the philosopher scans the varied and peculiar phases of its social 
life, the flying hours glide by unheeded. The heart of the biog- 
rapher swells with delight as he thinks of the fame the city's sons 
have won bv their achievements in literature, in science, and in art — 
of their matchless valor upon land and sea. The imaginative writer, 
be he novelist or poet, grows rapturous as he contemplates the pos- 
sibilities one only of its treasures — the Old Stone Mill — aflbrds 
him. Already volumes have been written concerning this quaint 
structure, and volume upon volume must follow in the years to come. 
The brain of the soberest historian reels as he strives to pierce the 
mystery of its erection. We can never hope to know surely who its 
builders were — whether it is a relic of the old Vikings, a martello 
tower of the years between Guanahani and Plymouth Rock, or 
simply the '* stone built wind mill" of Gov, Benedict Arnold. Why 
should we seek to know it? Better the old ruin as it is ; better than 
any certainty is the unique position it holds in American history. 




CHAPTER III. 



-DEAN BKHKELEY- ISAAC BARKER'S SEBVICKS DUHING THK ItEV- 
OI.LTION. I'OnTSMOUTII— THE SETTl.EMEST AT POfASSET — 
THE CAPTliRE OF I'HESCOTT. LITTLE «)MPTON — AWASIIONKS, 
THE Sttt'AW SACHEM, AND CAPT. HENJAMIS CHURCTl. TIVKR- 
EETAMOE, QJ-'EEN' OK l-OCASSET — THE CAITURE OF 
THE "PIGOT" GALLEY. 




: IDDLETOWN owes its existence to the feeling of jeal- 
ousy and opposition which is sure to arise, sooner or 
Hter, between those who dwell in the " compact part " 
of a town and those who live in "the woods." In 
^ Newport more than a century elapsed before the feel- 
ing became sufficiently strong to necessitate division. 
It was not until August, 1743, that the inhabitants of 
the woods" secured* the incorporation of the new 
town. Before that time the people of Middletown 
rightly claim for their own a share in the fame which 
fell to Newport. When Dean Berkeley came to re- 
side in the chief citj' of Rhode Island, it was in what 
is now the town of Middletown that he chose the spot upon which 
to build his house- Any sketch of our colonial days would be in- 
complete in which mention was not made of George, Bishop of 
Cloyne, and of his sojourn upon Aquidneck. It would be difficult 
to select a verse which has been more familiar to Americans (and 
more frequently misquoted) than the four lines in which, one hun- 
dred and fifty years ago, he foretold the destiny that awaited the 
Nation. 



The four fi 


St atti Blmdy past. 


A fifth shiill 


toK the drnnia with Ihc 


Time', nob 


est offspring is the laM 



$6 PicTUREsc^JE Rhode Island. 

George Berkeley was born at Kilcrin, County Kilkenny, Ire- 
land, March 12, 1684. His father was Collector of Belfast. He 
came from a family noted, for its loyalty to Charles I. Before he 
was twenty, young Berkeley had written a famous book. In 1707 
he became a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. His unusual talents 
secured for him the acquaintance of the famous men of his time ; 
his sweet and gentle disposition quickly won their friendship. With 
Swift and Steele he became specially intimate. Pope has left a 
striking testimonial of his friendship, in the line in which he ascribes 



" To Berkeley every virtue under Heaven." 

Bishop Atterbury said of him : *' So much understanding, so much 
knowledge, so much innocence, and such hun)ility, I did not think 
had been the portion of any but angels, until I saw this gentleman." 

In 1713 Berkeley accompanied the Earl of Peterborough to Italy, 
as Chaplain and Secretary of the Legation. Two years later he paid 
his famous visit to Malebranche, the celebrated French philosopher. 
The two entered into a discussion on the theory of the non-existence 
of matter, and the arguments of the English scholar so excited his 
opponent that his frail system was not able to withstand the shock, 
and he died a few days afterward. In 1724 Berkeley was made 
Dean of Den*}'', with an income of £1,100 per annum. The follow- 
ing year he published A Proposal for the better stiff lying of 
Churches in our Foreign Plantations^ and for converting the Savage 
Americans to Christianity by a College to be erected upon the Sum- 
mer Islands, other-wise called Vie Isles of Bermuda, It was in de- 
lightful anticipation of the results about to follow the carrying qut of 
his scheme, that he wrote the stanzas On the Prospect of Planting 
Arts and Sciences in America, from which the verse lately quoted 
is taken. 

The possession of worldly wealth seems to have afforded the 
gentle enthusiast but little gratiilcation. As soon as his proposal 
was published, he offered to resign his living and devote his life to 
the instruction of the *' Savage Americans," for the sum of £100 
a year. Writing of him at this time to one of his noble friends, 
Swift says : " Ilis heart will break if his deanery be not taken from 
him and left to go to your lordship's disposal." In 1728 Berkeley's 
plan was laid before Parliament by Sir Robert Walpole, and but 
little difliculty was experienced in obtaining a preliminary grant of 
£20,000. Full of hope, the philosopher sailed at once for the New 



MiDDLETOWN. 



57 




World. After a tedious passage of five months, he reached New- 
port, intending thence to sail for Bermuda after he should have re- 
covered from the debilitating effects of the long voyage. His wife, 
whom he had just married, accompanied him. Several gentlemen 
of note also came in the ship. One of these was the painter, John 
Smybert ; his presence for some years 
in Newport, and the paintings he left 
behind him, did much to stimulate the 
love of art in America, and to encour- 
age the young efforts of Copley, Trum- 
bull, Allston, and Malbone. This is 
the way a letter from Newport in the 
New England Weekly Journal (of 
Boston), notes the arrival : *' Yester- 
day arrived here Dean Berkeley, of 
Londonderry, in a pretty large ship. 
He is a gentleman of middle stature, of an agreeable, pleasant and 
erect aspect- He was ushered into town with a great number of 
gentlemen, to whom he behaved himself after a very complaisant 
manner. 'T is said he purposes to tarry here with his family about 
three months." 

One account says that it was not Dean Berkeley's intention to 
land at Newport, but that the captain of the ship, after searching in 
vain for the Summer Islands, was forced to turn the prow of his 
vessel northward, toward lands more accurately placed on his chart. 
He who on one of the calm, bright days of spring has seen the 
" Still vexed Bermoothes " rising just above the tossing billows that 
always encircle them, tan easily realize how difficult it was for the 
earlier voyagers to descry the little group when the whole horizon 
was foaming with raging waves. It is related, moreover, that one 
of the Newport captains of half a century ago, who had sailed for 
Bermuda with an assorted cargo, came back after a voyage of some 
months with his hatches unopened, confidently affirming that the 
islands had sunk. 

This account, however, is not the correct one. The dean's own 
letters show that Rhode Island was his intended destination. Hav- 
ing once tasted the sweets of Aquidneck life, he became so en- 
amored of the spot that he determined to fix his residence there. 
To his friend Smybert, who did not agree with him in his sanguine 
views respecting the coming importance of the town, he is reported 



58 PicTUREsqyE Rhode Island. 

to have said: ''Truly, you have very little foresight, for in fifty 
years' time every foot of land in this place will he as valuable as in 
Cheapside," He was but a century out of the way in his reckon- 
ing. Very shortly afterward he purchased a farm of a hundred 
acres, some three miles distant from the town. Upon this yet stands 
the unpretentious mansion which he built. Whitehall was the name 
he gave it, the name of the best-loved residence of the king, lor whom 
his ancestors had suffered so much. This house is placed not upon 
the summit of a hill, where one would naturally expect to tind it, 
but in a valley. Its builder feared that the magnificent view the 
hill commands might lose its charm if seen too constantly. Not far 
away is Sachuest Beach. In a natural alcove, in the most elevated 
part of the hanging rocks which overlook this beach, Uerkeley had 
his chair and writing-materials placed. There, without doubt, Alci- 
phroii, the Miniile Philosopher ^ was meditated and composed. '"Anti- 
quated," the critics of to-day call the book ; and yet the sermon it 
preaches will never be out of date as long .is the world lasts. The 
work is, of course, mainly argumentative, but it abounds in delight- 
ful paragraphs, descriptive of the scenery and customs of the country, 
like these which follow : 

" The Library is a gallery on the ground floor, with an arched 
door at one end, opening into a walk of limes, where, as soon as we 
had drunk tea. we were tempted by fine weather to take a walk, 
which led us to a small mount of easy ascent, on the top whereof we 
found a seat under a spreading tree. Here we had a prospect, on 
one hand, of a narrow bay, or creek, of the sea, inclosed on either 
side by a coast beautified with rocks and woods, and green banks 
and farm houses. At the end of the bay was a small town, placed 
upon the slope of a hill, which from the advantage of its situation, 
made a considerable figure. Several fishing-boats and lighters glid- 
ing up and down on a surface as smooth and as bright as glass, en- 
livened the prospect. On the other hand, we looked down on green 
pastures, flocks and herds basking beneath in sunshine, while we 
in our superior situation, enjoyed the freshness of air and shade." 

" We had hardly seated ourselves and looked about us, when we 
saw a fox run by the foot ()f our mount into an adjacent thicket. A 
few minutes after, we heard a confused noise of the opening of 
hounds, and winding of horns, and the roaring of country squires. 
While our attention was suspended by this event, a servant came 
nmning out of breath, and told Critothat his neighbor Ctessipus, a 



MlDDLETOWN. 



59 



-«'^" 




squire of note, was fallen from his horse, attempting to leap over a 

hedge, and brought into the hall, where he lay for dead. Upon 

which we all rose and walked hastily to the house, where we found 

CtessipOs just come to himself, in the midst of half a dozen sun-burnt 

squires in frocks, and short wigs, and jockey boots. Being asked 

how he did. he answered it 

wasonlya brokenrib. With J^^f^^t" 

some difficulty Crito per- *v , 

suaded him to lie on a bed i^ ' -^ ^.^^ 

till the chirurgeon came. I" ^ 

These fox-hunttrs having 

been up early at their sport, 

were eager for dinner, which 

was accordingly haStened- 

They passed the afternoon 

in a loud, rustic mirth, gave 

proof of their religion and 

loyaltj' by the healths they 

drank, talked of hounds, 

and horses, and elections, and country fairs, till the chirurgeon, who 

had been employed about Ctessipus. desired he might be put into 

Crito 's coach, and sent home, having refused to stay all night." 

A very short residence in Newport was sufficient to convince 
Berkeley that his college should be established upon the main land 
rather than upon the Summer Islands. "The truth is, I should like 
it better than Bermuda," he wrote to a friend. But the money 
promised for his college never came, and after a residence of two 
and a half years in America he went back to his^iative country, 
confes.sing, when he went, that "no spot on earth has helped to 
form me so much as that beach." (Sachuest Beach, he meant, of 
course.) It may well be questioned whether any man ever did more 
in so short a time to form the society in which he lived. The genial, 
elevating influence of his presence in Rhode Island was felt for 
many years after the gracious bishop had passed away from earth. 
He was appointed to the See of Cloyne in 17,14. ^"^ died, full of 
years and of honor, in 1753. 

Middletown has always been simply an agricultural town. Very 
naturally, therefore, the historian searches in vain for striking events 
in its history. Isaac Barker's conduct during the Revolution well 
deser\'es notice. When the British took possession of the island he 



6o PlCTURESQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 



pretended to be a Tory, and remained on his farm. This was situ- 
ated on the east side of the island. His dwelling could plainly be 
seen from the Seaconnet shore. In this house a British colonel es- 
tablished his quarters. From this officer Barker was often able to 
learn the plans of the enemy. Bet>A'een him and Lieutenant Chapin, 
of Colonel Sherburne's regiment of Rhode Island troops, a system 
of signals was arranged. It consisted of a peculiar arrangement of 
bars and stakes in a stone wall, and was easily visible to one using a 
spy-glass upon the main land. When any information of importance 
had been gained, a letter would be deposited by Barker in a certain 
crevice in a neighboring ledge of rocks. He wctuld then arrange 
his signals, and the lieutenant would cross over at night and get the 
letter. For more than fourteen months, at the constant risk of his 
life, Barker continued to perform this service. ' The departure of the 
English troops at last released him from his perilous employment. 

The population has not increased very largely during the 138 
years of the town's existence. In 1748, 680 people were numbered 
within its limits. The last census showed it to contain 1,139 in- 
habitants. The residents of the town are awakening at last to a 
sense of the possibilities within their grasp, and are stretching out 
their hands to secure a portion of the summer throng that fills each 
year the cottages of the mother-town. Broad avenues, sweeping 
along the shores, and winding over the hills that command a pros- 
pect over the ocean, are projected. On these hills some of the most 
beautiful villa-sites in America are yet unoccupied. In the years to 
come, stately residences will rise upon them. The avenues may 
one day be crowded with a concourse rivaling that which now rolls 
onward, in the bright days of summer, along magnificent Bellevue. 

. PocAssET, was the Indian name of the place where the first 
English settlement upon Aquidneck was established. Not until the 
Newport settlers had withdrawn from it was the name of Portsmouth 
given to the town. By the Indians, the opposite shore of the main- 
land and the narrow strait lying between was also called Pocasset. 
For the fee of the island, and for the grass upon the neighboring 
islands, forty fathoms of white peage were paid. Ten coats and 
twenty hoes were given to the resident Indians to vacate the lands, 
and five fathoms of wampum were paid to the local sachem. 

Before leaving Providence this civil compact was drawn up and 
signed : 



Portsmouth. 



6i 



"yrn Day ok the First Month (Mahch), 1638. 
"We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly, in the 
presence «jf Jehovah, incorporate ourselves into a body politii:; and 
as he shall help, will isiibmit our persons, lives and eslales. unlo our 
Lord Jesus Christ, The King of Kinj;;N and Lord of Lords, and to 
all those perfcft and most 
absolute laws of his given 
us in his holy word of truth 
to be guided and judged 
thereby. E\od. xxiv.. 3, ^ -. 
a Chron. xi., 3 ; 2 Kings. 



Its signers were William 
Coddington. John Clarke, 
William Hutchinson, John 
Coggeshall, William Aspln- 
wall, Samuel Wilbore. John 
Porter, John Sanlbrd, Ed- 
ward Hutchinson, Jr., Tho- 
mas Savage. William Dyre, 
William Frccbornc!, Philip 
Shearman, Jolm Walker, 

Richard Carder. William Baulstnne, Edw-ird Hutchinson, Sr.. 
Henry Bull. Randall Holden's name is also affixed to the document. 
but the historian Arnold believes that Holden was not one of the 
proprietors, but simply one of the witnesses to the compact. The 
other witness w-is Roger Williams. 

In his settlement at Providence, the great founder of the State 
made no provision whatever for religious worship. He welcomed 
gladly all persons who desired to cast in their lot with him, asking 
no questions whatever concerning iheir religious beliefs. Whether 
they were ■• Jews, Turks. Inlidcls or Heretics " mattered not to him. 
The Aquidneck settlers were not quite so liberal. But while they pro- 
poscd to lay the found.ition of a Ckrhtian Stale, ihey also meant that in 
that Slate every man should be allowed to worship God according to 
the dictates of his own conscience. The differences between tlie fol- 
lowers of Roger Williams and those of Coddington and Hutchinson 
were but slight, and yet they served to bring to the Lsland a more 
desirable class of inhabitants tlian those who settled at Providence. 




62 PicTiRKSQi'E Rhode Island. 

It was the higher educatitm and the superior social standing of the peo- 
ple of the island of Rhode Island which secured for it the controU- 
ing influence in the atfairs of the State it enjoyed for so manj- years. 

The building of the town of Portsmouth was begun March 24, 
1638. Around the head of a cove on the northeastern part of the 
ishind. the first dwellings were erected. From this cove, an outlet 
deep enough for the passage of small vessels then extended to the 
bay. The people supposed that water sutlicient to float the largest 
ships of the time might easily be found not far away. This deeper 
water could not be found, however, the action of the winds and waves 
gradually closed the outlet, and the first settlement was in time aban- 
doned. Not many years ago traces of some of the houses could 
with difficulty be perceived : modern ■• improvement" has since swept 
them entirely away. The .'Jccond hamlet received the name of New- 
lown, a designation still retained by that part of the town. 

Portsmouth is still, and always has been, mainly an agricultural 
community, but for an agricultural town it is unusually rich in histori- 
cal incident. Within its borders one uf the most -daring exploits of 
the Revolution was performed. Just north of the northern boundary 
line of Middletown. stands what is left of the house that was once 
the headquarters of the English General Prescott. Ver>- little of the 
old dwelling remains, and the house wears a decidedly modern a,s- 
pecl. In May. 1777. Lord Percy departing from Newport, left Brig.- 
Gen. Richar<l Prescott in command of the British lorces. â– * Prescott 
was a man advanced in years, of small stature, of harsh temper, who 
carried, even beyond the common measure of military insolence, his 
contempt and hatred for those whom he persistently refused to regard 
in anv other light than as rebels against their king. He had brought 
with him to Rhode Island a reputation stained with many acts of 
cruelty : his conduct upon the island more than sustained the repu- 
tation he had before acquired. Thus, he ordered 300 lashes to 
be given to Thi>mas Austin, because he refused to yoke his team 
to carrv a cannon across the island for use against the American 
troops. Tiie remonstrances of attending physicians, who a.ssured 
the tyrant that his bleeding victim could not possibly survive such 
torture, aliuie prevented the carrying out of the inhuman order. 

In the latter part of the year 1776 General Charles Lee, second 
in command of the .American torces. had been captured by a British 
scouting party, under circumstances that were deemed peculiarJy 
disgraceful hv all true patriots. The character of Lee was not un- 



Portsmouth 




derstood at the time : his entire hak of principle had not then been 
made manifest. The Americans, for the must part, felt that a 
gallant otticer was likely to be held in captivity for an indefinite 
time, because they held no English officer of equal rank, for whom 
to exchange him. No one felt the humiliation more keenly than 
Maj. Wilham Barton, of the Second Rhode Inland Regiment, a 
young man not yet t^venty-^ine years of age. Major Barton, with 
his own hand, afterward prepared an account of the capture of 
I'rescott, which is still preserved in the cabinet of the Rhode Island 
Historical Society. In it he says ; " lie had a verj- high opinion 
of the general's ability, and used the greatest endeavors to get 
intelligence of some British officers of the same rank, and thus eflect 
an exchange of that great man." 

On the tenth day of June. 1777, a fugitive from the island carried 
to the quarters of Barton at Tiverton, the intelligence that Prescott 
was quartered at Mr, Overing's house, distant about five miles from 
Newport, and one mile from the west shore of the island. He 
also reported that no troops were stationed near the house, and 
that the general's only protection was the guard-ship that lay oppo- 
site his quarters. Major Barton at once determined to effect his 
capture. Five whale-boats, large enough to contain forty men, were 



64 PicTURESQiiii Rhode Island. 

quickly secured. His regiment having been assembled, Barton 
explained that a secret expedition oi" great danger was to be under- 
taken, and called for volunteers. The whole regiment at ence stepped 
forward. Barton selected forty men, expert in rowing, and practiced 
his crews daily until he had become satisfied with their proficiency. 
On the 4th of July the little flotilla left Tiverton, passing first to Bris- 
tol, and afterward to Warwick, as the most suitable point for the final 
departure. While ofi" Hog Island, in full view of the British ships, 
the object of the expedition was announced to the crews. Its tre- 
mendous risk deterred no one from continuing it. On the 9th of 
July the partj-, forty-one men in all, left Warwick. Their leader com- 
manded them " to preserve the strictest order ; to have no thought 
of plunder ; to observe the profoundest silence, and to take with 
them no spirituous liquors." Wise directions they were, and most 
faithfully carried out. Barton closed his short address by invoking 
the Divine blessing upon his undertiiking. With muffled oars, the 
boats pulled silently onward through the friendly darkness of the 
summer night, passing so near the enemj^'s ships that they heard dis- 
tinctly the sentinel's " all's well," as the hours were called. 

On reaching the shore, one man was left in charge of each boat. 
The rest of the party, forming in five divisions, crept cautiously on 
toward the house- They found their way beset with dangers greater 
than those their leader had reckoned upon. On their left was a 
guard-house in which a squad of soldiers had been quartered. Two 
hundred yards away, on their right, a company of light cavalry had 
been stationed. Twenty-five yards from the gate of the house they 
encountered a sentinel. When the gate was opened this sentinel at 
once challenged the party, lie was seized and bound, and threat- 
ened with instant death if he made the slightest noise. In the first 
chamber they entered was found Mr. Overing, the owner of the 
house. At the noise of their entrance, Prescott awoke, and at once 
called out to know what the matter was. Almost immediately he 
found himself a prisoner. The story often told is, that the door of 
Prescott's rooni was forced open by tlie ram-like stroke of a negro's 
head, but Barton, in his narrative, mentions no such incident. The 
British general made no attempt to conceal his identity. Clad in 
exceedingly scanty attire, he was hurried from the house and across 
the fields, rough with whcat-stubble and with brambles, to the 
boats. The sentinel who had been first captured, and Major Bar- 
rington, Prescott's aid, who had leaped from the window at the first 



fi 



-s.. 




Portsmouth. 65 

alarm, were also carried away prisoners. Hardly had the party 
pushed off from the shore, before the whole island seemed aroused, 
but the darkness of the night effectually concealed the Americans. 
Not until they received a dispatch from him at Providence, did his 
troops learn the fate of their commander. The track of his captors 
was easily traced to the water-side, but 
the rippling waves rendered further 
search hopeless. The part)' reached 
Warwick Neck at day-break, having 
been absent six hours and a half 
The effect of Barton's exploit cannot 
be better told than in the words of thi, 
late Professor Diman, the orator of the 
celebration of the one-hundredth anni- 
versary of the event. " Wherever the 
news spread, it made a great impre-- 
sion. It came at a period of discour 
agement, when men were weary of the 
long inactivity of Spencer, and were 
watching with apprehension the ad- o d w nd m n 

vance of Burgoyne ; and, of however 

slight importance in its bearing on military operations, it had a 
prodigious effect in rousing the popular spirit. Thatcher writes, in 
his Journal, that when the intelligence reached the northern army 
' it occasioned great joy and exultation.' It even lifted the dark 
cloud which hung over the face of Washington, who at once sent a 
dispatch to Congress announcing the capture of Prescott, and de- 
scribing it as ' a bold enterprise.'" 

On -the hills of Portsmouth was fought the battle of Rhode Island, 
which the illustrious Lafayette is reported to have described as 
" the best-fought battle of the war." It showed the heroism undis- 
ciplined American troops could display, even when confronted with 
the veteran regiments of Great Britain. It was a victory for the 
Americans, but was followed by their retreat. Its moral effect was 
most important. 

Among the most prominent features of the Portsmouth landscape 
to-day are the great wind-mills that surmount some of the loftiest hills 
of the town. No traveler passes by on the waters of the bay who 
does not admire their picturesque appearance, as their long arms 
revolve against the eastern sky. There are four of these antique 



66 PicTiiBKsoyE Rhode Islasd, 

structures in the town. The town is also noted for its coal mines. 
The coal obtained is said to be most valuable for smelting purposes, 
but, probably from the ignorance of those who have attempted to use 
it, has not won great commendation for its heating properties. It 
only needs more intelligence in the methods of using it to become of 
great value. " It is hard to light it up, but it is harder to e.xtinguish 
it." The poet Bryimt thus apostrophizes it : 

" Yen, Ibi'j' did wnniR thevlViully — thcywHi' nmrkcd 
Tliy Iii>nci4 fan-, und Miiil Ihnu wiuld 'at ucil bum ; 
Of hvivini; tliee ti' rhimnej-gncMK tiiUi-d. 



TiiK Name ok AwAsrtoNKs, the "squaw sachem," often greets 
the eye as we peruse the pages of the history of King Philip's War. 
She ruled over the Seaconnet Indiims, in the territory now mainly 
comprised within the limits of the town of Little Comi-ton. The 
Indian queen was a kinswoman of Philip of Pokanoket. For years 
before the war was planned her tribe had acknowledged his superior 
authority. The great chieftain very naturally reckoned her warriors 
among his snrest allies in war, and his most steadfa.st friends in peace. 
But for one seemingly unimportant circumstance, the famous .sachem 
would perhaps never have had occasion to bem()an their defection, 
and the horrors of I*hilip's War would have been prolonged for years. 

In the year 1674 the lirst white settler took up his abode upon 
tlie lands belonging to the Seac»mnet tribe. He was a tall and well- 
proportioned Englishman, with a frame so tirmly knit and so finely 
developed that he seemed able to bid deliance to physical infirmity 
and bodily fatigue. Benjamin Church was then in the juicy prime 
of life, being about thirty-five years of age. His unusual muscular 
vigor, his constitutional cheerfulness, his remarkable tact, and above 
all, his dauntless courage, quickly compelled the respect of his sav- 
age neighbors. In the course of a year's residence among them he 
gained a keener insight into the Indian character, and a greater 
power to inlluence the Indian mind, than any man of his race has 
since been able to acquire. Thai year's residence at Seaconnet was, 
perhaps, the one thing that was needed to make Captain Church the 
unequaled " Indian lighter" that he soon proved himself to be. He 
was a native of Duxbury, a carpenter by trade, and had lived in 
many town.s of Massachusetts, working at his trade in journeyman 



Little Comptox. 67 



fashion, as was the custom in the colony at that time, before he 
determined to make for himself a home at Seaconnet. Having pur- 
chased a farm, he at once erected two buildings upon it, and set him- 
self diligently at work to improve it, "and had a fine prospect of 
doing no small things. Behold ! the rumor of a war between the 
English and the natives gave check to his projects." 

No one needs to be told of the part he took in that war. History 
has delighted to bestow her choicest encomiums upon him. The 
old hero himself, in the last years of his life, recognizing the fact 
that '* every particle of historical truth is precious," wrote a very 
careful account of his participation in it. His narrative is told in 
plain and simple, and yet in exceedingly graphic style, is acknowl- 
edged to be singularly trustworthy in all its statements, and is writ- 
ten, as its author states in his preface, *' with as little reflection as 
might be upon any particular person, alive or dead." From it, two 
striking descriptions of events which have made the territory of Little 
Compton historic ground, have been transferred to these pages. 

The " rumor of a war" was. soon confirmed by a messenger sent 
from Awashonks to invite Mr. Church to be present at a great dance 
shortly to take place in her dominions. King Philip had already 
sent envoys urging the Seaconnets {Sogkonatcs, Captain Church 
always calls them) to join their fortunes with his, and at this dance the 
part they were to take in the war was to be decided. Mr. Church 
therefore hastened ib accept the invitation. He found hundreds of 
warriors gathered together at the place appointed. Awashonks her- 
self was leading the dance ; but as soon as she learned of Church's 
arrival she broke off from it, called her nobles around her, and ordered 
him to be invited to her presence. After some minutes' conversation 
with him, during which she seemed much convinced by his arguments, 
she summoned the Mount Hope men, — the messengers from Philip. 
They presented a most formidable appearance ; their faces were 
painted, ** their hair was trimmed up in comb fashion," /. ^., like the 
comb of a cock ; and their powder-horns and shot-bags were at their 
backs, as was the custom of their nation when war had been deter- 
mined upon. 

*' Stepping up to the Mount Hopes, Mr. Church felt of their 
bags, and finding them filled with bullets, asked them what those 
bullets were for. They scoflSngly replied, ' To shoot pigeons with. 
Then Mr. Church turned to Awashonks and told her that if Philip 
were resolved to make war, her best way would be to knock these 



68 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



six Mount Hopes on the head, and shelter herself under the pro- 
tection of the English ; upon which the Mount Hopes were for the 
present dumb. But those two of Awashonks' men who had been at 
Mount Hope, expressed themselves in a furious manner against his 
advice. And Little Eyes, one of the queen's counsel, joined with 
them, and urged Mr. Church to go aside with him among the bushes, 
that he might have some private discourse with him, which other 
Indians immediately forbid ; being sensible of his ill design. But 
the Indians began to side and grow very warm. Mr. Church, with 
undaunted courage, told the Mount Hopes that they were bloody 
wretches, and thirsted after the blood of their English neighbors, 
who had never injured them, but had always abounded in their kind- 
ness to them. That, for his own part, though he desired nothing 
more than peace, yet, if nothing but war would satisfy them, he be- 
lieved he should prove a sharp thorn in their sides ; bid the company 
observe these men that were of such bloody dispositions, whether 
Providence would suffer them to live to see the event of the war, 
which others, more peaceably disposed, might do, etc., etc." 

Moved by Church's advice, Awashonks requested him to go to 
Plymouth in her behalf, to arrange a compact between her tribe and 
the English authorities. The war, breaking out sooner than was 
anticipated, rendered his mission useless at that time, but the part 
Church had taken had a very important bearing upon the issue of 
the contest. About a year afterward the English Captain happened 
to meet one of the Seaconnets, whose friendship he had won at this 
conference, and through him was enabled once more to open nego- 
tiations with the squaw sachem. A meeting was arranged between 
them. Church specifying that not more than three persons should 
attend the princess. He himself went to the place appointed in a 
canoe, with one man to attend him. Another canoe, with two other 
men in it, was stationed off* the shore, to observe the fate which 
might befall the bold warrior. 

*' He was no sooner landed, but Awashonks and the rest that he 
had appointed to meet him there rose up and came down to meet 
him ; and each of them successively gave him their hands, and ex- 
pressed themselves glad to see him, and gave him thanks for expos- 
ing himself to visit them. They walked together about a gun-shot 
from the water, to a convenient place to sit down, when at once rose 
up a great body of Indians, who had lain hid in the grass (that was 
as high as a man's waist), and gathered around them, till they had 



UiTVi^ Ctme^^ii. 



closed ihem in ; being all nrniEd with guns, spears, hatchets, etc., 
with their hall's trimmtd and faces painted, in their war-like appear- 
ance. It was doubtless somewhat surprising to our gentleman at 
first, but without any visible discovery of it, after a small silent 
pause on each side, he flpiike to Awashonlcs, and told her that 
George (the Indian tlirmigh whom he had arranged the conference) 
had informed him that she had a desire to see him, and discnur.se 
about making peace with the English. She answered. 'Yes.' 'Then,' 
said Mr. Church. * it is custnmary when people meet to treat of peace, 
to lay aside iheir arms, and ni)l to appear in such hostile form a>t 
your people do.' He desired of her. that if they might talk about 
peace, wliich he desired they might, her men might lay aside their 
amis, and appear more treatable. Upon which there began a. con- 
siderable noise and murmur among them in their own language, 
till Awashonks asked him what arms they should lay down, and 
where? He (peixciving the Indians looked very surly and much 
displea.<ied) replied : ' Only their guns itl some small distance, for 
formality's sake.' I'pon which, with one consent, they laid aside 
(heir guns and came and sat down. 

"Mr. Church pulled nut his calafiash, and asked Awashonks 
whether she had lived so long at Wetusri ( Waehuset ) as to forget to 
dnnk occafeches f and drinking to her. he perceived that she watched 
hJDi verj- diligently, to see whether he swalinwed any of the rura. 
He differed her the shell, hut she desired him In drink again rtrst. 



70 PiCTURESQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 

He then told her that there was no poison in it ; and pouring some in 
the palm of his hand sipped it up. And took the shell and drank to 
her again, and drank a good swig, which indeed was no more than 
he needed. Then they all standing up he said to Awashonks, ' You 
won't drink for fear there should be poison in it/ and then handed it 
to a little ill-looking fellow, who catched it readily enough, and as 
greedily would have swallowed the licjuor when he had it at his 
mouth. But Mr. Church catched him bv the throat, and took it from 
him, asking him whether he intended to sw'illow it shell and all ; 
and then handed it to Awashonks. She ventured to take a good 
hearty draw, and passed it among her attendants. The shell being 
emptied, he pulled out his tobacco ; and having distributed it, they 
began to talk. 

''Awashonks demanded of him the reason why he had not 
(agreeable to his promise when she saw him last) been down at 
Sogkonate before now? Saying, that probably if he had come then, 
according to his promise, they had never joined with Philip against . 
the English. He told her that he was prevented by the war's breaking 
out so suddenly : and yet he was afterwards coming down, and came 
as far as Punkateese, where a great many Indians set upon him, and 
fought him a whole afternoon, though he did not come prepared to 
fight, and had but nineteen men with him, whose cliief design was to 
gain an opportimity to discourse some Sogkonate Indians. Upon 
this there at once arose a mighty murmur, confused noise, and talk 
among the fierce-looking creatures, and all rising up in a hubbub. 
And a great surly-looking fellow took up his tomhog, or w-ooden cut- 
lass, to kill Mr. Church, but some others prevented him. The inter- 
preter asked Mr. Churcli if he understood what it was that the great 
fellow^ thev had hold of said? He answered him ' No." ' Whv,' said 
the interpreter, * he says you killed his brother at Punkateese, and 
therefore he thirsts for your blood.' Mr. Church bid the interpreter 
tell him that his brother began first : that if he had kept at Sog- 
konate, according to his desire and order, he should not have hurt 
him. Then the chief captain commanded silence ; and told them 
they sh(nild talk no more about old things, etc., and quelled the tu- 
mult so that they sat down again, and began upon a discourse of 
making peace witli the English." 

The arguments of Captain Church were successful. At last *' the 
chief captain rose up, and expressed the great value and respect he 
had for Mr. Church ; and bowing to him, said, ' Sir, if you will 



Little Comptox. 



71 




please to accept of me and my men, and will head us, we will light 
for 3'ou, and will help you to Philip's head before the Indian corn be 
ripe.' And when he had ended, they all expressed their consent to 
what he had said, and told Mr. Church they loved him, and were 
willing to go with him and fight for him as long as the English had 
one enemy left in the coun- 
try." The defection of Awa- 
shonks and her tribe sealed 
the doom of Philip. The 
broken-hearted sachem was 
never known to smile at^er the 
news was received. He feh 
that his days were numbered, 
and that henceforth he must 
live like a wild beast, hunted 
from one hiding-place to 
another by Indians and En- 
glishmen alike. 

Not until many years after 
the war had ceased did Captain 
Church go back to dwell at 

Seaconnet. When the town of Bristol wa.s founded he became one 
of its most prominent citizens, and continued to live for several 
jears upon the land that had once belonged to his dead foe. From 
Bristol he removed to Fall River, and at last went back to end his 
days at Little Compton. Returning one day from a visit of con- 
dolence which he had paid his only sister, his horse stumbled, and 
the old hero was thrown with great force upon the frozen ground.- 
He had become exceedingly corpulent, and the fall ruptured a blood- 
vessel. From the effects of this accident he died Jan. 17, 1718. 

Little Compton probably took its name from the Little Compton 
of Oxfordshire, England. It was incorporated as a town in 1682. 
Its Indian inhabitants continued for many years to reside within its 
borders in perfect harmony with their white neighbors. In 1790 
there were 1,542 white inhabitants and twenty-three slaves in the 
town. Its population, according to the census of 1880, is 1,201. It 
was one of the five towns transferred from Massachusetts to the 
colony of Rhode Island in January, 1746-7. Once a popular sum- 
mer resort, it still attracts many visitors, by reason of the unequaled 
advantages for fishing which it affords. A stone in the village 



72 P:cTUftKsQiiE Rhode Island. 



cemetery marks the resting-place of Elizabetli Alden, said to have 
bt'un the first white woman born in New Enj^land. She became the 
wife of William Pabodie, and died May 31, 1717, in the ninety- 
fourth year of her age. 

Tiverton was another of the five towns. Its Indian name was 
Pocasset. Punkateest it was also called sometimes ; but this name 
properly belonged to its southern portion only. It was purchased 
from the Indians by the Plymouth colonists in 1680, and was by 
them sold to Edward Gray and seven other Englishmen, for £1,100 
(about $3,666). The fact has already been noted that Portsmouth 
was originally called Pocasset. It was probably the greater prom- 
inence of the mainland Pocasset that compelled the islanders to 
change the name of their town. Not until 1694 was the town of 
Tiverton incorporated. The powerful Indian tribe to whom the 
territory had once belonged had then almost entirely disappeared. 
The Indian designation was therefore dropped, and an English name 
was taken in its stead. One point in connection with tlie early 
liistury of the town is specially worthy of notice. It had no settled 
minister, and maintained no regular religious services, until almost 
half a century had elapsed from the year in which it was founded. 
On this account presentments against the town were frequently made 
to the General Court of Massachusetts, but without any apparent 
eflect upon the actions of its people. In striking contrast with the 
other towns of Massachusetts, it continued during this long period of 
time almost entirely to neglect its religious and educational duties. 
Not until August 20, 1746 — five months before it became a part of 
■ Rhode Island — was the First Congregational Church organized by 
the people in the south part of the town. 

Like its neighbor, Seaconnet, Pocasset was governed by a ' ' squaw 
sachem " wlien King Philip's War broke out. Wcetamoe was the 
queen of the Pocasset tribe. When the conflict began, the part she 
might take in it seemed somewhat doubtful. Captain Church, pass- 
ing through her dominions on his way from Seaconnet to Plymouth, 
thought she might be induced to take the side of the English. 
Events soon proved him to have mistaken both her temper and her 
designs. She espoused the side of her kinsman, and upon the 
broad hunting-grounds of her tribe many a deadly combat was 
fought. The writers of that period agree tliat *' the ' squaw 
sachem' of Pocasset was next unto Philip in respect to the mia- 



Tiverton. 73 

chief that hath been done, and the blood that hath been shed in the 
war." 

" A severe and proud dame was she," wrote an Englishwoman 
who was once her captive, " bestowing every day in dressing herself 
near as much time as any of the gentrj' of the land. 
She had a Kearsey coat, covered with girdles of wampum from the 




loins upward- Her arms, from her elbows to her hands, were cov- 
ered with bracelets ; there were handfuls of necklaces about her neck, 
and several sorts of jewels in her ears. She had fine red stockings 
and white shoes, her hair powdered, and her face painted red." 

Many of her tribe, discouraged by the apparent hopelessness of 
their cause, in time sought the alliance of the English. (It was a 
Pocasset Indian from whom at last Philip received his death-wound.) 
Weetamoe wavered never. Faithfully she clung to the fortunes of 
the great chieflain, and a fate more tragic even than his fell to her 
unhappy lot. From 300 fighting men, her tribe was at last reduced 
to twenty-si.x warriors. In August, 1676, the colonists learned from 
a deserter that the princess, with her few remaining adherents, had 
taken refuge at Mettapoiset (now Gardiner's Neck, in Swansey). 
Twenty men at once volunteered to hunt down the defenceless 
woman. With the Indian traitor for a guide, they had no difficulty 
in surprising the Pocassets in their hiding-place, and capturing all 
but two or three of their number. Weetamoe was one of the few 
who escaped. The wretched princess seems to have preferred any 
form of death to capture. In the tumult which followed the on- 
slaught of the attacking party, she hastily gathered for a raft a few 
broken pieces of timber that had been cast by the waves upon the 
shore, and boldly pushed out upon the dark waters. No one after- 



74 Picturesque Riiodk Island. 

wards saw her alive. In ii iew days tlie naked body of an Indian 
woman was thrown upon tlie beach by the iii-coining tide. The 
white settlers seized upon it without knowing whose it was, and 
with the brutiility that was the prevailing characteristic ot" the age. 
decapitated it. Then, carrying the head to Taunton, they set it up 
upon a pole. Some Indian pri-soners beholding it. broke forth at 
once in cries ol* heart-rending grief. To use the words of the Re^â– . 
Increase Mather. '• they made a most horrid and diabolical lamenta- 
tion, crying out that it was tlieir Qiieen's head.'' The ill-starred 
Weetamoe. though dead, is not yet forgotten. On the banks of 
that river, over whose waters the cry of the despairing princess once 
rang upon the startled air, a great cotton-factory bears her name. 
The whirl of its thousand spindles, and the throb of its mighty 
engines, daily sound her requiem. 

Into the dismal recesses of a great cedar swamp in the Pocasset 
Country. King Philip once fled when hard pressed. This swamp 
was seven miles long. Amid its trembling bogs the Wampanoag 
king calmly awaited the assault of the white soldiers. With great 
bravery the colonists charged the Indian stronghold, and were re- 
pulsed with the loss of sixteen men. Then they resolved to close 
the avenues leading to it and starve the Indians to surrender. Philip 
was well pleased with the plan ; he was plentifully supplied with 
provisions, and was able to sustain a very protracted siege. For 
thirteen days he remained in his retreat. Then, having constructed 
canoes enough to carry all his party, he took advantage of an 
unusually dark night, fled from the swamp unperceived. and passed 
to the Nipmuck Country. 

When the British held Rhode Island, during the Revolutionary 
War. upon Tiverton Heights was pitched one of the most important 
camps itf the American army. It served as the great rally ing-place 
for the patriot forces in the State. From it most of the attacking 
parties that so annoyed the British went forth. From Tiverton, as 
has lalelv been related. Barton set out tin the ■• bold push " which 
resulted in tlie capture i)f Prescott. It will be remembiTed that Bar- 
ton wiselv ordered his men to absliiin entirely from intoxicating 
liquors. Afltr ihe cibjeci of the expedition had been accompli.shed 
and llu' l>()ats were U'aping joyfully homeward, the prohibition was 
removed. .\s a consequence, the courage of the crews rose to such 
a pitch, that it was seriously ( ?) debated, as they rowed past Bristol 
Ferry, whether it was not their duty at once to turn back to capture 
the whole British fleet. 



Tiverton. 75 



With the waters of Tiverton a brilliant naval exploit is also con- 
nected. In the Seacorfnet Passage an English man-of-war had been 
stationed to prevent the escape of the privateers that swarmed like 
waspsalong the path of British commerce. It was the "Pigot" galley, 
a vessel of 200 tons burden. The **Pigot" carried eight twelve- 
pounders, was defended by strong boarding-nettings, and had a crew of 
forty-five men. Major Silas Talbot, of Providence, resolved to effect 
her capture. For this purpose he procured a small sloop called the 
" Hawk,-' placed on board tw^o three-pounders and a crew of sixty men 
under Lieutenant Baker, and proceeded down the river. Anchoring 
his little craft in Mount Hope Bay, he started alone for Little Compton, 
that he might ascertain the exact position of the English vessel. He 
found the " Pigot" armed at all points, and much more thoroughly 
defended than he had believed was possible. He therefore secured 
fifteen more men from Popham's regiment, under the command of 
Lieut. William Helme. The next night (Oct. 28, 1778,) was favorable 
for his purpose. With a gentle wind the *' Hawk " sailed slowly down 
toward the British fort at Fogland Ferry. There the sail w^as low^ered, 
and the little sloop drifted unperceived past the dreaded batteries. 
The night was so dark that Major Talbot found it necessary to send 
out a boat, with muffled oars, to find the galley. This having been 
done, he crowded all sail and bore down upon her. The British cap- 
tain was taken entirely unawares. Before he could bring his guns 
to bear upon his unseen foe, the jib-boom of the ''Hawk" tore 
through the nettings of the " Pigot " and caught in its fore-shrouds. 
Immediately a line of boarders, with Lieutenant Helme at their head, 
ran along the bowsprit of the sloop and leaped upon the deck of the 
enemv. The combat that followed was short but decisive. The 
crew of the galley were quickly driven below, her commander alone 
disdaining to leave the deck, and fighting bravely after his men had 
deserted him. The English vessel was taken without the loss of a 
man on either side. The "Hawk" and her prize immediately set 
sail, and both reached Stonington in safety. The *' Pigot" was not 
long after purchased by the American government, and stationed 
permanently in the bay. For this gallant exploit Talbot was made 
a lieutenant-colonel. During the war he distinguished himself by 
many like deeds of daring, seeming equally at home, whether on land 
or water. The Rhode Island Assembly voted swords both to him 
and Lieutenant Helme. 

The interests of Tiverton to-day are mainly agricultural. Some 




CHAPTER IV. 



THE VOYAGES OF THE NORTHMEN' — Fllil.lP OF POKANOKET — THK 
PRIVATEER '■ YANKEE" — THE SLAVE-TRADE — COMMERl.IAI. 
PROSPERITY AND DECAY. WARRE.V — MASSASO^KT.TIIE FRIEND 
OF THE \VH1TE MAN— SOME FAMOUS SHIPS. BARItlNGTON — 
HE TIIUEE KAXKS OK INHABITANTS— CAPT. THOMA.* WILI.ETr. 



HE historj' of Bristol is unusually varied and interesting. 
It goes back to the earliest ages of historic America, 
and claims for its own a share in the Icelandic sagas 
( I six hundred years ago. A large number of anti- 
quarian scholars, in Europe as well as in America, 
hive united in pronouncing its Mount Hope to be the 
Hop of the old Norse voyagers. That the Northmen 
were familiar with these shores, and even dwelt for 
many years upon them, no unprejudiced man can 
doubt. The established antiquity of the sagas, the 
fact that at the time they were written there could 
have been no possible motive for manufacturing such 
1 mass of circumstantial evidence, makes it impossible 
I for any one to deny that they are substantially true. 

It i.s only becau.se the advocates of the claims of the Northmen have 
attempted to prove too much, that they have thus far failed to win a 
more favorable verdict at the bar of public opinion. It must be 
granted that it is impossible for us to determine with absolute cer- 
tainty the exact spot where the Vikings dwelt during their sojourn 
upon the coasts of America. The formidable array of details pre- 
sented in the ancient parchments makes the conjecture that the 
booths of Leif Ericson were erected upon the shores of Mount Hope 
Bay seem a very reasonable one. 




78 



Picturesqi;e Rhode Island. 




Up the Seaconnct River, in the year of our Lord lOOO, the pio- 
neer vessel of Leif i« .supposed to have come. Near the foot of 
Mount Hope itself, it is believed that his dwellings were erected. 
He found the waters of the bay crowded with manj- varieties of tish ; 
tliroiijj;h the forests that lined its shores wild animals of manv kinds 

roamed unmolested. 
The winter that fol- 
lowed his coming 
happened to be one 
of the unusually mild 
ones which some- 
times visit us to as- 
tound our bitter New 
England climate. 
Not much snow fell 
that year, and the 
grass hardly seemed 

Tn? OW«l Haul, in Bri.td. tO WlthCr. SubSC- 

qnent voj'agers had 
a very difierent experience. One of Liel's party was a German. 
T\Tker was his name. One day he strayed away from the explor- 
ing party Leif had sent out from the camp, and when he returned 
lie hardly .seemed to recognize his companions. His eyes rolled 
strangely about. lie appeared to have forgotten the Nurse language, 
and in German vaguely answered those who accosted him. After a 
while he came to his senses and his mysterious behavior was ex- 
plained. He had found some vines with grapes yet remaining upon 
ihem, and the sight of the almost-forgotten fruit bad awakened such 
a ho,st of recollections that bis mind was for a brief time thrown off 
its balance. The Vikings deemed bis discovery so important that 
they gave to the country the name of Vinland, the land of vines. 
They also cured a quantity of grapes, and carried them with tbem in 
their ship when they weiU back to Iceland. 

Of the vriviigers who caine after Leif. Thorlinn Karlsefni was 
the most priiniiiient. He came with three ships and 151 men. Gudrid. 
his wife, and six other women sailed in the expedition. Thoriinn's 
object was to found a colony. He carried with him many kinds of 
live stock. His first winter is supposed, from his description of the 
country, to ha\'e been ]>assed upon the shores of Buzzards Bay. 
Therein ihe year 1007. his wife Gudrid bore liim a son. the first child 



Bristol. 79 

of European blood born upon the soil of this continent. In the fol- 
lowing spring Thorfinn sailed up to the place the Northmen called 
Hop. The dwellings Leif had built were not large enough to accom- 
modate his men ; additional booths were therefore erected not far 
awa\'. The colonists, although well pleased with the quality of the 
lands, were yet deterred from making a permanent settlement by rea- 
son of the hostility of the natives. The expedition returned to Green- 
land in loio. 

Accounts of other voyages are -also preserved, but the expedi- 
tions to Vinland soon became so frequent that they were no longer 
deemed worthy of record. From the annals of Iceland it would appear 
that in 11 21 a permanent colony had been established in the country 
Leif had discovered. Two hundred vears later, the arrival of a 
Greenland ship, bound to Markland (a country also discovered by 
Leif, supposed to be Nova Scotia), is recorded. The Greenland col- 
ony disappeared from history in 1406, the year when its last bishop 
was appointed. Its 280 villages were never afterwards heard of. 
Extensive ruins along the shores mark the places where they once 
stood. 

Upon the western shore of Mount Hope Bay, between Mount 
Hope and the Narrows, lies a mass of graywackc^ about ten feet long 
and six feet wide, which is commonlv known as "The Northmen's 
Rock." At high tide its broad, flat surface affords a secure landing- 
place for those who approach it from the water : at low tide it pre- 
sents an inviting seat to every one who chances to wander along the 
beach. (Upon page 73 a representation of it may be found.) It 
was often noticed by the early settlers of the town, and several refer- 
ences to it attest the curiosity its strange inscription aroused in their 
minds. For many years it was lost sight of, and has only recently 
been rediscovered. This is not remarkable ; for the inscription covers 
but a small part of its surface, and is by no means prominent. The 
record graven upon it cannot be an Indian one, for the Indians had 
no written language. Popular conjecture has always associated it 
with the visits of the Northmen. It is supposed that one of their 
number, who had been left in charge of a boat while his comrades 
were exploring the country round about, seated himself upon it, just 
as would one of us to-day, and amused himself by tracing his name 
and the figure of his boat upon it. 

More prominent than any other in the long list of the famous 
names that appear in connection with the history of Bristol, is that of 



PiCTURBSQUR Rhode Island. 




tilt* Indian warrior and statesman, Philip of Fokanokft- MassaHOJtt, 
ihc lather of King Philip (Afassasot't the name ia usually spelled), 
was, throughuut his long life, one of the most faithful friends of the 
Plymouth colonists. He had hastened to c<mclude a treaty with 
them as soon as he had learned nf their arrival. Until his death he 
observed all its provisions with uncqualed good faith, tldelitj'. and 
honesty. The English repaid the many favors received at his hands 
hy killing Iiiti son and successor before the turf was green (ipoii the 
grave of the aged sachem. Before the unfortunate Alexander had 
given any decided indications of what his policy was to be, the Eng- 
lish, assuming tliat it would be hostile, summoned him to Ply- 
mouth to answer a false accusation of trcachcrj- that had been 
brought against him. The haughty chieftain conld nut endure the 
indignity. The brutal trealraent received at the hands of his unfeel- 
ing persecutors so wrought upon Ids sensitive spirit, tliat lie Mckeiicd 
and died before the first year of his reign was concluded. 

With the fate of his lirothcr belbre his eyes, Philip was cnrcful 



Bristol. 8i 


^^^^^^H 


to furnish his while ^^^^^^^^^m^mmmmm^^^^^m 


neighbortf nu poHsihlL- lil^H^^^^^^B'^^'^^l 


^^^^H 


^^rounrlt! lor doiibltn|jr hi.s Hyfi^^H^^^^lBS '1^1 


^^^^H 


fldclitv towards I^^I^^^^^^C . '^I 


^^^^^H 


Hu no H^^^^^Bn ' 1 


^^^^^^^H 


Uic ^^^^^^^^^^B 1^1 


^^^^^^^H 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^K ^^^^ 


^^^^^^^^H 


1)1 (lie ^^^^^^^^^^^m ^^H 


^^^^^^H 


be thi> ^^^^^^^^H^B-— ^ " "^^^1 


^^^^H 


Bngli.sh lu ^^^^^^^^^H^^F^^' "^^^1 


^^^^H 


suppuKC he ^^^^^^^^^^^L»^^ W^^l 


^^^^^H 


tht? ^^^^^^^^^^^V ' T^^l 


^^^^^H 


^^^^^^^^1^^^ ^^H 


^^^^^H 


^^^^^^^^K^^f w^l 


^^^^H 


onlybiding his Unit.-. Me ^^^^^^^^^Bk S^I 


^^^^H 


saw (hat hia pt;oplt'niu»t m^HHIQIB^k^^ 4^^| 


^^^^^H 


incv-i(ably di.<mppc>nr bi-- •- WJVMWB ' -WV -^t^ ^^H 


^^^^^H 


fort! them unless \\\e ad- 1" Hh^^B 'yR^ â–¼ < ^^| 


^^^^H 


vanct: nf the wJiJLt: men - H^Bl llv •Qp'^~ ' V^^l^l 


^^^^1 


was checked, and his | |^^H9| ir^^B *J^^k 


^^^^^H 


clear bruin wa^ % IMHBh< U^^^H^ ^^I 


^^^^H 


I' i^^^^B^^H^^B ^m1>^^^| 


^^^^H 


III Uiv - ^^^^I^BRB^^^aF^^I 


^^^^^^1 


ing calnniit}-. ^ ^^^BHBPT^^l u^^^I 


^^^^^^H 


leretitlvthcpuge ofNew ' BBBt J[|; t^j|^ jI^^H 


^^^^^^^^^1 


England histon,' wimld ^^^^mHiii^Sfv ^^^^1 


^^^^^^H 


mil ^^^^^IHh^^BM ifl^^l 


^^^^^^H 




^^H 


^H 


^^^^^^^^^SSy ^^^1 


^^^^^H 


III ^^^^^^^^^^Bc ^^1 


^^^^^H 


^^^^^^^^^^B ^^1 


^^^^^H 


^^^^^H|r^ ^H 


^^^^1 


^^^^^^^^^^ ^H 


^^^^^H 


the Penoh- ^^^^B^^^^^ ^| 


^^^^^H 


til the H^^li '^^l 


^^^^^H 


rcd-.-ikinnL-d ^^^K ^1 


^^^^^H 


were U» descend upon ^^^K^mammi-'-'^ ^^ 


^^^^1 


the the ^^^^^BUStfw' 


^^^^^H 


iind ^^^^H^^^Bk^F- 


J 




PicTURESQiiE Rhode Island. 

English back again into the 
sea. His consummate abil- 
ity very nearly brought 
about the accomplishment 
of his design. But for an 
accident, which forced him 
to begin tlie war sooner 
than he had intended, he 
would, without doubt, have 
been successful. The col- 
onists here and there heard 
vague rumors of impending 
danger, but hardly deemed 
them worthy of serious con- 
sideration. Thirty-eight 
years of peace had made 
them strangely careless. 
When the report of the first hostile gun was heard, it seemed to 
many like a thunderbolt shot from a cloudless sky- 
On Sunday. June 20, 1675, the war was begun. Its harrowing 
details need not here be given. " Driven from his paternal domains 
at Mount Hope, Philip threw himself into the depths of those vast 
and trackless forests that skirted the settlements, and were almost 
impervious to anything but a wild beast or an Indian. Here he 
gathered together his forces, like the storm accumulating its stores 
of mischief in the bosom of the thunder-cloud, and would suddenly 
emerge at a time and place least expected, carrying havoc and dis- 
may into the villages. In this way 
Philip became a theme of universal 
apprehension. The mystery in 
which he was enveloped exagger- 
ated his real terrors. He was an 
evil that walked in darkness, whose 
coming none could foresee, and 
against which none knew when to 
be on the alert. Philip seemed al- 
most possessed of ubiquity. In 
whatever part of the widely ex- 
tended frontier an eruption from 
the forest took place, Philip was 
said to be its leader." cs»pei oi si. Hich«i'i CKg.eh. 





F>jr innrc Uian ;i ytar the bloiidv (-(inibat was proloiifjtd. The 
colonists moiirtictl the loss of more thiin si.\ hundred inen, ihe lluwer 
ami Btifngth of the cniiiitry. Thirteen towns were entirely destroyed ! 
nliiny olhtrs were greatly damaged. Six hundred buildiiiys. mostly 
dwelling-houses, were consumed by fire. The loss of the Indians 
was still more terrible. One by one, the followers of Philip deserted 
liim : day by day. his dominions became mure and more contracted 
as the deadly coil of colonial troops was .••lowly tightened around him. 
The capture of his wife and only son seemed almost to crush the verv- 
life out of tlie unfortunate monarch. From the woes that were 
heaped ko heavily upon him, no refuge seemed to be letl but death. 
He came back to the green fields and waving forests he had known 
from earliest i:hildhoo<l. and waited for his end to come. From the 
rifle of a renegade Indian sped the fatal bullet, and in the " mierj^ 
swamp," near the foot of Mount Hope, the chieftain fell. Disap- 
pointed in the vengeance they had planned to I'xecute upim him when 
living, his reUmtless foes proceeded to wreal, their fury upon Philip's 
dead body. To the Indian who had shot him was given the scarred 
hand by wliicli bis corpse had been ideulified- His head was also 
severed from his body. The lieadless trunk was quarltTcd and hung 
up to rol above the ground. The fate the savage chief had brought 
H|v>tt 1*0 many Englishmen, his Cliristian aiplors visited upon him. 



â– 1 




^^^^^F 84 PlCTURBRCUm RlIODK Tai.AND. 


^^^^H Thti genius of Irving has nunmicd up the charnclcr and life of 
^^^^H the dead kiiif; in this elotjuent panigniph : " Such is the scanty 
^^^^H st'iry of the brave, but unt'ortunale King Philip; perscCutLtl when 
^^^^H living, siandertcl and dishonored when dead. If, hrtwever. vie con- 
^^^^H »ider even the prejudiced anecdotus furnislied us by his enemies, we 
^^^^^L muy perceive in them tracen of amiiible and Io% character sutHdent 
^^^^^^^^ to awaken sympathj fnr his fate, and respect for l)i» memory. Wo 
^^^^^^^H find that, itmidst all the harassing cares and ferocioun passions of 
^^^^^^^H constant warfare, he wa» alivf to the sot\er fueling!* of connubial 
^^^^^^^H love and paternal tenderness, and to Ihe generous senlimeiu of 
^^^^^^^H friendship. The captivity of his 'beloved wife and nnh- son' arc 
^^^^^^^^ mentioned with exultation, as causing him poignant misery ; the 
^^^^^P dwUh of any near friend is triumphantly recorded as a neve hlnw im 
^^^^H his sensihilitie!) : but the treacht-ry and desertion of mauy of his fol- 
^^^^H lowers, til whose allectiuns he had confided, is said tohavedesointetl 
^^^^H his heart, and to have bereaved him of all further comfort. He was 
^^^^H a patriot attached to his native soil — a prince true to his subjects, 
^^^^H .nnd indignant "f their wrong.^ a soldier, daring in battle. lirm in 


i 


k 'li.-tl-' 


r 


1 


1 '- - ' ._ 


r 



Bristol. 




adversity, patient of futigue, of hunger, of every variety of bodily 
sufFering, and read}' to perish in the cause lie had espoused. Proud 
of heart, and with an untamable love of natnral liberty, he preferred 
to enjoy it among the beasts of the forest, or in the disma) and 
famished recesses of 
swamps and morasses, 
rather than bow his 
haughtj' spirit to submis- 
sion, and live dependent 
and despised in the ease 
and luxury of the settle- 
ments. With heroic qual- 
ities and bold achieve- 
ments that would have 
graced a civilized war- 
rior, and have rendered 
him the theme of the poet 
and the historian, he lived 
a wanderer and a fugitive 
in his native land, and 
went down, like a lonely . 

bark foundering amid darkness and tempest, without a pitjing eye 
to weep his fall or a friendly hand to record his struggle." 

The echoe.s of the death-cry of the last sachem of the Wampa 
noags had only just died away when a dispute concerning the suc- 
cession to his lands arose between the neighboring colonies of Ply- 
mouth, Massachusetts Bay, and Rhode Island- Another claimant 
also appeared in the person of John Crowne, an English poet, who 
was at the time a prominent figure at the court of King Charles II. 
The committee to whom the whole subject was referred by the Privy 
Council, decided in favor of the Plymouth Colony. To that colony, 
therefore, by special grant from the king, the lands were conveyed, 
a quit rent of seven beaver-skins per annum being reserved to the 
Crown. 

On the fourteenth day of September, 1680, the Mount Hope 
Lands were sold by the General Court of Plymouth to four mer- 
chants of Boston ; Nathaniel Byfield. John Walley. Nathaniel Oliver, 
and Stephen Burton. In that same year the settlement of Bristol 
was begun. Its four "First Proprietors" were men of unusual prom- 
inence in the colony of Massachu.<!etts ; the advanced ideas which 



86 



PlCTURBSQUE RllOnp, ISLAND 



tlicy h«ld cuiicemiiijj its future wero made manifest in the plans 
they adopted for its welfare and (te\e]opment. Not a town in New 
England had before been laid out upon such a liberal scale; not 
a town had been founded in which such liberal provisions were 

made for the supp<)rt of 

reli^fion ami for the main- 
tenance of public schools. 
The name Bristol was prol>- 
ably taken because of tlu- 
prominence which Bristol. 
England, then held. Tlie 
English city was the most 
important sea-port in Great 
Britftin. Its people hoped 
that the American Bristol 
might become the great 
sea-port of New England. 
It was intended by its 
proprietors that the new 
town should be '• a town 
lor trade and commerce." 
and prominent in trade and 
Lommerce it immediately 
became. Its principal 
commercial relations were 
with the West Indies and the Spanish Main. For almost a century 
and a half the streets of Havana and the <)ther prominent West 
Indian cities were more familiar to the feet of its enterprising sailors 
than even the .streets of the great cities of their native land. 

In January. 1746-7, the Mount Hope peninsula became a part of 
Rhode Island, and Bristol \va.s at once accorded an h<mored place 
among the towns of the little colony. Puritan ideas had governed 
its early legislation, hut its nearness ti> the territory Roger Williams 
once governed had worn away alnio.tt every trace of Puritan preju- 
dices. In one respect Bristol was far in .idvance of any other to%vn 
in Rhode l-sland. The Rhode Island towns, for the most part, had 
almost entirely ni'glected to make provision for the support of good 
public schoi)ls. The records of the lir.st Bristol town-meetings per- 
petuate the votes that were passed concerning the '* maintaining of 
an able school master." 



^ 




pMH 





Bristol. 



87 




> made th;it the people of the 



In the events which preceded the Revolution, Bristol gave forth no 
uncertain sound as to the course it intended to pursue. It sent out a 
boat's crew to assist in the de- 
struction of the British armed 
schooner " Gaspee." Its con- 
tributions flowed freely to the 
relief of the distressed citizens 
of Boston. When the British 
held possession of the bay, all 
these things were remembered 
against it. On the 7th of Oc- 
tober, i775,three English ships 
of war and several smaller ves- 
sels cast anchor before the 
town. Their commander de- 
manded that some representa- 
tive man of the place should 
visit his ship to learn the pro- 
posals he had to make. Answer v 
town would consider his demands the next morning, whereupon, 
almost immediatelj', the British vessels began to bombard the place. 
For an hour and a half, until one of the citizens went on board the 
flag-ship, a very heavy fire was kept up. Very many buildings were 
struck, but. strange to saj', no one was hurt by the flying balls. 
One man only, the Rev. John Burt, was found dead in a corn-field 
the next morning. For a long time he had been sick and feeble, 
and the horrors of the night were too much for his weakened spirit 
to endure. The next day the requisitions of the British comman- 
. der were partially complied with, and the fleet sailed back to New- 
port. 

Three years later came a heavier calamity. A band of 500 
British and Hessian troops descended upon Bristol, and burned 
almost all the houses upon the principal street. Even the Episcopal 
Church, which had always been under the charge of the English 
" Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts," was burned, 
the English soldiers believing it to be a "Dissenters' Meeting-house" 
when they set it on fire. Verj- many of the town's people were car- 
ried to Newport as prisoners. 

In the War of 181 2 came the day of retaliation. In less than a 
month after the President of tlie United States had issued his proc- 



88 PicTURESQiJE Rhode Island. 

lamation of war, the private armed brig "Yankee" sailed away 
from the harbor of Bristol upon its first cruise against the ships of 
Great Britain. The succes.s of the "Yankee " is unparalleled in the 
historj- of American privateers. Six cruises she made in all. In 
her first cruise of less than three months she captured ten prizes, one 
of which netted over $200,000. The coast of Africa was her second 
crui sing-ground (man^^ of her crew were familiar with all its promi- 
nent ports, but of that more in future). She was absent one hun- 
dred and fifty days. Then she came leisurely sailing iip the bay 
with a prize on either side. Eight vessels she had captured, and 
one only of them had been retaken. The amount of prize-money 
apportioned to each share astheresult of the third cruise was $173.54, 
— very respectable wages for a common sailor to earn in the -short 
space of three months. The fourth cruise was a comparative fail- 
ure, but the fifth more than made up for it. The owners received 
more than $200,000 as their share of its profits. The share of the 
smallest cabin-boy was more than seven hundred dollars. The sixth 
and last cruise opened auspiciously, but the richest prize was lost 
upon Charleston bar, and only one vessel of any value was brought 
into port. The "Yankee" was 
in service less than three years, 
yet in those years she captured 
British property amounting in 
value to almost a million of 
pounds. Many of her prizes 
wore of course retaken, but she 
sent into Bristol a million of 
dollars as the profit from her 
cruises. 

The stain upon the history of 
Bristol is the sliarc which it took 
ill the infamous African slave- 
trade, a stain which is also to be 
ohser\'ed upon the records of 
many of its sister towns. New- 
port was more prominent in this 
business than Bristol, and it was 
upon Providence ships that the 
most noted of the Bristol captains first learned the route to the African 
shive-pcns. The age was in fault as well as the moral sentiment of 




ihf Rhnde Islantl tuwns, Tht- wnrld has grown bctlcr siiict- the lasl 
slaver sailed out from Narragansett Bay. and the moral sentiment of 
HristuI lias more than kept puce with the general progress of the 
aye. Bitterly the town mourns ti>diiy over those black pages that 
k-aiinot be suppressed, and nowhere in the I'niird States is there felt 
a deeper abhorrence lor the sin of slavery. 

The " round trip " of a slaver was usually nn exeeedingiy pnjtit- 
able one. Most of the vessels engaged in the Irade were either 
schooners or sloops. From the distilleries near the wharves in Hris- 
Inl, they were tilled with great lasks of newly-made New England 
rtlm. (Hardly palatable would such a fiery beverage seem to the 
more delicate tastes of the present day : but like the nectar of the 
gruls ii was to the well-seasoned throats of our hardy ancestors.) 
Sitme gorxls of the gorgeous hues most pleasing to barbaric eyes 
were also placed on board, and the vessel was cleared for the coast 
of Africa- The voyage in the coast was almost always a long one. 
The earlier slave-shipK were not built for speed, but simply to carry 
freight. The slay upon the coast was also of considerable length. 
One by one, the hogsheads of rum were bartered lor slaves, until the 
necessaiTp- return cargo was obtained. Then tht captain sailed for 
ihc WeM Indies, where his living freight was always disposed of 
without trouble. There he would take on board a load of molasses 
fur his owner's distillery, and hasten back to Bristol. All this was 
dune in the years before the slave-trade wan declared lu be illegal. 



90 PlCTlIRKSQUK RlIUUE IsLANU. 

For the siave-tnuk- after the year 1808, when the "horrors of the 
Middle Piis.sa}ie " drew upon it tlie execrations of the wliole world, 
the merchants ut'llristol should 
not he held responsible. 

In the year 1804 the ports 
of South Carolina were opened 
for tlie importation of slaves. 
They remained open for foul- 
years, and almost forty thou- 
sand ncfp-ocs were imported 
during that time. Of the two 
hundred an<l two slave-vessels 
entered at the Charleston Cus- 
tom -I louse, sixty -one be- 
njjL'd t<i Charleston mer- 
chants, seventy belonfjed to 
natives of Great liritain. and 
tifty-nine were owned in 
Rhode Island. In the Rhode 
Island vessels were imported 
S.2,l8 slaves. Of these, 3,914 
3.4X8 to Newport, 556 to Providence, and 
y of the vessels entered as belonj^fing in 
owned by Rho<ie Island men, a.s any one 
of the mercliants of that day can easily 
The number to be set down 
hould therefore be even 




are credited to Hnslnl. 

280 to Warren. Mar 

Charleston were really 

familiar with the names of the mi 

learn from examining; the full tablei 

to the credit (or discredit) of Bristol. 

larjjer than that which is here given. 

Some idea of the commercial importance of the town during the 
tirst quarter of the present century may be gained from the amount 
of duties paid at its custom-house. These are some of the statistics 
preserved upini the nllicial hooks. Tlie middle column gives the 
number of foreign arrivals in each year; 



I8I0 . 


. ,(, . 


• $i52-,!So 92 


isio . 


. 48 . 


â–  *78.54,1 97 


I8II . 


. 89 . 


. 109.181 7S 


1817 . 


â–  5.1 â–  


â–  74.<^5 2S 


I8I2 . 


• 55 ■ 


. 100.137 ^' 


1818 . 


. 68 . 


. io.i.6<is 69 


iSl.l â–  


â–  .1" â–  


. 152.966 04 


1819 . 


. 69 . 


â–  >2<J-437 S7 


1814 . 


. 10 . 


. ^l.^bH 42 


1820 . 


. 50 . 


. 121.570 40 


18.5 â–  


â–  .!.) â–  


â–  1^0,69.1 53 


1821 . 


â–  44 â–  


■ "37.375 °6 



Bris- 



9' 



Dtiring these years tlie average p«pulation of the town was con- 
siderably less than 3,000 people. The dispropurtiun;ile amount of 
its biisiness is therefore plainlj' evident. It maintained extensive 
commercial relations with (he ports of Northern and Southern Europe, 
with China, with the "Nonhweat Coast." with Africa, and of course 
with the West Indies. In the year 1825 Bristol merchants began tn 
make large investments in the whale-lishery, and, as a eonsequence. 
the general commerce of the port began to decline. In 18.^7 twenty 
whale-ships bore the name of Bristol upon llieir stems; the aggre- 
gate tonnage of this fleet was 6.256 tons. After tljc discovery of 
gold in California the whale-fishery was gradually abandoned. The 
feeble renmant of the town's foreign commerce almost entirely dis- 
appeared in the late civil war. 

Very ditrerenl is the thriving manufacturing town of to-da}' from 
the bustling little sea-port of half a centurj' ago. and yet every sum- 
mer tinds it crowded with visitors, who seem never to tire of gazing 
upun its tranquil beauly. A passing traveler, wandering through it 
on a pleasant July afternoon, could form no idea of the energy which 
is the birthright of the place- Its broad and shady streets are then 
almost deseited. Heavy load.s of merchandise pass along them 



:â–  S ^ CMt. Ew 



92 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 



from time to time, but thej- seem strangely out of place beneath the 
waving branches of the magniticent elms. Everjthing wears the 
restful air one expects to behold only in the verdant lanes of some 
remote country village. When the great engines cease to throb, 
and the shadows of evening fall, the old town wakes from its sleep, 
and for a few hours its streets are as crowded as are the thorough- 
fares of a great city at mid-day. Then the noise dies away, and at 
midnight only the firm tread of the watchman echoes feebly through 
the sleepy air. 

Warre^. — Not far from 
Baker's wharf, in the town of 
Warren, a stream of water "the 
size of a man's arm" flows out 
from a sluice-way under the 
ground, and downward to the 
river, during all but one of the 
twelve months of the year. It 
comes from a spring in the mid- 
dle of one of the public streets. 
This spring was once distant 
about eighty feet from the 
'* high-water mark " of the earh' 
days of the village. When the 
wharf near it was built, and 
buildings rose thickly around, 
the land about it was gradually 
raised, and the spring itself was 
Tht MMhodiit Epiicspti chuich vvallcd up Hkc 3 well. It is now 

about eight feet deep. For un- 
known ages the waters of this fountain have been' gushing forth. 
Pure and clear are thej' to-day, in their basin of stone, as when they 
cooled the parched throat of the first white man who halted beside 
its verdant banks. 

A little more than two centuries and a half ago, the wigwams of 
an Indian village were standing about this spring. Giant forest 
trees waved their green branches above the dusky forms that reclined 
in placid enjoyment along its banks. Great heaps of clam-shells and 
of oyster-shells, scattered everywhere about, showed that the spot 
had been for many ages a favorite camping-ground of the red men. 
The name of this Indian village, in the year 1621, was Sowams. Its 






^^^^^^^H 


^^^^H 


^^^^^^^I^^H^I 


^^^^^^1 


^^^^^^^^^^^ 


'arke.n. 9. 


ruler was Ihc sachem of 


^^^^^â– ^â– BM^^i^M 


the Poltanoket tribe, ihi- 


^^H IH^B^^^^^^^^n^H 


^^^^^1 


chieftain Massasoifl. Tlie 


^^m jIk: ' bI 


^^^^1 


name of the fountain is 


^H ig«H^p ' JIH 


^^^^H 


lo-da>' almost the onlv 


^HB •fiPwMJ^ ^H 


^^^^^^M 


tiling which rvmains to 


HwnpL Hk ^ 


^^^^^^^M 


kt-ep the fact in mind. It 


^^^SmmMmm f^B 


^^^^^^^^1 


is still calk-d Massasoiei's 


MRJ^^BK^^^^" '^^1 


^^^^^H 


Spring. 


^Dan^^HB^^^^"^ ^H 


^H 


Massasoict wa-s one of 


^^HhUHHSm^^;- ^^^I 


^^1 


the most prominent char- 


^KK^KS^SJl^' ' A^H 


^H 


actCTS in the early history 


^^^^^^^^â– B ^^^H 


^H 


of this country. The 


^^^^^^^^^K ) ^I^H 


^^^^H 


xvriters uf the seventeenth 


^^Vv^9hE_ ' I 'M 


^^^^M 


century tell iis that he 


HHH '' â– ift^ ^ ''^â– H 


^^^^M 


was 'â–  a very luMly man. 


BkH Jim^^^^V 1 â–  


^^^^M 


grave of countenance. 


^H^l ^^K ^m ' 1 fl 


^^M 


spare of speech, in his ? 


HBxt^B ^ ^^M 


^M 


attire ditlcring little or | 


^H^KU^^K "fl 


^H 


nothing I'mni his follow- r 


^^^^^^^s 


^1 


crs." On ceremonial oc- I 


^^^^^^^^^^â– ^^ * 


^1 


casions his face was ; 


^^^^^^^^^H^ 


^1 


painted a " sad red " and | 


^^^^^^^^K 


^1 


oiled. He wore a chain 


^^^^^^^^w^B 


^H 


of white bone beads about 


Wt^^j^S 


^H 


his neck, and a long 


mt'UM 


^H 


knife in his bosom. 


^^^^H 


From tlie chain of bead-s 


WUH. 1 1, MK fiy 


^^^^^M 


a llllte hag. filled with 


Hi sj^^BBt' 


^^^^H 


tobacco, was imually sus- 


lf^~^ 


^^^^^^M 


pended. In addition to 


^^^^^^^^ 


the singular shrewdness 


^^^^^^^^1 


and the unusual inRighi 


^^^^^H 


inlri tJie molivei! of men 


H( ^^^^^^D^^. 


^^1 


which was the d i s- 


^K'^a^^^K^^^ 


^^^ 


tinguishing characteristic 


H tS^ 


^^^H 


of his race, Massasoiet 


Hi , Iflfcr 


^^^^^1 


posseRscd genius which 


lHtt__^HV 


^^^^^1 


would have been railed 


^^Uta^^Hw 


^^^^^1 


stMlesmanlike, had lii.s 


^^ 


J 



94 PicTUREsctyK Rhode Island. 

skin been less dark, or his lot casl in uttier lands. When the Eng- 
lish landed at Plymouth, he hastened to bid them welcome and to 
form an alliance with them. All his life he remained their steadfast 
friend, never wavering in even the slightest degree from the faith 
pledged at his first interview with them. More than once, when fam- 
ine laid its terrible hand upon the feeble white settlements, the 
princel}- generosity of this illustrious savage rescued the starving 
settlers almost from the jaws of death. Cnn.-^pirades against the 
English, which neighboring tribes had formed, were oftentimes 
thwarted by liis wise counsels and his fearless assertions of friend- 
ship. Before his death the faintly visible trail which had formerly 
connected Sowams with Plymouth h.^d become a well-defined bridle- 
path, deeply marked by the tread of thousands of passing feet. 

Two visits paid by Plymouth men to Massasoiet are worthy of 
special mention. The first was made in 162 1, when Edward Win- 
slow and Stephen Hopkins were sent by Governor Bradford to return 
the visit the sachem had lately made to the infant settlement. The 
two white men carried with them as presents a horseman's laced coat 
of red cotton, and a copper chain. The chieftain was absent when the 
envoys reached his residence. One of them attempted to discharge 
his musket in order to give notice of their arrival, but Wtis forced to 
desist because of the terror manifested by the women and children. 
The salute they gave to Massasoiet on his arrival pleased him greatly. 
The presents seemed to afi'ord him extreme delight, and he yielded 
a ready and willing assent to all the proposals the Englishmen had to 
make. No notice had been sent to the sachem of the intended visit ; 
he had therefore had no opportunity- to make any preparation fojthe 
reception of liis guests, and the proverbial scantiness of Indian fare 
was more than borne out on this occasion. The whole party were 
forced to go supperless to bed; not until noon of llie next day was 
any fi>od procured, and the few fishes some of the tribe had shotwere 
then bv no means sutlicient to appease ihe hunger of the throng who 
had crowded in to gaze upon the two Englishmen. In the large 
wigwam of Massasoiet. Winslow and Hopkins found shelter, but not 
rest, during the night of their stay. The slee]iing-place was a plat- 
fiirm of rough boards, thinly covered with a mat of skins. On this 
rude couch* Massasoiet placed his visitors. •• with himself and his 
wife. Ihey at one end and the Englishmen at tJie other, and two more 
of Massasoiei's men pressed by and upon them, .-^o that they were 
worae weary of the lodging than tJie journey." Tlic next day they 
went back to Plvniouth. 



Two years later news came to Plymouth that Massasoitt was 
*ick and likely to die, — also that a Dutch ship had been sirandc-d 
iipnn the Hhcare of ihe Sowams River, not I'ar from ihe sachem's 
residence- .â– Xjjain Edward Winslow was sent to visit the Indian 
king. (He was also to comtniinicate with the captain of the Uutcli 
vessd, but the ship had left the bay before he reached Sowams. ) 
John Hampden, he who in later years bore such a ghirious part in 
the struggle which gave to England a free constitution, went with 
Iiim as iiis compiinion. When Win 
Sciwains they found the chieftain's ' 
could haVdly effect an entrance, thoi 
way for Iheni as they pressed in. 
of their charms for him, making ; 
percd us who were well, and therefore unlike to ease him that was 
sick. About him were six or eight women, who chafed his arms. 
legs, and thighs, to keep heat in him. When tliey had made an 
end of their charming, one told him that his friends, the Englisli- 
men, wert* come to see him-" The chieftain's sight was gone, but 
hi* understanding was still let\ him. Feebly he welcomed Winslow* 
and in the same breath bade him farewell. But the self-reliant 
colonist tlild come to restore Maityasotet to health, and was not 



islow and his friend reached 
i'igwam so crowded that they 
ugh the Indians readily made 
" There were they in the midst 
ich a hellish noise as it dlstem- 



cf6 Pit:Ti'REsqi;n Riiodk Island. 

daunted by the extremely unfavorable state in which he found 
his patient. The remedies at his command were few and simple, 
but his excellent common sense enabled him to use them so well 
that the sick man was soon out of danger and rapidly recov.'ring. 
The gratitude of the chief knew no bounds. " Upon his recovery 
he brake forth into these speeches: "Now I see that the English 
arc my friends and love me. and whilst I live I will never forget 
the kindness they have showed me.'" Faithfully he kept his word. 
Says Cotton Mather : "The fees he paid his English doctor were 
a confession of a plot among several nations of the Indians to destroy 
the English." 

It is believed that the deed of " Sowams and parts adjacent" was 
the last document that Massasoiet signed. The deed is given in 
the name of " Osamequen and Wamsetto, his son," and is dated 
•■ 29lh March, 1653." (Osamequen was the name the sachem had 
taken a few years before. The Indians often changed their names 
to commemorate important events in their lives.) The territory of 
Warren was originally included in the town of Swansea. In the 
Swansea town records tlie site of the village is spoken of as Brooks' 
Pasture. When tlie first house was built upon it cannot be ascer- 
tained. There were eighteen houses in the village when Philip's 
War broke out. Ail these were burned; their inhabitants fled to 
.the Island of Rhode Island. Soon after the close of the war Brooks' 
Pasture was carefully surveyed and laid out in house-lots. A new 
settlement was begun upon it, and its inhabitants were divided into 
three ranks, according to the peculiar system then in vogue in 
Swansea. (Of this strange regulation more will be said in another 
place.) In the year 1746 it was enacted by the Legislature of 
Rhode Island that "that part of the territory confirmed to Rhode 
Island, which has heretotbre been part of Swansey and Barrington, 
with a small part of Rehoboth thereto adjoining, with the inhabit- 
ants thereon, be incorporated into a township bj- tlie name of War- 
ren."" -'The name of this town was given in honor of Admiral Sir 
Peter Warren, who the year before, June, 1745. had commanded the 
English fleet, which in conjunction with the colonial army of 4,400 
men, under the command of Gen, William Peppcreil, captured 
Loitishurg and the Island of Cape Breton, after a storming and 
siege of six weeks' continuance." 

On the 25th of May, 1778. a band of British troops made a raid 
upon the town. The special object of the expedition was to destroy 



Warren. 



97 




a Hotilla of boats that had been collected by the Americans in the 
Kickemuit River. Sevent;^ or more of these boats the British piled 
together and burnt. They also burnt the row-galley "Washington," 
and a grist-mill. Returning to Warren, they set fire to the Baptist 
Church, the Baptist parson- 
age, a powder magazine, 
and several other buildings. 
Having pillaged many houses 
and taken many prisoners, 
they hastened southward to 
the destruction of Bristol. 
Mr. Fessenden. in his His- 
tory of Warren (published 
in 1845), thus notes the pas- 
sage of the troops: "Aged 
people, still living among us. 
well remember the appear- 
ance of these soldiers as they 
passed through the town. 
The British were dressed in 

old-fashioned red coats, cocked hats, and small-clothes, with a great 
display of laced trimmings, shoe and knee buckles. The Hessians 
wore enormous fur caps and large, wide, and loose boots, into which 
they thrust all kinds oi articles pilfered from the houses; and these 
articles hanging over the tops of their boots gave them a singularly 
grotesque appearance as they left the town. A lady now living, 
and several others were at the time in the house which was after- 
wards Bradshaw's bake-house, on the east side of Main Street. 
They saw the troops pass by in hasty retreat, and at a short distance 
in the rear a single individual, encumbered with a big drum, unable 
to keep up with the main body. These heroic women ran out and 
surrounded him, and told him he was their prisoner, when he im- 
mediately surrendered, saying he was glad of it, for he was faint 
and tired. This prisoner was afterward exchanged for one of the 
citizens of Warren." 

Before the Revolutionary War, Warren was largely engaged in 
the whale-fishery and in foreign commerce. Fourteen of its vessels 
were lost during the war, and it was many years before others were 
procured to take their places. The whale-fisherjs indeed, was not 
again prosecuted until the year 1831, when the ship "Rosalie" was 



98 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



purchased and fitted for a voyage to the whaling-grounds in the 
Pacific Ocean. The Warren whalers were the last vessels of the 
class owned in Rhode Island. At one time the fleet numbered about 
thirty. 

The ship-yards of the town in other days turned out some very 
remarkable vessels. The United States frigate " General Greene," 
of 600 tons burden, was launched from the yard of Cromwell & 
Child. Her cost, when completed and fitted for sea, was $105,- 
492.32. She sailed from the port in 1799. ^^ 1814 she happened 
to be lying at the Washington Navy Yard when that^ city was 
attacked by the British, and was destroyed, to prevent her from fall-^ 
ing into their hands. The United States sloop-of-war '' Chippewa " 
was built by Capt. Caleb Carr. Captain Carr contracted with the 
Government to build this vessel in the shortest time possible. Fifty- 
seven days after her keel was laid he delivered her to Com. O. H. 
Perry, ready for her rigging and armament. From Captain Carr's 
yard was. also launched the famous Bristol privateer, *'Macdonough," 
of 300 tons burden. The "Macdonough" was celebrated for her 
wonderful speed. Her model was justly regarded as a marvel of 
beauty. During the war she made but one cruise. Although she 
effected many captures, all her prizes were retaken. She was 
finally sold in Cuba, and went to pieces in the harbor of Matanzas 
with a cargo of slaves on board. 

The commerce of Warren has now entirely vanished. All the 
energies of the town are devoted to manufactures. In its three great 
cotton-mills more than a thousand operatives are employed. The 
annual value of their manufactured product is almost $1,200,000. 

Barrington. — The municipal career of Barrington has been 
more varied than that of any other town in Rhode Island. It was 
once a part of Swansea, Mass. Within its present boundaries the 
first English settlement in that ancient town was made in 1632. In 
17 17 it was set off from Swansea under the name of Barrington. 
For thirty years it was numbered among the towns of the Com- 
monwealth of Massachusetts, but in 1747, when the long-disputed 
" boundary question " was settled, it lost its identity completely, and 
became a part of Warren, R. I. In 1770 it was again awarded a 
separate existence, under the name it has ever since retained. 

Of the early settlers of Barrington, Arnold gives this brief 
account in his History of Rhode Island^ Vol. II., page 158 : ** Swan- 



Harrington. 




zea was settled by men whose views on the Subject of religious free- 
dom were too liberal even for the tolerant spirit of the Pilgrims. 
Rev. John Miles, a Baptist minister from Wales, with his friends, 
had settled in Plymouth, where their dissent from the prevailing 
creed soon placed them under the ban of the authorities. They 
were required to remove from the immediate neighborhood, but 
were permitted to settle within the limits claimed by Plymouth. 
Soon afterward- the Court granted to Capt. Thomas Willett, Mr. 
Miles, and others, all the land west of Taunton and Rehoboth, as far 
as the Bay, which included the present towns of Swanzea and Som- 
erset. The act of incorporation secured freedom of conscience to 
the settlers, who were thus left in the unmolested enjoyment of their 
religion. The place was called Swanzea from the Welch town 
whence Miles and most of his church had emigrated." 

The Plymouth assumption of jurisdiction over this territorj' was 
the beginning of the boundary trouble. Four years before Swansea 
was incorporated, the charter granted to Rhode Island had conveyed 
to that colony jurisdiction over the countrj' extending eastward three 
miles from the shores of Narragansett Bay. It seems most remarka- 
ble that the legal claim of Rhode Island to this territory should have 
been disputed for more than four-score years. Yet in the face of the 
unusually explicit terms of the charter from King Charles 11., 
the question was kept undecided during all that time. The northern 
boundary has not yet been finally settled. 

The peculiar feature in the early history of the town was the 
division of its inhabitants into three " Ranks." The three Roman 



lOO PiCTURBSQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 



orders — the Patrician, the Equestrian, and the Plebeian — probably 
suggested the arrangement. The power to make the division was 
assumed by the five persons appointed in 1667 by the Court of Ply- 
mouth to regulate the admission of inhabitants to the tow^n. It was 
afterwards exercised by committees appointed by the town, and by 
the selectmen. The committees were allowed to make promotions 
from one rank to another, and also to degrade whom they pleased. 
Sometimes degradations were made by request of the person de- 
graded. The amount of land owned by each man at first determined 
the rank to which he should be assigned. Nowhere else in America 
did such a strange system prevail. 

It worked well enough at first, but in 1681 the committee of 
admission granted to five persons and " their heirs and assigns for- 
ever'^ the full right and intent of the highest rank. This step of the 
committee of course made the rank hereditarv, and disclosed to the 
eyes of the people of the town the dangers of the path in which they 
were treading. Secret dissatisfaction quickly broke out into open 
revolt ; the action of the committee was by unanimous consent 
declared to be void and of none eflect, and the uncouth remnant of 
feudalism soon faded away. 

The first name in the first rank was that of Capt. Thomas Wil- 
lett. Captain Willett was one of the most noted men in the colony 
of Massachusetts. The story of his life belongs to the town of Bar- 
rington. 

Thomas Willett was one of the last of the '* Ley den Company " 
who came to this country. He arrived at Plymouth in 1629 ; although 
but nineteen years of age, he had already won an enviable reputa- 
tion for business abilit}'. The people of Plymouth had some time 
before established a trading-post at Kennebec. Almost immediately 
after his arrival in the colony young Willett was sent thither to take 
charge of it. Resolute, ambitious, and independent, he was just the 
man for the place. His previous mercantile career had given him 
an unusual knowledge of the ways of men ; he was an excellent 
linguist ; he possessed rare executive ability. For six years or more 
he remained at Kennebec. This singular anecdote concerning him 
is related in Governor Winthrop's yournal. 

" At Kennebec, the Indians wanting food, and there being store 
in the Plymouth trading-house, they conspired to kill the English 
there for their provision ; and some Indians coming into the house, 
Mr. Willett, the master of the house, being reading the Bible, hia 



Barringtox. 




countenance was more solemn than at other times, so as he did not 

look cheerfully upon them as he was wont to do : whereupon they 

went out and told their fellows that their purpose was distOAered 

They asked them how it could be The others told them that Ihej 

knew it by Mr. Wil 

lett's countenance 

and that they had 

discovered it by a 

book he was read 

ing. Whereupon 

they gave over their 

design." 

In 1647 Mr. Wil 
lett, having returned 
to Plymouth, wab 
chosen to the com 
mand of its militarj 
company. Miles 

Standish, the intrepid warrior who had asked for but eight men 
with which to subdue all the Indians of Massachusetts, had held 
the office before him. Advancing years had compelled the fiery 
captain to lay his sword aside. No higher testimonial could be 
aflbrded of Willett's worth than this election. In 165 1 he became 
an "Assistant" in Plymouth, and was annually re-elected until 1665, 
when he declined to hold the office longer, 

A more important office was to be forced upon him. The prov- 
ince of New Amsterdam had lately become a part of the British 
possessions, and Captain Willett had been summoned to New York 
by the English Commissioners to act as their official interpreter. His 
thorough acquaintance with the language and customs of the Dutch 
rendered his services invaluable. No other Englishman in the coun- 
try was so well fitted for "modeling and reducing the atfairs in 
those settlements into good English.'' So admirablj' did he perform 
the duties assigned him, that after the reorganization of the prov- 
ince had been perfected, he was elected the first Mayor of New 
York City. At the close of his first term he was re-elected. His 
integrity was so highly esteemed by the Dutch that they appointed 
him their umpire to determine the disputed boundary between New 
Yorjc and New Haven. About the year 1667, he returned to 
Plymouth Colony, and continued until the end of his life to reside 



PiCTUREsojiE Rhode Island. 



upon his plantation in Swansea. His sword, and one of the doors of 
the house in which he dwelt, are in the possession of the city of New 
York. 

The principal associate of Willett, in the founding of Swansea, 
was the Rev. John Miles. Mr. Miles had been the pastor of the 
Baptist Church in Swansea, Wales, and had been ejected from his 
living for '* non-conformity." With a very large portion of his flock 
he came to this country, and in 1663 founded at Rehoboth the fourth 
Baptist church in America. This action of the Baptists being offen- 
sive to the Congregationalists, the former were advised to remove 
from the town. The settlement at Swansea was the result. It took 
its name from the Welch Swansea. (Its name is also written Swan- 
sey and Swanzea — Swansea, the sea of Swans, is the original spell- 
ing.) In the northern part of the present town of Barrington, the 
first Baptist church in Swansea was erected- Mr. Miles' own house 
was near the residence of the late Mason Barney, at " Barneysville." 
The bridge near his house was called Miles' Bridge. The house 
was used as a fortress in Philip's War, and was often called " Miles' 
Garrison." Mr. Miles was the school-master, as well as the pastor, of 
the new settlement. In 1673 the town voted to establish a school 
" for the teaching of grammar, rhetoric, and arithmetic, and the 
tongues of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, also to read English and to 
write." Mr. Miles was elected school-master. For his services in 
conducting his scholars through this simple curriculum, he received 
the munificent sum of " forty pounds per annum in .current country 
funds. I* Notwithstanding his double employment, Mr. Miles did not 
acquire great wealth- A portion of the people considered it unnec- 
essary to pay his salary as a minister ; another part held learning in 
light esteem. Strange to say, the son of this Baptist who had fled to 
America for the enjoyment of his religious beliefs, took orders in 
the Church of England, and came back to assume the charge of 
King's Chapel, in Boston. 

The most noted dwelling in Barrington is the house which for 
six generations has been the home of the Watson family. The 
'• Old Watson House" was built of brick, made by hand upon the 
"plantation" just north of it. Its mortar was mixed with lime 
obtained by burning the heaps of oyster-shells that numberless gene- 
rations of Indians had left scattered about. Matthew Watson, first 
of the name in America, was its builder. It was finished A. D. 
1660. The house, as first constructed, was one of the " lean-tos," 



Barrington. 103 



so dear to the hearts of the early settlers of Massachusetts. Two 
stories high it was in front ; in the rear its roof terminated in a 
wood-pile. " Modern improvement " took away its second story a 
great many years ago. It was the first dwelling of brick erected in 
the county, and was an unusually elegant mansion for its day. Its 
hearths, chimney-jambs, and mantels were all of imported marble. 
Quaint Dutch tiles, imported from Amsterdam, were freely employed 
for decoration. A generation or so ago a fire destroyed some of the 
partitions of the old building, but its exterior walls remain firm as of 
yore. Upon one of its floors was laid the first woolen carpet known 
in Barrington. The first wall-paper seen in the town was also hung 
in the same room. One of the Matthew Watsons of the family *' wa^ 
born in the seventeenth, lived through the eighteenth, and died in 
the nineteenth century, at the age of 107 years." Some of his 
descendants aver that he lived to be no years of age, but the 
inscription upon his tombstone made him but 107. The additional 
three years do not matter much. Almost to the very last he retained 
his unusual muscular vigor. When 100 years old he was able to 
place his foot in the stirrup and mount his horse with more than the 
ordinary ease of a man of fifty. He lived a life of great energy and 
usefulness, and amassed what was considered at the time of his 
death to be an immense fortune. 

Barrington abounds in delightful bits of scenery, but by far the 
most beautiful spot within its borders is Nayatt Point. No one 
gazes upon it from the waters of the bay, or drives quietly past its 
well-kept lawns, without bestowing a spontaneous tribute of admira- 
tion. Nature has done much for Nayatt ; the art of man has been 
employed mainly to carry out the plans her lavish hand suggested. 
Its little cluster of houses has not been allowed to grow up in the 
careless, hap-hazard way that has marred the beauty of so many 
American towns. Upon the most picturesque sites the tasteful villas 
have been erected. The grounds about them have been laid out 
according to a simple but well-ordered plan. The owners of the 
little peninsula do not intend that it shall become only a summer 
camping-ground. It is meant to be a home, a place to which one 
can flee for shelter when the snow-flakes are covering all the land- 
scape with a fleecy pall, as well as when city streets are stifling those 
who dwell upon them with a pent-up volume of heated air. Happy 
would the State be, if all its villages were managed under the excel- 
lent system which has done so much for this favored community. 




CHAPTER V. 



KAST PBOVIIIKNt 




THK KAIJ 
\M> TUfi 
IDKNCK. 



-StytANTIM-A RIIOOK 
:s. PAWTLiKET KAI.l.S 
-CAIT. PIERCK'S Kir.ilT 
ARII-SAML-KI. SJ.ATKR 

L-riiHKs. NOHTii i-nov- 



nlTli-?'"] ^ '^ quite probable that not one-tenth part of those who 
i/Jlfcin.1 'i''^''^ visited East Providenck during the nineteen 
I \i,ars of its existence, are aware that their feet have 

â– *â–  I er been placed upon its soil. And yet there are few 
towns in the State more frequented by visitors during â–  
the warm summer months. The numerous trains of 
the Bristol railway are often stopping at its stations ; 
excursion steamers. '• decked with flags and streamers 
gi}-," arc ever landing great loads of human freight 
upon its bending piers. Silver Spring is the destina- 
ti n of most of .these excursionists. Some of them stop 
It Ocean Cottage- A few favored mortals enter the 
\\ ell-kept grounds over which the flag of the Sqiiantum 
Club waves enticingly. The steps of all are turned 
towards one common goal. Some, to whom Che spot is already 
familiar, press confidently on with poorly-concealed eagerness. 
Others advance with the air of hesitation which is always so becom- 
ing to tlie neophyte. A " genuine Rhode Island clam-bake" is the 
magnet which draws them forward. Your pardon, reader, if we 
attempt a feeble description of this world-famed production of our 
glorious State. 



East Providence. 



lOS 



The history of the clam-bake has never yet been written. To 
unfold in fitting terms its mysteries, to describe the successive steps 
through which perfection has at last been reached, requires a pen of 
more than ordinary' ability. Frankly we confess ourselves to be 
incompetent to perform the task. Had Charles Lamb lived in this 
most favored land, his unequaled fancy might, perhaps, have done 
justice to the fruitful theme. Had the gentle EHa been a Rhode 
Islander, the " succulent clam," rather than the " tender crackling," 
would have held the place of honor upon his never-to-be-forgotten 
page. 

A little encyclopiedic information may not be out of place just 
here. Mya arenaria, is the scientific name of the common " long 
clam" of Narragansett Bay. The "long clam," or, as it is some- 
times called, the "soft clam," must not be confounded with thequa- 
haug. The latter is a very. ditferent creature. Scientific men call it 
Venus mercenaria. Those who have not penetrated the secrets of 
its mechanism are often greatly puzzled when they attempt to extract 
it from its hard, round shell. All along the shores of the bay the 
ntya are found. Thousands of bushels are dug each year, but the 
supply does not seem to diminish. The distinguishing feature of the 
clam is the "siphon." "Da^ American Cvt/f^txrf/u describes it thus ; 
"The siphon is neither head nor tail, but a double retractile tube for 
respiratory and feeding purposes." This " siphon " is a perpetual 
joy to those unfamiliar with the bivalve. Not long ago a learned 
doctor of divinity from one of our Western States came to the shores 
of the Narragansett for a short visit. All his life he had sighed for 
an opportunity to " entrap a clam in its lair." At last he realized 




io6 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



the object of his ambition. The '' siphon " drew out his unbounded 
admiration. Upon its admirable adaptation of means to an end, he 
enlarged with eloquent tongue, and seemed never to weary in the 
expatiation. Hastening to the railway station, after a stay far too brief 
for those who had enjoyed his genial society, he espied a basket of 
clams exposed for sale in front of a market. Never again could he 
hope to possess a more favorable opportunity for observing the 
" siphon." Stopping short in his walk, at the risk of losing his train, 
the grave and dignified divine tested for the last time with eager fin- 
ger its wonderful powers of contraction, then with visions of luscious 
viyie dancing before his eyes, and their fragrant odors tantalizing his 
olfactory nerves, went sorrowfully back to the unromantic routine of 
his city life. 

Upon nearly all the shores of New England the clam is found. 
Several times, in the early history of Massachusetts, the white settlers 
would have perished but for this lavish food-supply which nature had 
provided for them. From the Indians the English learned the way 
in which it should be cooked. Upon the shores of the Narragansett 
the " clam-bake" has gradually been brought to its state of perfec- 
tion. 

The modus operandi of a "bake" is as follows: In the first 
place a rude floor of stones is laid. Upon this floor a pile of ordinary 
" cord-wood " is thrown. The wood is set on fire and allowed to bum 
until the stones beneath begin to crack with the heat. The half- 
burned brands are then pulled away, and a thin layer of sea-weed 
— the ordinary "rock-weed" of the shore — is thrown upon the heated 
stones. (This first layer is not absolutely essential. It serves to 
prevent the lowest clams from being burned or discolored by the too 
great heat.) Next the clams are thrown upon the pile in a layer of 
uniform thickness, and another coating of "• rock-weed" is placed 
over them. A piece of old canvas is spread over the whole (to 
keep in all the steam), and the fragrant pile is left to itself for about 
forty minutes. Then the "bake" is opened and the repast begins. 
Sometimes ears of green corn, baskets of potatoes and other 
vegetables, lobsters, fresh fish rolled in corn-husks, and various 
other edibles are deposited in the midst of the rock-weed. The 
steaming vapors from the clams permeate the whole mass, and 
impregnate everything with their rich odor. Many men would, any 
day, willingly leave the well-appointed table of the " Narragansett 
Hotel " to partake of such a feast. The relish for it seems to increase 
rather than to diminish, as it becomes more familiar. 



East Providence. 




Washington Bridge connects East Providence with the city of 
Providence. On the brow of the first hill the traveler surmounts as 
he drives away from the river and through the well-cultivated fields 
that border the road which leads to Bristol County, stands, at a little 
distance from the broad thoroughfare, a somewhat pretentious man- 
sion. It is guarded on every side by a row of sentinel columns, like 
one of the heathen temples of the olden days of Greece. Almost 
every one who has passed by must have noticed it, and admired its 
commanding position. The view from its upper windows to-day is 
wonderfully fine. Much more charming it must have been half a 
century ago, before the long lines of city streets and the monotonous 
array of tenement-houses crowded themselves into the landscape, to 
the exclusion of the waving branches and the emerald banks kindly 
Nature had provided- In this house one of Rhode Island's most 
eminent men once lived. The little State can claim for its own an 
unusually large number of famous names. As a soldier of the 
Revolution the fame of Nathaniel Greene is second only to that of 
Washington : as a sailor the name of Oliver Hazard Perry shines 
with unequaled lustre ; as an orator hardly a man throughout the 
length and breadth of the land was better known, as a debater no 
antagonist was more greatly feared, than Tristam Burges. 

Mr. Burges was born in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, in 
February, 1770. His father was by trade a cooper, and the future 
, lawyer's early years were full of the severe manual labor which 
usually falls to the lot of the children of the poor. He was taught to 



I08 PlCTURESQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 



read by his sister ; his father gave him, according to his ability, 
scanty instruction in mathematics, but at twenty-one, he had been 
at school but twelve weeks during his whole life. In 1792 he 
became a student in the Academv at Wrentham, Mass., and there he 
made his first appearance as an orator. The attempt was almost a 
complete failure. A natural impediment in his speech was intensified 
by the unfamiliar circumstances of his position ; he found himself 
uttering but a succession of unintelligible syllables, and was com- 
pelled to retire in confusion from the rostrum. 

As he was returning to his home, one of his companions sug- 
gested to him, in a rather unfeeling way, that he *' ought to get 
some one to do his speaking for him." The words were like gall to 
the ambitious young man, but they spurred him on to success ; like 
the late Lord Beaconsfield he resolved that his sneering associates 
should one day listen with respect to whatever he had to say. The 
difficulties in his path seemed almost insurmountable ; with resolute 
will he set himself to work to overcome them. Day by day, amid 
the cool shades of the neighboring forest, he labored to change his 
stammering utterances to distinct articulations. After a long time 
he was successful, so successful that at the graduation of his class he 
was chosen not only to speak for himself, but for the class also, as its 
valedictorian. In 1793 he entered Brown University as a member 
of the sophomore class, and at once assumed a leading position 
among the students. His unusual powers of application made him 
facile -princeps whenever he chose to be so. He was the orator of 
his class, and was chosen a second time to deliver a valedictory 
oration, at its " Commencement Exercises." 

In 1799 Mr. Burges was admitted to the Rhode Island bar. Able 
lawj'^ers then adorned it, but the young advocate was immediately 
accorded an unusually prominent place among them. To every 
case entrusted to his charge he devoted himself with an enthusiasm 
that was remarkable, even in that age of hard work. Whenever he 
rose to speak, he was sure of a most attentive audience. His pro- 
found knowledge of the law, his apt illustrations, and his exquisite 
command of language, rarely failed to win for him a favorable 
verdict. In 1825 he was elected a Representative to Congress, and 
his fame at once became national. The National House of Repre- 
sentatives aflJbrded him an ample field for the display of his wonder- 
ful skill as a debater. It was the fashion at that time for the men 
from the South to revile New England, and the Northern members 



Ii;AST PKOVIKKNtR. 



were, perhaps, not so ready in debate as lliey shoiiJd have bucn U) 
rcsenl llie inBults cast upon their states. Mikt Mr. Burgcs took his 
scat the insults were not offered with sucli frequency. Not a man 
in the House could cope wilh Rhode Island's representative when 
once his wrath had been aroused. Even the proud spirit of John 
Randolph, of Roanoke, could not wilhstand the torrent of fiery 
indignation and the terrible bursts of sarcasm which the *â–  bald eagle" 
of Rhode Island poured put against tliose who had dared to slander 
Ilis friends and neigiiburN. Mr. Burges served but two terms in 
Congress. He had espoused the losing side in politics, and thus 
was forced to retire from active polilictl life before his work was 
half accomplished. The last years of his life were spent in com- 
parative retirement upon his farm. He died in 1853. 
• East Providence became a town of Rhode Island in iSOi. 
Before that date it formed a part of Scckonk. Mass. It will, doubt- 
less, in course of time become one of the wards of (he city of Prov- 
idence. Every day its relations with the principal capital of the 
State become mare intimate. Its final annexation to its powerful 
neighbor is only a question of years. 



no PicTuREsoyE Rhode Island. 

The '* Wilkesbarre Pier" is one of the most prominent features of 
the town. The pier was designed to accommodate the immense 
coal business of the Worcester railway. The first cargo was landed 
upon it about eight years ago. It is very nearly one thousand feet 
long, and covers about five acres of land. The head of the pier is 
not " made land," as most people imagine it to be. A large number 
of piles, driven deep into the yielding mud, sustain a floor of stout 
planks, covered with a coating of earth two or three feet deep. Last 
year (in July, 1880) these piles were forced apart by the pressure of 
the great weight above them, and a very general collapse was the 
result. During the year 1S80, 473 cargoes were landed upon this 
pier. From it more than 250.000 tons of coal were carried away in 
tlie railway cars. It appears somewhat strange at first sight to read 
that, while the number of tons of coal landed upon this great wharf 
increases eacli year, the number of vessels bringing cargoes steadily 
diminishes. The age of small vessels has gone by. Large steamers, 
and great barges towed by steam-tugs, have taken the place of the 
" fore-and-aft " schooners of the early days of the pier. The average 
tonnage of the schooners engaged in the business is now about 750 
tons: of barges rather more than i.ooo tons. 

The great manufacturing establishment of the town is the Rum- 
ford Chemical Works. The corner-stone of the main structure was 
laid in 1854, George F. Wilson and Eben N. Horsford were the 
originators of the enterprise. Mr. Horsford was at that time the 
*• Jfiimforei Professor" o{ Chemistry in Har\-ard University, hence 
the name of the works. On "Seekonk Plains," once apparently a 




PicTURESQyE Rhode Island. 



who worked in brass and iron 
on the Western Continent. By 
his hands the first models were 
constructed, and the first cast- 
ings made, of many domestic 
implements and iron tools" 
From his father the younger 
Jenks acquired the skill of 
which he afterwards made good 
use in his new home. 

A virgin forest covered the 
banks of the river at Pawtuckef 
Falls. As yet no white man 
had made a clearing when Jo- 
seph Jenks established his home 
upon it. He built a forge in a 
deep ravine, on the west bank 
of the river, a short distance 
below the falls. Here he plied 
his trade, finding customers for 
the products of his skill in the 
neighboring village of Prov- 
idence, and in the settlements around him. As the working of iron, 
including the making of tools, is one of the most important and 
necessary occupations in a new country, Mr. Jenks' torge quickly 
became the nucleus of an industrial settlement. New settlers were 
continually coming into the neighborhood, clearings were made, and 
houses built, and the materials for a future New England town were 
gradually brought together. 

Joseph Jenks had four sons, Joseph, Nathaniel, Ebenezer, and 
William. All followed their father's trade. The family was 
influential in political afl'airs as well as in business. The eldest son, 
Joseph, was governor of the Colony of Rhode Island from 1727 to 

About a score of years after Mr. Jenks came to Pawtucket, 
King Philip's War bur.st upon the land. The settlement was'broken 
up ; the buildings were burned by the Indians, and the place was for 
a time entirely deserted. As soon as peace was restored the hamlet 
was rebuilt, and again the hum of industry was heard on the banks 
of the Pawtucket River, never again to be interrupted by war or 
bloodshed. 




Pawtuckst. NoaTti Providbnck, and Lincoln. 



"3 



One of tile most disastrous engagements of the war took place on 
Uie banks of the river, between Pawtucket and Valley Falls. Wan- 
dering parties of the Indians were committing great havoc among the 
settlements, and Captain Pierce, of Scituatc, wttli a force of sixty- 
three Englishmen and twenty friendly Indians, Wiis ordered to follow 
the enemy ami disperse them. Mc was on liis march into the Nar- 






m 



rafpinsett Country, having heard that many of the enemy had collected 
at Pawtuxet. a few miles to the southward of Providence. " Being 
a man of great courage, and willing to engage the enemy on any 
ground, he was led into a fatal snare. On crossing the Pawtucket 
River he found himself encircled by an overwhelming number. He 
retreated to the side of the river to prevent being surrounded; but 
tliis only alternative failed; for the enemy, crossing the river above, 
came upon their backs with the same deadly effect as tliose in front. 
Thus they had to contend with triple numbers and a double disad- 
vantage. Means were found to dispatch a messenger to Providence 
for succor, but through some unaccountable default in him or them 
lo whom it was delivered, none arrived until too late. The scene was 
horrid beyond description. Some say that all the Knglish were slain, 
others that only one escfiped, which was effected as follows: A 
friendly Indian pursued him with an uplifted tomahawk, in tlie fac« 
of the enemy, who, considering his fate certain, and that he was pur- 



114 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 




sued by one of their own men, made no discovery of the stratagem, 
and both estaped. Another friendly Indian, seeing that the battle 
was lost, blackened his face with powder, and ran among the enemy, 
whom they took to be (ine of themselves, who also were painted 
black, then presently escaped 
into the woods. Anotherwas 
pursued, who hid behind a 
rock, and his pursuer lay 
secreted near to shoot him 
when he ventured out. But 
he behind the rock put his 
hat or cap upon a stick, and 
raising it up in sight, the 
iitlier fired upon it. He, 
dropping his stick, ran upon 
him before he could reload 
his gun and shot him dead. 
It appears that Canonchet, a 
Narragansett chief, who 
afterwards fell into the hands 
of the brave Captain Danton. commanded in this battle." 

In the records of the disputes which early arose between the 
colonies of Massachusetts and Rhode Island as to their boundaries, 
Pawtucket Falls is frequently mentioned. From the Falls the line 
was "to be run north to the Massachusetts south line." Permission 
was granted by the General Assembly in 1761 for a lottery, to raise 
money for making a passage around Pawtucket Falls, '• so that fish 
of almost everj' kind who choose fresh water at certain seasons of 
the year may pass with ease." This trench was built, but failed of 
its end, and was afterwards used by the owners of the mill-privileges 
for their business. In 171,1 a bridge was built across the river at 
the Falls, and the cost divided between the two colonies. This 
bridge was pulled down in 17,^0, rebuilt in 1731-12, and in 1741, 
the e.vpense being in every case shared equally bet^veen Rhode 
Island and Massachusetts. Five bridges, three of iron and two of 
stone, now span the stream. 

The abundant water-power was early made use of, and small 
manufacturing establishments of various kinds sprang up along the 
banks of the river. Not, however, until after the Revolution, did the 
manufactories increase to any considerable extent. Then thereatric- 



PAWTTJCKET. North Pk 



»ir^:^:^--r.--- 


i 


1 






m. 



riimous Samuel Slater maiTHid Hannah, a daughter of OzicI Wilkin- 
jion. The Wilkinsons wert jifterward, in connection with SlatiT, 
extensively engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods. 

The following description of the village of Pawtucket, as it was 
in iSio, is taken from D:i-ighl's Travels: 

" In the nortlirt eslern corner of Rehobolh, there ia a compact and 
neat settlement on the Pawtucket or Providence River. This, with 
another on the western bank, form what is called Nortli Providence ; 
iilthough tluK name, in strict propriety, belongs only to the latter. 
This village is well built, and wears a flourishing aspect. The river 
is a large mill-stream ; and iiist below the village becomes navigable 
for boats. Directly under the bridge commences a romantic fall, 
which, extending obliquely down ihe river, furnislies a number of 
i-xccll<fnt mill-sites. Of lliis advantage the inhabitants havt availed 
themselves. There is probably no spot In New England, of the 
same extent, in which the same quantity or variety of manufacturing 
business \s carried on. In tlie year i7<)6, there were here three 
auchor-forges, one tanning mill, three snuCT-mills, one oil-mill, three 



Ii8 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



fulling mills, one clothier's works, one cotton-factory, two machines 
for cutting nails, one furnace for casting hollow-ware, all moved by 
water ; one machine for cutting screws, moved by a horse : and 
several forges for smiths' work. 

"The whole descent of the river is said to be fifty feet. The 
principal fall is about thirt}'. The mass of rocks by which it is pro- 
duced, is thrown together in the wildest confusion. When wep^assed 
this place the river was low. In 1807, while crossing the ferry just 
below in an oblique direction nearly a mile in extent, during the 
whole of which it was visible, I had a remarkably fine view of the 
cataract." 

The following extract from an old Gazetteer of Rhode Island and 
Connecticut, published in Hartford in 1819, gives an idea of the place 
at a later date ; " The river here forms the boundary line between 
the two States. . . . That part of the village which is in Rhode 
Island is principally built on four streets, and comprises eighty-three 
dwelling-houses, twelve mercandle stores, two churches, a post office, 
an incorporated bank, an academy, and two or three flourishing 
schools. Of the ten cotton-mills in the town (North Providence), 
three are at this place, and upon an extensive scale. There are six 
shops engaged in the manufacture of machinery, having the ad%-an- 
tage of water-power, and various other mechanical establishments, 
affording extensive employment and supporting a dense population. 
Upon the Massachusetts side of the river there is a village of nearly 
equal size and consequence, for its manufacturing and other inter- 
ests." 

The present town of Pawtucket has been in existence but a few 
years. The east side of the river originally formed a part of the 
old town of Rehoboth. Seekonk was separated from Rehoboth 
in 1812 ; it comprised all of Pawtucket now on the east side of the 
river. This portion was taken from Seekonk and formed into the 
township of Pawtucket by an act of incorporation from the Mas- 
sachusetts General Court, dated March i. 1828. The first town- 
meeting after its incorporation was held on the seventeenth day of 
the same month. There were manufactories on both sides of the 
river, but those on the Rhode Island side predominated. On the 
Massachusetts side agriculture received more attention. As the two 
portions of the village were in difl'erent States, much inconvenience 
and local jealousy arose, operating against its business interests. 
These disadvantages were overcome to some extent by the cession 



Pawtucket, North Providence, and Lincoln. 



119 



of the town o{ Pawtucket to 
Rhode Island, in 1861. The 
act took effect in March, 1862. 
On the west side the village was 
originally in the town of Prov- 
idence, and was within the limits â–  
of North Providence when that 
town was incorporated in 1765. 
It continued an integral part of 
North Providence until 1874. 
At that time the latter town was 
dismembered, a part was given 
to Pawtucket, another part to 
Providence, and about one-third 
of its territory was left in the 
original town. By this arrange- 
ment the arbitrary boundaries 
which for some years had di- 
vided what should have been a 
united community were removed. 
The new act of incorporation ,^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^.^^^^ ^^^^^^^ 

was dated May i , 1874. In 1865 

the population of Pawtucket was 5,000, and its area 6.9 miles — an 
average of 724.6 to the square mile. In 1875, after the consolidation, 
the population was 18,464; area, 10. i, and the average population 
to the square mile, 1,828.1. The population, according to the United 
States census of 1880, was 19,030, 

The celebrated "Sam Patch" began his career at Pawtucket. 
He was born at Marblehead, Mass., about 1796. and worked as a 
mule-spinner in Pawtucket in the early part of the present century. 
While here he attempted and successfully accomplished many 
hazardous feats, such as jumping from the bridges and from the 
roofs and windows of mills into the river. In fulfillment of a wager 
he jumped the Genesee Falls, at Rochester, N. Y., and afterwards 
performed the more difficult feat of jumping Niagara Falls, After 
many other prodigies of daring, he at last lost his life in again 
attempting to jump the Genesee Falls. The saying, "Some things 
can be done as well as others," is attributed to him. It indicates 
the sanguine temperament which prompted him to undertakings that 
seemed to be physical impossibilities. W. D. Howells says of him, 




Picturesque Rhode Isl.and. 



in Their Wedding yourney: " It (Sam Patch) is as good a name 
as Leander, to my thinking, and it was immortalized in support of 
a great idea, — the feasibility of all things." 

To Pawtucket belongs the honor of being the first place in 
America where the manufacture of cotton goods was successfully 
iiccomplished. This industry, starting here from insignificant begin- 
nings, made rapid progress to perfection, caused the founding of 
many new towns and villages throughout the country, and has now 
assumed proportions of immense magnitude. The story of the strug- 
gles of the first projectors, the success which ultimately crowned 
their efforts, the progress of the industry established with such diffi- 
culty, and the changes in many directions following as a consequence, 
form a chapter in history more wonderful than any tale of battles or 
sieges. 

Until a little more than a hundred years ago, all cloth, of what- 
ever material, was mainly the result of manual labor. The machines 
in use were of small value, being little better than frames to hold 
the material in position for convenience in working. The first 
improvement of note, as applied to the treatment of cotton, was 
made in England bj' James Hargreavcs, in the year 1767. This 
invention was the spinning-jenny. By the method of spinning then 
practiced, only one thread could be spun at a time. Hargreaves' 
machine had eight spindles, and of course could spin as many 
threads at once. Shortly afterwards, Richard Arkwright invented 
roller-spinning, and was the lirst to associate all the preliminary pro- 
cessess of the cotton manufacture, together with that of spinning, 
under the same roof. He was the originator of the English fac- 
tory system. Through the agency of these two inventions the 
business increased largely. Many factories were built, and im- 
provements in machinery followed in rapid succession. The prin- 
ciples of the spinning-jenny of Hargreaves, and the " water-frame " 
of Arkwright, were combined in the spinning-mule invented by 
Samuel Crompton, of Bolton, in 1779, which gave a still further 
impetus to this industry. The yarn spun in the mills was made into 
cloth on hand-looms, which were to be found in many private houses. 
All these inventioii.s were made within the limits of a narrow district 
in England, where for a time this industry was confined, and which 
has continued to this day the centre of the cotton manufacture in 
the world. 

The British Government at that time prohibited the exportatioa 



_3PA1»rtVCitBT, North Pkoviuenc 




iif machinery. It also forbade any plans, drawings, or models of 
tht new inventions lo be carried away from the kingdom. Many 
attempts were made in this country to construct the various machines 
of the Arkwright patents, but, owing to imperfect drawings, the lack 
of models, and the absence of any person skilled in tlieir construction 
and use, but little success was attained. "The first machines for 
carding, roving, and spinning, made in the United States, were the 
work of two mechanics from Scotland, Alexandwr and Robert Barr, 
employed by Mr, Orr, of East Bridgewater, Mass. The Slate made 
a grant in 1786 of £200 lawful money for the encouragement of the 
enterprise. The Beverly Company, in the same State, commenced 
operations in 17S7, and. after expending £4.000, obtaint;d in 1790 
a grant of £1,000 from the Legislature, by tlie aid uf which they 
succeeded in introducing the manufacture of cotton goods, but with 
very imperfect machinery. In 1788 a company was formed in 
Providence, R. I., fiir making 'home-spun cloths.' and they con- 
structed their machinery from the best drawings to be obtained of 
the English models and plans, which were aflbrded them by Mr. 
Orr and the Beverly Company. The carding and roving with these 
macl>tnc!« was etfected in a very imperfect and slow manner, by 
hand-labors the spinning-frame, with thirty-two spindles, differing 



PiCTUREsQyE Rhode Island. 



little from a common jenny, was worked at first by a crank, turned 
by hand. The machinery was sold to Moses Brown, of Prov- 
idence, who, together with Mr. Almy, had several hand-jennies 
employed in private houses in Providence, making yarn for the weft 
of mixed linen and cotton goods. Such operations could accom- 
plish little in competition with the Arkwright machinery, and all 
attempts to procure plans of this failed." 

At this juncture Samuel Slater, who may with justice be called 
the father of the cotton industry in this country, appeared on the 
scene. Slater was bom in the town of Belper, Derbyshire, England, 
June 9, 1768, the year after the invention of the spinning-jenny. He 
learned the business of manufacturing cotton with Jedediah Strutt, 
who, in connection with Sir Richard Arkwright, was then engaged 
in conducting a factory at a place called Milford. Here young 
Slater remained for more than eight years, learning thoroughly the 
processes of manufacturing, and also becoming an excellent machin- 
ist, skillful in the construction of cotton machinery. During the latter 
years of his apprenticeship his attention was called to the oppor- 
tunities for advancement offered in America to one familiar with 
the cotton manufacture. Soon after the term of his apprenticeship 
had expired, he observed in a Philadelphia paper notice of a reward 
offered by a society for a machine to make cotton rollers. He 
decided to go to the New World, and on the 13th of September, 
1789, sailed from London for New York, where he arrived in 
November, after a passage of sixty-six days. He went to work for 
the New York Manufacturing Company soon after his arrival ; but 
their machinery was very imperfect and their available water-power 
unsatisfactory. While here he heard, from the captain of one of the 
Providence packets, of Moses Brown, of Providence, and liis attempts 
to manufacture cotton. Slater wrote to this gentleman, offering his 
services, and said: "I flatter myself that I can give the greatest 
satisfaction in making machinery, making good yarn, either for 
stockings or twist, as any tliat is made in England, as I have had 
opportunity, and an oversight of Sir Richard Arkwright's works, 
and in Mr. Strutt's mill, upwards of eight years." A favorable 
answer was returned, and in January, 1790, he completed an 
arrangement with Almy & Brown to go to Pawtucket. 

" On the eighteenth day of the same month, the venerable Moses 
Brown took him out to Pawtucket, where he commenced making the 
machinery, principally with his own hands, and on the twentieth of 



Pawtucket, North Providence, and Lincoln. 



123 




December, following, he started three cards, drawing and roving, 
and seventy-two spindles, which were worked by an old fulling-mill 
water-wheel in a clothier's building, in which they continued spin- 
ning about twenty months, at the expiration of which time they had 
several thousand pounds of 
yarn on hand, notwithstand- 
ing every exertion was used 
to weave it up and sell it. 

" Early in the year 1793, 
Almy, Brown, and Slater, 
built a small factory in that 
village (known and called to 
this day the ' Old Factory ') , 
in whjch they set in motion 
July 12, the: ;preparaiion and 
seventy-two spindles, and 
slowly added to that number, 
as the sales of the yam ap- 
peared more promising, 
which induced the said Slater 

to be concerned in erecting a new mill, and to increase the machinery 
in the old mill." 

Mr. Slater had great difficulties to contend with in his first 
attempt to spin cotton in Pawtucket. The machinery his employers 
had been using he declared unsuitable, and proceeded to construct 
machines on the English models. An important drawback was, that 
he had no plans or drawings, but had to trust entirely to his memory. 
Though at times almost discouraged by his apparent want of success, 
he nevertheless succeeded in constructing the machines. A partner- 
ship was formed by Slater with William Almy and Smith Brown, 
April 5, 1790. "In 1798 Mr. Slater entered into company with 
Oziel Wilkinson, Timothy Green, and William Wilkinson, the two 
Jatter, as well as himself, having married daughters of Oziel Wil- 
kinson. He built the second mill on the east side of Pawtucket 
River, the firm being Samuel Slater & Co., himself holding half the 
stock." Mr. Slater superintended both these establishments, receiv- 
ing $1.50 per day for each mill. The business progressed under 
his management, and a number of mills in which he was interested 
were built in neighboring villages, both in Rhode Island and Mas- 
sachusetts. Other parties, mostly men who had learned the business 



124 PicTURBSoyE Rhode Island. 

in the factories of Mr. Slater and his partners, built faetories, and 
the business was gradually extended throughout New England- 

The original factories of Slater and his partners, like those of Ark- 
wright in England, were engaged solely in the manufacture of yam. 
The weaving was at first done on hand-looms in private houses. 
After the more general introduction of the power-loom (invented 
by the Rev. Edmund Cartwright, in 1785), it was performed in 
establishments erected for the purpose. The first mill in the world 
in which all the processes for the manufacture of cotton, from the raw 
material to the perfected cloth, were combined, was erected at Wal- 
tham, Mass., in 1813. 

Mr. Slater was unostentatious in his habits, and was, as he him- 
self says, " a candid Englishman." His Hfe outside of his business 
was uneventful. In his own sphere, however, he was a tireless worker 
and a consummate manager, as the extent of his business and his 
financial success testify. He was ever ready to help those of his 
countrymen who needed his assistance, and many were the emi- 
grants who were aided by his quiet benevolence. He and his part- 
ners established schools at their factories for the benefit of their 
operatives, and Mr. Slater is said to have established the first Sun- 
day School in this country. His school was conducted upon the 
well-known plan of Robert Raikes. In the later years of his life 
Mr. Slater became largely interested in both woolen mills and 
machine shops. The life of Samuel Slater is more worthy of honor 
than that of many a statesman or waVrior whose renown is world- 
wide. His triumphs were peaceful, but they produced changes 
greater than the downfall or upbuilding of an empire. He died at 
Pawtucket, April 21, 1835. Many descendants in the United States 
still bear his name. 

From the "old mill" at Pawtucket, with its few imperfect 
machines, to the large factories of the present day, is an immense 
advance. Yet there has been no invention since that time embody- 
ing new principles. All this change has been brought about by the 
improvement and adaptation of the existing machinerj'. The process 
of development is still going on. The tendency is toward making 
all the machinery automatic. Much has been accomplished in this 
direction ; no doubt there is room for further progress. The follow- 
ing statistics will convey an idea of the growth of the business 
throughout the country : 

"The number of cotton-factories in the United States id z8io 



Pawtucket. North Providence, and Lincoln. 



125 



was reported to be 241 ; the num- 
ber of spindles was estimated at 
96,400, an average of 400 for 
each mill. According to a re- 
port of a committee of Congress 
in 1815, $40,000,000 was then 
invested in cotton manufacture, 
and 100,000 persons were em- 
ployed; 27,000,000 pounds of 
cotton were consumed, produc- 
ing 81,000,000 yards of cloth, 
valued at $24,300,000. InRhode 
Island, Massachusetts, and Con- 
necticut were 165 mills, with 
119,310 spindles; and it has 
been estimated that the total 
number of spindles at that time 
was 350,000. Power-looms soon 
afterward coming into general 
use, as already stated, the num- 
ber of spindles increased to ^^^ p,,,, 3,^,,^, ^^^,^^ 
1 ,500,000 in 1830, and i ,750.000 

in 1835. Complete and trustworthy statistics of cotton manufacture 
seem to have been first reported by the census of 1840. There 
were then in the United States 1,240 mills, with 2,284,631 spindles, 
and 1 29 dyeing and printing establishments. These establish- 
ments employed 72,119 hands, and produced goods valued at $46,- 
350,430. The amount of capital invested was $51,102,359. The 
leading cotton manufacturing States were Massachusetts, having 
278 mills, with 665,095 spindles; Rhode Island, 209 mills, with 
518,817 spindles; New York, 117 mills, with 211,659 spindles ; ^"^ 
Connecticut, 116 mills, with 181,319 spindles. There were no 
cotton-mills in IlHnois, Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, 
Iowa, or the District of Columbia. The following totals for the 
United Stijtes, from the federal census, will afford a comparison of 
this most important industry, with its condition prior to the Civil 
War : " 




PicTURESCiyH Rhode Island. 





.880. 


iSTO. 


.^ 


18SO. 


Buabl[hh.i> 




9S6 
157,810 
T.iJ>4i5 
135.369 

•i,a,70i,»9i 
•39.0M.13' 
J9S.j™«7 

• ".,736.936 

• 177.4S9.739 


5.>3S.T'7 

•it,atS 
•98.555.*" 
t'MlS.'36 

•S7.»ai.sj* 

•.iS.68i.m 
























Bulls, i,s%,4Si 












*"'"â„¢"'â„¢ 


•6S.Soi.68j 



The growth of a large manufacturing industry brings with it 
more changes than many agencies which occupy a larger place in 
municipal and state records. Though not so noticeable as an act of 
a Legislature, nor so liable to be observed and commented upon, the 
building of a factory often means far more, and its influence is much 
broader and deeper. A new industry in a community growing grad- 
ually to large proportions, will, in the course of events, produce new 
social combinations ; may, perhaps, create a new class ; and will in 
some instances induce changes leading almost to social and political 
revolutions. This is true of the cotton industry in New England, 
and particularly iit this State. 

When Slater began to construct the Arkwright cotton machinery 
at Pawtucket there was no dominant mechanical pursuit in this part 
of the country-. The farmers had a very limited market for their 
produce. Poverty pressed hard upon many ; the means of nearly 
all were small. What was needed was work, and the necessity was 
supplied by the cotton business. As the industry increased, and new 
improvements were made each year in the machinery, mills were 
erected wherever water-power was available, and villages soon grew 
up around them. The operatives were at first drawn from the native 
population ; they were the children of the farmers and mechanics in 
the surrounding towns and villages, reinforced, perhaps, by a few 
foreigners familiar with the business. The majority of the strangers 
were English. The factory population thus formed was homogene- 
ous in its character, with similar habits and customs, and a common 
ancestry. There was a large class that fluctuated between work on 
the farm and work in the factory. An easy independence was thus 
maintained by the working-class. The, opportunity for diversity of 
employment preserved and nurtured that individuality which Is the 
peculiar characteristic of New England, and which is only in very 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^s 



Pawtucket, North Providence, and LI^•cOLN. 



127 



rare instances found in a people compelled by the force of circum- 
stances to follow one calling. The population of these factory vil- 
lages were orderly, well-behaved, and moral. 

The change which has taken place was brought about by the 
stream of emigration which began to flow from Europe to America 
during the second quarter of this century. The Irish came in the 
largest numbers. In 1850 there were in this State 15,944 natives of 
Ireland, — sixty-nine per cent, of its entire foreign population. At 
the same time the English numbered 4,490, or a little over nineteen 
in every hundred of the foreign population. Both nationalities on 
their arrival engaged in factory labor ; the English were already 
skilled in the business ; the Irish soon became so. While these 
accessions were made to the ranks of the factorj' population, an 
exodus was at the same time taking place- The native American 
sought employment in directions where more opportunities were to 
be had for individual enterprise. In the city and the larger towns 
carrying on diversified industries the proportion of native Ameri- 
cans was larger than in the small factory villages. Since the War 
of the Rebellion the 
French Canadians have 
been thronging to the fac- 
tory districts. The increase 
in their numbers between 
the years 1865 and 1875 
was a littie more than that 
of the Irish within the 
same period. In many vil- 
lages in the State they at 
present outnumber the 
Irish, whom they have 
supplanted as the Irish did 
the Americans. 

The factory village of 
to-day is very different from 
that of half a century ago. 

The various nationalities are not welded together. They remain 
distinct, in a measure preserving their own peculiarities and customs. 
What the result of this condition of things is to be, is a question of 
grave importance. If the " cotton industry " is maintained in New 
England, the children of these ahens must be American citizens. 




izS PicTURBsqyB RtionK Island. 



Dr. Snow, the superintendent of the last State census, who is prob- 
ably more familiar with the characteristics of the operatives than any 
other man, says that the French Canadians, " more than any other 
class of the population, keep everj' child possible at work in the mills, 
to the utter neglect of schools and education. It is an urgctil duty to 
them and to the State to compel them and their employers to obey 
the laws in relation to the employment of children." This may with 
truth be applied to all the elements composing the factory population. 
It is, however, very doubtful if these laws can be enforced. The 
situations of most of the villages in districts where the factories, 
houses and lands belong to a single tirm, by placing such power in 
the hands of a few makes improvement depend too much upon the 
material interest of the owner. Where that interest conflicts with 
the enforcement of educational laws, law in too many cases inevi- 
tably yields to interest. 

According to the special report of the tenth census on the cotton 
manufacture, by Edward Atkinson, the number of persons employed 
in this industry in Rhode Island in 1880, was 22,228 ; spindles in 
motion, 1,649,295 ; looms, 30,274 ; and cotton consumed, 161,694 
bales. 

In Pawtucket, according to the state census of 1875, there were 
nineteen establishments engaged in various branches of cotton manu- 
facture, employing 2,322 persons, and with an invested capital of 
$2,492,600. The principal Arms manufacturing cotton cloth are the 
Slater Cotton Co., the Bridge Mill Manufacturing Co., and the Uni- 
ted States Flax Manufacturing Co. Quite a number of establish- 
ments are employed in making spool-cotton and cotton yams. The 
leading concerns are the Conant Thread Co., manufacturers of cot 
ton thread; the Greene & Daniels Manufacturing Co., Stafford & Co-, 
and the Hope Thread Co., manufacturers of spool-cotton and cotton 
yarns. In the surrounding villages, within the limits of the towns of 
Lincoln, Cumberland, and North Providence, there are many facto- 
ries employed in the manufacture of cotton cloth, the principal com- 
panies being the Lonsdale Co., with mills at Lonsdale and Ashton, 
in Lincoln ; Albion Mills Co., Albion, Lincoln ; Manville Co., Man- 
ville, Cumberland ; and the Berkeley Mills Co., Berkeley, Cumber- 
land. There are also mills at Allendale, Centredale, and Lyman- 
ville. North Providence. The Stafford Manufacturing Co., and the 
Cumberland Mills, at Valley Falls, are engaged in the manufacture 
of spool-cottons and cotton yams. The Union Wadding Co. carries 
on an extensive business in white and colored waddings and battings, 



Pawtlxket. North Providknce. anu Lincoln. 




and machine waste in Pawtutket. The lower llour ol" the "Old 
Slater Mill " U at present occupied bj- J. L. Spencer in the manufac- 
ture of cotton yams, twine, and thread- 

The woolen manufacture is represented by the Pawtucket Hair- 
Cloth Co., manufacturers of hair seatings; D. GofT & Son, alpaca 
braid:* : George Mason & Co., braids ; and in Central Falls, by the 
Central Falls Woolen Mill, clotli. 

The existence of sn many factories creates ademand for manu- 
facturLTs' supplies of all descriptions. Among the establishments 
supplying this demand art E. Jenckes & Co., Pawtucket, manufac- 
turers of many kinils of small supplies, and dealers in belts, lacing, 
etc., Weatherhead, Thompson & Co., Central Falls, manufacturers 
of belting and thread spools: and Myron Fiah & Co,. Valley Falls, 
manitfacturers of loom- harness, and dealers in general supplies. Sev- 
eral extensive machine shops are employed in the cunstruction of 
cotton machinery. Among the principal establishments are those of 
James Brown, the Fales & Jenks Machine Co., and George W. 
Payne & Co. The latter also construct woolen machinery. Wil- 
liam H. Haskell & Co., bolt, nut, washer, and coach-screw manu- 
facturers; J. S. White, machinist and iron-founder i and Cole Bros,, 
steam-fire, and stiitionary engine builders, are among the prominent 
firms engaged in the general machine business. 

The Lhinntrll Manufacturing Co. have one of the largest print- 



130 PicTUREsqyB Rhode Island. 



works in the State. These works are located on Prospect Street. 
Robert D. Mason & Co., on East Avenue, are extensively engaged in 
dyeing and bleaching. This firm was formed in 1805. Upon the 
same premises, for more than three-quarters of a century, the busi- 
ness has been carried on without interruption. The present firm 
name was adopted in 1870. Other large establishments, specially 
worthy of note in this connection, are those of the Pawtucket Dyeing 
and Bleaching Co., and the Moshassuck Bleachery, at Saylesville, 
Lincoln, owned by Messrs. W. F. & F. C. Sayles. 

Among the many prominent merchants, business-men, and firms 
engaged in various manufactures, we ma}' also mention the Bridge 
Mill Paper Co. ; D. D. Sweet & Co., and Gelinas & Chappell, sash, 
doors, and blinds ; the Joseph Smith Co., coal, lumber, etc. ; James 
Davis & Son, tanners and manufacturers of belting and lacing; 
J. O. Draper & Co. , soap ; the Perry Oil Co., oil and soap; Linton 
Brothers, card-board and glazed paper; L. B. Darling & Co., 
artificial fertilizers; the New American .File Co., Central Falls; 
P. E. Thayer & Co., brushes; J. Crocker & Son, coffin-trimmings; 
W. W. Dexter, watches and jewelry ; Charles A. Warland, and 
Charles P. Adams, real estate ; Daniel A. Clark, coffins and cas- 
kets; Loring M. Monk, carriages; S. Grant & Co., coal, wood, 
etc. ; E. M. Hunt & Co., coal; Carpenter & Co. and Pawtucket 
Furniture Co., furniture; Small & Harley, dry goods ; George H. 
Fuller, jewelers' findings ; A. F. Bray and C. M. Read, hardware ; 
Fisk& Co., C. E. Davis & Son, G. T. Dana & Co., Pawtucket, 
and Jones & Davis, Central Falls, druggists; C. A.Luther, cloth- 
stretchers; A. F. Salisbury, photographer ; J. N. Polsey & Co., 
packing-boxes; Havens & DeWitt, bakers; H. H. Sager, and H. 
N. Wilkinson, book-sellers and stationers; Lee & Burnham, and G. 
E. Woodbury, dentists. 

Pawtucket and Lincoln, like most other busy and thriving local- 
ities, have their indispensable newspapers ; in Pawtucket, the Gazette 
and Chronicle, published every Friday by Messrs. Sibley & Lee, 
Mill Street; in Central Falls, Lincoln, The Weekly Visitor^ issued 
every Friday, by Messrs. E. L. Freeman & Co., publishers. 

The leading hotels in Pawtucket, to-day, are the Benedict House, 
J. L. McFarland, proprietor ; and the Pawtucket Hotel, D. W. Buck- 
lin, proprietor. 

To the traveler who obtains his first view of Pawtucket from the 
windows of the cars of the Boston and Providence Railroad, the place 



Pawtuc'KET, North Providence, MixiuUicaiSiT 



Z3X 






^. 



presents the appearance of a large and busy citjr. Before him the 
L-ntire landscape to the southward is wholly occupied by build- 
ings, closely pai:ked together, — dwelling-houses of all descriptions, 
with here and there a factory or a church standing out prominently. 
The wliole of this 
busy scene, how- 
ever, is not located 
wiUun the limits of 
the town of Paw- 
tucket: a consider- 
able portion is in the 
town of Lincoln, 
and is known as 
Central Falls. Since 
the consolidation of 
Pawtiickel in 1874, 
various atlerapls 
have been made to 
unite Central Falls 
with il, but thus far 
without success. As 
the line which di- 
vides these two pla- ou Bi,ii,,r,, F.t,t.r,, li„coi.i 
Ccs is an arbitrary 

one, while tlie communities are in reality a unit, with no visible 
natural separation, a union in the future is inevitable. Valley Falls, 
situated partly in Lincoln and partly in Cumberland, is in reality 
only a suburb of Pawtucket and Central Falls, and is a short dis- 
tance from the latter place. 

Many new and line buildings have, within the pa.st few years. 
been erected in the central portion of Pawtucket, thereby adding to 
the appearance of the place, and giving it more of the air of a city. 
Music Hall, owned by L. B. Darling, is the latest erected, and one of 
the finest of these buildings. The Blackstom* River Mows through 
Valley Falls. Central Falls, and Pawtucket, allbrding water-power 
for the numerous factories on its banks. A succession of dams 
thrown across the stream make the water available. Five bridges 
now span the river in Pawtucket and Central Falls. The lowest 
bridge is a substantial stone structure of nine arches, and ts very- 
high above (he water. The next bridge, also built of stone, with 



132 PicTUREsQiiR Rhode Island. 



two arches, is almost directly over the falls. The falls do not now 
exist in their original condition, but have been supplemented bj' a 
dam. Below the dam. however, are the ragged ledges over which 
the waters still foam and boil as they have done for countless ages . 
When the water is abundant, or the river is in flood, the view of the 
falls from this bridge is worth a visit. The other three are iron 
suspension bridges. At Valley Falls is an iron bridge, for foot and 
carriage travel, and the railroad bridge of the Providence and Wor- 
cester Railroad. The Boston and Providence Railroad crosses the 
Blackstone on an iron bridge just before its junction with the Provi- 
dence and Worcester. 

In the neighborhood of Lonsdale and Saylesville, in the town 
of Lincoln, the country presents a unique appearance. Hills and 
hollows succeed each other quickly and abruptly. From the roads, 
alternately in the depressions and the elevations, fine views may 
often be obtained of the surrounding country. Where the lands in 
the neighborhood of the Blackstone River are low, in many places, 
forced back by the dams on the river, the water has overflowed and 
formed shallow ponds. Between Lonsdale and Saylesville a large 
pond is now in existence, mainly the result of a dam thrown across 
the old Blackstone Canal. The old canal trench is in the centre of 
the pond, and the water is of considerable depth. 

Pawtucket has an excellent system of water-works, which were 
put in operation Jan. 31, 1878, and have since that time worked well, 
supplying not only Pawtucket but also East Providence, Central 
Falls and other small places in the neighborhood. The engine used 
at the puniping-station is one made by George H. Corliss, and has 
given good satisfaction. A reservoir, 300 feet above tide-water, situ- 
ated on Reservoir Heights, two and a half miles from the business 
centre, was completed Nov. 6, 1878. Its area is about three acres, 
depth twenty-one feet, and capacity 20,000,000 gallons. The water 
is obtained from Abbott's Run, which has a vvater-shtd of 26.6 miles. 
Up to this time the cost of the works has been about $633,000. 

As has already been stated. North Providence until 1874 con- 
tained within its limits all of Pawtucket on the east side of the river. 
In that year a partition was made, <me part was given to the city of 
Providence, another to the town of Pawtucket. and only a small frag- 
ment of the original town was left. This portion is mainly peopled 
by an agricultural community ; there are only a few small manufac- 
turing establishments within its bounds. *' Fruit Hill," in this town, is 



Pawtucket, North Providence, . 



• LI^'coLN. 



133 




an extensive upland) beautifully 
situated; it was early settled, 
and the sites of the dwellings of 
the first settlers are yet pointed 
out by antiquarians. An educa- 
tional institution, known at the 
outset as the Fruit Hill Semi- 
nary, and subsequently as the 
Fruit Hill Classical Institute, was 
started on the old Fruit Hill es- 
tate in 1835, and continued in 
existence until 1861. The his- 
tory of the other portions of 
North Providence will be found 
in the accounts of Providence 
and Pawtucket. 

Lincoln was formed from the 
old town of Smithfield in 1871. 
The cotton manufacture is here 
extensively carried on in the vil- 
lages of Central Falls, Valley Falls, Lonsdale, Ashton, Berkeley, 
and Albion. Since its incorporation various efforts h.ive been made 
to annex portions of the town to neighboring towns, but without suc- 
cess. "The principal if not the only peculiarity of this town in 
its government, as distinguished from other towns of this State, is, that 
while it is governed by a town council, as other towns are, yet the 
southeasterly portion of it, embracing the most thickly settled part, 
is specially incorporated by the Legislature under the name of 'the 
Central Falls Fire District,' with power to elect a moderator, clerk, 
treasurer, three assessors, and a collector of taxes ; to elect fire-wards 
and presidents of fire-wards ; to order, assess and collect taxes on 
persons and property within such district for fire-extinguishing 
apparatus, and keeping the same in order and using it; to prescribe 
the duties of fire-wards and of the citizens of said district in case of 
conflagration ; to provide for suppressing disorder and tumult, for the 
lighting of streets, and the maintaining of such police force as they 
may deem necessary." Although so recently incorporated. Lincoln is 
one of the most important towns of the State, and its manufacturing 
business is constantly on the increase. 




CHAPTER VI. 




CUMBERLAND- WILLIAM HLACKSTONE — SINK MKN'S MISERV. WUONSOCKET — 
EDWARD UAKKIS ANDTIIE }IAKRI!i INSTITUTE— -MANUKACTfltES 
— EDUCATION. SMITIIFIELD AND NOKTII SMITIIKIELD. BUR. 
KiLLVILLE— JAMES DURRILI THE FORGER'S CAVE. 



fjHE form of William Blackstone, sitting upon his bull, 
rides slowly along before the eyes of the historical stu- 
dent as lie approaches the town of Cumberland. With 
; single exception of Roger Williams, no figure in 
the early history of the State is more prominent than 
that of this old " non-conformist preacher." The cloud 
of mystery which enveloped him when the Massachu- 
setts colonists found him living in tranquil seclusion 
upon the peninsula of Shawmut, was never entirely dis- 
pelled. Until the day of his death he maintained the 
.sLime singular reticence and lived in the same studious 
solitude, those who had met him fifty years before had noted with 
such wonder. 

When Governor Winthrop and those who came with him landed 
at Charlestown, in 1630, Mr. Blackstone had been living at Shaw- 
mut (the peninsula upon which the city of Boston now stands) long 
enough " to have raised apple-trees and planted an orchard." Tradi- 
tion says that the would-be colonists were at first inclined to thrust 
out Blackstone from his home upon the peninsula, upon the specious 
pretence that they had received a grant of the tract from the king. 
As the old story runs, it would seem that the young hermit had lost 
nothing of his talent for argument during his residence in the wilds 
of America. Haughtily he made answer to the claims of the men 
of "the Bay." "The king," said he, " asserteth sovereignty over 



136 PicTURESojiE Rhode Island. 



this new Virginia in respect that John and Sebastian Cabot sailed 
along the coast, without even landing at any place ; and if the qual- 
ity of sovereignty can subsist upon the substratum of mere inspec- 
tion, surely the quality of property can subsist upon that of actual 
occupancy, which is the foundation of my claim." 

This story is a most excellent one, and the speech put into the 
mouth of Blackstone so well accords with his character that we can 
almost believe the statement of the case to be a true one. It is quite 
possible, however, that the account may be a little overdrawn. 

In Prince's Chronology it is stated that the settlers of Charles- 
town having become sickly by reason of the poor water, Mr. Black- 
stone {Blaxton^ Prince spells the name) invited them to come over 
and settle upon the peninsula, telling the governor he had found 
there a most excellent spring of water. Under such circumstances, 
the attempt to dispossess him would have evinced extreme ingratitude 
on the part of theBay colonists. Moreover, it stands perpetuated in 
the Massachusetts records ** that William Blackstone shall have fifty 
acres of ground set off for him near to his house in Boston, to enjoy 
forever." 

When or how Blackstone came to America is not known. In 
the year 1628 his name was mentioned for the first time in the 
Massachusetts records. It is likely that he had then lived for two or 
three years upon Shawmut. Of this fair peninsula he was, without 
doubt, the first white settler. That he had occupied it several years,. 
** and with no slight advantage, we may presume from the expenses 
assessed on the several plantations, from Plymouth northwar4, for 
the campaign against Morton af Merry Mount, in 1628 ; his propor- 
tion, though the least, being more than one-third of that to be paid 
by the settlers of Salem, before the coming of Endicott." (Savage's 
Wtnthrofy Vol. I., page 44.) Almost all that we know of his life 
in England is, that he was ** a non-conformist minister of the English 
Church." He is supposed to have graduated from Emmanuel Col- 
lege, Cambridge, in 1617. 

Mr. Blackstone did not long remain upon Shawmut after his 
countrymen had built their houses upon it. Their society did not 
prove congenial. In 1634 he sold out his title to the peninsula, 
each of the other inhabitants paying him six pence or more therefor. 
Having purchased a drove of cattle, he started in search of a new 
home in the wilderness. When asked the reason for his unusual 
course, he said, *' I left England to get from under the power of the 



CliMBBRLANT). 



137 



Lord-Bishops, but in Americn I am fallen under ihe power of the 
L<irfl-Iircthren.'* 

About ihrcL* miles above the Pawtucket Tails, in what is now the 
town of Cumbt-rland, he chose the spot for his new home. On the 
Plymouth patent tliis tract of eountrj- is known as "Attleborougb 
Gore," " Study Hill," was the name he gave to his estate. There. 
for the rest of his life, he lived in studious seclusion. His few di.^- 




taut neighbors learned to love him for his kindly heart and generous 
nature. Respecting his upright character, they did not attempt to 
internipl the eeeeutiic course of his life. How he built his house 
we know not. It is said thai he had a servant named Abbott. This 
man Abhott possessed some of the peculiarities that were so marked 
it) his master. To this servant Mr. Blackstone gave a tract of land 
upon the stream which now bears the name of Abbott's Kun. 

Mr. Biuckslone planted upon his farm at Study Hill an orchard, 
the first in the colony of Rhode Island. " Many of the trees which 
he planted about une hundred and thirty years ajjn (wrote Guvernor 
Hopkins in 1765). arc still pretty thrifty fruit-bearing trees. He 
had the lirst of th.it sort called yellow sweetings, tliat were ever in 
the world, perhaps the richest and most delicious apple of the whole 
kirul. Mr. Black,stone used frequently to come to Providence lo 
preach llie Gospel, and. to encourage his young hearers, gave them 
the first apples they ever saw. It is said that when he was old. and 
unable to travel i>n fool, and not having any horse, he used to ride on 
a bull which he had tamed and tuU)red to that use." Mr. Newman, 



138 PicTURESQjJE Rhode Island. 

in his discourse delivered July 4, 1855, ^^^^ ^^at as late as 1830, when 
they were nearly two hundred years old, three of these trees were 
living, and two were still bearing apples. 

Blackstone died at Study Hill only a few days before the com- 
mencement of Philip's War. Unusually fortunate was he in his 
death, for not long afterward the destroying torch of an Indian 
incendiary was applied to the house in which he had lived so long. 
With the books and everything else it contained, the dwelling was 
entirely consumed. In the " Inventory of the Lands, Goods and 
Chattels of Mr. William Blackstone," taken May 28, 1675, — two 
days after their owner's death, — his library was prized as follows : 

*' Library. 

3 Bibles, IDS. — 6 English books in folio, £2, 

3 Latin books in folio, 15s. — 3 do., large quarto, £2, 

i5 small quarto, £1, 17s. 6d. — 14 small do., 14s., 

30 large octavo, £4 — 25 small do., £1, 5s., . 

22 duodecimo, ...... 

53 small do., of little value, .... 

ID paper books, ...... 



Remainder personal. 

Total personal, . . . £56 3s. 6d.'* 

This library of 186 volumes was a very unusual one. Not many 
of the private gentlemen of America could boast of such a collection. 
The '* ID paper books" were supposed to contain the record of his 
life, the well-digested reflections of half a century of study. 

Like his neighbor and friend, Roger Williams, Mr. Blackstone 
was more than a century in advance of the age in which he lived. 
When the air of England was heavy with the life-destroying dews of 
religious intolerance, his free spirit sought in America the liberty he 
could not enjoy in his native country. Hardly had he become settled 
in his home in the new world, before he saw rising up about him the 
house-walls of a company of men far more bigoted than those he 
had left England to avoid. *' He uttered no complaints, he pro- 
voked no quarrels, but quietly sold his lands and. again retired from 
the face of civilization and again took up his solitary abode in the 



£2 


lOS. 




2, 2 


15 




2 


II 


6d. 


S 


5 




I 


13 
13 

5 




£15 


I2S. 


6d. 


40 


II 





140 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



Cumberland was one of the five towns received from Massachu- 
setts in 1746--7. Before its incorporation as a town of Rhode 
Island it had formed a part of Attleborough, and from its peculiar 
shape had received the name of Attleborough Gore. The name of 
Cumberland was given it in honor of William, Duke of Cumberland. 
Possibly, also, the name may have been bestowed upon it because of 
its geological features, which resemble somewhat those of the Eng- 
lish Cumberland. 

The town possesses some very valuable mineral deposits. Per- 
haps in the course of years it may prove profitable to reopen its 
disused mines. From the Diamond Hill granite quarry some of the 
finest building-stone in New England is obtained. 

Very much might be written concerning the *' Indian history" of 
the towH. One very noted spot within its borders is known as '* Nine 
Men's Misery." On the day of ''Pierce's Fight" nine men here 
lost their lives. Daggett, in his History of Attleborough^ gives this 
version of the story : "A company of nine men were in advance of, 
or had strayed from their party for some purpose, when they discov- 
ered a number of Indians near the spot, whom they immediately 
pursued and attacked, but a large number of the enemy rushed out 
from the swamp and surrounded them. The whites, placing their 
backs to a large rock near by, fought with desperation till every one 
of them was killed on the spot. The rest of their party, who were in 
hearing of their guns, hastened to their succor, but arrived too late to 
render them any assistance. Their bodies were buried on the spot, 
which is now designated by a large pile of stones." One tradition says 
that these nine men were prisoners who had been reserved for torture 
by the Indians. ''They were carried to a sort of peninsula of upland, 
nearly surrounded by ' Camp Swamp,' and seated upon a rock in a 
kind of natural amphitheatre formed by the elevated ground around it. 
The savages commenced the war-dance around them, and were pre- 
paring to torture them ; but, disagreeing about the manner of torture, 
they fell into a quarrel among themselves, in which some of the Indians 
dispatched the prisoners with the tomahawk. The Indians, having 
scalped them, left their bodies upon the rock where they had slain 
them, and here they remained unburied till they were discovered by 
the English some weeks after. They were then buried, all in one 
grave. A heap of small stones, in the shape of the earth on a newly- 
made grave, still marks the spot where they lie." 



WOONSOCKET. 141 

WoONsocKET. — The origin of the name Woonsocket, if not 
precisely lost in the mists of antiquity', still does not stand out in the 
clear light of certainty. Its old Indian form is Woonesuckete, which 
has been explained with a good degree of probability as derived 
from two Indian words, Woone thunder, and Suci-eie mists, meaning, 
in composition, thunder mists. When one imagines how the falls 
must have thundered through the solitude of the forest, and sees in 
fancy the column of mist which arose from their foot, it is easy to 
believe that this explanation, although not insisted upon by its 
author, is the true one, 

The town of Woonsocket, at least so much of it as lies upon the 
east side of the river, was until 1867, a period of one hundred and 
thirty years, a village in the town of Cumberland. At the January 
session of the State Legislature of that year it was incorporated as a 
separate township, and in 187 1 its area was increased by the addition 
of that part of Smithfield which constituted Western Woonsocket- 
The Blackstone River flows thcough it and the Woonsocket hills lie 
around, enclosing it in a kind of amphitheatre. 

The first settlers in the town were Richard Arnold and Samuel 
Comstock. Arnold made the humble beginning of this present pros- 
perous borough by building a saw-mill on the river about the year 
1666. The precise date cannot be determined. Comstock settled at 
a point west of Union Village. Their lands, which were held in 
common during their lives, were divided by their heirs. By this 
division the Arnold family came into possession of a great estate in 
the vicinity of the falls, and may be looked upon as the forefathers 
of the town. Richard Arnold himself was an able and judicious 
man, ready and useful in the colonial council, and active and 
energetic in carrying his plans into effect. He left four sons, the 
eldest of whom was also named Richard. This Richard built a 
house on the site now occupied by Mr. Albert Mowry. To any one 
of an antiquarian turn of mind, it may be interesting to know that a 
part of the house is still standing, and, dating from 1690, is doubtless 
the oldest building in town. 

Among the numerous descendants of the original Arnold was 
James Arnold, known in Woonsocket as " Uncle Jim." He owned 
large tracts of land upon the river. He was not a manufacturer him- 
self, but for several years he prospered and apparently grew rich 
by putting up buildings on his property and letting them out to 
manufacturers. The first one of these was erected in 1808. It was 



142 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



a grist-mill, and its upper stories were used for carding wool. He 
erected building after building and leased them to others, until in 
1814, by an unfavorable turn of Fortune's wheel, — which seems at 
this time not to have been a mill-wheel, as formerly, — he was com- 
pelled to sell a part of his property. This sale is known as the 
"Arnold and Lyman Purchase." This was but the beginning. 
Again and again he was forced to part with portions of his river 
property, until he found himself stripped of all that vast estate with 
which he commenced life, excepting "the old saw-mill lot.** This 
lot he had in 1822 leased to Oliver Ballou and his son Dexter, who 
built thereon a wooden cotton-mill. This mill, after various vicissi- 
tudes of fortune, finally settled down to steady work as a yam- 
spinning establishment, under the auspices of Mr. George C. Ballou. 
To give even a slight sketch of the career of all the noted manufac- 
turers of a place like Woonsocket, would require more space than we 
are at liberty to occupy in this work. And of Mr. Ballou and his 
brother Dexter, who is called the "pioneer of cotton-spinning in 
Woonsocket," it must suffice to say that the town is greatly indebted 
to them for much of its present prosperity. 

Let us now retrace our steps. The early settlers were not slow 
to see that the place was admirably adapted to manufacturing pur- 
poses, and in the latter part of the seventeenth century they began to 
utilize the waters of the Blackstone to the turning of mill-wheels. 
All around was the great forest, which must be converted into farms 
and dwellings, and a saw-mill was an urgent necessity. One was 
consequently erected where the tower of the Ballou Manufacturing 
Company's cotton-mill now stands. This is the one already mentioned 
as having been built about the year 1666. In 1712 Mr. John Arnold 
buih a " corn and fulling-mill "upon the " Island." The " Old Forge" 
dated from some time between 1712 and 1720, and stood upon the site 
of the boiler-house of the Ballou Manufacturing Company. It did 
quite an extensive business in iron. . Later, a scythe-factory was 
established below the grist-mill. These include all the manufactories 
of Woonsocket up to 1807. In that year there was a great freshet. 
The river, as if angry at the restraints that man had imposed upon 
it (it is more submissive now), rose in its might, shook itself free, 
and tore along between its banks, "scattering ruin and spread- 
ing ban," until there was nothing left of these mills but wreeksy 
damaged beyond all hope. This is the historical freshet of the Black- 
stone. Even that of 1876, which was considered rather a brilliaat 



144 PicTURESQyE Rhodb Island. 

cards and repairing machinery. This mill was known as the "Pis- 
tareen," on account of its size. It was burned down in 1874, having, 
however, before that been much enlarged and improved. The com- 
panj- immediately began the erection of their present imposing brick 
structure. The village belonging to these mills is a model of a fac- 
tory village. The following description is quoted from one of a series 
of able papers published recently in the Hhodc Island Press, called 
" Looms and Spindles," to which the present writer is indebted for 
much of the information upon this subject: "It consists of twelve 
double cottages, two long blocks, one containing nine tenements and 
the other eighteen, fourteen four-family houses, and the mill boarding- 
house. The double cottages are of brick, one and a half stories high, 
have gas and water, and rent for $100 per year for each tenement. 
The blocks are also of brick, not quite so well finished as the 
cottages, and rent for from $48 to $96 per year. The others are of 
wood, and rent for $50 per tenement. The boarding-house is four 
stories, and can accommodate 125 persons, but at present has only 
about fifty occupants. The three-story building at the westerly edge 
of the village is termed the Social Block, and is used for the com- 
pany's offices and store. It also includes a large hall for lectures, 
dancing, etc. , and two of the rooms are occupied for day and evening 
schools." 

In 1827 the second wooden mill was begun. This building has 
reached a low estate, and has become a tenement^house known as 
the Castle. 

The largest woolen-factory in the country is at Woonsocket. It 
was built by Edward Harris, whose name is identified with this 
branch of industry in Woonsocket. Mr. Harris was born at Lime 
Rock, in 1801. He was forced to earn his living while still a mere 
child. Thus business talent and a native shrewdness were developed 
in him at the expense of a social and mental training which he never 
ceased to miss in his after life. At the age of twenty-one he began 
life with a capital of 25 cents. He learned the business of cotton 
manufacture by actual experience as an ill-paid employ^ of his 
uncle. Afterwards he went into the employ of another uncle at the 
princely sum of $1.30 per day. After a while this uncle promoted 
him to the superintendency of the mill. This was at Albion. When, 
at the age of twenty-seven, he left Albion he became agent of the 
Harris Lime Rock Company. IJy the time he had reached his 
thirtieth year, his capital had increased to $2,500. With this he 



WOONSOCKBT. 



H5 



came to Woonsocket and commenced the manufacture of satinets. 
From this time his business life was steadily successful, unb'I at his 
death he stood the foremost woolen manufacturer of the country. 
The Harris Mills include the property known as the "Privilege 
Mill." on Mill River, a branch of tlie Blackstone. and the mills on 




the Blackstone propur. near Main Street, in the business portion of 
the town. Three of these are woolen-mills and one a cotton-mill. It 
is said on reliable authoritj' that not an ounce of shoddy was ever 
used in Edward Harris" mills- 

The town is one t>f the busiest towns of its kind in the country-. 
In 1875, according to the State census, il had nine establishmenla 
for the manufacture of cotton goods, employing 2.350 persons, with 
a valuation of $2,283,500 ; six establishments for the manufacture of 
woolen goods, employing 1,611 persons, and witli an invested capital 
of $1,155,500. The factories are large, but the business is concen- 
trated within a more limited area than in any other localitj* in the 
State. 

The principal cotton-mills are those of tlie Clinton Manufactur- 
ing Company, ihe Enterprise Manufacturing Company, the Grotun 
Manufacturing Company, the Social Manufacturing Company, the 



PicTURESQjjE Rhode Island. 




146 

Woonsocket Company, the Hamlet Mills, the Woonsocket Mill, and 
the Woonsocket Yarn Company. 

Among the producers of woolen goods are the Harris Woolen 
Company, already mentioned, the Stafford Braid Company, the 

Lippitt Woolen 
Company, and the 
American Worsted 
Company, 

Woonsocket is 
cvtensively engaged 
in the production of 
machines for domes- 
tic uses, the leading 
makers in this line 
being the Bailey 
Wringing Machine 
Company, and the 
Relief Washing Ma- 
chine Company. 
Among the builders 
of various kinds of 
machinery we mention the Bailey Tool Company, the Hautin Sew- 
ing Machine Company, the Woonsocket Nail Company, the Woon- 
socket Machine Company, the Kendrick Loom Harness Company, 
H. Jeffrey & Co., H. C. Lazell, and the Woonsocket Rubber Com- 
pany, the last doing a large business in the manufacture of rubber 



m 



"^^tmm 



The records of the town would seem to indicate that the early 
inhabitants were not of a kind to whom church-going was a neces- 
sity-. Not until 17 18 does there seem to have been any facility for 
assembling together for worship, unless indeed some may have done 
so at private houses. In that year the Society of Friends began to 
hold services there, attracted by its accessibility, it being situated at 
a " Cross Roads." In the language of her historian, Richardson, 
" Woonsocket became, not so much from the piety of its inhabitants 
as from the natural advantages of its location, first a religious and 
afterwards an educational centre of the large territory now comprised 
within the counties of Worcester, Mass., and Providence, R. I." 
Among the early preachers of this sect was Elisha Thornton, of 
blessed memory. For more than a hundred years, in the whole 



WOONSOCKET, 



H7 



settlement of Woonsocket, there was no place of public worship 
except the Friends' Meeting-house. But the clang of the mill-bell 
was speedily followed by the peal of the church-bell. From 1832 to 
1834, inclusive, sprang up all the religious denominations to be 
found in Woonsocket to-day, viz. : Episcopalians, Baptists, Meth- 
odists, Congregationalists, Universalists, and Roman Catholics, all 
of whom own substantial church edifices. On the twelfth of May, 
of the present year, the old Friends' Meeting-house, at Bank Vil- 
lage, burned down. It was erected in 1775. 

The indifference of the early villagers to religious matters 
extended also to those of education. In the latter, as in the former, 
it was the Friends who undertook the initiative. They were the first 
to proclaim that the children of the poor ought to be "schooled," 
and to take measures for establishing a free school under their own 
auspices. Their zeal awoke that of the " world's people," and steps 
were taken to open a school free to all. This plan was defeated 
"by a vote of the ignorant backwoodsmen of Smithfield, many of 
whom were unable to write 
their names." In 1800-180 1 
Smithfield raised the sum of 
$2,200 for the support of 
tweHty-four schools. From 
which statement it may be 
inferred that time spent in 
discussing the free -school 
system of that region, of 
four-score years ago, is but 
wasted time. 

There were private 
schools, however, of a high 
grade of excellence. These 
were the Thornton Acad- 
emy, founded by the Qiiaker 
preacher, Elisha Thornton, 
which terminated its short 
but useful existence with 

the last century ; the Smithfield Academy, whose career ended In 
1853, and the Cumberland Academy, at Cumberland Hill. But 
private seminaries are only for the favored few, and the people at 
length awoke to the fact ^at if their children were to be educated 




148 PicTURESQyE Rhode Island. 

at all, It must be in the public schools. This was about the year 
1840. ''The system of education within the town has made a 
marked advancement since the introduction of public schools. The 
rude and often ill-constructed school-house has given place to the 
present fine and convenient buildings, furnished with all the modern 
appliances for the comfort and convenience of both teacher and 
pupil. These excellent institutions are presided over by competent 
and accomplished teachers, and the citizens of Woonsocket have just 
reason to be proud of their present educational interests." One is 
hardly willing to leave this subject without allusion to that good man, 
the Rev. John Boyeden, whose name is one of the earliest and longest 
upon its records, and whose- memory is held in veneration, not only 
in his own town, but throughout the length and breadth of the State. 

*' Aside from its public schools, the town enjoys the use of a 
magnificent building through the munificence of the late Edward 
Harris. Here the Woonsocket Lyceum holds its meetings, a public 
reading-room is daily visited, and a large and well-selected library 
is opened to all. A portion of this library was originally a district 
organization, and named in honor of its most liberal benefactor, Mr. 
Edward Carrington. This was afterwards annexed to a library 
founded and endowed by Edward Harris, and the whole now bears 
the name of the Harris Institute Library." 

Woonsocket, being located as has been said, ata " Cross Roads," 
has always been well connected with tlie world outside. In early 
times it lay upon the stage route from Providence to Worcester, and 
was also itself one terminus of a stage route to Boston. There were 
many notable taverns in those days, but these disappeared with the 
stages of which they were the consequences. The Providence and 
Worcester Railroad now passes through the town, and the New 
York and New England Railroad connects it with Boston. 

Woonsocket is finely located in the valley of its encircling hillsy 
from whose summits extensive prospects of the surrounding country 
are to be had. It is almost needless to say that the highest point 
of land in the State, Woonsocket Hill, is in this vicinity, although 
not belonging to the town of that name. The falls, from which 
the original village which forms the nucleus of the present town 
takes its name, are worth a visit. The river, as has been said, 
flows through the town. But there are geological indications that, 
ages ago, its bed was in the valley on the north side of the town, 
near the railroad. Workmen digging below the surface find great 



Smithfield and North Smithfihld. 



hollows in the rock, 
such as hiivc been 
worn by the falls in 
their descenl upon 
the rocks at iheir 
t'cct. The falls are 
in three different 
streams — the 
Biackstone ami its 
tributaries, the 
Mill, and ihe Pe- 
ters. The total fait 
..f the Blackstoiie 
is about thirtj'-onc 
feet: that of the 
Peters River is 
fift)--two feet: that 
of the Mill, sixty 
feet. This is in 
two falls, one of 
fcirty feet, which is 
used at the Harris 
Privilege, and the 
other of t%veiity feel, 
used at the Social. 

SMtTHi-iiiLD was 
one of the three 
towns into which 
the "outlands" of 
Providence were 
divided in the year 
1730. A wild coun- 
try it was then, 
with beasts of prev 
roaming through 
its forests and some- 
timcs carrying de- 
vastation to the 
homes ot the set- 



9^nH^?<^B^S^7^^^H 


r' â–  a . 


1 


'' '''W '^^ 


Hi''' 




f 



150 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



tiers. Along the banks of its streams and in the all-embracing 
forest were to be found the wigwams of the red men, who had not 
as yet entirely disappeared. No mill-dams impeded the course of 
the streams, forming dark, deep, and sluggish mill-ponds, over- 
flowing the low lands in their neighborhood ; but the waters flowed 
on in their original channels, overshadowed by dense woods, and 
undisturbed save by the chance passage of an Indian, a white man, 
or a wild animal of the forest. 

The original territory of Smithfield extended from what are now 
the northern boundaries of Johnston and North Providence to the Mas- 
sachusetts south line, on the west bounded by Glocester, and on the 
east and northeast by the Blackstone River. Within its limits were 
comprised the present towns of Lincoln, North Smithfield, Smithfield, 
and part of Woonsocket. The dismemberment took place March 8, 
187 1, and reduced the territory known by the name of Smithfield 
from seventy-three to twenty-seven square miles, and from a popula- 
tion in i860 of 13,283, to 2,605 ^^ 1870. The centres of population 
were in the town of Lincoln and in the portion set off* to Woon- 
socket. Accounts of those places have already been given under 
their respective heads. The present Smithfield is the southwestern 
portion of the original territory, and its population in 1880 was 
3.085. 

Smithfield is watered by the Woonasquatucket River, which flows 
through the town in a circuitous course. The country is diversified 
by hill and dale, and in many places the river flows between high, 
steep banks. From these elevations views of the river and the sur- 
rounding country may be had, which, while they are not grand, are 
still picturesque and pleasing. 

The water-power of the Woonasquatucket was first made avail- 
able early in the century to run saw and grist mills ; soon after, when 
the cotton manufacture had begun to spread, small cotton-factories 
sprang up along its banks. During the summer seasons great inco'n- 
venience was caused to these factories, and they were often obliged 
to stop, by reason of the scarcity of water. There was always an 
abundance in the spring, but the factories could only use a limited 
quantity, and the remainder, for their use at least, was entirely lost. 
The idea occurred to some wide-awake manufacturer that if this sur- 
plus water could be stored up, it would supply the deficiency in the 
summer. Accordingly, the Slack reservoir, covering 153 acreSi 
near the village of Greenville, was built in 1823. A corporation was 



SMI^fSEb AMD NORTU SMITHFmt" 



W**^!* ^' 



ibnned in iS;^. ami was chnru-ifil by the (ji^nural AsHt--mbly under 
the name of llie W.mnastjujiuicket River Cumpiiny. Id carry on the 
work of building rest'rv()irs for the storage of the surplus water. 
This was tlie first tnrporation chartcrt'd for this nhject in Rhode 
liiland, and it was also the pioneer in this work. Among the mem- 
bers of this corporation were Zachariah Allen. Philip Allen. Samuel 
G. Arnold. Thomas Thompson, and Samuel Xi^hiinjjale. The 
Sprague lower reservoir, of seventy acres, was built in 1827 ; the 
Sprague upper reservoir, of Iwenty-tive acres, in l8j6: and the 
Waterman reservoir, of 318 acres, in 1838. These reservoirs were 
formed by damming up the head waters of the river in low. marshy 
localities, and llie ponds thus formed have all the irregularity of 
(mtline that characterizes natural ponds. In the summer, by means 
r>f gloicp-gates, the water can be let down as it is needed. The cost 
(tfthis Work, which always included the price of the land overflowed 
by the reservoir, was assessed on the owners of the water-privileges 
along the river, in a ratable propyriion to the head of waler and 
the number of feet of fall they had. A fiftli reser\fiir was projected 
)1 number of years ago. but has nut been as yet completed. The 



152 PicTURESQyE Rhode Island. 



entire area covered by the four reservoirs is about 565 acres, and 
the average depth of water about ninety-two feet. 

The most important village in the town is Georgiaville, at 
which place are the cotton-factories of the Smithfield Manufacturing 
Company. Other small factories are those at AUenville, Stillwater, 
Greenville, Knight's Mills, Granite Mills, and Winsor Mills. In all 
these places the tenement-houses and the land in their vicinity are 
mostly owned by the proprietors of the factories. 

The Providence and Springfield Railroad runs through the centre 
of the town, along the banks of the river, and has been instrumental 
in developing the territory. In the north part of the town there is a 
station at the village of Smithfield, which serves as a centre for a 
large farming district. Smithfield ranks third among the towns in 
the State in the extent and importance of its milk business ; a con- 
siderable amount of farming is also carried on. 

The churches in the to>yn are as follows : a Baptist church at 
Greenville, a Freewill Baptist church at Georgiaville, at Allendale 
a free church which has no settled minister, but in which any 
Protestant clergyman is allowed to hold services ; the Central Union 
Church, at the extreme northern part of the State, a short distance 
north of the Providence and Douglas turnpike, which is x>n the same 
footing as the Allendale church ; and two Roman Catholic churches, 
St. Philip's and St. Michael's. 

North Smithfield is the northwestern portion of the original terri- 
tory of Smithfield. It is situated directly north of the town which 
retains the parent name. When it was incorporated, March 8, 1871, 
the name Slater was given to it, but sixteen days afterward its present 
name was bestowed upon it. Its history is comprised in that of 
Smithfield. The population of the town in 1875 ^^^ 2,797; in 
1880, 3,088. . 

The only stream of importance is the south branch of the Black- 
stone River, which flows through the northern part of the town. On 
this stream is the village of Slatersville, at which place Almy, Brown 
and Slater erected a cotton-factory in 1806. Two other mills were 
subsequently built here, and the three factories have at various times 
been enlarged or rebuilt, as occasion demanded. John Slater was 
associated with Samuel in these mills, and eventually these two 
bought out the other owners. The factories and village remain 
in the possession of the Slater family. The village has good educa- 
tional advantages, and a fine library. Forestdale, about two miles 



BURRILLVILLE. IS3 



below Slatersville, has two cotton-factories, and at Waterford is the 
mill of the Union Worsted Company, which is partly in Massa- 
chusetts. 

The Providence and Springfield Railroad runs across the south- 
west corner of the town, and has a station at Primrose, which is the 
railroad centre for a farming district. The country is in general 
undulating, and from the hills many fine landscape views may be 
had. In some parts the land is rocky, and quantities of coarse gran- 
ite are quarried. 

BuRRiLLViLLE. — All Rhode Island revolves around Providence. 
To the native of the soil Providence is " the city " without qualifica- 
tion or reserve. Indeed, some one, in a fit of ill-temper bom of 
political disappointment, has gone so far as to bring railing accusa- 
tion against the State by saying that Providence is Rhode Island. 
However this may or may not be politically, it was for generations 
half of the State, extending to the borders of Massachusetts. A 
great extent of territory, when it contains but few or no inhabitants, 
is easily controlled by the centre of government. When Roger 
Williams commenced this colony, whose first settlement was at the 
head of Narragansett Bay, he sent out commissioners to consider 
the matter of organizing three towns at the north. They, convinced 
that no one would ever wish to settle in this uninviting wilderness, 
made report to that etfect. Common experience has proved that it 
is quite impossible to answer for the actions of others, especially for 
those of generations yet unborn. Settlers did go out into this wil- 
derness, and hew down trees, and build houses, and increase and 
multiply, until, in 1730, the colony of Providence had become so 
unwieldy, and the management of its affairs so burdensome, that it 
was found necessary to erect the three new towns which a hundred 
years before existed in the imagination only of Roger Williams. 

These were the towns of Smithfield, Glocester, and Scituate. In 
time, the population of Glocester increased to such an extent, and the 
dwellers in the northern part found it so inconvenient to go to Che- 
pachet to town-meeting, that the town was divided by an east and 
west line into two. In this way, in the year 1806, Burrillville began 
its corporate existence. Its location is that of the most northwestern 
town of the State, bordering upon Connecticut and Massachusetts. 
It covers an area of some sixty miles, its surface diversified by craggy 
hills and smiling vales, by quiet lakes and sparkling rills, and dotted 



154 PicTUREsoys Rhode Island. 

by trim and thriving villages, and old-fashioned and not always trim 
farm-houses clinging to the rough and rocky soil ; and over all, the 
solemn forests keep perpetual watch. 

The town received its name from the Hon. James Burrill, at that 
time attorney-general of the State of Rhode Island. Mr. Burrill 
was a native of Providence, having been bom there in 1772. He 
was graduated at Brown .University in 1788, and immediately com- 
menced the study of law. So rapid was his acquirement of the neces- 
sary knowledge, that before he reached his majority he was admitted 
to the bar. While still a young man, he stood at the head of his pro- 
fession in the State. For seventeen years he held the office of 
attorney-general of Rhode Island. He was speaker of the House 
of Representatives from 1814 to 1816. In the latter year he was 
appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court, and in the following 
year the General Assembly elected him to the Senate of the United 
States. Here he served faithfully the interests of the State until his 
death, which occurred on Christmas day in the year 1820. As a 
token of his appreciation of the honor done to him, he presented the 
new town with a set of record-books. 

Burrillville, like most places, has its traditions. Wild tales of 
Indian warfare, of desolate hearth-stones, of blackened ruins of once 
happy homes, may still be heard, — stories of the giant strength of 
far back ancestors — of a huge skeleton unearthed (this, however, 
in quite modern times), of spells and incantations, of haunted houses 
and ghostly miners. 

In early days the town was rich in animal life, a fact which has 
been perpetuated in the nomenclature of many of its hills and waters, 
which names, if not always romantic, are certainly suggestive. Eagle 
Peak tells of the time when that kingly bird had his haunts there ; 
Buck Hill, of the deer which bounded through the forests; Wolf 
Hill, of those fierce creatures whose howl strikes terror into the 
stoutest heart ; Herring Pond, of the delicious fish which once 
haunted its waters ; Pascoag, of the snakes which made, and still 
make, their fastness of the rocky ledge of that name. 

Away up in the northwestern part of the town, at the foot of the 
range of hills which crosses that part of the State, lies Wallum Lake, 
a charming sheet of water, with long, deep coves, where fish love to 
resort, shadowed by grand, centuries-old trees, and boasting of 
a beach, hard and white, and so safe that the most timid bather need 
feel no alarm. This lake is the source of a river of some impor- 




tancc, the Clear, which " winds about, and in and out." thrcmgli busy 
villages and lonely roads, until, tiigether with the Chcpachet. it loses 
its identity in the Branch, which finally pours its accumulated waters 
into the Blackstone. 

The most extensive forest in this State is a part of this town — a 
forest covering 6,000 acres of land, and full of the charm of bird and 
leaf and flower, of towering trunk and spreading branch. A clear- 
ing upon the summit, near the Connecticut line, gives a wide view 
of the surrounding countrj-. 

In the Buck Hill Woods, on the edge of Round Pond, is a cave, 
which, although not remarkable in itself, derives interest from the 
fact that it was at one time the hiding-place of a gang of counter- 
feiters who plied their nefarious trade here- Arrests were made, 
and a suit commenced, but for some unexplained reason proceedings 
lagged, and the lame goddess became so exceedingly lame that she 
never fairly overtook the offenders. 

A singular cave, sometimes called "Cooper's Den," sometimes 
" Forger's Cave." is one of the curiosities of the town. It is situ- 
ated on the road leading from Glcndalc to the old Stephen Cooper 
hnuse. Al the entrance of the wood is a craggy ledge of rock, tlie 
highest in the town. Half-way up the steep cliff is a narrow open- 



156 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

ing, through which one can crawl. It is the entrance to an irregular 
room, thirty feet by eight, and twelve feet high. It is an eerie place, 
with its torn and convulsed rocks, looking as if they might fall at 
any moment, and stirring up the imagination to picture all kinds of 
frightful forms in their startling outlines. 

Burrillville is not as rich in history^ as many of the older towns ol 
the State. Among the early honorable names of the town are those 
of John Smith, the first pioneer, and Edward Salsbury, who served 
in the French War and helped build Fort Stanwix. But the best part 
of its history is to be read in its thriving villages, clustering around 
its solid and sometimes imposing mills, and in the record of those 
men who have attested by their energ}*^ and means that " Peace hath 
her victories no less than war." The most important industry is the 
manufacture of woolen cloths. Several mills which were built for 
other purposes have been torn down, and new ones have been erected 
for this branch of manufactures. The Glendale Mill was originally 
a saw and grist-mill. After the property passed into the hands oC 
Mr. Anthony Steere, he built a cotton-mill on the site, which shortly 
after burned down. Before it was completely rebuilt it was bought 
by Mr. Lyman Copeland, who converted it into a woolen-mill. The 
Clear River Woolen Mills began their career as iron-mills. The 
Harrisville, Mapleville, Oakland, and Fisk, Sayles & Co.'s mills, are 
all woolen-mills. Spindles and machinery are also made in the 
town. Without its mills, Burrillville would be still comparatively a 
desert place. Its soil is thin and poor, much of its surface is stony. 
There are large extents of marsh which could be made available 
only by a severe course of draining. The farmers generally do not 
keep pace with the times, but cling to the old-fashioned implements 
of their forefathers. With such unfavorable prospects for agricul- 
tural prosperity, and with a good supply of water, naturally the 
inhabitants turned their attention to manufactures. The first mill 
was built on the Tar Kiln River in 1810, by Solomon Smith, for a 
Mr. Thurber, of Providence. The machinery was of the simplest, 
but very durable, and as it was run many years, it probably did its 
work satisfactorily. This was the beginning of that great manufac* 
turing interest which has since spread over the length and breadth 
of the town. 

The dwellers in Burrillville take pride in the fact that the first 

m 

Freewill Baptist Church in the State was organized within their 
limits. It is in the village of Pascoag. There is an Episcopal 





^^^^^^^^^^^^H 




^^^^H 




^^^^^^^H 




Bi'RRn,t,viLLR. 157 


â–  


1 


hurch in HarrisvUle, whicli was built in 1857, under iIk- auspices â–¡ 
iL* Rev. Dr. Eames, afterwards of ihe diucese of New Hampshire, 
nd who died a few years since on ihc paasage to Bermuda, whither 
e was going for his health. Besides these, there are the Methodist 
Episcopal ChurcK at Laurel Hill, which dates from 1847, the Berean 
lapiist Church, organized as lately as 1874, the Societ}- of Friends, 
vhich held meetings as early as 1783, and the Roman Calholit. 
Jhiirch of St. Putritk, at HarrisviUe. instituted about the year 1S56 
The ManUin Library, at Pascoag, is iin institution of the town iha 
veil deserves mention. 


j 


1 


* VI.- I>l P»..n.a 


J 




CHAPTER VII. 




GLOCESTER— THE TORY EXILES -THE DORR WAR. FOSTER — THEODORE FOSTER 
AND SOLOMON DROWNE. SCITUATE-COMMODORE HOPKINS- 
STEPHEN HOPKINS. JOHNSTON — LOTTERiES. CRANSTON —THE 
PA WTU.tET — STATE INSTITUTIONS. 



^HE town of Glocester constitutes a part of that terri- 
tory of which Roger Williams' commissioners thought 
with such scorn, when, in the early days of these 
settlements, he sent them up the Woonasquatucket to 
examine the country and report upon the advisability 
of constructing three new towns north of Providence. 
The impression that the region was a howling wil- 
derness, and the soil worthless for cultivation pre- 
vailed for a long time. But at length a few daring 
spirits, feeling themselves crowded, perhaps, in the 
fast growing colony of Providence (like the western man when 
a neighbor settled within twenty miles of him), ventured into this 
unknown and hitherto despised region, and actually began a set- 
tlement in 1706. Among them was a Frenchman named Abram 
Tourtelotte, who made for himself a home about a mile south of 
Acote's Hill. He was the grandson of Gabriel Bernon, in honor of 
whom the Bernon Mill at Woonsocket was named. The forests were 
found to yield excellent timber, the virgin soil proved abundantly pro- 
ductive, and water was plentiful. Owing either to the ignorance of 
the primitive settlers, or to their practice of a false economy, or both. 
the soil was soon exhausted by constant cropping without renewing ; 
the inhabitants consequently turned their attention to manufactures. 
There are numerous ponds within the limits of the town, three of 
which, Ponegansett, Smith and Sayles', and Woonasquatucket, are 



Glocester. 159 



known as reservoirs. The largest natural body of water is Keech's 
Pond, near Smith and Sayles' reservoir. The most important stream 
is the Chepachet, a tributary of the Blackstone, upon which is situ- 
ated the village of Chepachet, the business centre of the town. 

It is interesting to note how long the idea prevailed that Gloces- 
ter was far from being a desirable residence. In the early days of 
the Revolution it was thought necessary to exile from their home in 
Newport, certain loyalists whose presence was naturally obnoxious 
to the patriots of that town. The Colonial Assembly therefore 
passed an act in June, 1776, banishing Thomas Vernon, Richard 
Beale, John Nichols, and Nicholas Lechmere to the town of Glo- 
cester. The act states that these gentlemen, ** having been examined 
before the Assembly, refused to subscribe to the Test ordered by the 
Assembly to be tendered to suspected persons, and that while they 
continued in the principles avowed by them before the Assembly, 
they were justly deemed unfriendly to the United Colonies." 

The long journey from Newport to Glocester — for it was long in 
those days — consumed one day and part of another. The exiles left 
Newport at four o'clock in the afternoon of June 20, 1776, in the boat 
of one William Green, and arrived in East Greenwich at seven in the 
evening. The sheriff of Newport County and his deputy who accom- 
panied them, together with the prisoners, spent the night at the house 
of Mr. Arnold. The next morning, with much difficulty, a negro 
obtained for their transfer to the wilds of Glocester, '* an old crazy 
chaise with a very bad horse & two led horses quite as indifferent." 
In this way they arrived at Glocester at night, muqji fatigued, having 
ridden through a ''very Rocky Country." That night they lodged 
at a public house, whose host was a man " very moderate in his senti- 
ments," from which we infer that his patriotism was not rampant. 
The next day, having refused to give their parole, the liberty of the 
town was denied them, and they were placed ajt the house of Mr. 
Stephen Keetche to await further orders. 

Life here passed quietly enough, after the gayety of Newport. 
The party, sustained by the consciousness that they were suffering 
for the sake of a principle, were disposed to make the best of their 
fate. The farm upon which they were, consisted of five hundred 
acres, only one hundred of which were under cultivation. The fam- 
ily were friendly, and Mr. Vernon, upon whose diary we depend for 
a knowledge of this curious passage of Glocester history, seems to 
have been a cheerful man, with a keen sense of humor. Daily life 



l6o PlCTURESQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 



commenced at four o'clock in the morning, and ended early at night, 
ten o'clock being regarded as a rather dissipated hour. The various 
dishes for breakfast, dinner, and tea are chronicled day by day by 
Mr. Vernon, with the minuteness of one whose time hangs heavy on 
his hands. The taking down of a vane is an event, a quiet game of 
whist an excitement. Frequent messages to Providence, the result 
of which was rum, lemons, and sugar, over which, when mixed in 
due proportion, they " remembered their Newport friends,** consti- 
tute a part of this diary. One item reads oddly in these days, when 
one feels himself in a benighted region unless he has access to 
two or three daily papers. ** Sunday, Aug. ii. Our Landlord this 
A. M. early sent his youngest son (as he always does on Sunday), 
about a mile for the Providence newspaper, and the whole forenoon 
is generally spent in perusing it, and this afternoon in hearing Mr. 
Johnson read it, such is the fondness of people for news." Mr. Ver- 
non states that the inhabitants of the town belonged to the religious 
sect called the New Light Baptists, and says that they had ** preach- 
ers and Exhortors innumberable." Notwithstanding which, and that 
they made great pretensions to religion, they were not a church-going 
people. During the month of August, Mr. Keetche took steps to 
lay his account for the board of his prisoners before the State Legis- 
lature, which was quite unjust, as most of the food which they had 
eaten at his table had been sent them by Newport friends, and had 
been shared with the family. Whether these Tories had during their 
sojourn rendered themselves actively obnoxious, or whether the 
increasing earnestness of the patriots as the war progressed pro- 
duced the same effect, there is no means of knowing. But it is a fact 
that by September, the people of Glocester would no longer receive 
them into their homes, and the governor of the State could give no 
farther directions for their bestowal. So, without any very elaborate 
ceremony, they took leave of the place of their captivity, and started, 
some for Providence, and the rest, Vernon being one of these, for 
Newport. The latter party took the Scituate road, and arrived, tired, 
hungr}% and drenched, at East Greenwich at nine in the evening. 
After a while, the whole party were bestowed in safe places, and their 
\)anishment ended. 

Shay's Rebellion, which was brought about partly by suffering 
caused by heavy taxes, and partly by the selfishness and folly of a 
party calling themselves "Reformation men," who would neither 
fight nor pay taxes had its origin here. The disaffection towards 



Glocester. i6i 

State authority spread into Massachusetts, whither the rebellion 
betook itself bodily, and flourished until finally suppressed by the 
State troops- The dissatisfaction with political duties and privileges 
only slumbered, however, and two generations later broke out in 
that remarkable event of Rhode Island history, the Dorr War. 
This " tempest in a teapot," which shook the State well-nigh from 
her foundations, culminated in Chepachet, the most important village 
of the town of Glocester. 

From its earliest history, Rhode Island, although nominally a 
democracy, had placed certain healthful restrictions upon the right 
of suffrage. That one which limited the right of suffrage to the 
owner of a freehold worth, at least, $134. was held in especial abhor- 
rence by those who possessed no such freehold. The right of the 
oldest son of such a freeholder to vote was also regarded with great 
disfavor. Statistics added their share to the general dissatisfaction. 
Of the seventy-two representatives chosen in 1840, thirty-eight were 
elected by towns having an aggregate population of 29,020 and less 
than 3,000 voters, and the remaining thirty-four by towns whose 
population numbered 79,804, and whose voters were nearly 6,000. 
Providence, which had greatly outgrown her former rival, Newport, 
sent to the Council of the State but four representatives, while New- 
port sent six. The irritation and bitterness engendered by this state 
of affairs had been increasing and gaining strength for years. 
Appeals to the General Assembly for a change in the constitution to 
meet the difficulty had produced no result, and at length an appeal 
was made directly to the people. Meetings were held during the 
last part of 1840 and the first part of 1841. Political leaders on the 
side of free suffrage left no means untried for inflaming the public 
mind, and so well did they succeed, that on the 5th of July, 1841, a 
mass-meeting was held in Providence, and the State Committee was 
instructed to call a convention for the formation of a constitution 
which should represent their views. This convention, composed of 
delegates duly elected, met on the 4th of October, framed a consti- 
tution, and promulgated it as the " People's Constitution." Under 
this instrument, those of the people whose will it expressed elected 
Thomas Wilson Dorr, of Providence, governor, April 18, 1842. At 
the same time the " Law and Order" parly, with the old and tried 
constitution of the State at their back, elected Samuel Ward King 
governor. As soon as the new government attempted to test its 
power by performing executive functions, it found itself confronted 



Foster. 163 

by the old, and that either a collision or a peaceable abdication must 
follow. But the **Dorrites" were honest in the belief that they 
should accomplish the thing which they desired, and, inflamed by the 
eloquence of their leaders, they were incapable of perceiving that 
they were not taking the right and effectual way of doing it. They 
therefore girded themselves for a conflict. On the 3d of May 
Governor Dorr made an attempt to displace Governor King, which 
failed. On the eighteenth his party made an abortive attempt to 
capture the Arsenal. The insurgents then began to retreat north- 
ward until, on the 25th of June, they had concentrated and made a 
stand at Chepachet. Here the valiant troops remained, displaying 
the greatest bravery, so long as no enemy was in sight. But as soon 
as the State troops, augmented by volunteers from the various towns 
of the State appeared, they became suddenly impressed with the 
majesty of the law, and rather than defy it by actual bloodshed 
turned and fled in dismay. Three days after, the insurrection was a 
thing of the past, and the insurgents had metaphorically beaten their 
swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. 
Dorr himself was taken, tried and sentenced to be imprisoned for 
life. The rigor of his sentence was soon abated, and in 1847, by an 
act of general amnesty, he was set free, and in 185 1 was restored to 
his rights as a citizen. 

Foster is a farming town, situated on the western border of the 
State, fifteen miles from Providence. Its area is fifty square miles. 
The surface is rugged and hilly, and much of the land stony, rough, 
hard to cultivate, and unproductive. Some of the best farming land 
in the State is, however, to be found within its borders. In 1820, 
the population was 2,900, — the largest number in the town's history ; 
by the census of 1880, it was 1 1S52. Foster was taken from Scituate, 
and was incorporated as a separate town August 24, 1781. It was 
named after the Hon. Theodore Foster, then a United States Senator 
from this State. 

The materials for romance are meagre in the life of a community 
like this. The early settlers had, no doubt, their adventures with 
the Indians, and the usual number of hair-breadth escapes. As the 
years passed slowly on, bringing exemption from the attacks of sav- 
age foes and deliverance from the control of the mother country, the 
lives of the inhabitants became monotonous and uneventful. In such 
isolated places the New England speech, embalmed by Lowell in 



164 PicTURESQjJE Rhode Island. 

the Biglow Pafers^ flourished with remarkabfe vigor. A certain 
shrewdness of character and an unusual physical pluck was devel- 
oped, which made these farming towns the fountains from which 
were drawn the energetic business men of the cities. 

The first settlement in Foster, according to tradition, was made in 
the year 171 7, by Ezekiel Hopkins, whose descendants are at present 
numerous in the town. A large tract of land called West Quanaug 
was early purchased from the Indians by William Vaughan, Zacha- 
riah Rhodes, and Robert Westcott. A number of the prominent men 
of Newport were afterward associated with the original purchasers. 
The time of the settlement of this purchase is not definitely known, 
but it was no doubt occupied soon after its acquisition. The How- 
ards, who settled here very early, have always been a prominent 
family in the town. The Hon. Daniel Howard, lately deceased, was 
a man of influence in town s^flTairs. He was conversant with its early 
history, and was for many years town clerk. He was also judge of 
the Court of Common Pleas. 

An episode in the history of the town, though only a personal one, 
is well worth mention. A short time before the war of the Revolu- 
tion two young men, Theodore Foster and Solomon Drowne, were 
students in the Rhode Island College. They were close friends and 
inseparable companions, having all things in common, and confiding 
each to the other his inmost thoughts. One of their youthful dreams 
was that sometime in the future they would withdraw from the haunts 
of men, to a *' lodge in some vast wilderness," where they might have 
the unrestrained pleasure of each other's society, and might engage 
in the pursuits of literature, art, and science. For many years they 
were prevented by circumstances from carrying their project into 
execution, but never gave up the idea. 

Foster engaged in public life. He was town clerk of Providence 
for tvvelve years, and United States Senator from 1790 to 1803. 
Drowne became a physician, served in the Revolutionary War, trav- 
eled and studied in foreign countries, and was a pioneer in the settle- 
ment of the West. He was celebrated as a botanist, and for many 
years taught that science in Brown University. For a quarter of a 
century the friends had only occasional and hurried meetings. At 
length, in the year 1800, they were able to take steps to bring about 
the accomplishment of their long cherished design. Foster was inter- 
ested in the town which had taken his name, and wished to live within 
its borders. In connection with Drowne he purchased a farm in an 



SciTUATE. 165 

elevated and eligible situation. They named the place " Mount 
Hygeia, after the goddess of health, of the Greek mythology. Here, 
with their families, they took up their abode, Drowne in 1801, and 
Foster in 1803, at the close of his senatorial career, surrounded by 
such comforts as the time and their means afforded. They com- 
muned together, as in their boyhood they had planned, writing verses 
full of classical allusions, as was the fashion of the age, and engag- 
ing in their favorite studies. To spots on their farm and in its neigh- 
borhood they gave classical names. While enjoying their " learned 
leisure" they found time to advance the interests of the town. 
Principally through Fosters means, a bank and a library were estab- 
lished, and a road from Providence to Hartford was built. The por- 
tion of the road which passed through Foster's farm was made of 
great width, and was named by him the " Appian Way." 

Within the limits of Foster are the head waters of the north 
branch of the Pawtuxet River, besides various other small streams. 
There are many good sites for small factories, but the distance 
inland, combined with the small available water-prower, render them 
of comparatively little value. 

SciTUATE. — The lands granted to Roger Williams and his asso- 
ciates, when they first settled in Providence, were extensive tracts 
whose bounds were not accurately defined. As the original settle- 
ment increased, portions of the outlying territory were occupied as 
farms by pioneers. In time, these farming districts, because of their 
remoteness from Providence, were formed into separate towns as their 
situation and wants required. Scituate was one of the towns so 
formed. It was incorporated Feb. 20. 1730-31. At that time an act 
was passed " for erecting and incorporating the outlands of the town 
of Providence into three towns." The two other towns were Gloces- 
ter and Smithfield. 

Judging from the following verses, by Stephen Hopkins", the first 
settlers in this region must have been in a sad plight. There is a 
possibility, however, that reference is made to individuals striving to 
make a house in the forest to which afterwards they could bring their 
families. No doubt in all the early settlements were many pioneers 
who had, in their first essays to conquer the wilderness, undergone 
hardships equal to those depicted here ; 



1 66 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

No orchard yielding pleasant fruit, 

Or laboring ox, or useful plow ; 
Nor neighing steed, or browsing goat, 

Or grunting swine, or feedful cow. 

No friend to help, no neighbor nigh. 

Nor healing medicine to relieve; 
No mother's hand to close the eye. 

Alone, forlorn, and most extremely poor." 

Emigrants with more means soon followed. In 1710 some 
arrived from Scituate, Mass., and through their agency when the 
town was incorporated it was named after their old home. 

The first settler is supposed to have been John Mathewson. He 
built a hut near Moswansicut Pond. The nearest trading town was 
Boston, to which he made journeys occasionally. Each of these trips 
occupied a number of days, and the traveler generally stopped at all 
the houses on the route. The roads were only paths through the 
woods. On one of these expeditions Mathewson proposed marriage 
to a Miss Malary, whose acquaintance he had made during some of 
his preceding journeys. She assented to his proposal, and the pair 
were married. Soon after his marriage Mr. Mathewson built a house 
at some distance from his hut, and in this house his children were 
bom. John, one of his sons, was the direct ancestor of the Hon. 
Elisha Mathewson, at one time United States Senator from this 
State. Others of that name settled in the neighborhood of the pond. 

In 1775 James Aldrich removed from Smithfield to Scituate. 
After the Revolution he was active in local politics, and represented 
the town for nineteen consecutive years in the General Assembly. 
His house was a rendezvous for prominent men in the town and 
State. Here, at times, Elisha Mathewson, John Harris, Col. Ephraim 
Bowers, and others were welcome guests. Gov. Arthur Fenner fre- 
quently came down from Providence to visit Mr. Aldrich and enjoy 
the hunting to be had in the neighborhood. '* Political, as well as 
social and hunting propensities doubtless mingled in these expedi- 
tions, for Mr. James Aldrich and his friend, Elisha Mathewson, 
were said to control the votes of Scituate, and the people loved to see 
a governor among them in such a free and easy spirit and costume, 
and gladly gave him the favor of their votes." 

Gideon Harris, who died in 1777, was a noted man in the town. 
For many years he was town clerk. His disposition was benevolent, 
and having property and influence, he used both to a good purpose in 
benefiting his neighbors. Those who were in distress were sure of 



167 




his counsel and assistance as soon as they made their necessities 
known to him. 

About the year 1703, Joseph Wilkinson moved from Providence 
into the north part of Scituate. then known by the Indian name of 
Chapumishcock. He was a sur\'ej'or, and his services were always 
in great demand. Mr. Beaman, in his Historical Sketch of the town, 
relates the following anecdote of Mr. Wilkinson's wife : " Her hus- 
band being absent at work some two miles off, she discovered a bear 
upon a sweet apple tree, shaking off the fruit that he might devour it 
on the ground. As it was the only tree of the kind they had, and 
highly valued. Mrs. Wilkinson not a little regretted the absence of 
her husband, whose gun, kept loaded for such emergencies, was in 
its place on the pegs at the side of the wall. The apples continued to 
fall and rattle on the ground, and there was no other help at hand but 
the gun, which Martha, in a fit of desperation took into her hands, 
and going out of the door which stood open, she took aim and fired. 
Dropping the gun on the ground immediately ai^er the discharge, 
alarmed and trembling at what she had done, she ran back into the 
house and shut the door, afraid to look back and see the effect of her 
shot. When Mr. Wilkinson returned home, he found the bear dead 
on the ground, so that his faithful and resolute wife had not only 



PiCTUREsoyE Rhode Island. 



saved the cherished apples, but had secured some good meat as a 
supply." 

In 1765. or thereabout, William Hopkins, whose wife was a sis- 
ter of Joseph Wilkinson, settled near him. Two of his sons, Stephen 
and !Esek, acquired national reputations. Esek, the younger of 
the two, was born in Scituate in the year 1718. In his youth he 
became a sailor, and very soon rose to the command of a vessel. On 
the 22d of December. 1775, he was appointed bj^ the Continental Con- â–  
gress " commander-in-chief" of the American naval forces. He was 
thereafter commonly known by the title of commodore, though 
Washington addressed him as admiral. In February, 1776. with four 
ships and three sloops, he sailed from the Bahama Islands and cap- 
tured the forts at New Providence. The ammunition and stores 
obtained here were of great advantage to the patriot cause. The 
squadron on the return voyage captured two small British vessels, for 
which exploit Commodore Hopkins was officially complimented. 
Two days after, three of the vessels, having engaged the '• Glasgow." 
a vessel of twenty-nine guns, were repulsed, and the British vessel 
escaped. For this affair the commodore was censured, and was 
shortly afterwards brought to trial on this and other charges, but was 
defended by John Adams, and acquitted. Commodore Hopkins 
found many difficulties in organizing a navy. Neglecting to obey a 
citation summoning him to appear at Philadelphia, to answer charges 
preferred against him. he was dismissed the service Jan. 2, 1777. 
He was subsequently engaged in private armed vessels, and after the 
war was for many years a member of_the General Assembly. He 
died Feb. 26, 1802. John Paul Jones, afteru'ards famous as a 
naval commander, was one of Commodore Hopkins' first lieutenants 
during the expedition that resulted in the capture of* the forts at New 
Providence. 

Stephen Hopkins became much more celebrated than his brother. 
He was born on the 7th of March, 1707, O. S. ; of his early educa- 
tion absolutely nothing is known. At the age of nineteen he mar- 
ried. He engaged in business as a surveyor, and was noted for the 
accuracy of his work. When Scituate was incorporated, in 1730, Mr. 
Hopkins, though onl}' twenty-three years of age, was elected its first 
moderator. In 1731 he became town clerk, and the 3-ear following 
was elected to the General Assembly; of this body he remained a 
member for .some j'ears. From this time forth he was engaged in 
various pubUc duties as a town officer, judge and surveyor. In 1742 . 



Johnston. 169 

he removed to Providence, where he continued to reside until his 
death on the 13th of July, 1785. During the forty-three years of his 
residence in Providence, Stephen Hopkins held very many public 
offices. He was often elected to the General Assembly ; was 
chosen speaker of the House a number of times, and was for 
ten years chief justice of the Superior Court. In 1754 ^^ ^^^ ^^^ 
of the commissioners to the Albany Convention, and in 1755 was 
elected governor of the Colony. ** From 1755 to 1768 the great, 
political war known as the Ward and Hopkins controversy raged 
with violence. Of these thirteen exciting political years, Governor 
Hopkins held the office of governor nine years." In literary and 
educational matters, Governor Hopkins was quick to act. His name 
stands first among the incorporators of Rhode Island College (now 
Brown University) ; and it also heads the list on the petition for a 
charter for the Providence Library Company. In 1774 both Ward 
and Hopkins were elected members of the Continental Congress. 
Ward died just previous to the Declaration of Independence ; Hop- 
kins was one of the signers of that famous document. 

Governor Hopkins was the author of a famous tract entitled TAe 
Rights of the Colonies Examined^ which was one of the most impor- 
tant of the revolutionary writings. During his controversy with Gov- 
ernor Ward he published in his own defence A True Representation 
of the proceedings of the convention at Albany in regard to the plan 
for a union of the colonies. Other literary fragments by him remain, 
principal among which are the preliminary chapters of a history of 
the town of Providence, first printed in the Providence Gazette. 
In 1767 he assisted the astronomer, West, in liis observation of the 
transit of Venus. 

In a recently published historical tract the writer calls Stephen 
Hopkins "the ablest man of his time within her (Rhode Island) 
borders." With slight opportunities for early education, he steadily 
worked his way by the force of his own genius to a position of emi- 
nence. His knowledge of the needs of the community in which he 
lived, his interest in science and education, his grasp of the great 
principles upon which government is based, and his fearless and 
devoted patriotism at critical times, all render him an object of 
admiration, a patriot of whom not only Rhode Island, but the whole 
nation, may be proud. 

John Adams says of Stephen Hopkins : '*The pleasantest part of 
,my labors for the four years I spent in Congress, from 1774 to 1778, 

aa 



/ 



lyo PicTUREsqyE Rhode Island. 

was in the naval committee. Mr. Lee and Mr. Gadsden were sensi- 
ble men, and very cheerful, but Governor Hopkins, of Rhode Island, 
above seventy years of age, kept us all alive. Upon business, his 
experience and judgment were very useful. But when the business 
of the evening was over, he kept us in conversation till 1 1 and some- 
times 12 o'clock. His custom was to drink nothing all day until 8 in 
the evening, and then his beverage was Jamaica spirits and water. 
It gave him wit, humor, anecdotes, science, and learning. He had 
read Greek, Roman, and British history, and was familiar with Eng- 
lish poetry, particularly Pope, Thompson, and Milton ; and the flow 
of his soul made all his reading our own, and seemed to bring up 
recollections in all of us of all we had ever read. I could neither eat 
nor drink in those days; the other gentlemen were very temperate. 
Hopkins never drank to excess, but all he drank was immediately 
not only converted into wit, sense, knowledge, and good humor, but 
inspired us with similar qualities." 

In the days before the advent of railroads the wayside inns were 
notable places. The old Angell tavern in Scituate was a well-known 
hostelrj^ It was built before the incorporation of the town. In its 
rooms the town-meetings were held ; the weary traveler here found 
rest and refreshment, and entertainment also, if he chose to take it. 
Here would the local worthies congregate to discuss the politics of 
the day, and sometimes the young men and maidens of the town 
would assemble in the old house for a dance. General Washington 
was at one time a guest, and Lafayette, on his march through the 
town during the war of the Revolution, lodged in the tavern. 

The people of Scituate are mostly engaged in farming. Through 
the southern part of the town flow two small streams, which on unit- 
ing form the north branch of the Pawtuxet River. The water- 
power, though small, is well used. There are in the town ten or 
twelve cotton-mills, besides various other establishments. Hope 
Village, the terminus of the Pawtuxet Valley Railroad, is in the south- 
eastern part of Scituate. on the Pawtuxet River. In the early days 
there was a furnace located here, at which the ore obtained from the 
Cranston " ore-bed" was worked. 

The local history of the town of Johxston, because of its prox- 
imity, is so interwoven with that of Providence, that it is difficult to 
separate the one from the other. Until shortly before the Revolu- 
tion it was a part of Providence. The inhabitants of this westera 



Joir.NSTO.N, 171 

part found h mconvL-nieiit to attend the tuwn-mtiu^ngs. and a luovc- 
mu nt tu erect .1 separate luwn was made. 

The petition for a di^'ision represented that within the limits of 
Providence there were *• upwards of four himdred frei^men, part of 




whom live ten miles from the place where the town-meetings are 
UAually hiilden and the prudential affairs of said town are transacted; 
and that, when met, they ar« very much crowded, to the great hin- 
drance of bustnens, which being inconvenienl, they pray to be set otl", 
made and created into a distinct township." The new town was incor- 
porated March 6, 1759, and named in honor of the Mon. Augustus 
Johnston, then the attorney-general of the Colt>ny. The population 
in iSWo was 5.765. Agriculture is the principal occupation of the 
bihabitants. the nearness nf the city aflbrding a good market for all 
kinds of garden produce and vegetables. Some manufactures arc 
carried on along the banks of the Woonasquatuckct River, which 
divides the town from Prnvidence. Tliese are mainly cotton and 
woolen mills in Olneyville, Merino, and Simmonsville. 

In the deed conveying the original grant of land from the Indian 



172 PlCTURESQUK K.UODE ISLAND. 

chieftains, Canonicus and Miantonomi, to Roger Williams, one of the 
bounds of the grant is *' the great hill of Neutaconkanut." This hill 
is also mentioned in a subsequent deed executed by Roger Williams 
to the other purchasers. There is no doubt that the hill mentioned 
is the one known at present in the town of Johnston by the same 
name. From its summit a fine view may be obtained of the city 
of Providence, and of the valley of the Woonasqautucket River. 

In the colonial days lotteries were allowed by the Legislature for 
the purpose of raising money for nearly all objects. The General 
Assembly in the j'ear 1761 passed the following grant; " Whereas, 
several of the inhabitants of the town of Johnston preferred a petition 
and represented unto this Assembly that there is no meeting-house in 
said town ; that Daniel Manton will give an acre of land near Ben- 
jamin Belknap, whereon to set a meeting-house ; that the circum- 
stances of said town are low, and, therefore, pray that a lottery might 
be granted to them to raise money sufficient to build a meeting-house 
for public worship, free to tlie Baptist Society' of the Ancient Order, 
in the said place, of the dimensions of forty feet long and thirty feet 
wide." This lottery was granted, and from it was realized almost 
money enough to build the church. The remainder w.is obtained 
by a second lottery. 

Both before and after the Revolution it was customary through- 
out New England for towns having no work-houses to let out their 
paupers to the lowest bidders. A town being obliged to support the 
poor wished to do it as cheaplj' as possible, and the person who 
would support a pauper for the smallest sum paid out of the town 
treasur}-, would have that opportunity. The paupers were sold at 
public auction, and the treatment they received imder this arrange- 
ment depended entirely upon the character of their purchaser. In 
some instances individuals were treated with great harshness. There 
was, perhaps, some e.xcuse for this practice ;but gradually pubUc sen- 
timent caused it to be discontinued. (In several of the Southern 
States the same practice prevails to-day.) This incident is found in 
the records of the town of Johnston : A resolution was passed Oct. 8, 
i79i,that the poor supported by the town should be sold at public 
vendue for a period of six months, except all those whom the over- 
seer of the poor had agreed to support for one year. Under this res- 
olution Jabcz Westcott was sold to Josiah King at the rate of four 
shillings per week, and Nathan Pearce at eight shillings. 

About five miles from Providence, in the town of Johnston, is a 



'f^"' '»^{ 



romantic spol ijii tlic I'oCtiSM'i linK.k. i\hit:h is woilh a visit. The 
brook flows into a deep ravitiu, thf bankt* ^^( which are thirty or forty 
feet ill height, at the upper end falling over a series iif cascades. 
When the water is abundant, or during a freshet, the eftect is pictur- 
esque. — much more so than that of many spots tourii«ts go hundreds* 
of miles to visit. The buttom and sides of the ravine below the falls 
arc well wooded with tall, straight trees, whose tops rise as high as 
those of their brethren of the surrounding forest. 

Crasston. — Very early in the history of the colony, attempts 
were made to have this territonr- set off from Providence, but for a time 
untliout success. The principal reasons for Uiese repeated failures 
were the disagreements in regard to a name for the proposed town. 
Among those suggested were Mashapaug, Pawtuxei, Mcshanticut, 
Lynn, and Pocasset. Finally the town was incorporated June 14, 
175.}, and named in honor of Samuel Cranston, the governor of the 
Colony from 1698 to 1727. Portions of the town were reunited to 
Providence June 10, iSfiH, and March 28. 1873. Its population in 
1880 wan 5.94 [• 

Iron ore was early found here, and in 1767 a company' was formed 
to mine tlie ore at a place known as the " ore-bed." This business 
wns successfully carried on for a number of years. Large quantities 



174 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



of ore were sent to supply the numerous furnaces in various parts of 
the countrj'. Much was sent to the Hope Furnace, in Scituate. 
From the metal there extracted, cannon were cast which were used 
in the Revolutionary War. At present the mine is filled with water. 
Coal was at one time mined on the slope of the Sockanosset Hill in 
Cranston. The deserted mine and the buildings at its mouth yet 
remain, and are situated between the Sockanosset Reservoir and the 
pumping-station of the Providence Water Works. Various attempts 
have been made to bring the coal obtained there into common use, 
and about ten years ago efforts were made to interest capital in the 
enterprise, but without success. The coal would bum, but required 
great watchfulness; there is no doubt, however, that for some pur- 
poses it has superior qualities. 

In the Cranston records of the pre-Revolutionary times an action 
is mentioned which is much to the credit of the place. By some 
means the town became possessed of a negro slave, named Jack, on 
the 22d of August, 1767. Having ascertained that the slave was' 
industrious and likely to earn his own living, the town gave him his 
liberty- five days thereafter. 

During the years immediately following the Revolution various 
attempts were made to establish manufactures. Before 1812 there 
were four establishments for the manufacture of cotton yam. In the 
succeeding years, down to the present time, many similar enterprises 
have been started. It is a singular fact, however, that with one 
important exception all these undertakings have failed. At present 
the only manufacturing concern of any extent within the limits of the 
town is the print-works of the A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing 
Company. 

At Arlington are quarries where work was commenced in 1820, 
and is still carried on. In 1859 a brewery was built at Spectacle 
Pond, and " lager beer" is now made there. 

The first beginning from which has grown the immense business 
of the Spragues, was made by William Sprague, who built a mill at 
Cranston Village in 1807 for the spinning of cotton yarn. This mill 
was burned in 1815, but was immediately rebuilt and enlarged. In 
the meantime Sprague had hired the Union Mills in Olneyville. In 
1825 he began to print cloth, at first from blocks. In 1827 he intro- 
duced one printing machine. This William Sprague died in 1836. 
He was the father of Amasa and William Sprague, the original mem- 
bers of the firm of A. & W. Sprague. The two sons continued the 
business after their father's death. 



Cranston. 



I7S 



William was the master spirit, and one of the most remarkable 
men of his time. He was governor of the State from 1838 to 1840, 
and in 1842 became United States Senator. He was subsequently 
known as the " Old Governor." William Sprague was an exaggerated 



â– 1 



•«:. 



lilaM>to- 



type of the Rhode Island factory magnate. With greater ability 
than his compeers (perhaps he was a little more unscrupulous than 
they), he accomplished 'his ends with more daring, but by the same 
methods ; shrewd, practical, and far-seeing, by the position of his 
business, in comparative isolation, he was enabled to exercise the 
authority of an autocrat. His workmen he could control; they 
would vote at his bidding. He was a feudal lord in the nineteenth 
centurj', accomplishing his own will, not by brute force, but within 
the bounds and with the sanction of law. 

On Sunday, the 31st day of December, 1843, AmasaSprague was 
murdered. The deed was done in the afternoon, by the side of a 
beaten path constantly traveled, and within sight of the windows of 
many houses, yet no one saw it. The bod)' was shockingly 
mutilated, and the gun with which the murder was committed was 
found lying in a damaged condition at a distance of about a hundred 
rods from the corpse. Three brothers, Nicholas S., John and Wil- 
liam Gordon were arrested on suspicion. Nicholas was accused 
of being an accessory, and the other two were charged with having 
perpetrated the crime. They were natives of Ireland, Nicholas 
had been in this country a number of years ; John and William 
but a few months. The motive for the murder was said to be the 
enmity which Nicholas Gordon felt towards Amasa Sprague, because 



176 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

of the latter's opposition to the granting to Gordon of a license to sell 
liquor. The trial began April 8, 1844, and resulted in the acquittal of 
Nicholas and William Gordon. John Gordon was adjudged guilty, 
wholly on circumstantial evidence, and was executed Feb. 14, 1845. 
This was the last hanging which took place in Rhode Island. 

The present Amasa and William Sprague are the children of the 
murdered man. The business was built up by the " Old Governor," 
who resigned his seat in the United States Senate very soon after 
the murder of his brother. 

The village of Pawtuxet, about five miles below Providence, on 
the west side of Narragansett Bay, is partly in Cranston and partlj- 
in Warwick. It is pleasantly situated at the mouth of the Pawtuxet 
River. The river divides the village into two portions, which are 
connected by a bridge. From this bridge a fine view of the water-fall 
a short distance above may be obtained. A long, narrow peninsula, 
jutting out into the bay, encloses a basin at the mouth of the river 
just below the bridge, which forms a good harbor. This peninsula 
is known as Pawtuxet Neck, and is said to have been a favorite 
feasting-place with the Indians before the arrival of Europeans. A 
small amount of foreign commerce was at one time brought to the 
wharves of Pawtuxet, but now, like those of many other small har- 
bors, they are almost entirely deserted. 

In 1638, two years after the arrival of Roger Williams at Provi- 
dence, William Arnold. William Carpenter, Zachariah Tucker, and 
William Harris, removed from Providence and began the settlement 
at Pawtuxet. Four years afterwards the principal settlers in the 
place, because of their dissatisfaction with the insubordinate conduct 
of Samuel Gorton and his followers, put themselves under the pro- 
tection of the Massachusetts Colony, After the removal of Gorton 
to Warwick they withdrew their allegiance from Massachusetts, and 
came under the jurisdiction of Rhode Island. , A dispute which had 
existed from the first settlement, about the boundary between Provi- 
dence and Pawtuxet, was finally settled in 1712. Gaspee Point, 
where the British armed schooner "Gaspee" was destroyed, is a 
short distance below Pawtuxet. 

In the year 1869 a farm containing 417.7 acres, situated in the 
town of Cranston, about six miles from Providence, was purchased 
by the State for the purpose of locating there the State institutions for 
the punishment and reformation of criminals, for the insane, and for 
the State paupers. The farm is in an elevated situation, and com- 



Cranston. 



177 



mandsafine view of the city, bay, and surroundinj^ country. At first 
temporary quarters were erected for those guilty of minor offences. 
In a short time, however, a permanent work-house was built, which 
was gradually followed by a house of correction, an asylum for the 
insane, and an almshouse for paupers having no town settlement. 
The State Prison was commenced in 1874 ^^^ finished in 1878, 
being ready for occupancy in November of that j'ear. " A large part 
of the farm was very rough when the State bought it. Great quanti- 
ties of stone have been dug out of the meadows, drains have been 
laid, bushes cut, and roads opened. A very convenient and spacious 
bam has been built, great storehouses have been erected, and num- 
bers of smaller buildings, such as blacksmiths' and carpenters' shops, a 
bakery, a laundry, a basket-shop, etc., have been put up. An exten- 
sive system of water works has been established, gas has been intro- 
duced, and altogether a great amount of work has been done." 

The Sockanosset Reservoir and the Pettaconset pumping-station of 
the Providence Water Works are situated in Cranston, within a short 
distance of the State Farm. The reservoir is 185.5 *^^' above high- 
water mark at Providence, and is about 1,000 feet long by 860 wide. 
The base of the reservoir with the embankment covers 14.0719 
acres ; reservoir bottom, 9.5383 acres ; the area of water surface is 
10,9467 acres ; length of embankments on centre line, 2,885.29 feet ; 
capacity, United States gallons, 51,156,544; the embankment is 19 
feet high from bottom of reservoir, 15 wide on top, and the surface 
of the water is four feet below the top of the bank. The pumping- 
station is about a mile distant from the reservoir. From the banks of 
this reservoir is obtained one of the finest views to be had in the 
environs of Providence. To the north the city is seen in nearly its 
whole extent, to the south are the buildings on the State Farm, while 
eastward can be seen Warren and Bristol, and on a clear day Fall 
River is visible. 





CHAPTER VIII. 



PROVIDENCE- ROGl 




MS A\D "SOUL LIBERTY" — MANNERS AND CL'S- 
LRLV DAVS — OMI-TIME ■■ COXVEXIENCES ■• FOR 
-ROGER WILLIAMS PAItK -CHt'RCIIES AN'D EDi:- 
NSTITL~IIONS — DETAILS RESPKCTIXG THE COM- 
RISK Of MASVI-AlTt'RKS. 



''L.CH time and labor have been spent in tracing the 
events in the lift; of the founder of Providence, pre- 
vious to his appearance on this side of the Atlantic. Un- 
til quite recently no very satisfactory results have fol- 
lowed these efforts. The grand difRcultyin the way of 
identifying these events lay in the fact of the existence 
of two others of the same name, contemporary with 
him His name, Roger Williams, is indicative of his 
Welch origin. He was born in Wales, in the year 
1599 The precise locality cannot be fixed, although 
Arnold, the historian of Rhode Island, thinks it not 
unlikely that it was Maestroiddyn . Authorities dis- 
agree upon many matters concerning his early life. 
I It IS, however, quite certain that he was educated at 

Pembroke College, Cambridge. He was ordained to the ministry 
of the Established Church of England, from which he afterwards 
dissented, and became a rigid separatist. 

This was an age of great religious agitation and of little religious 
toleration. The attempt to force a uniformity of liturgy and the 
supremacy of the Church of England upon the people had resulted 
in driving many out of that church. The Dissenters, as they were 
called, soon found that they had fallen upon troublous times. Long 
and bitter was the persecution waged against them, and many sought 




l8o 



PlCTURHSQUE RhODB IsLAND. 




Old City Bull 



religious liberty in strange lands. 
Among these were the Pilgrims at 
Plymouth, and the Puritans at the 
head of Massachusetts Bay. Where 
better, than among these heroic men. 
who for conscience' sake had braved 
the perils of the wintry ocean and the 
grfflter perils of inhospitable shores 
and their savage inhabitants, could one 
enjoy freedom to worship God unre- 
strained by rules made and imposed by 
mortals as weak and erring as himself? 
Surely, in this new world, a new order 
of things would reign, and one would 
be allowed to possess one's own opinion 
in peace. So, to the Ma.ssachusetts 
Bay Colony, in 1631, came Roger Williams. The colonists received 
him most gladly, for he was a profound scholar, and a " godly min- 
ister," and likely to become to them a lower of strength. But Ihey 
were narrow, rigid, and sectarian, incapable of understanding the 
breadth of mind and liberality of thoughl which Williams brought tft 
bear upon the sub- 
jects that were agi- 
tating their own 
minds. The perse- 
cution which had 
developed in them ii 
heroism wliich h;i> 
been the admiration 
of the Christian 
world ever since, 
seems to have stop- 
ped the springs of 
that charity which 
St. Paul has taught 
us is the first of all 
virtues. When dif- 
ferences arose, as 
they soon did, the 
Puritan colonists 




Providenck. 



i8i 



showed theniselveii quite ready to inaugurate a persecution quite as 
rancorous as that tvhich they themselves had sufiered. Curiously 
enough, the lirst issue was raised upon a question of church suprem- 
acy, not of the English Church, but of that ecclesiastical organiza- 




tion of wJiich they iheniselves were the authors. The church at 
Salem had the h^dihood tu call Mr. Williams to assist their pastor. 
Mr. Skelton. without consuhing the Boston authorities. Upon Mr. 
Williams' acceptance, the church at Boston remonstrated with thai 
of Salem for such a course, but without result. When, therefore, 
an opportunity presented itself for more active measures, they were 
by no means slow to avail themselves of it. Among other advanced 
opinions. Mr. Williams taught that the civil power had no authority 
to punish a "breach of the lirst tiiblr," that is. an offence purely 
ag.tinst God, This was the first assertion of religious freedom, so 
broad in its application, so catholic in its spirit, that it seemed to 



l82 



PiCTUREsciyK Rhodk Island. 



iiinded Massachusetts colonists the rankest heresy. The 
fearlessness with which he proclaimed this doctrine â– â–  gave rise to a 
system of persecution which, before the close of summer, obliged 
him to seek a refuge beyond the jurisdiction of Massachusetts in 
the more liberal colony of the Pilgrims." 

He remained at Plymouth two years. During his staj' he 
became well acquainted with the sachems of the neighboring Indian 
tribes, and more or less familiar with their languages. This familiar- 
itj' stood him in good stead when, later, he was forced to make a new 
settlement among them. 

Although the Plymouth Colony was far more liberal than the 
Massachusetts Bay Colony, both in religious and secular matters, 
and although they showed a generous disposition towards him, 
they could not keep pace 
with his theory that the 
mind should be a free 
agent in spiritual matters. 
His attachment to his first 
charge never wavered, and 
when at length he obtained 
his dismissal from Plym- 
outh, he returned to Salem, 
many of his Plymouth con- 
gregation either going with 
him or following soon after. 
Here the bitter controvers}- 
and persecution broke out 
again. Mr. Williams de- 
clared his belief that the 
king of England had no 
right to confer patents upon 
companies or individuals, 
entitling them to lands in 
America, without purchas- 
ing such right from the 
aboriginals. This was not 
only in accordance with the theory, but also the practice of the colo- 
nists, yet for this declaration they summoned him to appear and 
answer for himself before a court of law. Later, a still more serious 
cause of complaint was found against him, and again he was cited to 




i83 



appear betoru the i.-ouncU, tor ti^acliing •■ tliat a niagisirate ought not 
to tendur an oatli to an unregcnerate man." His defence was, tliat 
an oath is an act of worship, and that the person who takes it, hy the 
very iitt acknowledges the existence of God. Hf reasoned that in 
accordance with his own belief in tlie liberty of conscience, no man 
bad a right to enforce an oath. 

The church at Salem had some time before presented a peti- 
tion to the General Court for certain " bind iu Marblehcad Neck," 
which they said belonged to their town. This bad been refused upon 
the extraordinary ground that "they had choaen Mr. Williams as 
their teacher." Indignant at such injustice, Mr. Williams united 
with his church in a letter of prulustatinn, which met with but scom- 
ful reception. The "contempt of authority" evidenced Jirsi by 
their unautborii^cd call of Mr. Williams, and now by this conturaa- 
ctuus epiMle, apparently had more weight with the council than all 
the heresies of which he stood accused. For two yeflrs a threat of 
sentence at the next session of the Court was kept hanging over 
him, until at length his health broke down under the accumulation 
of vexations. Worn in body and mind, he wrote a letter to his 




Tihurch, declarinju; " thul he wmild ricH coimnuiiicale witli the churches 
in the Bay; neither would he communicate with them except they 
w<ju](l refuse communion with the rest." Summoned before the 
Court for the fifth time, he was confronted with these ietlers, which 
constituted the onW charges against him. Although he justified 
their contents, sentence of banislinient wn» pronounced against him, 
and he was ordered to bu beyond the jurisdiction of the colony within 
six weeks. The period was afterwards extended to spring, on coii- 

• flitiott that lie would not teach any of his mischievous doctrines. 
But suddenly, upon the pica that he had imparted some of his views 
tu frientb at his own house, he was ordered to go to Boston, in order 
to embark in a vessel ready to sail for England. Upon his refusal to 
<to ifOi a boat was dispatched lo take him by force, but upon its arri- 
val he had been gone from his home three days. Alone, and in the 
depth of winter, he had set out upon that "sorrowful journey." 
through the trackless forest, and after fourteen weeks, during which 
hu knew- not what " either bed or bread did mciui," he arrived at 



PicTUREsquE Rhode Island. 



the seltlemeni of the Wampanoags, from whose friendly chief, Mas- 
sasoiet, he obtained a grant of land on the Seekonk River. He was 
soon warned by his friend, Governor Winslow, that it would be belter 
for liim to cross the river, and thus be beyond the jurisdiction of the 
Plymouth Colony, who wished to keep on good terms with tliat of 
Massachusetts Bay. He accordingly did so, with five others who had 
joined him from Salem. The names of these were William Harris, 
John Smitii, Joshua Veriii, Thomas Angell, Francis Wickes. They 
landed at Slate Rock., with which tradition will always associate the 
Indian welcome, " What cheer, netop." From this point they parsed 
down the river and around the headlands into the Moshassuck, now 
the Providence River, to a point a little north of the present site of St. 
John's Church. Here a spring of water decided them to Htop. and here 
they commenced the settlement which its pious founder named Pro^-i- 
dence — "God's Providence." Aftcrward.s, in tlie apportionment of 
" home lots." this part of the Hettlemcnt becuint; the propertj- of Mr. 

Williams, and was 
known as •• What 
Cheer." In accord- 
ance with his prin- 
ciples concerning the 
tCTure of lands, he 
obtained a grant of 
Providence, at or be- 
tiire its settlement, 
ii\'iu Canonicus and 
Miantonomi, uncle 
and nephew, and 
i.!ui^f sachems of the 
Narragansetls. Thi« 
was in 1636. Two 
years after, he made 
over by the " Initial 
Deed " an equal right 
in this grant to his 
companions, now 
twelve in number, 
and to such others as 
they should after- 
waf (I receive ai 




PROVIDENCB. 



187 



members of their company. In the year 1661, a committee from 
the town waited upon him to procure a deed of ibe first purchase, 
which was accepted and phiced upon record. 

The tfiirtccn original proprietors determined, upon the accept- 




ance of lh(' liiiliai Deed, to divide tlieir purchase. Little informa- 
lifin in regard to this divisiiin can be obtained from the records, 
except thai the "home lots" began at the " Mile-end Cove," which 
lay between Kux Point and what is now Wickenden Street, and lay 
between the streets knnwn now as Nurth and South Main Streets, 
aud Hope Street. Great ditllcuUies grew out of lliis division. 

During the Hrst summer of the Providence Colony the Pequols, 
a tt'arlike Iribe of Connecticut, stirred up the neighboring tribes to a 
war of extcrminatiim upon the whites. The Narragansetls, who 
lived in ihe joitth and western parts of Rhode Island, debated for a 
long lime whether they should join tlie confederacy, and upon their 
decision liung the fate of llie colonists. At this crisis, Roger WiJ- 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 




liams, the only man in 
the colony whose in- 
fluence could avert the 
threatened disaster, at the 
request of the Boston 
magistrate, alone and at 
the constant risk of his life 
undertook to prevent this 
alliance. Three days and 
nights he labored with 
their sachems, and at 
length succeeded, not 
only in the original under- 
taking, but also in form- 
ing a league between the 
Th. p™.id(r.i» Aititncum English, the Narragan- 

setts and Mohegans, 
which soon after resulted in the disastrous Pequot War and the total 
destruction of that tribe. 

The government of the infant colony was at first a pure democ- 
racy. All the voters met and transacted the business of the com- 
monwealth in town-meeting once a month. The gradual change 
to a representative government cannot be traced, because the records 
have not been preserved. But the reasons therefor are plain enough. 
The first record of delegated power dates from 1640. The colonists, 
although forced to resort to such power, were exceedingly jealous of 
it, and hedged it around with innumerable restrictions- Meanwhile, 
the report of the freedom enjoyed by the new colony had spread 
abroad, and many in the neighboring settlements who wished to be 
free from restraint entered it, bringing with them all sorts of hetero- 
dox notions upon civil and religious subjects, and the result was 
that liberty which is freedom under the law degenerated into license 
which is freedom unrestrained by law. So turbulent did the con- 
dition of affairs become, that some of the colonists hastened to place 
themselves under the protection of Massachusetts, where they con- 
tinued until 1658. 

Meantime, in 1638, a new colony had settled at the north end of 
the island of Rhode Island, driven thither by the fury of the Antino- 
mian controversy. Their numbers increased so, that in the following 
spring a part of them withdrew and planted the colony of New- 



PROVIDKNCK. 189 

port. On the main land, the town uf Warwick was settled in 1643. 
under the leadership of Samut;! Gorton. A charter, dated 1644, 
but which really went into ellect in 1647. united these four colonies 
under the name of the "Providence Plantations in Narraganselt Bay 
in New England." Roger Williams had been sent to England 10 
obtain this charier. Upon \ih return with it lie was received with 
the utmost enthusiasm. In 1651, Coddington, who had been I" 
England, relumed with a charter appointing him governor of New- 
port for life. This appoinlnienl broke up the colonial governmenl. 
The separation lasted until 1654, when, by the efforts of Roger Wil- 
liams, who again went to England for the purpose, the colonies were 
reunited. 

Mr, Williams' good offices were in constant requisition, not only 
10 preserve peace and unity between the colonies themselves, but 
also between the colonies and the surrounding Indian tribes, with 
whom his perHonal influence was almost unbounded. Again and 
.again did he presene 
the colonists from de- 
struction at their 
hands. The first time 
was when, as wc have 
seen, he went alone 
and at the constant 
risk of his life, among 
tlie Narragansetts and 
persuaded them lo 
stand by their white 
allies. Again, in 
1645, the Narragan- 
iMfUs threatened to dc- 
Htroy the Massachu- 
setts Bay Colony. 
The year before, while 
Williams was in Eng- 
land negotiating for 
the firs! charter, Mian- 
lonomi. the noble, 
high-soulcd ally of 
the whiles, had, 
through the ircacbcrj- 




I90 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 




of two of his captains, 
fallen into the hands of 
the cruel Uncas, sachem 
of the Mohegans. With 
the shameful connivance 
of the Massachusetts 
Colony, which had be- 
come prejudiced against 
Miantonomi, — either 
because of certain calum- 
nies spread by his ene- 
mies, or because of his 
* mistaken act of kindness 
in selling Shawomet to 
that " arch-heretic," Gor- 
ton, or both, — he was 
put to death in the most 
cowardly manner. Great 
was the rage of the Nar- 
ragansetts. But it was 
Tn. Aic«j.. not until the spring of 

1645 that it broke forth 
into action. A thousand of their warriors sallied out against the Mo- 
hegans; the latter met them with Uncas at their head, and were 
defeated with considerable slaughter. The colonies of Connecticut 
and New Haven espoused the cause of Uncas, and sent troops to his 
aid. The General Court sent a letter to the Narragansetts, laying 
commands upon them to desist from the war, and a very short time 
afterwards sent Benedict Arnold as a messenger to them with a 
similar requisition. The Narragansetts declared afterwards that be 
misrepresented their reply, and sent for Roger Williams to come to 
their help. The New England commissioners held a meeting at this 
crisis, and again sent messengers to require both the Narragansetts 
and the Mohegans to send deputies to Boston, who should explain 
the cause of the war, receive satisfaction, and make terms of peace. 
The Narragansetts, bent upon revenge for the death of their chief, 
would not be satisfied except with the head of Uncas. Mr. Williams, 
instead of personally accepting their invitation to come among them 
and help them out of their difficulty, sent a letter by their deputies 
upon their return from Boston, saying that since the Indians had 



PROVIDENCK. 



191 



made terms of neiitruliiy with the Rhode Island Colonies, thty. the 
colonies, did not feci called upon to interfere, and that the war must 
bt refjiirded as inevitable- The United Colonies — who. having left 
tin-' Rliode Island Colonies entirely out of their calculations in form- 
ing their league, would gladly have made use of their superior 
influenee with the Indians, novv that danger threatened them — 
immediately declared war. and made such energetic preparations for 
carrying their declaration into effect, that the NarragansetLs. alarmed 
in their turn, sued for peace. At this crisis Mr. Williams c^me 
forward and tlirew the weight of hia influence in favor of peace, 
and through his mediation Pessicus and twq otlier principal sachems 
were induced to go to Boston and conclude a treaty of peace. The 




conditions nf tins treaty were very severe upon the Narragansetls, 
but by ilii means, the colonists were saved from the hurrors of an 
Indian war, which, disastrous at the best, might have terminated 
fatally for them. 

It is quite useless to attempt to deny to the founder of these Plan- 
tations a disputatious temperament, — his enemies vvuuld and did say, 
a faclioutt and cotiteutious one. But it must be remembered that the 
spirit nf the age was controversial, and all thougluful minds were 
exercised upon the practical settlement of ditficultijuestiuns. Roger 
Williams' was the master mind of the time, and hia clear and unpreju- 



192 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 



diced perception of the great truths for which he made such a good 
fight, would often raise issues where inferior minds could see no 
necessity for discussion. As a matter of course, he was often 
engaged in controversy, in many cases entered into deliberately and 
voluntarily, in others thrust upon him by tlie ignorance of his oppo- 
nents, or by their willful misunderstanding of his words. In the tur- 
bulent times of the early years of the Providence settlement, his 
ready pen was often busy in making clear to the dull or prejudiced 
perception of others, the principles which were so well defined in his 
own mind.. Many could not, or would not, understand the ditTerence 
between liberty and license. They reasoned that since libertj' of con- 
science was the foundation principle of the colony, that therefore they 
could in all things do precisely as they chose. This was to them the 
meaning of the phrase. 

The winter of 1654- 
55 \\'as one of unusual 
disorder in Providence. 
A general training was 
made the excuse of a 
riot of such magnitude, 
that some of the lead- 
ing citizens were impli- 
cated in it. A paper 
was sent to the town, 
in which the author 
(Inserted that "it is 
blood-guiltiness to exe- 
cute judgment upon 
transgressors against 
the public weal." This 
absurd doctrine, so ut- 
terly subversive of 
organized society, was 
met hy the following 
masterly letter from 
Mr. Williams, in which 
he again explains the much abused doctrine of " liberty of con- 
science." 

" There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in 
one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of 




Providexce. 



193 



a commonwealth or a human combination of society. It hath fallen 
out sometimes that both Papists and Protestants, Jews and Turks, 
may be embarked in one ship ; upon which supposal I affirm that 
all the liberty of conscience, that ever I pleaded for, turns upon 




these two hinges : that none of the Papists, Protestants, Jews, or 
Turks, be forced to come to the ship's prayers or worship, nor com- 
pelled from their own particular prayers or worship, if they prac- 
tice any. I further add, that I never denied, that notwithstanding 
this liberty, the commander of this ship ought to command the ship's 
course, yea, and also command that justice, peace, and sobriety, be 
kept and practiced, both among the seamen and all the passengers. 
If any of the seamen refuse to perform their service, or passengers 
to pay their freight; if any refuse to help, in person or purse, 
towards the common charges or defence ; if any refuse to obey the 
common laws and orders of the ship, concerning their common 
peace or preservation ; if any shall mutiny or rise up against their 
commanders and officers ; if any should preach or write that there 
ought to be no commanders or officers because all are equal in 
. Christ, therefore no master nor officers, no laws nor orders, no cor- 
rections nor punishments ; I say, I never denied, but in such cases, 
whatever is pretended, the commander or commanders may judge, 
resist, compel, and punish such transgressors, according to their 
deserts and merits." 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 




mony of the disputi' enyendert;! 
liams which never died out di 
of controversy, so far 
forgot «liat they owed 
to their own dij;nity. as 
to descend to personal 
invective. Harris had 
published 'â–  that his 
conscience wouhl not 
allow him to be subject 
to any man." and bad 
attempted to sustain his 
position by perverting 
texts from Scripture in 
its supp()rt. It was the 
same mischevious doc- 
trine which had called 
forth the letter quoted 



This letter, however con- 
vincing to an unprejudiced 
mind, by no means ended 
the controversy. The idea 
set fortli in the paper re- 
ferred to, although absur<l 
upon the face of it. found 
ready supporters among the 
lawless, and notably one in 
William Harris, who. how- 
ever, can hardly in fairness 
be called lawless, since, al- 
though he did many un- 
principled things, he seems 
to have done them under 
an honest conviction of their 
lawfulness. He was a man 
<)f pleasing addres.s. culti- 
vated mind, and strong I'eel- 
ing, all of which he brought 
to bear upon the discussion 
of the subject. The acri- 
hostilityhettteen him and Mr. Wil- 
uring tJieir lives, and bolh. in the heat 




Provirenck. 



19s 



abnvc. Gentle means having failed, Mr. Williams, as president of 
the colony, resorted to harsher measures, and issued a warrant for 
his arrest, on a charge of high ireasnn against the Commonweahh 




of England, ami he and his son, /Andrew, were planed under bonds 
of £500. 

The yrar 1656 is memorable as the time of the advent of the 
Quakers into the Puritan colony. If the colonists meted out such 
pfirsecudon to those who, while ofVending in a few points of doctrine, 
yet held many of the essentials in common with themselves, how 
direful was the punishment which they intlicted upon this " cursed 
sect of heretics." who difTered so totally from them. A stringent law 
was enacted and rigidly enforced for their suppression, and in 1658. 
to hold Quaker tenets was pnnishahle with death, *' Fines, impris- 
onment, banishment, mutilation, death were denounced and inflicted 
upon them. . . The wildest fanaticism on their part was met 

with fren/ied bigotry on the other." The persecutions which they 
hud suffered were productive of morbid condirions of mind, and 
many committed acts which could be accounted for only upon the 
ground of insanity, but which were visited with the extremity of the 
law. So great was the fear of them, and the hatred cherished 
lowarda ihrrn hy the Puritan-S, that they were not content with 
inflicting punishment upt)n overt acts of offence, but visited their 



ig6 



PjCTURKsqyE Rhode Isijvnd. 




seventy upon pereons of blame- 
less life and character, who held 
their heretical opinions. This 
persecution lasted five years, and 
was only stayed then by an order 
from King Chark-s II. that it 
slu'uld ceiise. and that obnoNiou.<( 
persons should be sent to Eng- 
land, to be dealt with by the home 
government. Like othcrdwho had 
been driven from Ihe Miissachu- 
setls Colony tor daring to ditler 
from its founders, many Quakers 
fled into Rhode Island, where 
they led peaceable lives, cherish- 
ing their own belief without let or 
hindrance. This state of atTairs 
was almost as vexatious to the 
PnrilanM as their presence among 
themselvL'R. Their cnmmisainncrs 
assembled at Boston and framed a letter requesting the Rhode Island 
Colony to banish those who were already within the limits of the 
colony, and to take immediate measures to prevent the entrance of 
any more. Mr. Williams, who was then president of the Rhode 
[tdaiid Colonies, and his assii>tants met in Providence, and replied 
to this request, that tliere was no law in Rliode Island by which any 
one could be pun- 
ished for his opin- 
ioDs; that tb<- 
Quakcrs, being 
allowed to hold 
and to set tbrth 
their doctrine-t 
without molesta- 
tion, had met with 
so little success in 
converting others 
to them, that they 
were becoming 
discouraged : and 



Providence. 



197 



finally, that if they committed any extravagancies, such as they had 
been guiUy of in Massachusetts, the next General Assembly would 
provide a corrective. The charter of Rhode Island guaranteed that 






■a-«fe. 



every person should be free to enjoy his own opinions so long as 
they did not militate against the general good. So the Quakers 
were allowed free access to the colony, and during the years which 
immediately followed, great numbers made it their home. They 
found it a convenient central point from which to make excursions 
abroad for the purpose of disseminating their doctrines. So bigoted 
were the surrounding colonies, that they could not comprehend that 
a thing might be tolerated which \-et might not be believed. 

Seeing that the Quakers were neither burned nor hanged, they 
asserted that the colony was actuated by an undue friendliness 
towards the teachings of Fox. Some color was given to this asser- 
tion by the fact that some of its magistrates belonged to the hated 
aect. Roger Williams, true to his character of champion of intel- 
lectual and religious freedom, undertook to prove them in the wrong, 
and that his colony, while faithful to their ruling idea, yet had no 
sympathy with Quaker dogmas, even although some of the highest 
places in the government were filled by their supporters. For this 
purpose he drew up a statement of fourteen propositions, in which 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 




cussion of these, seven to be debated in Newport and seven in Prov- 
idence. The challenge was sent to Deputy-Governor Cranston, to 
be delivered by him, but so long was it in reaching the governor, 
that Fox had left the island, and consequently did not receive it. It 
was accepted, however, in his behalf by his disciples. Bumyeat. 
Edmundson, and Stubbs, — all thoroughly qualified bj' natural gifts 
and by training to discuss the subject in all its branches. Roger Wil- 
liams, then seventj'-three years old, performed the remarkable feat 
of rowing himself from Providence to Newport in order to meet his 
engagement. The first seven of the propositions were debated in 
Newport, and then, according to agreement, the discussion was 
resumed in Providence, but i>nlj' for one day. No special good 
resulted from the debate, as far as convincing either party of error 
is concerned, but the immediate object of Williams was attained, — 
that of convincing the neighboring colonists, especially those of Mas- 
sachusetts!, that while protecting the persons of the unpopular sect, 
they refused to be identified in the remotest way with their creed. 

When King 
Philip's War _-.â– ";"-' . ._._: , ^-..... 

broke out, Roger 
Williams was an 
old man. Not- 
withstanding 
which, he accep- 
ted a commission 
of captain of mi- 
litia in the year 
1676. Provi- 
dence had been 
nearly disserted. 




Providence. 



199 




Less than thirty men remained for its protection. Two places in the 
town had been fortified, chiefly through Mr. Williams' eiforts. Tra- 
dition relates that ypon the approach of the enemy the venerable 
captain went out alone to meet and reason with them. " Massachu- 
setts," said he, 

"can raise thous- / 

ands of men at this 
moment, and if you 
kill them, the King 
of England will 
supply their place 
as fast as they fall." 
"Well, let them 
come," was the 
reply, "we are 
ready for them. 
But as for you. 
Brother Williams, ^^^ ^_^_ ^^^^^^ ^^^^i 

you are a good 

man ; you have been kind to us for man)' years ; not a hair of your 
head shall be touched." The savages were true to the man who had 
kept faith with, them all those years, and although they burnt the 
town, he was not harmed. The town records were saved from 
destruction by being thrown into the mill-pond of John Smith, the 
miller, who was town clerk at the time. 

Early in the year 1683, at the ripe age of eighty-four, Roger Wil- 
liams was gathered to his fathers. Precisely how or when his death 
occurred is not known. He was buried in a spot said to have 
been selected by himself on What Cheer, not far from the place where 
he first landed on Rhode Island shores. At the head of his grave an 
apple-tree stood for many years. Not long ago, when the grave was 
opened, thg roots of this tree were found to have passed through the 
space the body is supposed to have occupied. From the main root 
smaller branches had followed the course of the arms and legs. This 
singular specimen is still preserved, and may be seen in the Museum 
of Brown University. 

Arnold thus sums up the character of this ' ' Christian statesman " : 
*' He sutTered more than most men from the slanders of those who 
should have been his friends, as well as from the oppression of ene- 
mies. . . . But posterity has rendered justice to his memory. 



and the founder of Rhode Island, the great champion of intellectual 
liberty, has outlived the eflbrts of his detractors. The leading pecu- 




liarities of his mind may be briefly sketched. A firmness, amounting 
in some cases perhaps to obstinacy, enabled him to suffer hardships, 
rarely if ever surpassed by those of any exile for opinion's sake. His 
generosity amounted to prodigality ; for after having purchased of 
the Indians all the lands around his new plantations with his own 
money, he divided them equally among those who followed him. 
His charity was an active principle, that led him to brave all peril to 
effect good to the natives, or to reconcile feuds among his fellow- 
cttizens. Of his forgiving spirit, his conduct towards the neighboring 
colonies furnishes ample evidence. He harbored no feelings of 
revenge for injuries received, but pitied the weakness, or lamented 
the delusion whence they arose. His consistency and love of truth 
are alike apparent in his contro\ersy with the Quakers at Newport, 
which has been so much misrepresented ; yet he would have laid 
down his life rather than have a hair of their heads injured on account 
of their doctrinal views. His industry was unwearied; he valued 
time and he well improved it. 'One grain of its inestimable sand,' 
said he, ' is worth a golden mountain.' His faults were those of an 



Picturesque Rhode Island. 



ardent mind, sometimes hastj', ever slow to yield; but these are fe 
beside his exalted virtues. He was a varied scholar, a profoui 
philosopher, a practical Christian, a true philanthropist, — one who 

deep knowledge 
-■ ^_J^— men, and who 

^__ __^«» acute perception 

principles as di 
played in the fou 
dation of an Ame 
ican State, entil 
him to the ran 
which posterity h 
bestowed, amoi 
the far-sight» 
statesmen of h 
age — one wh 




were it his only praise to have been the first of modern legislators 
embody the principles of universal toleration in the constitution of 
State, would, by this act alone, secure a niche in the temple of fam 
and cause his name to be handed down through all future time as t 
great Apostle of Religious Freedom." 

It is a matter of lasting regret that no portrait of Roger Williai 
exists. Probably none was ever painted. Historians, in the descri 
tions of him, although acknowledging the influence of his person 
presence, quite ignore his personal appearance. Undoubtedly t 
grandeur of his character and actions quite overshadowed it- Tl 
statue of him in the Old Representatives' Hall at Washington — tl 
first statue presented by any state to the Nation — is a purely ide 
one, 

In the early years of Providence there was a sheet of water call 
the Mile-end Cove, between Fox Point and Wickenden Street. Tl 
has been filled up fiir many years. Within the last century, the ti< 
flowed over Westminster Street and all north of it. At the head 
Long Wharf was a round hill, which was tlien an island. The ft 
vessel which sailed from Providence to the West Indies was load 
at a wharf a little west of the canal market. Large vessels used 
lie at wharves adjinning the present Smith Street. There was a dn 
in the great bridge, which was fifty or sixty feet longer than it nc 
is. Two highways originally led from the Moshassuck to the St 
konk River, — one where Power Street now is, and the other at Me 



Providence. 203 



ing Street. Before the year 1770 very little attention was given to 
the subject of education. Some small schools were kept soon after 
that time, having about a dozen scholars each. The text-books used 
in them were the Bible, spelling-book, and primer. One was taught 
by George Taylor, for the special benefit of church scholars, and was 
partly or entirely supported by England. There were also some 
'* dames' schools." "When one had learned to read, write and do a 
sum in the rule of three, he was fit for business." About 1770, the 
first school-house was built, through the exertions of Dr. Jonathan 
Arnold. It was situated near the north end of Benefit Street, and 
was called Whipple Hall. 

The customs and fashions of Providence in those days were 
necessarily plain and simple. Durability in the materials of dress 
was consulted rather than beauty. Men generally wore breeches of 
wash-leather ; laborers of all kinds wore leather aprons ; those whose 
aspirations and means were equal to it wore clothes of English 
manufacture, but made in the plainest of styles. Most of the cloth 
used in the settlement was made by those who used it. Occasionally 
one with an inordinate passion for dress would appear in a cocked 
hat, or a powdered wig. Women made neighborly calls, dressed 
in a striped loose-gown, a checked apron, a handkerchief folded 
over the shoulders and across the bosom, and a sun-bonnet upon the 
head. The more opulent among them wore silk gowns, or calico 
ones, long ruflSes at the wrist, and a lawn apron in place of the com- 
mon cheek. The hair was dressed high over a roll, upon which was 
worn a low-crowned chip hat, covered with thin silk of whatever 
color individual taste suggested. 

The amusements of young men were chiefly games of ball, shoot- 
ing at poultry or at a mark, wrestling, jumping and dancing, in the 
latter of which, as a matter of course, the young women shared. 
Occasionally a pack of hounds would be kept, and a fox-hunt would 
give variety to their ordinary amusements. 

People lived to be very old in those days. Mr. Samuel Thurber, 
himself then in his eighty-first year, gives an account of several 
whom he knew personally, who had reached a great age. A Mrs. 
Eddy died at the age of 105, and a Mr. Miller, at the same time, 
at about the same age. Mr. Thurber met a man in Newport who 
told him he was a hundred years and one month old that day. Mr. 
Richard Brown, who lived somewhere in the northeastern part of the 
town, was so active and cheerful that on his hundredth birthday he 



204 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

played a violin which his family presented to him, and to which in 
his younger days he had been much attached. 

The machinery used was of the simplest kind. Furniture was 
very plain, and hard, ornamental woods but little used. Chairs and 
tables were straight and smooth, without paint or polish, and kept 
white by constant scouring. China and glass were almost unknown, 
and the few crockery dishes in use were of the coarsest. Most of 
the dishes were made of pewter or wood, and often a family did not 
possess enough of these to allow each person onei 

The first coach in town was owned by Mr. Merritt, an English- 
man. Its advent upon the street created as much excitement as the 
street parade of a circus does now. Windows and doors were lull 
of excited faces watching the passage of the wonderful object. Col- 
William Brown kept a vehicle which he called a " curricle," in which 
he would take an occasional passenger to Boston. The round trip 
occupied three days. Thomas Sabin, in 1767, advertised that a 
stage would " start every Tuesday morning from the house of 
Richard Olney, inn-holder, to carry travelers to Boston on the 
most expeditious and cheap rate." The coach returned on Thurs- 
day. Olney's inn was nearly opposite the Court House parade on 
North Main Street. The owners of stages used occasionally to give 
notice a week or ten days beforehand, that on a certain day, if suffi- 
cient encouragement were given, they would start for Boston. The 
object of this long notice was, that passengers might settle their 
worldly afiairs and make their wills, preparatory to entering upon 
such a perilous undertaking. In 1783 a stage ran twice a week 
to Boston, and it was possible to look with calmness upon a man 
who had been to New York. In 1763 a line of two boats began 
to ply between Providence and Newport twice a week, and oftener 
if the number of passengers and amount of freight warranted it. The 
line of packets which soon after began to ply between Providence 
and New York were said •* not to be surpassed in speed and accom- 
modation by any in the world." In 1820 the New London turnpike 
was built, and a line of stages put upon it connected with steamboats 
to New York from New Ltrndon. The following charge, extracted 
from the account-book of Richard Brown, gives some idea of trav- 
eling expenses 150 3'ears ago. 

Oct. the 25, 1737, Marv TiLLixr.HAST. Dr. 
For the use of my mare the three days last past, a journey to East 
Greenwich, and carrj'ing double on said mare, £0.12.0 



Providence. 



205 



On the third of Juae. 1769, a transit of Venus occurred. Great 
interest in tliis pheiirtmcnoi) was shnwn in Providence, and no expense 
was spared in st-curinp all iHl' instninu-nts necessary for observing it. 




A lemporarj- observatory was erected upon a cross street, about one 
hundred feet east of Benefit. Tht street has ever since borne ihe 
nanie of Transit Street. l)r. West published tin account of the obser- 
vation, which compares most favorably in point of .iccuracy with 
those publishefl in Europe. 

The winter of 1779-80 was one of unprecedented severity, and is 
ihi! historical " cold winter." Provideiue Harbor was cloatd by the 
ice as early its November, and continued so two months. The island 
of Rhode Island became practically a part of the main land, beaten 
jiatb» over the ice lending to it from Providence, East Greenwich and 



2o6 PrcTURRSoyB Rhode Island. 

Wickibrd. The ground was covered with snow the whole time, but 
its depth was not sufficient to interfere materially with travel. 

The ecclesiastical history of Providence began with the founding 
of the First Baptist Church, in 1639. The first settlers were mem- 
bers of the Plymouth and Massachusetts churches. These organiza- 
tions possessed a Congregational government, were moderately Cal- 
vinistic in doctrine, and held to infant baptism. From the beginning 
of the settlement, meetings for public worship were held with regu- 
larity and frequency, and the service was conducted either by Mr. 
Williams or Mr. James, both of whom were ordained ministers. In 
March, 1639, active steps were taken to organize a church. Before 
this thej- had denied the doctrine of infant baptism, and Mr. Holy- 
man, a layman, had baptized Mr. Williams by immersion, after 
which Mr. Williams baptized Mr. Holyman in the same manner. 
By this act they disowned the churches of which they had been mem- 
bers, and were therefore excommunicated by them. They formed 
a church, and called Mr. Williams to the pastorate of it. This was 
the commencement of the First Baptist Church, the oldest organiza- 
tion of its kind in the country. 

Mr. Williams held this position for four years, at the end of which 
he resigned it. Mr. Holyman was his colleague. Their successors 
were Chad Brown, William Wickenden, Gregory Dexter, Pardon 
Tillinghast, Ebenezer Jenckes, James Brown, Samuel Winsor, 
James Manning, Jonathan Maxcj-, Stephen Gano, Robert E. Patti- 
son, William Hague, Robert E. Pattison, J. N. Granger, W. C. 
Richards, Dr. Francis Wayland, S. L. Caldwell, and the present 
pastor. Dr. Edward Glenn Taylor. 

Dr. James Manning removed to Providence with the Rhode Island 
College, of which he was president. He was invited by the pastor of 
the church to preach before the society, and afterwards to partake of 
the communion with them. His acceptance gave great offence to 
some members of the church, because he did not hold that the doc- 
trine of the laying on of hands was an essential one, although he had 
submitted to the rite, and was in the habit of administering it whenever 
desired. So great a schism did this create, that at length the pastor 
withdrew and joined the .â– separates in May of the year 177 1. With the 
advice of some other Baptist churches. President Manning was elected 
to the vacancy in the following July. It was not the custom to make 
singing a part of public worship. Mr. Manning held that it should 
be such, but to Mr. Winsor, the idea was ■• disgustful." 



PROVIDENXE. 



207 



The records of the 
church state that "the 
church at first met for wor- 
ship in a grove, unless in 
wet and stormy weather, 
when they assemblec] in 
private houses ;" that after- 
wards Pardon Tillingliast 
"at his own expense built 
the first meeting-house 
about the year 1700." This 
house stood on the west side 
of North Main Street, nearly 
opposite "Star Street. Mr. 
Tillinghast afterwards 
made a free gift of the 
house and lot to the societ\- 
and their successors in the 
same faith and order. A 
new house was built in 
1726, on the lot south of 
this one- In 1740 the Gen- 
eral Assembly, for reasons 
which have not been hand- ^^^_ churcf. 

ed down, allowed the so- 
ciety to hold service in the Court House. The house now occupied 
by them was first opened for public worship on May 28, 1775. The 
lot upon which it stands belonged to John Angell, whose orchard it 
was. They had reason to think that nothing would induce him to 
let it pass into their hands, knowingly, to become the site of a 
Baptist meeting-house. They therefore arranged that it should be 
purchased by an Episcopalian and conveyed to them. 

The church, or meeting-house, as it is still most commonly called, 
stands in the middle of the lot, surrounded with grass, and enclosed 
by a fence. It is of wood, 80 feet square, of the Roman Ionic order, 
with a symmetrical and graceful spire at the west end, 196 feet high, 
said to have been modeled after designs by Sir Christopher Wren. 
The story is told of a student of Brown University, now living in 
Kansas, that he once climbed to the top of this steeple. Another 
tradition relates that at one time, when it required painting, no 




208 PlCTURESQpE RhODE LsLAND. 



painter would take the contract, until one, quicker witted than the 
rest, agreed to do it, and fulfilled his agreement by importing sailors 
from Boston for the purpose. 

The harmony of construction has been marred of late years by 
substituting slips for the old-fashioned square pews, and a pulpit of 
modern style for the old-fashioned one, with its sounding-board. The 
first bell weighed 2,515 pounds, and had the following inscription : 

•* l*"nr frci'tlom of cnnscicnrc, tlic town was lir-t plantid ; 

Persuasion, not f«»rcc, was ust-<i by thf people. 
This churcli is the ehlest, aiul lias not recanted, 

Knjoyin^ and i^rantin^ hell, temple and steeple." 

The present bell wx*ighs 2,387 pounds, and is thus inscribed : '* This 
church was founded A. D. 1639, the first in the State, and the oldest 
of the Baptists in America." 

In the year 1871, more than two hiindred years after Roger Wil- 
liams had made the purchase of Providence and Pawtuxet, and had 
made his companions equal owners thereof with him, a part of the 
original grant came into the possession of the city. In that year 
Miss Betsey Williams, a lineal descendant of the fifth generation 
from Roger Williams, died, and bj' her will bequeathed to the city 
of Providence the farm which had been in the possession of her fam- 
ily ever since it was given to her great ancestor by the sachem, 
Miantonomi. It lies partly in Providence and partly in Cranston, 
and consists of about one hundred acres of plain and woodland, with 
gently rising elevations and a stream of water. It was given to the 
city for a public park forever, to be called Roger Williams Park. 
The testatrix made but few conditions upon which the city should 
receive It, but among these few was one that it should erect in it a 
memorial to Roger Williams, at a cost of not less than five hundred 
dollars. In 1872 the city formally accepted this bequest, and 
straightway began to plan for a monument on a much more expen- 
sive scale than stipulated in the will. The result was, that in Octo- 
ber, 1877, the present monument, designed by Mr. Franklin Sim- 
mons, of R(mie, and executed by the Smith Granite Company, was 
unveiled and dedicated with great pomp in the presence of many 
thousands of people. It stands facing the west, on an elevation west 
of the lake, and is visible from the Cranston road, and from most 
parts of the park. The old gambrel-roofed homestead, with its well- 
sweep, is in close proximity, and the immediately surrounding land 
has been reduced to order and beauty. The monument is of Westerly 



Providence. 209 



granite of the finest quality, and uniform throughout in shade. A 
pedestal of great solidity, reached by a flight of steps, supports the 
statue of Roger Williams, which was cast in bronze of a peculiarly 
brilliant color, in Munich. It is seven and a half feet in height, and 
represents the founder of these Plantations holding in his left hand, 
against his breast, a volume entitled ''Soul Liberty," and with his 
right hand extended as if in the act of addressing an audience. He 
wears low shoes, long stockings meeting his knee-breeches, a 
straight vest buttoned the whole length and finished at the bottom by 
a frill, a broad, turned-down collar, fastened with cord and tassel, a 
long cloak, and hair falling upon his shoulders. Although the statue 
is an ideal one, the artist has succeeded in infusing into its outlines 
all those characteristics with which we are wont to invest the orig- 
inal. At the foot of the statue, in front of the pedestal, stands a fig- 
ure of History, clad in classic, flowing drapery, and holding in her 
right hand the stylus, in the act of completing the inscription : " Roger 
Williams, 1636." At the right of this figure is a group of bronze 
emblems, comprising a shield with the anchor, a scroll, book, and a 
laurel wreath. On the opposite tablet is the inscription: "Erected 
by the City of Providence, A. D. 1877." 

When the natural charms of this park shall have been enhanced 
by taste and money, as they gradually will be in process of time, the 
city will own a public pleasure-ground which will be of inestimable 
benefit to itself, and an honor to him whose name it bears. 

The great gale of 18 15 wrought terrible havoc in the town of 
Providence. The tide rose nearly ten feet higher than had ever been 
known before, and all but two of the vessels in the harbor were 
driven from their moorings. Only one bridge, the Weybosset, then 
connected the two sides of the town. Against this the flying vessels 
were impelled with irresistible force. Very quickly the bridge gave 
way, and *' vessels, lumber, buildings, and property of every descrip- 
tion, in one crowded mass, were hurled with great velocity up 
the Cove. Thirty-five vessels, including four ships, nine brigs, seven 
schooners, and fifteen sloops, have been enumerated on its shores." 
The great ship '' Ganges," as it sped by the Washington Buildings, 
thrust its bowsprit into the rooms of the Washington Insurance Com- 
pany. Very many smaller vessels were dashed against the sides of 
this 'same building. All the cellars near the river were filled with 
water. In many cases the inhabitants were compelled to leave their 
houses and to take refuge upon the hills. Everywhere chimneys 

^7 



2IO PiCTURESQyE RhODE IsLAND. 

were thrown down, out-buildings overturned, and fences demolished. 
Five hundred buildings in all, were said to have been destroyed. It 
was estimated that the loss of property amounted to considerably 
more than a million of dollars. Not for many a day was the dam- 
age repaired. 

AH the churches were more or less injured. The Second Baptist 
Meeting House, with several dwellings near it, was entirely destroyed. 
When the gale subsided, the shores of the Cove were covered with 
wrecked vessels and their cargoes, with the remnants of dwelling- 
houses, and with the household furniture they had contained. Upon 
nearly all the wharves some vessel or wrecked dwelling was left 
when the tide went down. At India Point, the bridge was carried 
away, and two men, David Butler and Reuben Winslow, lost their 
lives. The buildings that had stood upon these wharves were nearly 
all swept into the river. 

Notwithstanding the immense losses the gale had caused, the 
energy of the merchants of Providence soon repaired the damage 
done to its commerce, and in a very short time the trade was going 
on as prosperously as before. 

In the colonial days the commerce of Providence, although not so 
large as that of Newport, was still very considerable. As early as 
1708 the town carried on a large trade with the West Indies, and in 
a report made to the Board of Trade in that year it was said that in 
the twenty years preceding, its shipping had increased four-fold. 
Many subsequent reports show a continued and steady increase. 
The war of the Revolution interfered greatly with the trade of the 
port, but did not paralyze it so completely as it did the commerce of 
Newport. 

In 1776, after Commodore Esek Hopkins had made his famous 
expedition to New Providence, his fleet made a rendezvous at Provi- 
dence, but never left the port i;i company again to engage in any 
naval enterprise. Two armed vessels, the *' Warren" and the *' Provi- 
dence, " were here built under the authority of the Continental Con- 
gress. Commodore Hopkins found great difficulty in procuring 
sailors for the new vessels, as the privateers which then frequented 
the harbors of the bay offered much more advantageous terms. 
Both the privateers and the government vessels had either to fight 
their way through the British fleet stationed at the mouth of the bay, 
or to elude the enemy by speed or strategy. As all the avenues to 
peaceful trade were closed to the Providence sailors, they engaged 



212 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

In those years the majority of the arrivals were from ports in the 
other American states. Quite a large number came from the West 
Indies, a;id occasionally a vessel sailed into the harbor from some 
European port. An import duty of 2.5 per cent, was collected on all 
goods imported from the West Indies, or from abroad, and on manu- 
factured articles from the other states. Country produce, flour, 
lumber, oil, fish, and all kinds of raw material from American ports 
were admitted free of duty. The duties were estimated and paid in 
pounds, shillings and pence. Sometime in the year 1787 the rate 
was increased to 5 per cent. A large amount of merchandise was 
brought from Boston by *' land transportation" in those years. 
This business was nearly all carried on by Dexter Brown and Moses 
Guild. From the records, they seem to have made one trip per week 
each. The first importation of cotton to Providence of which record 
has been found, was a bag of ninety pounds of ''cotton wool," 
brought by the sloop ''Fox," May, 1785, from " Hyspaniola," to 
Thos. L. Halsey. At the beginning of the year 1790 there were 
owned in Providence, "no sail of 10,590 tons, exclusive of river 
craft." The statement was then made, in a petition to Congress, that 
"there is a greater number of vessels belonging to the port than 
to New York," and that " it is a place of more navigation than any 
of its size in the Union." 

Rhode Island adopted the new Constitution of the United States 
in May, 1790. An import "act to provide more effectually for the 
duties imposed by law on goods, wares, and merchandise imported 
into the United States, and on the tonnage of ships or vessels," had 
passed through several stages in the United States Congress. By its 
provisions, Rhode Island was divided into the two customs districts 
of Providence and Newport. The act was approved Aug. 4, 1790. 
The first entry recorded under its operation in the books of the Prov- 
idence Custom House, is that of the sloop " Betsey," William Young, 
master, from Port au Prince, with a cargo of salt, molasses, sugar, 
coffee, and oil, on which the duties paid were $244.45. Under this 
new condition of affairs, business increased rapidly, and the trade 
with the West Indies and Europe assumed greater proportions. 

During the year 1 791 , sixty-four vessels arrived from foreign ports, 
the duties on the cargoes of which amounted to nearly $80,000. Of 
these vessels, fifty-three were from ports in the West Indies, one from 
Canton, China, one from Cape de Verde Islands, and the remainder 
from European ports. The following is a summary of the foreign 



Providence. 



213 



commerce of the port from the year 1810 to 1821 inclusive, showing 
the number of arrivals each year, and the amount of duties paid : 



Ykar. 


* No of vessels. 


American vessels. 


Foreign vessels. 


181O .... 


84 


$336,098 83 


$2,074 40 


181I 










73 


207,989 90 


8,985 96 


1812 










41 


184,624 31 


\ 


1813 










33 


72,117 87 


87,093 68 


1814 . 










21 


13.427 SO 


58,623 49 


r8is . 










35 


99^830 8s 


55988 


1816 










58 


269,650 12 


10 17 


1817 










57 


210,359 40 




1818 










70 


210,163 03 




1819 , 










70 


399*837 81 


5»oi2 37 


1820 










65 


118,439 93 




1821 










61 


99,626 99 





The trade to Canton, China, was important. The first direct arri- 
val from this port was the ship ** General Washington,'* July 5, 1789. 
A continuous trade existed for more than half a century, the last 
arrival being the ship '* Lion," Jan. 30, 1841. For the years covered 
by the preceding table, the arrivals from Canton and the duties paid 
were as follows : 



Ykar. 


Vessels. 


Duties. 


Ybar. 


Vessels. Duties. 


181O . . 

i8ii . . 

1816 . . 


I 
I 
I 


53.130 74 
118,503 86 
104,973 13 


1817 . . 
1819 . . 


2 
3 


106,886 44 
278,467 10 



The cargoes brought from Canton were mainly of teas, and the 
duties were more in amount than those paid on cargoes from any 
other port. In some cases, indeed, a single vessel from Canton 
paid more duty than all the other vessels entered during the year. 
The principal imports from the West Indies and South America 



♦ Of these vessels only twenty-nine were foreign; most of the foreign vessels reached the port dur- 
ing the War of iSia, when tlie American merchant ships had been almost swept from the ocean. This 
fact acconnts for the large amount of duties recorded in the fourth column of the foregoing table for the 
years 1813 and 1S14. 



214 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

were rum, molasses, sugar, salt, and limes. From Europe came 
manufactured articles and cloths. About the beginning of the cen- 
tury the European trade began to increase, and vessels arrived from 
Liverpool, London, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Cronstadt, St. Peters- 
burg, Lisbon, and other European ports. Occasionally a vessel 
arrived from Bombay, Calcutta, or Africa. 

The War of 1812 seriously affected the trade of Providence. 
During its continuance, the duties paid on merchandise imported in 
foreign vessels largely exceeded the amount paid on goods imported 
in American ships. As a small compensation, some of the vessels 
captured from the British by privateers were brought into this port. 
In the year 1813 three prizes were entered ; the duties paid on their 
cargoes amounted to $28,127.49. In 1814 three more arrived, on 
which the duty was $12,495.66. In November, 1814, the private 
armed brig " Scourge," Samuel Eames, master, returned from a 
cruise with seventeen bales of raw silk, captured from the enemy, 
on which the duty amounted to $488.31. 

The ship '* Governor Tompkins" arrived at Providence in Octo- 
ber, 1819, with a cargo of 1,981 bushels of coal from New Castle, Eng., 
on which a duty of $99.20 was paid. During the early years of the 
century, and until 1 83 1, nearly every Liverpool ship brought coal as 
part of its cargo. In July, 183 1, a vessel arrived from Sidney, N. S., 
with a cargo of coal, and from that time forth all the coal received 
in Providence from outside the United States, came from Nova 
Scotia, principally from the port of Pictou. Since the development 
of the Pennsylvania coal mines the Nova Scotia coal has been 
crowded out by protective duties. 

A great change has taken place in the ownership of the vessels 
engaged in the American foreign trade. Until the war of the Rebel- 
lion they were nearly all owned by citizens of the United States ; now 
the majority are owned in foreign countries. The arrivals for the 
past two years will illustrate this fact. At the port of Providence in 
1879 there were 116 arrivals, only 27 of which were American; in 
1880, 139 arrivals, of which only 39 were American. The foreign 
commerce of Providence has not increased in proportion with the 
growth of the city. In fact, there has been a very marked decrease. 
The growth of the city has been in the direction of manufactures, 
and this growth has brought a large coasting trade to the port. 

The first steamboat that ever sailed on the waters of the Provi- 
dence River was one invented by Elisha Ormsbee, of Providence, 



Providence. 



215 



in 1792. It was run by an atmos- 
pheric engine, and attained a speed 
of four or five miles an hour. David 
Wilkinson, of Pawtucket, made all 
the iron work for this vessel. After 
a few trials the engine was taken out 
of the boat and the attempt aban- 
doned. The first steamer embody- 
ing the invention of Robert Fulton 
which was seen in Providence was 
the " Firefly." This vessel came 
from New York, and arrived at 
Newport, May 26, 1817, and at 
Providence two days later. For four 
months the "Firefly" plied between 
Providence and New York, but, ow- 
ing to the competition and opposition 
of the captains of the packets, was 
obliged to discontinue her trips. No 
steamer again appeared in Narra- 
gansett Bay until the "Robert Ful- 
ton" came from New York, August, 

1821, She brought an excursion party, and stopped at Newport, 
Bristol, and Providence. At all these places great crowds were 
assembled on the wharves to see her. The year following, the 
Rhode Island Steamboat Company was organized. This company 
had two steamers, the "Robert Fulton" and the "Connecticut," 
which made regular trips between Providence and New York, 
touching at Newport each way. These vessels continued to run for 
a number of years, and new boats were constantly added to the line. 
Many opposition boats were put on from time to time, and much 
competition existed. In 1831 there were two lines to New York, 
each with two steamers. In those days races frequently took place 
between the opposition vessels. From that time onward the business 
has continued, many changes occurring in the companies engaged 
in it. During all these years the vessels have been growing larger, 
more elegant, and in every way better suited for travel than were 
their predecessors. The existing lines are the Fall River line be- 
tween Providence and Fall River, stopping each way at Bristol and 
Bristol Ferry ; the Providence line to New York ; the Providence, 




2i6 Picturesque Rhode Islanik 



Norfolk and Baltimore line ; the Winsor line to Philadelphia ; and 
the Continental Steamboat Company, whose steamers ply to New- 
port and all the shore-places on Narragansett Bay. 

When the first steamer came to Providence the only means of 
traveling or carrying merchandise on the water was by sailing vessel, 
and the quickest way of traveling on land was in a stage-coach. 
Between Providence and New York a number of packets plied. 
They were sloop-rigged vessels, built with an eye to speed, and 
with accommodations for passengers. The captains and owners of 
these vessels were much opposed to the steamers, and used every 
means in their power to drive them out. As we have seen, the first 
steamer that appeared at Providence was unable to compete with the 
packets, but this was owing more to the cluihsiness of her construc- 
tion than any other cause. The triumph of the steamers was only 
a question of time. In those days, as now, a great deal of the travel 
and trade between Boston and New York passed through Providence. 

To accommodate this trade a large number of stages were run, 
making connections with the New York packets at Providence. 
These vehicles carried both freight and passengers, and made the 
journey rapidly by means of relays of horses. When the sailing 
packets were succeeded by the steamers, the business of the stages 
was largely increased. " During the summer of 1829 there were 
328 stage-coaches a week to and from Providence, not counting the 
local stages running to points within a dozen miles of the city,** 
Very exciting races often occurred between coaches of opposing 
lines when they happened to come together on the road. The arrival 
of a number at once, as was usual, to connect with the New York 
boats was a daily event of great interest. It could not be otherwise, 
when the ten or twelve large coaches, each drawn by four horses, all 
filled with passengers, and their tops loaded with freight, came dash- 
ing furiously down the street. In those days the *' wayside inns" 
flourished. At present we know them only through Longfellow's 
poems, Dickens' novels, and other kindred sources. Let us be con- 
tent with that knowledge, since both the stage-coach and the wayside 
inn, viewed through the vista of the past, appear more inviting than 
they were in reality. The Boston and Providence Railroad was 
completed in 1835, ^"^ ^^e death-blow thereby given to the general 
stage-coach business between the two cities. 

Previous to the Revolution, Providence was engaged in the whale- 
fishery to an extent almost equal to that of any port in Rhode Island. 



Providence. 



217- 



The war interfered with the buHiness, but did not destroy it, as aoon 
after the peace.in the year 1785, record is found of the arrival of six 
vessels from whaling voyages. The amount of oil tliese vessels 




brought was small, but with one or two exceptions they also brought 
cargocH from the West Indies, and other foreign ports. From that 
lime very few vessels were fitted out until about the year 1820, when 
a slight revival of tlie business occurred. Between 1830 and 1840 a 
more marked revival took place, and in the year 1841 seven ships 
cleared from Providence on whaling voyages. For a number of 
years there were nine vessels licensed to engage in the whale-fishery 
bchmging to Providence, but the number gradually diminished, most 
of the vessels being sold to New Bedford, and the remainder lost or 
burned at sea, until not one remained. The last whaler was the ship 
"LJon," which sailed July 17, 1854. for the Pacific Ocean, and was 
lost at sea Nov. 30, 1856. The ship -'South America," which cleared 
at Providence Nov. to, 1843, for the Nortliwest Coast, and arrived 
hnme M;irch 5. 1S46, made the best whaling voyage on record up to 
that date. She had sent home 800 barrels of xvliale oil, 100 barrels 



2i8 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



of sperm, 36,000 pounds of bone, and had sold at Bahia, Brazil, 
1,000 barrels whale oil. 

Providence is one of the great industrial centres of the United 
States. Because of the great variety of its manufactures, less disas- 
ter befell it during the years of financial distress, from which the 
country has only just emerged, than almost any city in the Union. 
And yet, the stranger who walks its streets for the first time does not 
notice much in the appearance of the city to lead him to suppose that 
he is in the midst of a ''perfect bee-hive of industry." A purely 
commercial town, the place seems to the chance visitor to be, unless 
he has the curiosity to 'inquire carefully as to the secret sources of 
the wealth that is so plainly proclaimed. 

In 1875, before the effects of the panic had worn away the num- 
ber of manufacturing establishments in the city was 940. In these 
factories 20,271 operatives were employed; their invested capital 
was $16,393,734; the value of their product manufactured each 
year, was $52,782,875. Ever since that time there has been a 
gradual and healthy growth of business. The statistics of the last 
census will undoubtedly show that a much greater business, propor- 
tionally to the population, is now done than was done five years ago. 

One of the most prominent industries is the manufacture of jew- 
elry. There were in the State, in 1875, ^33 establishments where 
jewelry was manufactured. Very nearly all of these factories are 
within the limits of Providence. The business is yearly increasing 
in magnitude. It is mainly confined to the territory bounded by 
Chestnut, Ship, Eddy and Broad streets. 

Within the city limits are a number of cotton-factories. Among 
the principal establishments are the Oriental Mills, the Providence 
Steam Mill, the Grant Mill, and the James Y. Smith Manufacturing 
Company. 

In 1875, according to the census report, about one-fourth of all the 
woolen goods in the State were manufactured in Providence. Among 
the principal concerns are the Geneva Worsted Mills, and the Prov- 
idence Worsted Mill (worsted goods) ; the Valley Worsted Mills 
(braids, yarns and hosiery) ; the Elba Woolen Mills and the Wey- 
bosset Mills (cassimeres) ; the Wanskuck Mill (coatings) ; and the 
Riverside Worsted Mills (suitings). 

The Fletcher Manufacturing Company, established in i793 and 
incorporated in 1865, manufacture boot, shoe, and corset laces, lamp 
wicks, yams, braids and twines. Their mills are situated on Charles 
Street, in the north part of the city. * 



220 PiCTURESQiJE RhODE IsLAND. 

and workmanship of the articles produced, and the extent of the 
business carried on. It is the Gorham Manufacturing Company. 
The business was founded by Jabez Gorham in 183 1, and at first 
only one small room was needed for it. Now the tall buildings of 
the factory cover nearly an entire square between North Main and 
Canal streets. 

Very many large establishments are engaged in the manufacture 
of machinery. One of the largest works is that of the Corliss 
Steam Engine Co., situated in the northern part of the city, just 
above the Charles Street railroad crossing, on the line of the Boston 
and Providence, and Providence and Worcester Railroads. The 
buildings cover several acres of ground. Everybody knows that the 
engine which supplied the power for the machinery at the Centennial 
Exhibition at Philadelphia, in 1876, was made in these shops. 

The Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company are engaged in 
the construction of the Wilcox & Gibbs sewing machine, the mak- 
ing of fine tools, and various machines and contrivances for special 
uses. Their factory is on Promenade Street, a short distance west of 
the Cove basin. This company has a most enviable reputation for the 
exactness and accuracy of its tools and machines. Darling, Brown 
& Sharpe, rule and gauge makers, occupy a part of the factory of the 
Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company. 

The works of the Providence Tool Company are among the largest 
of their kind in the country. The company was organized in 1845, 
and incorporated in 1847.' Sewing machines and ship-chandlers' 
hardware are now made in its shops, but its specialty is the Peabody- 
Martini breech-loading rifle. Trustworthy military authorities say 
that but for these wonderful Providence rifles, the Turks could never 
have held out half so long against their adversaries, the Russians, in 
the late sanguinary war. The factories of the company are situated 
on West River and Burt streets, in the Tenth Ward, and on Wick- 
enden Street, not far from "Fox Point. 

The American Screw Company, organized in i860, is the largest 
screw manufacturing company in the United States. The works 
comprise five large brick mills — the Eagle Mills, Stevens Street, 
and the New England Mills, Eddy Street. When working at their 
full capacity they give employment to 2,500 persons. 

The works of the Nicholson File Company are located on a plat of 
about four acres, on the banks of the Woonasquatucket River, fifteen 
minutes' walk from the railroad station. The company was organ- 



Providence. 



ized in 1865. The work of 
making the files is nearly 
all done by machinery. A 
large proportion of this ma- 
chinery was patented by W. 
T. Nicholson, the founder 
of the company. About 250 
persons are employed in the 
works. 

Other large manufac- 
tories are the Rhode Island 
Locomotive Works, corner 
of Hemlock and Valley 
streets ; the Franklin Foun- 
dry and Machine Company, 
Charles Street, incorporated 
in 1836, manufacturers of 
cotton machinery ; the Prov- 
idence Steam Engine Com- 
pany, 373 South Main 
Street ; Providence Machine 
Company, manufacturers of 
cotton and worsted roving 
frames, and other machines tk. nm Btptiti church. 

used in the manufacture of 

cotton and wool, 564 Eddy Street ; the Granger Foundrj' and Ma- 
chine Company, bleaching, dyeing, printing and paper machinery, 
Gaspee, corner of Francis Street; Spicers & Peckham, manufac- 
turers of the most approved patterns of American ranges, furnaces, 
and stoves, foundry on Cove Street; the Barstow Stove Company, 
works on Point Street, corner of Chestnut ; City Machine Company, 
Harris Avenue, comer of Acorn Street ; Phenix Iron Foundry, Elm, 
corner of Eddy Street, manufacturers of machinery for bleaching, 
dyeing, printing and finishing cotton goods, etc. ; Volney W. Mason 
& Co., elevators and hoisting machinery, Lafayette Street, rear 405 
High, and the Rhode Island Braiding Machine Company, Aborn 
Street. 

Providence is situated almost at the head of navigation, on Narra- 
gansett Bay. Two fresh-water rivers, the Woonabquatucket and the 
Moshassuck, flow into the Providence River, and at their confluence 




222 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

form a broad sheet of water called the ** Cove." This body of water 
was originally much more extensive than at present, but its area has 
from time to time been reduced by filling in the surrounding low 
lands. It is now a circular basin about a mile in circumference, the 
sides of which are built up with stone. A public walk, the Cove 
Promenade, encircles it. The central passenger station is on the 
southeast of the Cove, and the railroads converging there run along 
its banks in both directions for a short distance. The Woonasqua- 
tucket River flows into the Cove from the west, the Moshassuck from 
the north, and the Providence River flows outward to the east. 
Rising from the valleys of these three streams are the hills, on the 
slopes of which the city is built. 

One of the best places from which to get a view of the city is Pros- 
pect Terrace, a little park near the summit of Prospect Hill, on the 
east side of the river. From this point of view, the central portion 
of the city, — where the business is mainly transacted, — in the 
neighborhood of Westminster, Weybosset, and Dorrance Streets, the 
railroad station and Exchange Place, lies to the southward. The 
buildings of this section are mostly large blocks ; red brick is the most 
common material seen. The principal buildings of the city stand 
out in bold relief, the City Hall, the Butler Exchange, and the Nar- 
ragansett Hotel, being the more prominent. To the southwest, almost 
directly at the foot of the hill, is the circular basin of the Cove, with 
its fringe of trees ; and beyond it, to the westward, the broad expanse 
of lowlands through which flows the Woonasquatucket River. On 
these lands a number of large manufacturing establishments are 
located. Rising up on either side of these lowlands, are high sand- 
bluffs. On the north side of the valley is Smith's Hill, and on the 
south is Federal Hill. 

To the southward of the Cove lies the most densely populated 
part of the city ; spires of churches are seen shooting up here and 
there, huge school-houses thrust their solid walls upward from the 
hills, and a few monster gasometers, with the great domes that give 
such an oriental appearance to the landscape, stand out prominently 
against the quiet sky. 

The stately Rhode Island Hospital tells how well private benefac- 
tions have provided for public suffering, and the twin towers of the 
new Cathedral, on High Street — the largest place of worship in the 
city — of the wonderful strides the Roman Catholic Church has been 
making in Rhode Island during the last quarter of a century. 



UnlikemostAmerican cities, 
Providence has but few 
blocks of tenement-houses, 
Apart from each other and 
overshadowed by waving 
branches, stand the homes 
of the great mass of her 
citizens. Almost like a 
forest appears the portion 
of the city which is occu- 
pied by dwelling-houses, to 
one who looks upon it from 
the "Terrace." 

Providence is divided into 
three well-defined parts by 
the two fresh-water rivers, 
the Woonasquatucket and 
the Moshassuck, and the 
Providence River in its pro- 
gress from the Cove to the 
bay. The most important 
and populous, though not 
perhaps in territorial extent 
the largest division, is that 
on the west side of the Prov- 
idence River, having this river for one of its sides, the Woonasqua- 
tucket for the other, and for the base" of the triangle the towns of 
Johnston and Cranston. This division includes within its borders 
the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth wards, and most 
of the business portion of the city. In this section, also, are Roger 
Williams Park, at the extreme south of the city; the Park Garden, 
on Broad Street ; Mashapaug Pond ; Long Pond ; Benedict Pond ; 
and Field's Point, the first shore-resort on the bay as we go down 
the river, 

The eastern part of the city is situated on a range of hills extend- 
ing from Fox Point some distance, along the banks of the Moshas- 
suck River. In this portion, commonly called the " east side," are 
many of the finest residences, 

At the head of College Street are the buildings of Brown Uni- 
versity, and further to the north are the Hope Reservoir and Pump- 




224 PicTUREscyjE Rhode Island. 



ing-Station of the Providence Water Works. Within this portion 
are the Friends' School, the Dexter Asylum, the Butler Hospital, 
the Reform School, the Athenaeum, the Court House, the Normal 
School, and Swan Point Cemetery. On the water-front and the 
banks of the Moshassuck River are many manufacturing establish- 
ments. Until very recently this was the principal part of the city, 
but of late years the business has moved across the river. 

The third triangle includes Smith's Hill, and the country in its 
neighborhood, and is bounded on the east by the Moshassuck, on 
the south by the Woonasquatucket, on the north and northwest by 
North Providence and Pawtucket. This portion is perhaps the 
largest in territorial extent, but is the most thinly populated. Smith's 
Hill proper is mostly occupied by dwellings. In this part are several 
manufacturing villages, among which are Dyerville, Wanskuck, 
Geneva, and part of Olneyville. 

A good view of the lower part of the city and the central portion 
is obtained from the cupola of the City Hall. Other points from 
which extended views of the city may be had are Fort Hill, in East 
Providence, the heights at Field's Point, Smith's Hill, and Neutacon- 
kanut Hill, in Johnston. 

The principal hotel in Providence is the Narragansett, a massive 
building, seven stories in height. Externally it is not a beautiful 
structure. The money which might have been expended to no pur- 
pose in outside decoration was wisely spent in furnishing its interior 
in the best style possible. It is situated on the corner of Broad and 
Dorrance streets, and is visible from any elevated out-look in the city 
or its suburbs. The next important public house is the Hotel Dor- 
rance, which attracts notice by its imposing front. 

Brown University crowns the educational system of Rhode Island. 
It began its career in Warren, under the name of Rhode Island Col- 
lege. Dr. William Rogers, afterward for many years a distinguished 
professor in the University of Pennsylvania, was its first student. 
The first Commencement was held in the Warren Meeting House in 
1769. In the following year the college was moved to Providence, 
and in May, 1770, the foundations of the first college-building were 
laid. A year afterward a portion of the building was ready for the 
use of students, but it was not until 1788 that the structure was com- 
pleted. During the Revolutionary War all college exercises were 
suspended. From 1776 to 1782 the '' College Edifice" (this was the 
only name applied to University Hall — the central building — until 



Providence. 225 



1822) was devoted to the use of the American troops and their French 
allies, first for barracks, afterwards as a hospital. Under such cir- 
cumstances, it is not to be wondered at that the close of the war found 
it " in a very dilapidated condition." In 1804 the name of the college 
was changed to Brown University, in honor of Nicholas Brown, its 
generous friend and benefactor. , In 1822 Mr. Brown erected and 
presented to the corporation Hope College — the building at the ex- 
treme left of the cut on page 134. (The name was given it in honor 
of his sister, Mrs. Hope Ives.) Manning Hall — next to Hope Col- 
lege — (Dr. James Manning was the first president of Rhode Island 
College) he gave to the University in 1835. Towards the erection 
of Rhode Island Hall — at the extreme right — and the President's 
House he subscribed $10,000. In all he gave more than $160,000 
to advance the interests of the institution which bears his name. Of 
the newer buildings, the Chemical Laboratory was completed in 
1862. The beautiful Library Building, which testifies to the inherited 
interest of the late John Carter Brown (the son of Nicholas) ; the 
stately Slater Hall — next to Rhode Island Hall — which com- 
memorates the liberality of Mr. H. N. Slater, and the magnificent 
Sayles Memorial Hall, the monument erected by Mr. W. F. Sayles 
to the memory of a son who died before his college course was half 
completed, have all been erected since the Rev. Dr. E. G. Robinson 
took his seat as the president of the University. 

St. John's Church is the oldest of the Protestant Episcopal 
churches in Providence. The first clergyman to officiate in the par- 
ish was probably the Rev. James Honeyman, of Newport, though 
Dr. McSparran, in his America Dissected, claims the honor for 
himself. In 1722 Mr. Honeyman preached "in the open fields to 
more people than he had before seen together in America." The 
Rev. George Pigot was the first settled minister of the parish, but his 
stay was not a long one. On St. Barnabas' Day, June 11, 1722, the 
erection of the first church-edifice was begun. It was called King's 
Church. In its steeple was placed the first church-bell hung in the 
town. This old building, having stood for almost a century, was 
pulled down in 1810 to make way for the present edifice. Grace 
Church, now the largest of the Protestant Episcopal Churches in 
the State, is a comparatively new parish, having been organized in 
1829. 

The First Congregational Church was formed about the year 1720. 
In 1723 its first house of worship was erected upon the lot where the 



226 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

new Court House now stands. In 1794 this building was sold to the 
town, and was ever after known as the " Old Town House." The 
second building of the society was erected at the comer of Benevo- 
lent and Benefit streets. It was destroyed by fire in 1814; two 
years afterward the present structure was finished. The Beneficent 
Congregational Church was erected in 1808. The building has been 
greatly enlarged since that time. 

Jesse Lee, the leading apostle of Methodism in New England, 
was the first of the sect to preach in Providence. The first Meth- 
odist meetings were probably held in the " Old Town House." Not 
until 1816 was the society able .to build a church. This house stood 
at the corner of Aborn and Washington streets. In the course of a 
few years, having become too small to accommodate its congrega- 
tion, it was sold, and converted into a dwelling-house. . The second 
meeting-house, at the junction of Chestnut and Clifford streets, was 
dedicated Jan. i, 1822. 

The meetings of the Universalist Church Society were begun in 
1772. In 1822, the first house of worship was erected, comer of 
Washington and Union streets. This was burnt in 1825, and in the 
following year a new one took its place. 

The Rev. Robert D. Woodley was the first Roman Catholic 
priest regularly stationed in Providence. He was sent to the town 
by Bishop Fenwick in 1827, and remained in the place about three 
years. At that time there may perhaps have been two hundred 
members in his congregation. The first services of the church were 
held in Mechanics' Hall ; afterward for four or five years the " Old 
Town House" was used. In 1832, a lot of land was purchased, and 
on this the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was erected five years 
later. The diocese of Providence was set off from that of Hartford 
in 1872. The imposing Cathedral, on High Street, which is just 
approaching completion, is altogether the largest house of worship 
in the city. 





CHAPTER IX. 




WARWICK— SAMUEI, GORTON — FAMOUS SHORE RESORTS — ROCKY POINT— OAK- 
LAND BEACH — BUTTONWOOnS — MANUFACTURES — CAPTURE OF 
THE "GASPKE." COVENTRy— EARLY DAYS AND SETTLERS. 
EAST GREENWICH- JEMIMA WILKINSON. WEST GREENWICH — 
THEOFIIILUS WHALLEY. EXETER AND HOPKINTON. 

ARWICK. — The settlement at Shawomet, as the town 
of Warwick was first called, was due to the determined 
persistency, not to say obstinacy, of one of the most re- 
markable men that ever dwelt within the boundaries of 
i^^^^^^ N'ew £ngland. Hardly a name arrests the eye more 
^ "*- frequently from the pages of early Rhode Island history, 
than that of the " most prodigious minter of exorbitant 
novelties," the " proud and pestilent seducer," Samuel 
Gorton. Even in their strangely copious vocabulary the 
Puritan writers of his age could not find epithets harsh 
enough to express their hatred of him and of the ideas 
he promulgated. And yet, notwithstanding the load of obloquy that 
has been heaped upon him, it must appear to those of unprejudiced 
minds who scan the record of his life that his character was greatly 
misunderstood. Faults he undoubtedly had, and great ones, but the 
same were to be found in the career of every one of his opponents. 
They belonged to the age rather than to the individual. The historian 
Arnold well says that " his career furnishes an apt illustration of the 
radicalism in action, which may spring from conservatism in theory. 
The turbulence of his earlier history was the result of a disregard for 
existing law, because it was not based upon what he held to be the 
only legitimate source of power — the assent of the supreme authority 
in England. He dented the right of a people to self-government, and 




228 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

contended for his views with the vigor of an unrivaled intellect, and 
the strength of an ungovemed passion. But when this point was 
conceded, by the securing of a patent, no man was more submissive 
to delegated law." 

In 1636 Gorton came to Boston. Of his life before his coming to 
America, almost nothing is known. Cotton, Hubbard and Mather, 
those fierce old partisans, who could never see anything to commend 
in those who disagreed with them, assert that he left England ** to 
escape the claims of a creditor." This seems rather absurd, inas- 
much as his removal to America would not have secured to him 
immunity from arrest. Less prejudiced and more trustworthy histo- 
rians make no mention of such a reason. The charge is undoubtedly 
a portion of the persecution which fell to Gorton's lot in this country. 
About a year after his arrival at Boston he incurred the enmity of 
one Ralph Smith, who had once been a minister in Plymouth. Of 
him Gorton had hired a portion of his house, and some of Smith's 
household were at once drawn to attend the religious services the 
new comer held daily, morning and evening, in his own family. The 
ex-minister, a man of very moderate mental capacity, seems to have 
been endowed with an unusually fiery temper. He could not endure 
the preference thus plainly shown for his tenant's glowing discourses, 
and therefore ordered him to leave his house. Gorton, who was 
nothing if not pugnacious, refused to go, and Smith had recourse to 
a warrant from the General Court. 

Very shortly after the '* beast," '' miscreant," and *' arch-heretic" 
had thus called to himself the attention of the public, he was guilty 
of an almost unpardonable offence. One of his female servants was 
seen to smile in church. To escape the direful consequences of her 
levity she fled into the woods, having before her flight received an 
assurance from her master that he would undertake her defence. 
At the session of the court which followed, Gorton conducted him- 
self in such a **rude and contemptuous" manner that he was bound 
over to appear at the next session, and ordered to find sureties for his 
conduct until that time. Immediately he left Plymouth and went to 
Aquidneck. June 20, 1638, he was admitted an inhabitant of the 
latter colon v, and somewhere about this time he was banished in 
duo process of law from Massachusetts. 

The reception accorded to Gorton upon his arrival at Pocasset 
was most cordial. The fact that his is one of the four names* 
on llie list of tifty-nine inhabitants, which bear the prefix Mr. (Mr. 




was used as a special mark of respect in those days), shows the 
esteem in which he was held. This esteem was quickly forfeited 
by his outrageous conduct upon the island. He carried his doctrine 
of " soul-liberty " to such an extreme, and showed so many repulsive 
traits of character, that he was soon thrust out from Aquidneck, with 
even more severity than had attended his expulsion from Plymouth. 
Not only was sentence of banishment pronounced against him, but 
he was soundly whipped as well. 

Respecting this matter, Gorton says in his own defence, that he 
conducted himself "obediently to the government of Plimouth, 
so farre as it became me at least, for I understood that they had 
commission wherein authoritie was derived, which authoritie I rev- 
erenced; but Rhode Island at that time had none, therefore no 
authoritie legally derived to deale with me. Neither had they the 
choice of the people, but set up themselves. I know not any man 
that was present in their creation but a clergie man, who blessed them 
in their inauguration, and I thought myselfe as fitt and able to 
governe myselfe and family as any that were then in Rhode Island." 
The account of his " contention " with the islanders, though most 
interesting, is yet too long to be transcribed. 

From Aquidneck the twice-exiled man went to Providence, and 



230 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

there stirred up so much strife that Roger Williams deliberated 
seriously whether he should not himself abandon the plantation and 
remove to Patience Island. While in religious matters Gorton ** main- 
tained with Williams the great doctrine of the underived indepen- 
dence of the soul, in civil concerns he was an absolutist, a stickler 
for authority, yielding, theoretically at least, entire obedience to char- 
tered power, but ignoring any other, and steadily denying the right of 
the people of Aquidneck or Providence to govern themselves, and 
hence refusing to be controlled by them. And because of this defect 
in the basis of their government he used every effort to weaken or 
destroy it, assuming for that object the attitude of the veriest leveller 
recorded in history. ** So entirely subsersive of all order was his 
course, that his application for admission to the rights of citizenship 
was denied. In November, 1641, the tumult this ** insolent, railing 
and turbulent person " had aroused, culminated in a riot. Some blood 
was shed upon both sides, and many of the inhabitants, following a 
strange precedent which had been established some time before, 
invoked the aid of the neighboring colony of Massachusetts in the 
interests of peace. 

Finding that the sentiment of the colony was so strongly against 
him, Gorton and his adherents moved to Pawtuxet, whereupon its 
few, scattered inhabitants, well knowing what was coming, hastened 
to submit themselves to the government of Massachusetts Bay. The 
"letter" this action drew forth from Gorton is a most marvelous 
composition, but one that is not likely to receive a very careful exam- 
ination at the hands of this impatient generation. It occupies nearly 
twenty-six closely printed octavo pages, and is filled from beginning 
to end with scorching invective and bitter sarcasm. To its writer it 
brought trouble without end ; for the Massachusetts magistrates were 
able on every page to single out heretical doctrines upon which 'to 
ground the pretexts for their vengeance. The Gortonists (Gorton- 
oges, the Indians called them) left Pawtuxet soon after it was written, 
and having purchased land from the Indians, began at Shawomet, in 
the wilderness, and beyond the jurisdiction of Providence, the settle- 
ment which now bears the name of Warwick. 

As the purchasers of Shawomet were but twelve in number, they 
deemed it unnecessary at first to adopt any regular form of govern- 
ment. Until a charter from England could be obtained they pro- 
posed to adjust any differences that might arise by arbitration. The 
action of the authorities of the Massachusetts Colony soon rendered 



Warwick. 



231 



ihe acquisition of the desired charter an absolute impossibili^. By 
the men of the Bay the Warwick sachem was induced to submit him- 
self to the authority of the Massachusetts government, and to deny the 
sale he had made to Gorton. A voluminous correspondence, con- 




ducted on Gorton's part with consummate ability, and with a most 
exasperating weight of argument upon his side, followed this submis- 
sion. The upshot of the matter was, that in the early fall of 164.3 ^ 
company of Massachusetts, soldiers were sent against the contuma- 
cious Gortonoges. 

The approach of these troops caused the greatest alarm among 
the people of the new settlement. The women and children fled for 
refuge to the neighboring woods ; the men hastily fortified one of their 
strongest dwellings and there, "as men prepared for slaughter," 
awaited the attack of the assailing party. Negotiations looking 
toward a peaceful settlement of difficulties having failed, the cattle of 
the besieged were seized and an assault upon the improvised fortress 
w.is begun. Thereupon a strange spectacle was presented to view- 
As English citizens, the men of Warwick hung an English (lag from 
one ufthvir upper windows. Immediately it was riddled with bulleti» 
from Englbh miiski-ls. The assaulting troops, knowing well that no 
Bid would come to the relief of the beleaguered garrison, entrenched 
themselves, and opened a regular system uf approaches. For several 
days the siege lasted, and all the time the Gortonoges, acting solely 
upon the defensive, did not tire a shot. On the 6lh of October, the 



232 PicTURESQjjE Rhode Island. 

works approached so near the house that an attempt was made to set 
it on fire. It failed, but the determined assailants were not to be 
baffled, and immediately sent back to Massachusetts for more troops. 
The Gortonists saw that unless they surrendered a bloody conflict 
must ensue, and that death would surely come to them, either among 
the ruins of their house, or else upon the scaffold under cover of the 
law. Wisely, they surrendered, and were at once carried to Boston 
as prisoners arid placed on trial for their lives. 

The courage of most men would have given way under such a 
combination of circumstances, but the untamable spirit of Gorton was 
not daunted even by the desperate strait in which he found himself. 
In his Simplicities' Defence he taunts his captors with the extent of 
their triumph — " a whole county to carry away eleven men." Not 
in the slightest degree did .he moderate the harsh epithets he was 
accustomed to apply to his adversaries, and the result was that all 
but three of the magistrates who sat in judgment upon him united in 
condemning him to death. To the credit of the Bay Colony it is re- 
corded that the majority of the House of Deputies refused to sanction 
the barbarous decree- (It should be borne steadily in mind all the while 
that the crime of which Gorton was accused was " heresy.") The 
sentence was therefore modified, and Gorton and six others were 
ordered to be confined in chains during the pleasure of the court. 
*' Should they break jail, or in any way proclaim heresy, or reproach 
the Church or State, then upon conviction they should suffer death." 
In the course of a year after the sentence was carried into effect 
public opinion had changed to such an extent that the prisoners were 
given their liberty, but sent away into banishment. The island of . 
Aquidneck having received most of them, found that the bitter expe- 
rience they had passed through had left its trace upon them, and had 
made them much better and less quarrelsome citizens. Gorton him* 
self soon afterwards went to England, and through his eflforts he and 
his partisans were at last placed in quiet possession of the lands they 
had purchased. The name Warwick was given to the town in honor 
of the great earl through whose influence Gorton's mission was at 
last successful. When at last, by the Royal Charter, the jurisdictioii 
of Rhode Island was extended over Shawomet, a wonderful change 
came over the cavilling Gortonoges. ** Their rigid adherence to all 
the forms of law, as well as to its spirit, was no less reniarkable than 
had been their previous neglect. The charter supplied their theb* 
retical wants, and devotion to its letter and spirit marked all their 



Warwick. 



333 




subsequent conduct." Gorton 
himself settled down into a 
peaceful, quiet ftnd law-abid- 
ing citizen, and his great 
abilities soon secured for him 
the lending position in the 
colony. He lived for thirty 
years after the events that 
have just been narrated, and 
died in 1677. Says his bi- 
ographer : '• The exact spot 
where his ashes repose, is 
marked by no pious stone or thi BMUunnt. 

monumental marble. Yet. 

if without other honors, may it at least ever be their privilege to 
sleep beneath the green sward of a free state." 

The history of the town that was founded more than two hundred 
years ago, amid 8uch turmoil and strife, is peculiarly rich in roman- 
tic incident. Many a noble son it has sent forth from its borders to 
win distinction and honor for himself and it. Of one such man the 
fame is national — that one who was second only to Washington in 
the ability displayed upon many a bloody field during the gloomy 
days of the American Revolution, While the Union he did so 
much to perfect shall last, the name of Nathaniel Greene shall not 
cease to be cherished and held in veneration. 

Many a stirring deed also, has the old town witnessed. Upon 
â–  Gaspee (then called Namquit) Point it was tliat the British armed 
schooner "G.ispee" ran aground on the ninth day of June, 1772. 
What Rhode Islander is not 
familiar with the story of the 
vessel's destnjction ! The 
' * Gaspee" had been stationed 
in the bay to prevent smug- 
gling. Iler commander had 
discharged his duty with 
needless severity and with 
an entire disregard of the 
rights of the colonists. One 
day, while chasing a sloop 
up the bay, the man-of-war 



234 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

ran aground. The '* chase" escaped and announced in Providence 
the condition of its would-be captor. Immediately a drummer went 
through the streets of the town proclaiming the situation of the hated 
vessel, and calling for volunteers to destroy her. It was not difficult 
to find men ready to engage in such an expedition. At nightfall 
eight long boats, with muffled oars to enable them to reach the enemy 
unperceived, started down the bay. As they approached the *' Gas- 
pee " they were joined by another boat from Bristol, under the com- 
mand of Capt. Simeon Potter. The approach of the boats was 
after a while perceived by the people upon the schooner, who dis- 
charged at them a volley of musketry. The assailants promptly 
returned the fire and dashed forward to board the vessel. The com- 
bat which followed was short but decisive. The English commander 
was wounded, his vessel was captured, set on fire, and entirely 
destroyed. Without any attempt at concealment the victorious party 
rowed joyfully homeward. For information which might lead to the 
conviction of those who had participated in the affair the British gov- 
ernment oflTered a reward of £i,ooo. Almost every one in Provi- 
dence and Bristol was familiar with some of the attacking party, yet 
no one of any character in Rhode Island could be found to testify 
against them. The blood of Lieutenant Duddingston was the first 
British blood shed in the contest which resulted in the independence 
of America. The eflfect of the destruction of the '^ Gaspee " was felt 
throughout the length and breadth of the American Colonies, and the 
wave which closed over the charred timbers of the burning vessel 
swept onward, gathering might, across the ocean, until at last it 
broke with irresistible fury against the rocky coasts of the British Isles. 
On the shores of Warwick are many of the most noted summer 
resorts upon Narragansett Bay. Of these, Rocky Point is the best 
known and the most picturesque. It is situated about twelve miles 
from the city of Providence, and was first opened to the public by 
Captain Winslow in 1847, who in that year purchased the property 
and began to carry excursionists to it in a steamboat. During his 
ownership. Captain Winslow spent nearly the whole income of the 
place in improvements. He sold it, at last, to Byron Sprague for 
$60,000. Mr. Sprague still further improved it, spending about 
$300,000, and in 1869 sold it to the American Steamboat Company. 
The Continental Steamboat Company, the present owners, are their 
successors. The hotel has accommodations for three hundred 
boarders, and the dining-hall for shore-dinners will seat 1,500 per- 



Warwick. 



235 



sons. The grounds are ample and the means of enjoyment many, 
comprising a bathing-beach, a large dance-hall, a summer theatre, 
an observatory, swings, flying horses, etc. Shore-dinners are served 
every day during the summer. - 

Oakland Beach, about two miles southwest from Rocky Point, at 
the extremity of the peninsula of Horse Neck, is on Cowesett, or 



^WH 


â–  


â–  


9 


m 


t _ - 'Xli^ 


b6 


n 


^^^ttmt 


^^^^m 


M 


â– ii 


m 



Greenwich Bay. Compared to Rocky Point this resort is new, 
having been first opened in 1873. It has a fine hotel, and the grounds 
are well laid out. On these grounds it is proposed to hold the 
annual encampment of the Rhode Island State Militia. The Warwick 
Railroad, a branch of the Providence and Stonington, which forms a 
junction with the main line in the southeastern part of the town of 
Cranston, has its terminus at Oakland Beach. It was opened in 
1874, discontinued in 1876, and remained idle for a number of years. 
It is at present running under the management of the. New York, 
Providence and Boston Railroad. 

Buttonwood Beach is a large stretch of shore on the north side of 
Greenwich Bay which has always been a noted resort for clam-bakes. 
In 1871 the Buttonwood Beach Association purchased a tract of land 
at the eastern end of this beach, erected a large hotel, and laid out 
their land in cottage-lots, many of which are now occupied by taste- 
ful structures of the style of the Martha's Vineyard cottages. Directly 
across Greenwich Bay, to the southward from the Buttonwoods, lies 
Pottowomut Neck, a part of Warwick which is occupied by farms and 
summA" residences. 

Apponaug, at the head of the river of that name (which is an inlet 



236 PiCTURESQiJE Rhode Island. 



from Greenwich Bay), is a small manufacturing and fishing village, 
on the line of the Providence and Stonington Railroad. As early as 
1690, a fulling mill was erected here. This mill was kept in opera- 
tion until within sixty or seventy years, but whether uninterruptedly 
from its first establishment in the place, is unknown. Permission 
was given by the General Assembly, in 1796, for the erection of a 
tide-mill ; the power thus obtained, with that derived from the stream 
that flowed into the inlet, was used at first for running grist and saw 
mills, and eventually some small cotton and woolen factories. The 
principal industrial establishment in the place at present is the Orien- 
tal Print Works, one of the largest concerns of the kind in the State. 
Ship-building was at one time carried on in Apponaug, and also a 
brisk trade with neighboring parts. Fond dreams were indulged 
in by its inhabitants of the future importance of the place, and 
one individual declared that ' 'Apponaug will yet be bigger than 
London." 

The Pawtuxet River flows through a portion of Warwick. On 
both of its branches are many reservoirs for the storage of the 
superabundant spring waters. The water thus stored up is not suflS- 
cient to last through a very dry season, but in ordinary cases it ren- 
ders eflfectual aid to the thirsty mills. For the town is no longer 
devoted to agriculture, as in olden days. It has become one of the 
great manufacturing centres of the State, and very many factory vil- 
lages have grown up within its borders. In some of these villages 
the owners of the mills are also the owners of the tenement-houses 
which cluster about them. The great store, with its miscellaneous 
assortment of groceries, dry goods, hardware and crockery, in many 
cases likewise belongs to '' the corporation." The earliest attempt 
to manufacture cotton goods in this part of the State was made in 
Centreville in the year 1794. The second cotton-mill in the country 
is said to have been erected in that village during that year. 

During the early part of the present century most of the estab* 
lishments here located were started. Since the war of the Rebellion 
few new cotton-mills have been erected, but many of the old factories 
have been very greatly enlarged. One of the most noted of the 
early manufacturers was Dr. Stephen Harris. He was one of the 
original members of the Greene Manufacturing Company, which 
began the manufacture of cotton at what is now the village of River 
Point, in 1813. In 1818 the business came under Dr. Harris' exclusive 
control, and from that time has been steadily prosperous. Two more 



238 PicTURESQjJE Rhode Island. 

populous to render its division advisable. On the 21st of August, in 
that year, the western part was set off and incorporated into a new 
town, under the name of Coventry. The area of the portion thus 
incorporated was fifty-eight square miles. In the original town only 
forty-four square miles were left. The new town, however, was 
much more sparsely settled than the old, and has always continued 
to be so. In 1748 the population was 792, while at the same date 
that of Warwick was 1,782. The population of Coventry in 1880 
was 4,520; of Warwick, 12,167. 

The greater portion of this township is rugged and hilly, though 
some parts are quite level and fertile. Flat River, the name which 
the south branch of the Pawtuxet receives in the first part of its 
course, for more than six miles beyond Washington does not fall 
more than sixteen inches to the mile. From this fact it derives its 
name. West of Washington Village, and south of the river, the land 
is low and marshy ; here are located some of the largest reservoirs 
for the storage of water. Further west, along the line of the New 
York and New England Railroad, are extensive granite ledges. One 
is known as Nipmuc, and is situated a short distance from the rail- 
road station of that name. Another is located between Coventry 
Centre and Summit stations. Summit obtains its name from the fact 
that it is on the ridge between the water-sheds of the Flat River and 
the Moosup, a tributary of the Thames. A small stream, which here 
issues from a ledge, divides into two streamlets, and one reaches the 
sea through Narragansett Bay, and the other through the Thames 
River in Connecticut. 

Carbuncle Hill, in the northwestern part of Coventry,* near the 
Connecticut border, is a natural curiosity, with which are connected 
some Indian legends. Tradition says that the Indians in its neigh- 
borhood had once in their possession a valuable carbuncle. The 
settlers desiring to obtain this gem, resorted to many expedients, but 
without success. Fearing that the white men might accomplish their 
purpose, the Indians buried the jewel in the pond near by, which is 
known by the name of Carbuncle Pond. 

Before the Revolutionary War an anchor forge stood on the south 
branch of the Pawtuxet, between the present villages of Anthony 
and Quidnick. At what time the working of iron was begun here 
is unknown. Arnold, in his History of Rhode Island^ states that 
** James Greene and others petitioned for the right to place a dam 
across the south branch of Pawtuxet River in the town of War- 



East Greenwich. 239 



wick, and to erect works thereupon for the refining of iron." This 
was in April, 1741, before the incorporation of Coventry. No doubt 
the anchor forge was afterwards built near the locality mentioned. 
Gen. Nathaniel Greene, in company with his brother, here engaged 
in business just before the Revolution. 

The town of East Greenwich was founded, not like Provi- 
dence, Newport and Warwick, by fugitives from persecution for 
opinion's sake, but by a deliberate act of legislation. At the session 
of the General Assembly held in Newport, May, 1677, it was 

'* Ordered that a certain tract of land in some convenient place in 
the Narragansett country, shall be laid forth into one hundred acre 
shares, with the house lots, for the accommodation of so many of the 
inhabitants of this colony as stand in need of land, and the Gen- 
eral Assembly shall judge fit to be supplied. 

*'In pursuance of said act of the General Assembly, this present 
court do enact and declare, that the said tract of land be forthwith 
laid forth to contain five thousand acres, which shall be divided as 
follows ; five hundred acres to be laid in some place near the sea, 
as commodious as mavbe for a town, which said five hundred acres 
shall be divided into fifty house lots, and the remainder of said five 
thousand acres, being four thousand five hundred acres, shall be 
divided into fifty equal shares, or great divisions, and that each person 
hereafter named and admitted by this Assembly, to land in the said 
tract, shall have and enjoy to him and his heirs and assigns forever, 
in manner and form and under the conditions hereafter expressed, 
one of the said house lots and one great division, containing in the 
whole one hundred acres." 

Then follows a list of forty-eight names of persons to whom 
this tract was granted in consideration of services rendered during 
King Philip's War, who thus became the proprietors of the town 
and founders of the new settlement of East Greenwich, this being the 
name which by act of legislature it was to be known. Farther legis- 
lation in regard to its settlement extended to very minute details. 

The early settlers expected great things of the town. They antici- 
pated, in view of its excellent harbor, that it would become a place 
of great commercial importance, and that its healthful location would 
attract thither many in search of homes. The liberality with which 
they laid out the streets shows that they meant that it should be worthy 
of its future greatness. The names which they bestowed upon them, 



240 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

King, Queen, Marlboro, Duke, London, etc., are proofs of their 
loyalty to the mother country. Main Street is sixty feet wide, as are 
also some of the cross streets. The tbwn is situated on an arm of 
a bay of the same name, which is itself an arm of NarragansettBay. 
Its harbor is almost land-locked, and affords safe anchorage from 
storms which may visit the outer bay. The entrance to it is clear of 
sand-bars and rocks, so that it is easy of access, and its shores rise 
abruptly, giving sufficient depth of water to float large vessels. 
According to its local historian, the climate is healthful, and so mild 
that a number of delicate plants live out-doors during the entire win- 
ter, which in other places in the same latitude can only be preserved 
under cover. 

In the year 1709 the town purchased a tract of land adjoining its 
western border, containing 35,000 acres. Until 1740 the township 
extended from the bay on the east to Connecticut on the west. In 
that year it was divided into two parts which have ever since been 
called East and West Greenwich. On the 15th of June, 1750, the 
General Assembly formed a new county of the southern part of 
Providence County, comprising the towns of Warwick, Coventry, 
East and West Greenwich. It received the name Kent, and East 
Greenwich was selected to be the county-town, much to the disgust 
of Warwick, which craved the honor. It was also made a port of 
entry. 

The first collector was Thomas Arnold, formerly an officer in the 
Revolutionary army. At the battle of Monmouth he lost a leg, 
and its place was supplied by a wooden one. At that time the town 
carried on quite an extensive trade with the Dutch colony of Surinam. 
The officers of the vessels belonging to the trade seem to have been 
possessed with the common delusion that it is no sin to cheat the 
government, and generally managed to enter the harbor during the 
night and smuggle taxable articles ashore before morning, the col- 
lector never venturing out in the night on account of his infirmity. 
At one time a vessel was obliged to stay outside until morning on 
account of the fog. Its officers, at a loss how to outwit the collector 
in broad daylight, invoked the aid of his son, by whose connivance 
his wooden leg disappeared and could not be found until all articles 
on board the vessel, subject to duties, were safe beyond the reach of 
custom-house officers. A part of the collector's duty^ was to issue 
licenses for the sale of spirituous liquors, the revenue from which 
helped to fill the treasury of the general government. 



-.'ii 





^^^^^^^^B 


East Greknm'icii. 


241 


â–  


^^^1 At ihe beginning 
^^H of the Revolution, a 






^H 


I^^^^^^^^Bid|M# 


^E^ 


^^1 


^^H Mr. Upton cami- 


w^^^^^^^^lku^ li 


^M^ i| 


^^H 


^^^^ from Nantucket and 


^^^^^^^^^^K^jttjn 


PgCgHf 


^^^1 


^^H set up the first mnn- 


n^^^^^^^^^^^^^^v^ 


'' w 


^^^1 


^^H ufacturing ustabliKh- 


^^^^^^^^H^^^ 


r 


^^1 


^^^B ment of the town. It 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^tn 




^^^1 


^^H . was a pottery, and 


^^^^^^^^^^HBB:. 




^^H 


^^H stood on tliL* Corner 


^^^^^^^^I^^^Hf 




^^^1 


^^H of King ami Marl- 


^^^^^^H^^^B 




^^H 


^^H boro streets. The 


^^^^H^^^^^^^^L 




^^^1 


^^H articles made in it 


^^^^H^mib 




^^H 


^^H were of coarse ma- 


^^MmHnnHgB 




^^^1 


^^H tcrial and very rndt- 


^DflH^HBI^^^k 




^^H 


^^1 in fonn. Tlie clay 


BHHRRIRIffpf*' <l 




^^1 


^^H uH>::d WAS obtained ^ 


^t»~ 




^^H 


^^H from Gould's Mount, 


IH 




^^1 


^^H inQ^iidiit;9t-l[,whi-ic 


Ftfi 




^^H 


^^H it i» »till found in 






^^1 


^^^1 gre;it iinantjtics. Ai 






^^1 


^^H the close of the 


'^y 




^^H 


^^H Mr. Upton rutunu-'i 




^^H 


^^H to Nantucket. ai-i<l 


•^^nBh 


'â–  .'^â– ' 


^^H 


^^H hiH short-lived un~ 


ti£^H^H 


^^H 


^^^H dertaking came t" 


aiIHKIIK 




^H 


^^H an 


IPi^Ih^^^s 


1* 


^^H 


^^H The '1 


'^^^f^lWBt 


% 


^^^B 


^^H ftm undertakings '~ 


ww 


^^H 


^^^H alwuy.t interesting 




^^^H 


^^^1 EuM Greenwich h.i 






^^H 


^^^H the honor to h^\< 






^^^H 


^^^1 printed the tir^l 






^^H 


^^^1 in Americ^i. 






^^^M 


^^^1 Some time prcvioi. 






^H 


^^^P to 1794. u ninn n:uii 






^^^M 


^^H ed Dawson erectin 






^^^M 


^^H print-works. 






^^^M 


^^^H cnrricd on Uie bus' 






^^H 


^^H ntss. The malt^iI.M 






^^1 


^^^B usedwaslincn.spiiii 


^^J 



242 PicTURESQiJE Rhode Island. 

and woven in the families of the town. '' A calico, or as it was then 
called, a chintz dress, was at that time a rare and costly article, and 
ranked as high in the scale of fashion as the silks and velvets do 
now. . . . Every family made their own cloth, and then carried 
it to the printing establishment to be printed, each person selecting 
their own pattern and colors. The patterns were very neat and 
pretty, and the colors remarkably brilliant." 

The first establishment in the country for the manufacture of 
woolen cards was located at East Greenwich, in the dwelling-house 
opposite the Updike house. During the Revolution, saltpetre and 
wire were manufactured in the town. Previous to the year 1800 
there were several tanneries in existence. . 

The first cotton-mill within the limits of the township was Til- 
linghast's Factory, situated on a small stream at the head of Hunt's 
River. It is now owned by Mr. Moon. It was built about the year 
18 12. Green's Dale Bleachery was built by the East Greenwich 
Manufacturing Company in company with some private individuals. 
It was situated on the Maskerchugg, but operated by steam. It was 
used at first as a bleachery, but after it came into the possession of Mn 
George J. Adams it was converted into an establishment for printing 
mouseline de laine. These were so elegant in material, design, and 
color, that they were readily imposed upon the public, which saw no 
reason for doubting the genuineness of the labels, as of French make. 
Mr. Adams afterwards removed his business to Taunton, but for 
some reason he could not produce clear colors, and the undertaking 
proved a failure. He therefore returned to Maskerchugg, and de- 
voted himself to calico-printing, which was attracting much atten- 
tion among printers upon cloth. The buildings have been twice 
destroyed by fire, and each time rebuilt on a larger scale. The 
works have been operated by Adams & Butterworth since 1862. 

Sixty years ago the town could boast a brass foundry. It was not 
extensive, but the articles manufactured in it were very elegant. It 
was owned by Mr. Cromwell Salisbury. He was a very ingenious 
mechanic, made his own metal, designed his own patterns, and him- 
self did all the iron-work necessary at his own forge. He made tongs, 
shovels, andirons and supporters. In the year 1845 a machine-shop 
was erected on the corner of Division and Marlboro streets by Mr* 
Asa Arnold. Mr. Arnold is known as the inventor of compound 
motion, or diflferential wheels, as applied to cotton speeders, an inven- 
tion which has never been superseded during the fifty years in which 



LiRBENWlCK. 

it has been in general use throughout the world. The shop waa at 
first used for the manufacture of various kinds of machinery, but is 
now confined to that for making seine and fish nets. 

In 1873 Mr. Earnsli.iw commcin-ccl the manufacture of mnU and 




of the husk of the cocoauut. This manufactory is the only one of ils 
kind in the United States. 

There is no place, however small, without its local celebrity, 
famous either for good or tor evil, for wisdom or for folly. Such a 
one in East Greenwich was Jemima Wilkinson, and her cKiim 10 fame 
was her almost incredible folly. She was not a native of the town, 
having been born in Cumberland, in the year 1751, but .she included 
East Greenwich in her periodical visitations, and had here a meeting- 
houiie which was called by the irreverent "the Jemima Meeting- 
house." From a gay, worldly girl, fond of dress, society and amuse- 
ment, in the year 1774 she suddenly became a religionist, gave up 
all society, and studied the Bible continually. Alter about two years 
of retirement, she pretended to be ill, remaining in bed and exciting 
much sympathy and solii"ilude. She recounted to her nurses and 
watchers marvelous stories of celestial visitors and visions. At length 
she went into a trance which lasted several days, from which she 
suddenly awoke, asked for her clothts, rnsc and dressed, and went 
about in perfect health. She announced that although it was Ihe body 
of feminiJi. \hc soul had yone to hi-avrn. and she blasphemously 



244 PiCTURESQiJE RlIODE ISLAND. 



asserted that the spirit of Jesus Christ now dweh in her body. She 
declared that she should live and reign a thousand years on earth, 
and then be translated, and that her name was the ** Universal 
Friend." Notwithstanding the arrogance and absurdity of her claims, 
she collected about her some very devoted adherents, not only among 
the ignorant, but also among the intelligent, who are not supposed to 
be so susceptible to imposition as the former. This can be partly 
explained by the fact that she possessed great personal beauty, both 
of face and form, was graceful, and apparently believed supremely 
in herself. 

Her object seems to have been to found a new religion, of which 
she should be the head. Disaffected members of various societies 
became her disciples, and three or four meeting-houses were built for 
her in different parts of the State. The form of worship which she 
imposed upon her followers was modeled after that of the Friends, 
but she continually varied it by enforcing capricious and tyrannical 
rules from which she allowed no appeal. Her moral character was 
by no means above reproach, several scandals having been coupled 
with her name. At one time she was convicted of having stolen 
$2,000 from the general treasurer of Rhode Island, either directly 
or through the instrumentality of one of her satellites who was enter- 
tained at his house during one of her visits. Immediately after this, 
in the spring of 1779, she removed with her adherents to Ontario 
County, New York, and founded a settlement which she called '* New 
Jerusalem." Here she administered affairs with shrewdness and skill, 
and died in 1819, at the age of sixty-eight, some nine hundred and 
odd years before she intended to. 

She pretended to work miracles, which, however, invariably 
proved failures, "owing to want of faith on the part of the specta- 
tors." One of these attempts at miracles was openly turned into ridi- 
cule by the wit of a military officer who was present. A favorite 
*' apostle " had been ill, and his death was announced. Jemima gave 
public notice that after he had slept four days, she would restore him 
to life. An immense throng of people, believers and sceptics, assem- 
bled to witness the act. Jemima discoursed briefly on death and the 
resurrection, and then declared that then and there she would con- 
vince them of her heavenly mission by raising the " apostle " from th^ 
dead. At this crisis, the officer stepped forward with drawn sword 
and remarked that he would just run his sword through the body, to 
make sure that the man was dead. Whereupon the top of the coffin 



East Greenwich. 



245 



was violently thrown back, and the ghostly tenant incontinently tied, 
to the dismay of the faithful and the amusement of the unbelieving. 
It is a little remarkable that this fanaticism of Jemima Wilkinson 
is the only one that has ever had birth within the limits of Rhode 
Island, a colonv wlinse foundation-stone is religious toleration. 




The Society of Friends has always been identified with East 
Greenwich. Driven from the Massachusetts colonies, they found 
rest and security within tlie borders of Rhode Island. The first houite 
of worship in ihe town was built by them. The society organization 
consists of a Yearly Meeting, made up of several quarterly meetings, 
which in their turn are made up of sundry monthly meetings, and 
these are composed of preparative meetings. The Yearly Meetings, 
nf which llierc are several in the country, are organizations entirely 
indepfndent of each other, and of equal importance and authority. 
The New England Yearly Meeting comprises tlie quarterly meetings 
of Rhode Island. New Bedford, Falmouth, Dover, and some others, 
and is held on alternate j-ears in Newport and Portland. Until 
within three years, it was held in Newport every year. Great etVorts 
hav(! been made to effect its permanent removal to Portlanil, but they 
have been unsuccessful, the tenure of some of the property of the 
meeting being dependent upon its being held in Newport. The East 
Grcenwicii meeting is ii quarterly one, comprising its own monthly 
rneclings. and those of South Kingstown. Providence, and Swansea. 
Eajil Greenwich monthly meeting includes the preparative meetings 
of itself and Coventry, which are held on alternate First-days in 
the two towns. This meeting was organized June 12. 1699. at the 



246 PiCTURESQjJE Rhode Island. , 



house of John Briggs, Kingstown, and was first called the Narragan- 
sett Monthly Meeting. First-day meetings were held in Kingstown, 
near Wickford, in Joseph Hull's house, and afterwards in that of 
William Gardiner. Three monthly meetings were held in the house 
of John Briggs, after which they were held in that of Jabez Greene, 
of Warwick. Before the close of the year it was resolved to build a 
meeting-house. This was erected about half a mile southwest of the 
village, near Payne's grist-mill. It was not finished until 1703, 
although it was used for First-day meetings for some time before 
that. In the third month of that year Peter Greene, Jabez Greene, 
and Thomas Greenall were appointed a committee to finish it. The 
records of the next month contain the following minute : '* Upon 
further consideration of ye finishing our meeting house, it is seen con- 
venient by this meeting yt those three Friends may omit ye finishing 
at ye present, yt they may propagate ye building a small addition to 
ye meeting house as they may see convenient." The addition could 
have hardly been extensive enough to warrant much delay, as the 
bill presented therefor amounted to only £1, ids. 3d. The meeting- 
house in which the society now worships was built in 1804. 

Many able ministers of the society have lived within the limits of 
the East Greenwich meeting. Among them, in the early part of the 
eighteenth century, was James Scrivens, or Scribbens, as he was com- 
monly called. His preaching was wonderful, but he himself had so 
little common sense that he could not earn his own living. He gen- 
erally attended the Yearly Meeting at Newport. Returning thence, 
at one time, he boasted that he had preached, and preached well. 
**No, James," said a Friend who had been present, and who thought 
it his duty to rebuke such spiritual pride, " thou art greatly mis- 
taken ; thou hast not preached to-day, it was thy gift that preached." 

East Greenwich is the site of a classical school of a high order of 
excellence. At its incorporation, in 1802, it was known as Kent 
Academy. It was opened to pupils in 1804, under Mr. Abner Alden, 
a very successful instructor. In the year 1841 the establishment 
was sold to the Providence Methodist Episcopal Conference, and is 
now known as the Greenwich Academy. 

West Greenwich. — The town of West Greenwich was origi- 
nally a part of the '* Vacant Land Tract." In the year 1709 East 
Greenwich found it expedient to enlarge her borders, and accordingly 
purchased a tract of land adjoining her western boundary containing 



/ 



West Greenwich. 247 



some thirty-five thousand acres. Its owners, thirteen in number, 
** made Saile" of this tract to the governor and company of '' her 
Majestie's" Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in 
consideration of the sum of one thousand one hundred pounds of 
current money of New England '*well and truly paid" to them. 
This tract became part of the town of East Greenwich, and remained 
so until 1740, when a petition was laid before the General Assembly 
to set off the western part into a separate township. There seems to 
have been no reluctance upon the part of the inhabitants of the eastern 
part of the town to agree to this petition, and they laid no restraint 
upon the departure of their western neighbors from their control. 
Indeed, the care which they took to record that they gave their con- 
sent *' by a great majority," would seem to indicate a rather unflat- 
tering willingness to be rid of them. 

In 1740, therefore. West Greenwich commenced existence as an 
independent township. It is an inland town, mathematically regular 
in outline, being a rectangle three times as long as wide, it greatest 
length being from east to west. Its surface is somewhat hilly. The 
most considerable eminence is Hopkins Hill, from whose summit a 
fine view of the surrounding country, with its forests and streams, 
its hamlets and out-lying farms can be obtained. The town is an 
agricultural one, although in many places the soil is light and thin, 
and in others the advantages which a more favorable condition of 
the soil would naturally give, are in a great measure neutralized by 
want of proper cultivation. 

A large part of the town is still forest, white pine, oak, chestnut 
and birch growing in great quantities. These forests are a source 
of considerable revenue to their owners, and there are not less than 
twelve saw and shingle mills for their conversion into lumber. 
There are several ponds within the limits of the town, the principal 
of which are Teppecansett and Bailey's ponds on the Connecticut 
line, Wickaboxet Pond, a little east of these, and Mishnock and 
Carr's ponds in the eastern section of the town. The streams in this 
section flow north into the Pawtuxet River, while those of the west- 
em half of the town flow south and find their way into the ocean 
through the Pawcatuck. In the northwestern part of the town, 
there is a mass of gray granite call Rattlesnake Ledge. It was 
formerly the fastness of great numbers of those deadly reptiles. 
They were so numerous years ago, that the inhabitants of the vicinity 
used to make a practice every year of assembling on a fixed day and 



248 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

going out to wage a war of extermination against them. In this way 
they succeeded in greatly reducing their numbers, but they have not 
been altogether destroyed, a few lurking around the ledge to this 
day. 

When, at the Restoration of the Stuarts to the throne of Eng- 
land, the regicide judges found it necessary for the safety of their 
lives to flee from their native land, they came to America,, and 
Theophilus Whalley found his way into the Rhode Island Colony. 
After a short stay in North Kingstown, he removed t# West Green- 
wich, where he lived to a very old age in exile. His remains were 
buried on his farm near Hopkins Hill. This custom of having a 
private burying-ground on the family estate is one very commonly 
followed in the to^^n. There is but one public cemetery, and that is 
connected with the West Greenwich Centre Baptist Church. 

There are several villages within the township, all of which are 
small. Nooseneck Valley is the largest of these. It is almost at the 
centre of the town, and lies in the valley of the Big River, a branch 
of the Pawtuxet, which at this point in its course has a very rapid 
fall. It derives its name, ** Nooseneck," from the fact that numbers 
of deer were formerly entrapped here in a running noose. The 
mill privilege formed by the rapid fall of the river is quite valuable, 
and has been improved at various times by different mill-owners. A 
fatality, which extended to other mills in the town, seems to have 
attended those built upon this privilege. One built by David Hopkins 
for the manufacture of yarn was three times destroyed by fire, and 
another one on the opposite bank, the property of Jonathan Hopkins, 
twice suffered the same disaster. A short distance above the site of 
these two mills, one was erected in 181 2 by the West Greenwich Man- 
ufacturing Company for the purpose of spinning yarn. They became 
involved in a lawsuit arising out of the question of the title deeds, 
and the property was sold according to a decision of the United States 
Circuit Court. Passing through several hands, it finally came into 
the possession of its present owner, Mr. R. K. Edwards, who having 
enlarged and improved the mill, manufactures yarn and carpet- 
warps. This is the most extensive business of the town and employs 
twenty hands. There is one other yarn-factor}^ about a quarter of a 
mile above this one, owned by the firm of Hopkins & Edwards. 
Two establishments for distilling pyroligneous acid are in operation, 
which together produce about a tjiousand and fifty gallons a day* 
Various other industrial enterprises have been attempted in different 



EXICTKR. 



'49 



parts of the town, but have not proved successful. The mills already 
mentioned, together with four grist-mills, constitute the principal 
claims which the town can bring to be considered as interested iu 
manufactures. 



West Greenwich Centre, which one would naturally uxpect to 
find in the middle of the town, is a village in the northwestern cor- 
ner, and is probably so called in accordance with the principle enun- 
ciated by that amiable, witty, and altogether admirable young man, 
the younger Mr. Weller. when he explained that certain persons 
were called laundresses, "because they has such a mortal aversion 
to washing anything." 

ExETKR.— That part of the Slate comprised within the limits of 
the town of Exeter has been called the " Alps of Rhode Island." 
This name applies more properly to the western portions of the town. 
Numerous small streams, tributaries of the Pawtuxet and Pawcatuck 
rivers, have tlieir sources among these hills. Because of its remoteness 
and physical features, this region remained for a lunger period than 
neighboring sections of the country a haunt of the redmen. Previous 
to King Philip's War no settlements had been made in it, and not until 
the power of the Indians was eftectiially broken were its hill-sides 
and valleys occupied by white settlers. It formed a part of the 



250 Picturesque Rhode Island. 



'* Pettaquamscot Purchase," which was bought from the Indians in 
1657, and for many years portions of it were included in the cele- 
brated " vacant lands." Exeter continued an integral part of North 
Kingstown until March 8, 1742-43, at which date it was incorporated, 
and was named after Exeter, in England. 

Queen's River flows through the eastern part of the town, and 
Wood River through the western portion. The source of one of the 
branches of the last-named river is Deep Pond. An unsuccessful 
attempt was made by the fish commissioners in 1872 to stock this 
pond with black bass. Beach Pond, on the border between Exeter 
and Connecticut, witnessed in by-gone days many exciting scenes. 
On its shores on the last Saturday in June, the people from all the 
surrounding country were accustomed to congregate and engage in 
various athletic sports. The favorite horses of the neighborhood 
were pitted against each other in trials of speed. In foot-races and 
trials of strength the young men found enjoyment and afforded 
amusement to the spectators. In many other sports and pastimes 
was the day passed, the people finding thereby *' relaxation from the 
busy toil of the farm and the drudgery of the household." This prac- 
tice has now been discontinued. 

Five hundred acres of land within the present limits of Exeter 
had been given, about the year 1696, by *' Samuel Sewell, of Boston, 
one of the .original purchasers of Pettaquamscot," to 'support a school 
for the children of the inhabitants. Previous to the incorporation of 
Exeter this gift had not been used. In 1766 the General Assembly, 
in response to a petition to that effect, conferred power to render the 
gift available according to the original design, and ** the town of 
Exeter had leave to build a school-house near the east end of the 
town, on the public highway, which was laid out ten rods wide." 

The celebrated James Lillibridge is said to have been bom in 
Exeter, about the year 1765. He was the natural child of a Miss 
Mowrey, and was known by the name of his reputed father, James 
Lillibridge. In the records of Exeter there is no mention of his 
birth or of the residence of his mother in the town. '* He lived on 
the Long Wharf in Newport, with his mother and sisters, in the house 
now known as 'the Bohanna House.' It is said that his mother and 
sisters were disreputable persons, and that in consequence of a family 
quarrel he left home and went to sea. Lillibridge changed his sur- 
name to that of Murray, and was afterwards known as James Murray. 
He was bound as an apprentice to* some mechanical trade before he 



I 

*< 



Exeter. 



asi 



became a sailor. After following the sea for a time he arrived at 
Tranquebar, on the coast of Coromandel, about 1790, and some 
time in that year, having heard that certain Frenchmen who had 
entered the service of the Indian princes had risen rapidly in rank 
and fortune, he determined to take service under some one of the 
Mahratta chiefs. He reached the province and entered the service 
of Holkar, one of the most formidable of these leaders. Instead of 




uniting against the common enemy, these petty sovereigns for a half 
century had been engaged in an intestine warfare. In the hazardous 
enterprises of these inglorious wars, Murray ' became conspicuous for 
his invincible courage and undaunted presence of mind, as well as for 
his personal prowess.' He remained in the Mahratta service for fif- 
teen years, during which he was actively engaged in everj' species 
of peril and hardship known to that terrible warfare, frpm Cape Cor- 
morin to the borders of Persia." 

He was brought to the notice of the British government in India, 
by having saved the lives of a number of British officers whom he 
had captured, but who had been condemned to death by Holkar. 
At the risk of his own life Murray prevented their execution, but by 
this act he lost the confidence of Holkar, and, disgusted with the ser- 
vice of his barbarous master, he revolted and contrived to get pos- 
session of a considerable tract of country, which he governed as an 
independent ruler. On the breaking out of the war between the 
British government and Scindia, Murray surrendered his sovereignty 
and proclaimed the supremacy of the British government in hia 
principality. At the head of 7,000 native cavalry he entered the 



252 PicTURESQjjE Rhode Island. 

British service and rendered valuable aid throughout the war. He 
retained his independent command, and was treated with much 
deference and respect by the British generals. ''At the siege of 
Bhurtpore, where the British army lost nearly ten thousand men in 
four successive attempts to storm the place, Murray was in continual 
action, and earned the title of being * the best partisan officer in India.'** 
At the conclusion of the war Murray was retired on half-pay, and as 
he had acquired a large fortune, he determined to visit his native 
country. A further reason that caused him to determine upon this 
course was that, while during the war he had been treated by thd Brit- 
ish officers with great consideration, on the restoration of peace they 
manifested indifference toward him. 

'* A few days before the time fixed for his embarkation he gave 
a splendid entertainment to his acquaintances in Calcutta. After 
dinner, when elated with wine, he undertook the entertainment of 
his guests by riding his Arabian charger, which had carried him in 
the war, over the dining-table. The horses foot became entangled in 
the carpet and threw his rider. Murray received internal injuries, 
which induced mortification, and he died in a few days. He was 
said to have been the best horseman in India, and unrivaled in the 
use of the broad-sword. He is described as having been, in ordinary 
life, a mild and amiable man, but when aroused in anger he became 
ferocious and ungovernable. He was of middling height, pleasing 
expression of countenance, and had great bodily strength and agility. 
He is said to have been attacked upon one occasion by seven Mah- 
ratta horsemen, of whom he killed three and then effected his escape 
from the other four. Many were his wild and romantic adventures 
and hair-breadth escapes, but their history is but imperfectly known', 
for he was modest, and not given to boasting of his own exploits. 
Though he had been from his home since his boyhood, he retained 
a wonderful attachment for his native country, and he sometimes 
loaned considerable sums of money to persons upon no other assur- 
ance than that they were Americans. After his death a portion of 
his fortune, some $20,000, it is said, was transmitted to his mother 
and sisters at Newport, upon the receipt of which they changed 
their residence and became candidates for respectability, but they 
afterwards returned to Newport. 

*' The history of India for twenty years is the record of his achieve- 
ments and of his wonderful daring. He not only fought Sdndiat 
but the forces of the nabobs of Arcot, of Oudre and Surat, and under 



mm 



HOPKINTON. 253 



the direction of Major-General Arthur Wellesley, afterwards Duke of 
Wellington, and Lord Lake, he took Indore and Malwa, and with 
equal valor he fought on the plains, in the mountain passes, and 
among the jungles of Hindostan, either under the cross of St. George 
or in defence of the claims of some savage master." 

The town of Hopkinton comprises an oblong section of country 
in the southern part of the State, bounded on the north by Exeter, 
on the east by Richmond, on the south by Westerly, and on the 
west by Connecticut. In the northern part the country is rather 
hilly, and there are numerous ponds. The land is rough and stony, 
and was originally covered with a strong growth of trees. Farming 
is the principal occupation of the inhabitants. Wood River is the 
boundary between Richmond and Hopkinton, and on its banks and 
those of its tributaries within the town are many grist and saw mills 
and other small manufacturing establishments. The most considera- 
ble village in Hopkinton on this river is Hope Valley, where there 
are a number of cotton and woolen factories. Here also are located 
the works of Nichols & Langworthy, machinists and iron founders, 
and builders of engines, boilers, and printing presses. The Wood 
River branch of the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, 
which connects with the main line at Wood River Junction in the 
town of Richmond, terminates at Hope Valley. This railroad was 
I opened in the year 1874. Through the southern part of the town, 
near the Connecticut border, flows the Ashaway River, a tributary 
of the Pawcatuck. On this stream are several manufacturing villages, 
the principal one of which is Ashaway, where th« woolen manufac- 
ture is the leading industry. Hopkinton originally formed part of 
Westerly, but on March 19, 1757, it was incorporated as a separate 
town. 

The first settlement in Hopkinton is supposed to have been made 
in 1704, by Daniel Lewis. He was a fuller by trade, and carried on 
his business near the present village of Laureldale, at which place 
he built a dam across the Ashaway River. Many of his descendants 
still reside in the town. One of them, Christopher C. Lewis, was 
town clerk from 1817 to 1858, when he resigned. During that entire 
period he was present and officiated at every town-meeting except 
one, at which his son, Dea. Nathan K. Lewis, took his place. On 
his retirement from office the town passed a vote thanking him '* for 
the able and impartial manner in which he had discharged the duties 
of said office for the term of forty-one years." 



254 PiCTURESQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 

Hopkinton City is the name given to a small village in the central 
part of the town, a short distance from the Connecticut border. 
When it was first laid out great were the expectations of its future 
importance. In the days of stage-coaches, as the New London and 
Providence turnpike passed through it, some business was brought 
to the place, and here was located one of the ** wayside inns." But 
the new methods of traveling by railroad left it stranded high and 
dry, out of reach and sight of the current of modem commercial inter- 
course. Among the other small villages in the town are Laureldale, 
Locustville, Bethel, Woodville, Rockville, and Centreville. 

Many of the people of Hopkinton, like their neighbors of West- 
erly, are Sabbatarians, and there are in the town four churches of 
the Seventh-day Baptist denomination. There are, besides, a Metho- 
dist Episcopal church, a Second Advent, and two First-day Baptist 
churches, and two Friends' meeting-houses. In 1828 public schools 
were first established, and from that time until the present, good pro- 
gress has been made in the erection of suitable school buildings, and 
in general educational growth. A printing office was established 
Nov. I, 1866, in the village of Hope Valley, by Mr. L. W. A. Cole, 
and in 1876 the same gentleman started a newspaper under the name 
of the Wood River Advertiser. 

" The first settlers of Hopkinton, puritanical though they were in 
many things, had their amusements. Muster or training days were 
special seasons of amusement and recreation, at which business was 
generally suspended, and both old and young went to see the 
' trainers,' to hear the fife and the drum, and to feast on molasses 
candy and gingerbread. General or regimental and brigade train- 
ings would call together a large portion of the population from miles 
around. On these occasions all, with scarcely an exception, imbibed 
freely of cider, rum and cherry brandy, until story-telling and social 
hilarity became general. Temperance consisted in not getting 
drunk, but a little boozy. Stated holidays were special seasons of 
merry-making. In addition to these, the young people would have 
huskings, bush-cuts, quiltings, spinning-bees and apple-cuts. At all 
these there was some work and a good deal of fun, much of story- 
telling, of love-making, singing and joking." 

Before the spread of intelligence had become general, many 
superstitious notions prevailed. One of the most common of these 
was a belief in witches and wizards. Tradition tells of two noted 
diviners who resided in Hopkinton. One was an old woman named 



tiOPKlNTON. Z55 

Granny Mott, who lived in llopkinton while it was still a part of 
"Westerly. While on a hunting esperfltion, iine of her neiglibors 
waR much troubled by a flock of heath-hens, one of which would 
tlv close to him, but which he was unable to shoiH. At last he cut a 



'■'•^•vatsffx- 



silver button from his coat, and with it loaded his gun and shot the 
bird. Shortly after. Granny Mott was reported to be sick, and soon 
died, and as hor daughter would not allow any one to aesiAt in pre- 
paring the body for burial, it was at once surmised th.it the bird the 
sportsman had shot with the silver button had been ihe old woman in 
disguise. The other " uncanny" personage was a " little old negro 
man, jet black," who was supposed to have bewitched a young lady 
whose father would not allow him to fiddle at the marriage of her 
sister. The result of this refusal was tliat the ymng lady became 
subject to fits, which could only be alleviated by fiddling, and her 
father was obliged to engage a fiddler by the month, as the spasms 
occurred every evening. She was ultimately partially cured by the 
prayers of a man from Connecticut. Several peculiar religious seels 
have at times been found in Hopkinton. Toward the close of the last 
century a few Shakers were liâ„¢g here. Some years after, however, 
another sect, called Betdenites, arose. Those in Hopkinton, from one 
of their preachers, were called Morsettes: in their meetings they 
went through a ridiculous performance of dancing, leaping, shouting 
and hooting. They also practiced what they called the " Hdly 
Kiss,'* and were accused of great looneness in their manner uf life. 
After a few vears the seel died out. 




CHAPTER X. 




TIIE NIANTIC INDIANS — THE FIRST WHITE SETTLERS — THE GRKAT 
AWAKENING — WESTEHI.y GRANITE — FOUR NOTED MEN. 
CHARLESTOWN — NINICRETS FORT— THE CORONATION OF 
QUEEN ESTHER. RICHMOND — THE FIGHT AT 5HANNOCK 
MILLS. 

ESTERLY. — Centuries ago, before the white man 
had thought of seeking a home in these distant lands, 
when the broad Atlantic rolled its surf against a shore 
whose trackless forests, extending far inland, were the 
abodes of savage Indians and prowling wild beasts, 
Misquamicut, as the southern shore of Rhode Island 
was called, was the home of the aboriginal tribe of 
the Niantics. Their territory extended from Wecapaug 
in Charlestown to the Connecticut River, and reached 
back twenty or thirty miles from the coast. Their kings were the 
celebrated Ninigrets. When the first white settlers came hither the 
tribe was divided into the Eastern and the Western Niantics, the 
Eastern section holding Misquamicut and the Western having their 
home in Connecticut. 

The history of the Niantics is- interwoven with that of all of the 
present towns of Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond, and HopkintoD* 
which constituted the original tract of Misquamicut, which after its 
settlement by Europeans was called Westerly ; and although the 
reservation upon which the remnant of the tribe lives is in Charles* 
town, it is as well, perhaps, that their story should be told as part <rf» 
the portion which retains the name of Westerly. 

According to tradition, the Niantics were comparatively mild in 
their manners, and disposed to live peaceably with the surrounding 



Whstkrlv. 



257 



tribes. But the Pequota, who were not only cruel but also grasping, 
cast covetous eyes upon their fair possessions, unci desct^nded upon 
them from the head waters of the Hudson with such slaughter that 
the tribe was almost destroyed. The Eastern Nianlics were glad to 
place themselves under the protection of the Narragansetts, an 
ancient and powerful tribe, which occupied almost the whole of the 




Western part of Rhode Island. Now Uiat the Niantics had become 
tributary to ihcni, their sway extended to the ocean on the south and 
to the Pawcatuck or " Nurragansetl River " on the west. Historians 
alway.s speak of the two tribes under the common name of the Nar- 
ragansetts, altliough ihe reninanl of the two is largely Nianiic. and 
dwells upon Nianiic land, and although at the death of the Narra- 
ganst-U sachem, Canonchet. his sceptre passed into ihe hands of 
Ninigret, who with his descendants ruled the tribes until the death of 
George, the last of the Ninigrets. 

The Ninigret who held sway whun the first whites canM> to these 



258 PicTURESQiJE Rhode Island. 

shores, was a chief of great military reputation, haughty and spirited, 
but honorable in his dealings with the whites. In the year 1664, he 
was at war with the Montauks, who lived at the eastern end of Long 
Island, and whose king was the notable Wyandance. The latter 
was represented by his sachem, Ascassassatic. Of him and his 
opponent, Roger Williams says : " The former is proud and foolish, 
the latter proud and fierce." Victory perched on Ninigret's banner. 
The Connecticut settlers with some arrogance declared that they had 
taken the Montauks under their protection, and demanded peace in 
their behalf. Ninigret's answer to this demand was, '* The Long 
Island Indians began the war, killed one of my sachem's sons, and 
sixty men. If your governor's son were killed, and several men, 
would you ask counsel of another nation how and when to right 
yourself ?** Incensed at this scornful reply, they straightway sent 
forces, horse and foot, against Ninigret, who, however, entrenched 
himself in a swamp, and the troops were fain to acknowledge them- 
selves outwitted and to return. This swamp, is doubtless the cedar 
swamp, near Burden's Pond, Westerly. 

The feud between the two tribes continued in all its bitterness. 
At length each, without the knowledge of the other, determined to 
make an onslaught which should be final. It so happened that they 
fixed upon the same night for the purpose. It was a clear moonlight 
night. The Niantics starting out, saw the canoes of the Montauk 
warriors approaching their shores swiftly and silently. Immediately 
they fell back, and themselves unseen, awaited the landing of the 
enemy. As they were forming into line, the Niantics descended 
upon them like a tempest, and dealt destruction among them until 
there was scarcely a remnant of the invading host left. This 
slaughter took place near Watch Hill. Not content with this suc- 
cess, Ninigret embarked for Montauk, where Wyandance, weakened 
by the loss of his warriors and taken by surprise, fell an easy prey, 
and the strength of the Montauks was forever broken. 

Ninigret remained a pagan all his life. Indeed, the practice of 
many of the whites went but little way to commend their preaching. 
When asked to favor the spread of Christianity among the Indians, 
he replied that it would be better to confine its preaching to the 
English until they brought forth some good fruits. One of his des- 
cendants, however, known as " King Tom," became a Christian, 
and during his reign an Indian church was established. The last of 
the Ninigrets was George, who was reigning during the American 



I-. I. 



Westerly. 259 



Revolution. By his untimely death at the age of twenty-two, the 
dynasty came to an end. Since this event the tribe has been ruled 
by a president or governor, elected annually, assisted by a council 
of four. Ever since the year 1707 they have been under the juris- 
diction of the State. They are allowed their own government, but 
it must harmonize with that of Rhode Island. The tribe has dwindled 
away to a very small number, and has lost most of its characteristics 
through intercourse with the whites. At present there is not a pure- 
blooded Indian among them. 

The first Europeans who visited the shores of Misquamicut were 
Dutch traders, who came hither in search of furs. They made no 
settlement, they did not even set up any trading-houses, but came 
up the rivers and inlets and made exchanges with the Indians. 
Adrian Block, the Dutch navigator, explored the coast in his little 
vessel, the *' Restless," in the year 1614, and the Dutch geographer, 
DeLast, sketched it in 1616, from the journal kept by Captain Block. 
The outline of the coast has changed quite materially since this first 
map of it was sketched. What is now Quonocontaug Pond, was 
formerly a harbor, open to the ocean, but which has since been cut 
off from the ocean by the filling up of its mouth during heavy gales. 

Tradition and poetry, neither of which can be relied upon in mat- 
ters of history, have preserved an account of the first colonists of 
Westerly. With that disregard of strict accuracy which character- 
izes them, they have both overlooked the date of the event which 
they commemorate. But it was probably somewhere near the year 
1630. In those days there came to Newport, then a hamlet, a 
young man by the name of John Babcock, who entered the employ 
of Thomas Lawton. Mr. Lawton had a daughter Mary, and the 
two young people fell in love with each other. Mary's father refused 
his consent to their marriage, but they, nothing daunted, determined 
to marry without it, which they accordingly did. So far the story 
is commonplace enough. The romance of it is found in their 
journey — or voyage, rather — to the mainland, to escape the wrath 
of the angry father. They embarked in a small boat and sailed past 
Point Judith, out upon the stormy Atlantic. Turning westward, they 
skirted the coast until, having passed Watch Hill, they came to the 
mouth of the Pawcatuck. They sailed up the river as far as Pawca- 
tuck Rock. Here they landed, and were cordially welcomed by Nin- 
igret, and here founded the first home of white men in this wilder- 
ness. Such is the tradition sacredly preserved among the early fam- 



26o PlCTURESQJJE RhODB IsLAND. 

ilies of the town, dearer to them, no doubt, than the strictest truth 
would be, if it were possible to know it. 

The first really historic white men who ever penetrated the 
primeval forest of the town, were the heroes who marched through it 
to the aid of their brethren and the discomfiture of the terrible 
Pequots, in the year 1637. They came with Capt. John Mason as 
their leader from the chores of the Narragansett, halted over night at 
Ninigrefs Fort, and persuaded him, although he had determined to 
preserve a neutral position, to send some of his warriors against the 
Pequots. When they reached the Pawcatuck, they rested and 
refreshed themselves at the ford, and then pursued their march into 
the enemy's country, to aid in what proved to be a war of extermina- 
tion upon the Pequots. 

A reliable date meets us at 1660. In this year Misquamicut 
became the property of a company organized in Newport for its pur- 
chase. The principles of the Rhode Island colonies forbade that 
land should be acquired from the Indians in any other way. Efforts 
had been made as early as 1658, to obtain a deed of this tract. In 
1660 the purchase was made of Sosoa, a renegade Pequot, who, for 
conspicuous services rendered to the Rhode Island tribes in one of 
their many fierce battles, was rewarded by Miantonomi and Ninigret 
with the title-deeds of Misquamicut. Some doubt was felt as to the 
legality of Sosoa's claim and consequent right to make the transfer, 
which was set at rest by a document signed by Wawaloam, widow of 
Miantonomi, confirming his claim. The company forming the other 
party to the transaction consisted of William Vaughan, Robert Stan- 
ton, John Fairfield, Hugh Mosher, and James Longbottom. They 
organized a colony the next year, which was incorporated as a town 
in 1669, although it then contained but thirty white families. The 
town was called Westerly, from its position. A portion of it was 
erected into a new township in 1738, under the name of Charlestown. 
In 1757 another portion was set off and called Hopkinton. In the 
year 1747 Charlestown was divided, the new township thus formed 
receiving the name of Richmond. 

In the year 1740 there occurred a remarkable religious move- 
ment, known as the " Great Awakening." Its influence extended 
throughout the settlements of the land, but was especially felt in New 
England. In Westerly it produced great results, leading to the for- 
mation of no less than five religious societies within the limits of the 
original town. Previous to this revival the Sabbatarians had held 



M 



Hm 



Westerly. 261 



regular services, and a missionary had been sent by the New England 
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to preach to the Indians 
and such English as chose to attend upon his ministrations. As he 
was, in his own words, *' a moral religious person, but awfully in 
the dark as to the way of salvation," it is fair to infer that his mis- 
sionary efforts were not specially productive of good. The revival 
owed its immediate origin to the eloquent preaching of George 
Whitefield. He had spent three days in Newport, preaching and 
praying for a land waiting and longing for spiritual relief. When 
the awakening came it spread like wildfire over the land. It was 
viewed with disfavor by the churches already established, which, 
indeed, were sore shaken and torn by it. The Sabbatarians or 
Seventh Day Baptists were, by their own showing, especially opposed 
to it, and spoke scornfully of it as the "New Light Stir." It pro- 
duced a particularly happy effect among the Indians of Westerly, 
bringing many of them out of pagan darkness into the light of the 
Gospel. ''The movement resulted in the separation of scores of 
churches from the standing order, and in the general renovation of 
the State churches themselves. In fact, the revival was the blow 
that, in its consequences, led to the separation of Church and State, 
and resolved the Presbyterians into Congregationalists. And how 
much the American Revolution owes to the Grreat Awakening, as a 
preparation, both in spirit and principles, might well engage a chap- 
ter of our national history. ... If the old churches of 
Massachusetts had cordially accepted the New Light diffused by the 
Spirit, through the testimony of Whitefield, Tennent, Backus and 
the Separatists, they would have been spared the pain and loss that 
finally came upon them, through their half-way covenants, in the 
apostasy of multitudes in the bosom of the churches and societies, 
who, under the plea of liberalism, went over to the ranks of Unitari- 
anism, and rent the churches and societies, and bore away from them 
much of their invested property." (The passage just quoted is from 
the Rev. F. Denison's History of Westerly. ) 

The coast of Westerly is a very dangerous one, being partly 
sand and partly rock. Watch Hill Point runs far out into* the ocean, 
and with its out-lying reefs has been the scene of many a dreadful dis- 
aster. Napatree and Sandy points are a continuation of this prom- 
ontory. They curve around, enclosing a portion of the sound called 
Little Narragansett Bay. Watch Hill looks down upon the scene 
of many a bygone event. Its elevation makes it a good point of 



262 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

lookout. From it, Ninigret watched the Pequot canoes stealthily 
approaching for his destruction, and at its foot is the old battle-ground, 
where he and his warriors descended upon them, surprised in their 
turn, and vanquished them. During the dreadful French and Indian 
wars, a watch-tower stood here and a signal station, the signal being 
fire by night and smoke by day. The tower was renewed during 
the Revolution, and from it the coast guardsmen kept watch for the 
coming of British vessels. The neck which connects Napatree Point 
with the mainland was then so broad that it contained a swamp and a 
pond, and was so well wooded that it would have been easy for an 
enemy to land there unseen. A story which the incredulous might 
look upon as a *' yarn," is told of this vicinity, celebrating the exploit 
of an old negro man named Vester. He was of huge stature and 
proportionate strength. It is said that he could lift a tierce of 
molasses. He was in the habit of swimming off to the Spindle at 
low tide and fishing until the returning flood drove him off", when he 
would swim ashore with the products of his labor. One day he was 
captured by a party of British foragers, who took him to Fisher's Island 
and compelled him to work as a slave. He, however, had no mind 
to waste his strength in slavery, when by a proper exertion of it, he 
might recover his freedom. One evening, at ebb-tide, he plunged 
into the waters of the sound, swam out to the current, turned over 
upon his back and floated until opposite Watch Hill, where he resumed 
his swimming, and so reached the shore and regained his liberty. 

From this same promontory, the awe-struck gazers watched the 
ghostly burning of the phantom Palatine. On its shores tradition 
tells that some of Captain Kidd's ill-gained riches were buried. But 
treasures far surpassing any of the pirate-king lie at the bottom of 
the ocean that washes its base, where many a good ship has gone 
down with its freight of precious lives. Some of these have gone to 
wreck in storm and darkness, some in broad day and smooth waters. 
** In 1850 a brig and a schooner bound eastward on a calm morning' 
were swept by the tide upon a reef west of the light, and were lost** 
The story of the ill-starred " Metis," which was wrecked here in 1872, 
is too fresh to need more than a passing allusion. A lighthouse was 
erected upon Watch Hill in the year 1802. Its first keeper was Mr. 
Jonathan Nash, who guarded the light for twenty-seven years. In 
May, 1806, a vote of the town transferred the jurisdiction of Watch 
Hill Point and light to the general government at Washington* 
There is a good beach upon the shore, and this, with its fresh breezes 



:«•_ 





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1 


^^^^^^^B^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l 


Westerly. 461 


^ 


from Ihe ocean, has 




^^^1 


earned for it a fine 




^^^^H 


reputation as a sum- 




^^^^1 


mer sea-side resort. 




^^^^^1 


The inhabilanlsof 


^^^^^^^^Hm^M^f 


^^^^^H 


Westerly have found 




^^^^H 


in its rugged and un- 




^^^^^H 


sightly rocks a mine 




^^^^H 


of wealth far exceed- 




^^^^^H 


ing any foreign treas- 


^^^BnBhJ^^^K^ 


,^^^^^H 


ure which their wild- 


^VHn^HiGSV^Bi J] 


^^^^^^^^H 


est innaginings could 


HfKtJRjbMsSIIi^vS 1 


^^^^^^^H 


picture as hidden in 


HujliUffiHH|Hri^w^ jj 


^^^^^^^H 


caves and recesseR 


^^^I^^^^^^^^Hv^ 


^^^^^^^^H 


with mysterious cere- 


^^^^H^^^^^^^K 


^^^^^^^H 


monies, and under 


^^^^^^^H^^^^H^n ' '>^^i 


j^^^^^^^^^ 


the cover of dark- 


^^H^^^^^BjH' p' ',^H 


^^^^^^H 


ness. There is no 


^^^^^^^HH^BniSl ^^1 


^^^^^^^^H 


granite in the coun- s 


^^^^^^^^^^H^^E^H, .'1 ' iBB 


^^^^^^^^H 


try, if indeed there is \ 


^^^^^^^^^^^^HEb^ ^ flH 


^^^^^^^^H 


in the world, which s 


Iv^^^^^I^^^bb^V^ ' ^j 


^^^^^^^^^M 


in fineness of grain, • 


JI^^^^^K^^m- 


^^^^H 


beauty of coloring, ' 


I^^^^^H^H^B'^ M 


^^^^^H 


suscepdbility to pol- 


Q^^^^^^^^^ffli fl 


^^^^H 


ish, and strength of 


^^^^^H^^^BBv 


^^^^^H 


resistance lo the de- 


^^^^H^^I^H^ 


^^^^^1 


stroying power of 


^^^^H^^^^K' 


^^^^^^^M 


time and the natural 




^^^^^^^^H 


dements, surpasses 




^^^^^^^H 


that quarried in 




^^^^^^H 


Westerly. lU "crush- 




^^^^M 


ing power" far ex- 




^^^^^H 


ceeds tliHl of other 




^^^^^H 


granites, for while 




^^^^M 


they vary from six 




^^^^^H 


thousand to thirluen 


^^H^^^^Lh^hhIj^^B^ 


^^^^^H 


thousand pounds to a 


^^ffi^^^ ^^^^H^^^k a 


^^^^1 


square inch, this will 




^^^^^H 


not be acted upon by 




^^^^^H 


tesa than nineteen 


^^J 



264 PicTUREsopE Rhode Island. 

thousand pounds. There are seven quarries of granite in the town, 
and the varieties produced are the white, red, blue, and maculated 
or mottled. Their fame has spread abroad in all directions, and 
'' Westerly granite " is as familiar a phrase as ever ** Carrara marble " 
was. It has in a great measure superseded marble, which although 
very much more easily chiseled, is wanting in the enduring qualities 
of the former. The block which is Rhode Island's contribution to 
the national monument at Washington was taken from the Westerly 
quarries. 

The first of these, which is also the largest and whose products 
are considered the ipost valuable, was discovered in 1845, by Mr. 
Orlando Smith. Certain boulders and rubble stones upon the sur- 
face caused him to suspect the existence of valuable stone beneath. 
Mr. Smith bought the farm containing these indications, which was 
formerly the property of Dr. Joshua Babcock. He opened a quarry 
at the top of Rhodes' Hill, between the old Babcock house and the 
site of the old Hill Church. This was in 1847. Since his death, a 
few years ago, it has been worked in the interest of his estate by a 
firm called the Smith Granite Company. The monument erected to 
Roger Williams, at Roger Williams Park, Providence, was cut by 
this company from granite obtained from their quarry. 

In 1866 Mr. George Ledward opened a second quarry, which 
proved, however, to be a continuation of the first. It is operated 
under the name of the Rhode Island Granite Works, the head- 
quarters for business being at Hartford, with the New England Gran- 
ite Works. Immense quantities of the stone have been quarried here 
for building, monumental, arfd ornamental purposes. Perhaps the 
most famous work of this company is the *' Antietam Soldier," for 
the battle-field of Antietam. It was cut from a single block which, 
when lifted from its bed weighed sixty tons, but which was reduced 
by cutting to half of that weight. The figure was designed by Carl 
Conrads, and with its pedestal measures forty-five feet in height. It 
represents a Union soldier of the Rebellion, standing at parade rest. 

Half a mile north of the second quarry, a vein of red granite, 
much prized for bifilding purposes, is worked. On Vincent Hill 
there is a deposit of blue and white granite, with here and there a 
vein of red. East of these two, in the line of the railroad, are two 
quarries which produce fine building material. The seventh is situ- 
ated on Cormorant Hill. The stone which it yields is of a very fine 



Westerly. 265 

quality, but lying as it does mainly in thin strata, tt is used for curb- 
ing, flagging, and such other purposes as require thin stones. 

There is also in the town a small quarry of soapstone, which is 
not worked at present. The aborigines prized this quarry highly, 




and obtained material from it for such rude implements as they could 
fashion. 

In the list of noted men whom Westerly holds in grateful remem- 
brance should be especially mentioned the two Wards, father and son, 
of Revolutionary times, and the Dixons, father and son, of our own 
day. The elder Ward was the son of Governor Ward of New- 
port. He removed to Westerly when he was about twenty. He 
was three times chosen governor of the colony. In the exciting times 
which ushered in the Revolution, his pen did good service in inciting 
the colonists to resist the aggressions of England. In 1774 he was 
chosen as colleague of Stephen Hopkins to represent Rhode Island 
in the first Continental Congress at Philadelphia. He was re-elected 
to the position the next year, and while in discharge of his duty died 
at Philadelphia, March 25, 1776. 

Samuel Ward, his son, was born in Westerly in 1756- He fought 
in the Revolutionary War, having risen to the rank of captain when 
he was nineteen years old. He joined in the siege of Boston, and 
accompanied General Arnold in the expedition against Quebec. 
He was taken prisoner, but was soon after exchanged. He helped 
defend Rhode Island under Generals Greene, Lafayette, and Sullivan. 
He commanded a regiment here, and received a commission as lieu- 



266 Picturesque Rhode Island. 

tenant-colonel. Afterwards he joined Washington's army in New 
Jersey. At the close of the war he became a merchant. He died 
at Jamaica, Long Island, in the year 1832. 

No name upon the public records of Westerly is more familiar, 
not only to the town itself, but also to the whole State, than that of 
Nathan Fellows Dixon, a name borne by a father and son whose 
public careers were very similar. Both were leading lawyers ; both 
represented their town in the General Assembly of the State, one for 
seventeen and the other for eighteen years, and both sat in the councils 
of the Nation at Washington, the one as a Senator and the other as a 
Representative. Their names will always be held in proud esteem 
by the town and State they served so long and faithfully. 

Westerly is one of the most thriving and enterprising towns in 
the State. Here are located many cotton and woolen factories, 
machine-shops, and manufacturing establishments of various kinds. 
It is also a business centre and a depot of supplies for the manufacto- 
ries throughout the surrounding country. 

The principal cotton-factories are those of the Moss Manufactur- 
ing Company, situated on Mechanic Street; and the establishment 
of B. B. & R. Knight, at White Rock village, about a mile above, on 
the Pawcatuck River. Among the companies and firms in the town 
engaged in the woolen manufacture are the Phenix Woolen Com- 
pany, the Stillman Manufacturing Company, the Westerly Woolen 
Company, Latimer Stillman & Co., and at Stillmanville, O. M. 
Stillman & Co. 

There are several machine-shops, where excellent work is done. 
Among these are the establishments of Cottrell & Babcock, iron- 
founders -and manufacturers of printing-presses; T. V. & V. C. 
Stillman, makers of wood-working machinery ; and N. A. Woodward 
& Co., transacting a general machine business. 

During the last decade. Watch Hill, the extreme southwestern 
point of Rhode Island, has become a noted summer resort. It is 
about five miles from the town of Westerly, from which place it is 
easily reached by steamer or carriage. A number of well-appointed 
and elegant hotels are here located. The largest is the Larkin 
House, D. F. Larkin & Co., proprietors, with accommodations for 
260 guests. Watch Hill House, with ample room for many guestd, 
is the oldest hotel. Besides these are the Atlantic House, the 
Plympton House, the Ocean House, the Narragansett House, and 
the Bay View House. 



Charlestown and Richmond. 267 

The present town of Charlestown, which until the year 1738 
was a part of Westerly, comprises the extreme eastern portion of the 
territory which was formerly the home of the ancient and powerful 
tribe of the Niantics. Here, upon Fort Neck, was Ninigret's Fort, 
the historic resting-place of Capt. John Mason and his little band 
of white men, when on their long and dreary march Into the Pequot 
country, they halted for one night. Sitting around their council fires 
with the Niantic braves, he persuaded Ninigret to send a .band of 
his warriors with him against their ancient enemy. Not far from the 
site of this old fort stands the mansion now owned by Mr. James N. 
Kenyon. It was built by that one of the Ninigrets known as "King 
Tom." Under the influence of the Gospel, he became civilized and 
christianized, and, wishing to live like other civilized men, had this 
house built for his use. The plan of it was brought from England. 

Coronation Rock, in the vicinity, was the scene of the coronation 
of his sister Esther, who succeeded him. This event having taken 
place since the white man settled here, the account of it has been 
transmitted to us. The tribes of which she was the head, although fast 
fading away, still held to the customs of their ancestors, and the cor- 
onation was attended with as much pomp and circumstance as their 
enfeebled condition was able to compass. Esther, escorted by about 
twenty Indian soldiers carrying guns, marched to Coronation Rock, 
where the council of her braves waited to receive her. Surrounded 
by them and by all her subjects, who had assembled to witness the 
pageant, she stood upon the rock, in the sight of the multitude, and 
those nearest to the royal blood placed upon her head the crown. 
It was made of cloth, covered with blue and white peage. (" Peage 
was the coin used among the Indians, in the manufacture of which 
the Narragansetts excelled. It was more commonly called " wam- 
pumpeage," or simply "wampum," and was strung upon cord and 
reckoned by the fathom. The word " peage," seems to be precisely 
the Latin 'â– 'â– feage" or ^* pedage,'" from "pes" a foot. This latter 
was a toll exacted from foot passengers for their safe conduct. The 
resemblance of the two words is suggestive of that often-recurring 
question of the common origin of the human race.") As the crown 
rested upon Esther's head, the Indians Bred a salute and cheered. 
They then escorted her to her home with great dignity and ceremony, 
and upon leaving her, again saluted her with the firing of guns. Her 
son George, who succeeded her, was the last sovereign who reigned 
over the Niantics, or Narragansetts, as they have been called ever 



268 PiCTURESQJJE RhODE IsLAND. 

since they placed themselves under the protection of the latter after 
the invasion of their country by the Pequots. The feeble remnant 
of the two tribes whose united sway extended over the whole west- 
ern part of Rhode Island, now occupy a small reservation in the 
centre of Charlestown. They are in a certain way under the juris- 
diction of the State, although they have a government of their own. 
The following extract from a report which appeared in the Provi- 
dence y^urnal of Oct. 17, 1866, gives a clear idea of their condition, 
powers and privileges : 

''In 1707 the colonial authorities procured from the chief sachem 
of the Narragansetts, a title deed of all the lands belonging to the 
tribe within the colonial jurisdiction, excepting and reserving a tract 
situate in what is now the town of Charlestown, and by that deed 
the Indians were prohibited from making any further grants of their 
lands without the consent of the General Assembly. The Indians 
contend that the provisions of this grant constituted a treaty between 
the colony and the tribe, and that by the terms to be implied from 
the treaty, the colony bound itself, and consequently the State is now 
bound to preserve to them their tribal jurisdiction, and the right to 
improve and occupy their lands. Whatever may be the true con- 
struction of this grant, we cannot believe that it will be seriously con- 
tended that the colony bound itself, or that there is any just pre- 
tence for saying that the State is bound, to preserve to the tribe 
a jurisdictioil foreign to and independent of the State ; or that it is 
bound to extend to the members of the tribe any peculiar or special 
privileges not enjoyed by all the inhabitants of the State. 

" The tribe elect their own officers, and are governed by their own 
laws, which embrace their customs and usages as they are gathered 
from tradition. Their council is of annual election, and, subject to 
an undefined supervising power resting with the General Assembly, 
is the arbiter of all their affairs. About two thousand acres of their 
tribal lands are held by individual members of the tribe as their sep- 
arate estate. Their titles were derived originally from the tribe, and 
rest upon tradition. The council grant the titles. Their mode 
of grant is interesting. The council go with the grantee upon the lot 
proposed to be granted. After the lot is marked out and bounded, 
the council cut a rod and place it upon the bare head of the grantee, 
and then, while he is upon the land and under the rod, they admin- 
ister to him a solemn oath of allegiance to the tribal authority. This 
mode of investiture of title bears considerable analogy to the old 



Charlestown and Richmond. 269 

common-law livery of siezen, and 
if this Indian custom antedates the 
landing of the Pilgrims, it might 
be suggested that there is a possi- 
bility that there was a community 
of origin in the two modes of grant. 
The individual lands of the tribe 
cannot be alienated without the 
consent of the General Assembly ; 
they descend to the heir upon the 
decease of the holder, subject, 
however, to the right of Occupancy 
in the next of kin who remains with 
the tribe, the possession, however, 
to be restored to the heir when he 
returns to the tribal jurisdiction ; 
but should the owner die in debt 
to the tribe, the council let or im- 
prove the lands, or sell the wood 
from them to pay the debts due to 

the tribe, and when these are paid, " ■■——,• 

they surrender the lands to the heir or the holder entitled to possess 
them. The tribe maintain their poor, and support public worship ; 
and the State supports their school. The tribe numbers fifty-eight 
males and seventy-five females ; in all, 133. They own in all about 
3,000 acres of land in the centre of the town of Charlestown." 

The " public worship " referred to in- the above report, dates from 
1750. The Great Revival numbered among its converts several 
Indians. At first they worshiped with the Presbyterians, but 
becoming dissatisfied with the ceremonials of that body, withdrew, 
and under the leadership of Samuel Niles, an " Indian exhorter," 
formed a new society. The faith which these simple red men exhib- 
ited is beautifully illustrated by an incident related upon good author- 
ity by the Rev. F. Denison : 

" In a time of severe drought, when their gardens and fields were 
withering and dying, the devout who had faith in prayer, made an 
appointment and met in their meeting-house to pray for rain. With 
one heart they united in their humble, earnest, trusting petitions. No 
sooner had they commenced praying than a little cloud, the size of 
an apron, was seen in the southwest, that steadily drew near and 




270 PicTURESQiJE Rhode Island. 

increased in volume, till it came over the settlement and poured 4own 
its water on the thirsty earth. Said one of the praying Indians, * We 
had a glorious shower, and went home dripping and praising God.'" 

The house which the society occupied from the middle of the 
last century was replaced in i860 by the stone one of the present 
time. The church began its career as a New-Light Baptist, but it 
has been shaken by many winds of doctrine. It has been described 
as being at present '* a Free- Will Baptist Church in a weak condi- 
tion, agitated by Advent doctrines, and conspicuous chiefly for its 
annual mass-meetings in August, after an old Indian custom." 

Of Indian burying-grounds several exist within the original limits 
of the town of Westerly. Many of them are small and obscure, and 
only to be traced by relics occasionally turned up by the plow. The 
royal burying-ground, known to be the most ancient, is situated in 
Charlestown, about a mile north of Cross' Mills. Undoubtedly the 
imagination which could picture the dead warrior as roaming over 
the happy hunting-grounds with his dog and his gun, would also 
suggest that his body would rest more peacefully in a pleasant spot 
than on a barren and stony hill-side, far from all pleasant sights and 
sounds. Whether it was their materialistic ideas of death and the 
hereafter or not which influenced them in the selection of this ground, 
they chose a picturesque place for their purpose. On a plateau ele- 
vated some fifteen feet above the surrounding high lands, with a 
pretty sheet of water at the south, and overlooking the sea, lie th