Fall/Winter 2016 Vol 43 Number 2

The Pawtuxet Rangers and Our Community Service Partners

ne of the missions of the Pawtuxet Rangers is to be good stewards for our community and provide community service to the area. This goal is being met by new partnerships between the Rangers, the

Warwick Historic Cemetery Commission and the War-wick Historical Society. The Rangers have joined with

these groups to do cemetery projects, most recently in cemetery #003 on Post Road in Pawtuxet, #106 near Nausauket, and #107 in the Warwick Neck area. These cemetery projects entail brush removal, raking, general cleanup, head-stone and footer placements, and repairs. The Rangers have also sponsored two lawn cuttings in #003.

Pegee Malcolm of the Warwick Historical Society and chairperson of the Warwick Historic Cemetery Commission said the commission was formed in 1986 by Mayor Flaherty. It is comprised of nine members, seven permanent and two alternates. Members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. They serve at the pleasure of the mayor for three-year terms and are under the Planning Department. The commission’s purposes are to create an inventory of historical cemeteries and to formulate and develop plans to restore, rehabilitate and maintain these cemeteries.

Pegee noted there are 166 historical cemeteries in 124 locations in War-wick. This means that some have been moved to other existing cemeteries or have been lost through time. She does not have an exact number of graves but, according to her, the smallest cemeteries have one grave, the largest several acres and thousands of graves.

The challenge with many of these cemeteries is the upkeep and mainte-nance. Pegee says these cemeteries are maintained by volunteers. “Many of the folks who are buried in these cemeteries have left no heirs, and therefore no

COMMUNITY SERVICE continued on page 12

MEN OF COLOR continued on page 11

Kent County’s Men of Color in the American Revolution

hile much has been written about the brave men of Kent County who fought in the American Revolution, one story has stayed in the margins

of the tale of Rhode Island’s role in the conflict. The story of the men who burned the Gaspee and brought the prisoners ashore, and the tale of the rise of young Nathanael Greene from a humble private to Washington’s second-in-command are well known to most Rhode Island-ers. A lesser known tale is of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment that became known as the “black regiment” as it included slaves who were allowed to enlist and earn their freedom by serving a minimum of three years in the Continental Army.

By RoBeRt Geake

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This postcard mailed in 1910 shows two buildings—including the one that is now O’Rourke’s—in their original positions. Read the full story about Narragansett Parkway, and view more historic photographs on page 5.

By Colonel Ronald W. BaRnes

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Members of the Rangers assist other community members at cemetery #003 in Pawtuxet. Warwick Cemetery Commission Chairperson Pegee Malcolm at far right.

Narragansett Parkway Changed the Village

Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge The BridgeFall/Winter 20162 3

Thank You, Susan Hartman

The mission of the Pawtuxet Village Assocation is to actively foster the well-being of the residents of the Pawtuxet Village area through preserving and improving its quality of life, its historic sites and structures and its natural environment as well as to foster good communication between Cranston and Warwick.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 8626Pilgrim Station Warwick, RI 02888 E-Mail: pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com

JOIN US! Become a MemberIt’s a small investment in your community and a great way to become involved.

We’re always looking for new members, and, at the starting level of $10/individual, you can easily ensure receiving notices of events and meetings that take place in the area.

We never share our membership list, and you’ll learn in advance about summer concerts, volunteer opportunities, gardening activities, holiday events and general meetings.

Individual - $10 Patron - $50Friend - $25 Benefactor - $100

www.pawtuxetvillageassociation.org/membership

Subscriptions

The Bridge is published two times a year with the Spring and Fall/Winter issues. We may also produce a special issue at the discretion of the board of the PVA. We will be happy to mail this publication any-where in the U.S. at the following rate:

Subscription rate: $10 per year Make check payable to: PVA Mail to: PVA, P.O. Box 8626, Pilgrim Station Warwick, RI 02888

usan Hartman is stepping down as president of the Paw-

tuxet Village Association, having done an amazing job for ten years.

Andy DeLong: In the relatively short time I’ve been part of The Bridge, she’s been a joy to work with: multi-talented, steady, cheerful, clear-thinking, quick to deal with even complex issues, considerate of others... I could go on. Anyone familiar with her work with the PVA has to be impressed with her many contributions. I asked her mother, Janet, to give me an overview of these. Her response follows, as well as thoughts from others who worked with Susan.

Janet Hartman: “Susan grew up in the PVA follow-ing (me) around to projects and fundraisers and working on the early issues of The Bridge, which were cut and pasted on the hallway floor. She wrote for The Bridge while she was living in DC and NYC before she moved back home, but then was so busy with her career in Massachusetts that she barely had time for anything extra. Finally, her work came back to RI, and she took on the chairmanship of PVA about ten years ago. It was going to be only for a year or two but everyone wanted her to stay. She has a diplomatic way of organizing everyone and brought us up to where we needed to be with a PVA website, email address, PayPal, along with a revision of our by-laws, and running two Historic House Fairs. We hosted the State Preservation Conference under her tutelage and many projects ran more smoothly under her direction.

Ten years is a long time to be a volunteer chairperson of any organization, and I think she felt it was time to have someone else take over so that she could free up time for things she’s thought about becoming more involved in. She will continue to serve as a PVA board member and will continue to lend her professional talents in her service with us.”

Alice Pace: “Calm leadership is what comes to mind when discussing Susan Hartman’s time as president of the PVA. Not that she couldn’t get riled up about a subject, but in all the time I have been on the board, I never saw her lose her temper or control of the proceedings. Her main concern is, and always has been, on what was best for the PVA. For me, of all of things that will be missed as she steps down as our chair, will be her warm smile and great sense of humor.”

Donna DeForbes: “I met Susan in 2012 when she welcomed me onto The Bridge staff, and I have enjoyed working with her ever since. Susan is always smiling and full of energy and ideas. She’s just the kind of dedicated and enthusiastic person you want working beside you on a project, celebrating a milestone event, or representing your town. I am sorry to see her step down as PVA chairperson — she did a lot for the Village.”

Joyce Almeida: “I met Susan Hartman in the mid-1970s. I had just moved to Pawtuxet Village and my friend, Marlene Weir, said to me, “You must walk to the Hartmans and meet my best friend Janet.” Over the years I came to know the Hartmans well. But it wasn’t till Sue came home from college and bought her first home in Edgewood that my friendship with her began. Over the years I saw her often, with her mom and grandmother at her famous teas, where her detail for anything she undertook was so evident. I remember a story she told of her visit to France on her honeymoon with Gene. She said, “We would arrive at a hotel and wait patiently for our turn in line, then greet the person behind the desk with polite conversation.” They never had trouble with the French, like most Americans. Politeness, a visible trait with Susan, won them over.

Another memory is of a summer when my husband and I had Gene and Sue at our summer home on Hog Island. Gene had never been there, and Sue and I drove him all over in my golf cart. By the time the mosquitoes were out and the sun was setting, we returned to the house and a simple dinner my husband, Ray, had made. Sitting in our little cottage lit by kerosene lamps enchanted Sue and Gene. Their enthusiasm charmed both of us.

It wasn’t until last spring that I came on the PVA board and saw Sue run a meeting. I knew that she would handle it well, as I had heard about her business dealings around the world, and knew her organization skills, attention to details and her polite charm. I am sorry I missed the years that she was chair of the PVA. I know they were a success and we will miss that special charm.” v

SEvery year, the Pawtuxet Village Association decorates the lanterns, gazebo and other areas in the Village with holiday wreaths and boughs. The wreaths bring cheer to village residents and visitors to Pawtuxet during the holiday season. We invite you to help us defray the cost of purchasing these wreaths through sponsorship.

You can sponsor a wreath in memory or in honor of a family member or loved one. All donations will be acknowledged on our website and in the spring issue of The Bridge.

Sponsor a Wreath!

SPONSOR A WREATH FORM

Yes, I’d like to sponsor:

m 1 wreath ($15) m 2 wreaths ($25)

Name: _____________________________________________________________

Mailing address: _____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________________________________

Select one, and list name(s).

m In memory of: m In honor of:

__________________________________________________

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Cut out or copy and mail this form with check or money order to: PVA, P.O. Box 8626, Pilgrim Station, Warwick, RI 02888. Please write the word “wreaths” at the bottom of your check. You can also become a sponsor online at pawtuxetvillageassociation.org. THANK YOU!

Annual Meeting Reviewhe Pawtuxet Village Association annual meeting was held October 13 at the Armory and, in addition to having a lot of fun, we accomplished certain goals. There was a resounding vote of confidence for Paula Sullivan to continue as our secretary

and Felicia Gardella as our treasurer. Susan is stepping down after ten years as chairperson of the PVA, and a search is underway for her replacement (as of this writing, Alice Pace has agreed to succeed Susan as chairperson). We gained Chris Hannifan as a leader in our garden group and look forward to lots of flowers blooming in the park and on the bridge. We’re still looking for someone to head the Membership Committee. Many of the nuts and bolts are in place, but a good coordinator would make things better. We continue to welcome volunteers to work on the editorial staff of The Bridge.

Thank you, everybody, for coming out and thanks to all the PVA volunteers who made it happen. A salute to the Pawtuxet Rangers for their continued cooperation and loan of their building for our meetings and parties.

Please note our new email address: pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com We’ll be announcing important news of the village, so keep in touch!

T

Susan Hartman in the Armory. Photo by Jim Turner.

Advertise in The Bridge

*NEXT AD DEADLINE: APRIL 1, 2017• Small Ad (3.5” wide x 2” high): $50• Large Ad (3.5” wide x 4” high): $75

Email completed black and white or grayscale ads to pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com. Ads must be high resolution (JPG file at 300 dpi or an Illustrator EPS file with fonts converted to outlines.) Visit our website for more details on ad guidelines: www.pawtuxetvillageassociation.org

5 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge4

he winding, tree-lined parkway leading south out of the village that

we now enjoy is actually just a small fraction of a visionary and ambitious early twentieth-century parkway and boulevard system proposed by the Metropolitan Parks Commission (MPC).

In the late 1800s, there was a strong call for more parks and parkland in the Providence area. In 1887, a pamphlet called “Parks of Providence,” comparing Providence with other American cities, showed that the city then had only 121 ½ acres of parklands in 12 properties. Roger Williams Park, at 104 acres, was the only sizeable one; eight of the others were less than an acre. With Providence’s population of 121,000, these holdings meant there was just one acre of park for every 1,000 citizens. Boston, with 2,000 acres of parks, had an acre for every 200 people.

Rapid urbanization made the welfare of city dwellers a major concern. An early MPC report stated: “With scenes of natural beauty and delight on every hand, the children of the tenements and the tired toilers of the factories must not be cut off forever from recreation grounds and fresh air.”

The Metropolitan Parks Commission, formed in 1904, proposed a remarkably bold plan to pro-vide “a series of wide boulevards ... extending from the center of Providence to the encircling ring of the proposed parkway system.” The plan called for parkways leading out of the city, many along the shores of Narragansett Bay, with the Commission acquiring several sites “for recreation and enjoy-ment.”

All the Way to Rocky PointThe Commissioners believed that Narragansett Bay was the state’s greatest resource, and they bemoaned the lack of access to its shore. On our side of the bay, the Commission noted in its 1905 report that Narragansett Boulevard from Fields

Point in Providence to Stillhouse Cove in Cran-ston was largely completed. But, “to the south of the Pawtuxet [River], sad to say, there is no boule-vard, or even a drive, anywhere near the shore of our great waterway.”

The report claimed: “From Pawtuxet south, a drive is evidently needed along the shore to Rocky Point and Warwick Neck.” The group recom-mended that to maximize water views, dwellings should be allowed only on the west shore of the parkway.

Street Patterns Change in the VillageThe construction of the Parkway probably caused the most startling visual changes in Pawtuxet Village itself. Structures, many of them sheds and

other outbuildings, were taken down and some were moved. Centuries-old street patterns were changed. Before the parkway was built, what we now call Post Road (also known as Broad Street, Main Street and the Greenwich Road) was the only road leading south from the bridge. Two roads ran off it to the water: Green Lane (now called Peck Lane) and Elm Street, part of which remains as today’s Emmons Avenue and forms the northern boundary of Pawtuxet Park. The sec-tion between Post Road and the Parkway (starting between 30 and 36 Post Road) was abandoned several years later.

Coming over the bridge from Cranston, it’s in-teresting to picture how differently the area once appeared. The first house on the left (now 2 and 4

Post Road) is located where it was first built in the mid-eighteenth century. The house now located behind it used to be next to it. White Brothers’ store, which sold, among other things, foods, provisions, dry goods, boots and shoes, stood where the traffic is-land with the flagpole is now. It was moved back to make room for the new parkway and rotated 90 degrees so that the former front of the building now faces Peck Lane. Today, it is home to O’Rourke’s Bar & Grill.

The former post office and custom house building (now home to Noon Design) was drastically modified. Two additions to its left side (facing it from the traffic island) were removed and the left side of the structure was chopped off.

South of the village, Spring Garden, Lawn and Bayside Avenues were laid out, running to the water from Fair Street. South of there were several large undeveloped prop-erties. The MPC 1906 report noted that “the shore below the Country Club is beautifully wooded and could be gradually adopted for a public reservation and might be made very accessible.”

Narragansett Parkway, a Legacy of the Metropolitan Parks Commission

TBy Ginny leslie

This 1922 photo shows the same scene as the cover postcard 12 years later. Photo courtesy of the Warwick Historical Society.

The parkway near Warwick Downs (now Salter Grove). Photo courtesy of the Warwick Historical Society.

oger Williams led America not only toward an ethic of freedom of worship but, and in some respects more importantly, the policy of separation of church and state. John Barry’s history Roger Wil-

liams and the Creation of the American Soul is a trenchant study of this great early American and covers the critical role that Pawtuxet Village played in establishing those quintessential features of America. It began in Rhode Island in 1642 where a need to preserve Pawtuxet Village as part of Providence was the pretext for cementing in the constitution of the state these two powerful ethical covenants. It was an event far more historically significant than our other moment of glory, the burning of the Gaspee.

Williams was an original, an independent thinker who was driven from a young age in Eng-land to succeed as a theologian and as a legal thinker. He was schooled by a mentor, Sir Edward Coke, who is described in Barry’s book as the “foremost legal scholar in English history.” Coke argued long and hard, under a threat of excommunication and execution, that civil law was separate from ecclesiastical law. A brilliant man who clashed with Sir Francis Bacon, his deputy (Williams) learned much from the clash of these two eminent thinkers.

Roger Williams in AmericaWilliams came away with a belief that the civil state, not the church, should preside over civil matters. By the same measure, civil society had no say over religious thought, which was the arena of God. Intrinsic to his belief was that a person must have freedom to worship. We can’t understand what this meant for that time as we understand it for our time. It was radical and heretical and got him banished from Massachusetts. In the rigid theocracy of that colony, people were executed for heresy, a punishment that had been accepted for hundreds of years by nations and by saints alike, including St. Francis, St. Augustine and the rebel John Calvin.

Williams was a powerful clergyman in England and in America. He had friends at the high-est ranks in both places and developed a following. He was arrested and doomed to be sent back to England from Massachusetts because he contested the right of civil society to implement religious doctrine as well as the right of the church to set public policy. In the dead of winter, he escaped and headed south.

Williams had become very involved with natives in America and learned their language, which would serve him well as their ally and they as his. Chased out of Salem, Plymouth and Boston, he settled in Providence, buying land from the chief sachems Canonicus and Mian-tonomo that included Pawtuxet north of the river. In his Providence, secular interests guided public policy and people could freely express their religion. Unlike other colonies, the commu-nity governed itself with elected leaders and was not directly governed by the King. Williams also established the Baptist church with the idea that it would be rid of the hierarchy of the Church of England, which he felt was a copy of the Roman Catholic Church. But even that new church didn’t please him and he formed a completely independent church with no hier-archy.

Providence was an operating democracy, although it wasn’t titled as such for many years. It was viewed by the major New England communities — the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Plantation, and a Connecticut colony around Hartford — as a “wilderness” of “out-casts,” often characterized as “scum.” It ran itself with an informal structure (there was no town hall or even a town square). Williams owned all the land, which he parceled out to other citizens. But he eschewed any authoritarian role even if he was the leader. The colony operated under majority rule.

Clashes with Other Rhode Island ColonistsIn the 1630s he was challenged by Samuel Gorton who had arrived in Providence after being expelled from Massachusetts and Aquidneck Island. Gorton was a contentious and charis-matic man known for challenging authority, and his reputation proved true in Providence too. He bought land from Canonicus and Miantonomo in what is now the Shawomet area of Warwick and finally (thankfully, for Providence) settled there in a stable if small community of his own.

Nearby were other men with ambitions, William Arnold and William Harris* who held lands in Pawtuxet north of the river. Arnold was a land grabber: he got hold of Williams’ deed to land that the natives had sold him and excised sections about Pawtuxet from the manuscript so that Williams’ claims appeared invalid (later, when the forgery was discovered, he claimed that his wife had accidently torn the sections out to wrap up seeds from her garden!). In addi-tion, he bought some of Gorton’s land in Shawomet from two minor sachems, a practice that had no legal standing.

Then, in a clever move to establish his right to the stolen properties, he appealed to Mas-sachusetts to defend his property rights and exercise jurisdiction over Pawtuxet and Shawomet. Because thirteen men associated with him were still citizens of Massachusetts, that colony con-sidered the petition and decided to intervene in the land dispute. Massachusetts had envious eyes on Rhode Island land for many reasons, as did the Plymouth colony and the Connecticut colony. They asserted themselves, letting Williams know that they could seize Pawtuxet, and they demonstrated this power by invading Shawomet and arresting Gorton after a fire-fight at his home. He was taken to Boston and spent two years in prison there before he was let go.

By andy de lonG

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Pawtuxet and “Soule Liberty”: A Dramatic History

SOULE LIBERTY continued on page 18PARKWAY continued on page 21

Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge6 7 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016

IRE AT PAWTUXET!” was the headline of The Providence Journal, March 14, 1888. The conflagration occurred during a three-day blizzard known as the “great blizzard of ‘88”

that paralyzed New York City with a recorded snow-fall of 90 inches. Providence, luckily, side-stepped the full fury of the storm that nevertheless had serious consequences for Pawtuxet Village. This is the story of that fateful night.

As many people know, Rhode Island has a long history of jewelry manufacturing, going back as early as the late 1700s. The Providence Jewelry Manufacturing Historic District was a vibrant area in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1875 there were 150 jewelry firms employ-ing over 2,700 workers, making little Rhode Island the leading state in the manufacture of jewelry. Mr. Charles Bloomer, originally of New York City, was partner in one of these jewelry factories in Provi-dence. In 1875 he built a new jewelry factory in the Village, situated on Commercial St. across from what is now the playground. The Bloomer factory employed 30 people, and manufactured a variety of items including sleeve buttons, brooches, charms and collar buttons. On the night of March 14 at about 6:30 p.m., the maintenance engineer, Frank Bloomer, banked his fires in the building to keep the factory warm overnight and left for his home, about 200 feet away. A quarter of an hour later, Charles E. Burrill and Samuel Remington were going into the Village from Pawtuxet Neck when they noticed a blaze in the basement of the Bloomer factory. They at once called out the alarm and the bells on the Pawtuxet Baptist Church and the schoolhouse across the street were soon ringing violently, alarming the whole Village. People responded by the dozens.

The wind was fresh from the northeast and the flames spread rapidly. Although the Town of Cranston had installed four hydrants in the Village, there was an “utter lack of hose” to connect to the hydrants. Many villagers held the Town Council responsible for this lack. Others believed it was the duty of Pawtuxet taxpayers to purchase hoses. Pumps with garden hoses at-tached to them were brought into use and a bucket brigade was organized, but the factory building was doomed. While the fire was in progress, huge sparks, fanned by the winds, blew all over the village. If it weren’t for the snow on the roofs from the blizzard, there could have been dozens of fires in as many minutes.

The wind was blowing the flames directly on District No. 5 schoolhouse just across the street from the factory. It was there that volunteers rallied: lad-ders were raised and the bucket brigade along with pumps and garden hoses kept the school house roof drenched. However, the heat became so intense

that the amateur firemen were driven from their ladders. Determined to save the school, they mounted the schoolhouse roof from the protected rear of the building and poured water down upon all sides to such good effect that al-though there was considerable blistering on the front portion of the school that faced the factory, the school building was saved.

While effort to save the school was underway, a local citizen, T. W. Gar-diner, had the foresight to have all the property in the school house

removed, just in case. Adjacent to the factory was also a small storage shed that was burning. When the rear wall of the

shed appeared to be in danger of falling on the barn next door and igniting the barn, a long ladder was procured

and several men used it as a battering ram to push the shed wall inward, collapsing the shed in on itself and placing the barn out of danger. In the barn were horses and a collection of carriages, harnesses, and other equipment. Just like the school house, the barn was emptied of the horses and valuable items. For-tunately the barn was also saved, partly because of the quantity of snow on the roof which snuffed out

burning debris that blew onto it. A cistern near the factory was uncovered and used by the bucket brigade

but it was too late to save the factory itself. A one-and-a-half story wooden cottage near the burn-

ing factory, used by Mr. Bloomer as a washhouse, was also saved by prompt work. A quantity of heavy clothes soaked in

water were placed on the roof and hung on the sides of the cottage. This protected the structure from burning embers that were dropping and fly-ing in all directions.

In the aftermath, across the basement of the factory lay a chaotic mass of twisted steam and water pipes and broken machinery. Although the gas meter

had melted some time before, the gas continued to burn from an inch-and-a-half gas pipe, furnishing a brilliant light as the inspection of the factory build-ing continued. Illuminated were the many pieces of valuable manufacturing machinery in the basement and first floor, now useless, much of it state-of-the-

art equipment at the time. On the top floor Mr. Bloomer had a quantity of sailing gear belonging to his yacht Mignon, including a spinnaker boom, davits, and a good deal of rope lines (Mr. Bloomer served as com-modore in the funding and building of the nearby R.I. Yacht Club on Ocean Avenue, and his steam yacht Mignon was flag ship to the Club.).

When the fire was first discovered, a telephone message was sent to the Providence Fire Deptartment, asking for hoses and for the use of one or more hydrants

By HenRy a. l. BRoWn

“F

The Bloomer Factory Fire of 1888

CloCkwise from left: Map of the factory and surrounding buildings, some of which were in danger during the fire; Charles J. Bloomer; and the Bloomer jewelry factory.

FACTORY FIRE continued on page 22

FOCUS ON NEW BUSINESS

New Barber in Townhe old-fashioned, spinning barber’s pole near the bridge announces that a barber is

back in town. And for those of you who remember times of straight razor shaves and open conversations around the swiveling leather barber chairs, Classic Cuts has the same feel as those days. George Tillett has done a great job of renovating the old shop, with a bright interior, attractive ceilings, a corner display case with old barber tools, a convenient rest room, and ample seating for those waiting their turn and those just there to hang out and chatter.

George has been in the Village for seven months now, and business is good. He’s been a barber for many years, working as an apprentice in Providence, then in Warwick, then back in Providence, where he was in partnership with an-other professional. That business didn’t work out for him and he opened his own shop near Hoxie Four Corners. Then, looking for a better place, his girlfriend, Mikayla, found his current shop next to Dear Hearts last February. It had been unoccupied since the previous barber, Mel, left 15 months earlier. And before that, it was owned by Anthony Moretti, long time barber and a Village historian. With a heavy investment in those large, antique-y swivel chairs, a complete makeover of the interior including a rest room and small office, two flat-screen wall-mounted TVs, and re-stocking on barber necessities, he was back in business in a classic-looking barber shop. And of course, matching the “classic” look, is the fabulous barber pole.

Since he was 12 years old, George has had a passion for cutting hair (that and collecting baseball and basketball cards). Asked how that came about, he describes how he just had a great interest in it at that age and began by styling hair in his family, then branching out to friends. He went to Classical High School in Providence and after those years was brought on as an ap-prentice in an established barber shop. In time, of course, he developed his skills as a barber and can pretty much do any style: scissor cuts, razor cuts, hot towel shaves (with a straight razor) and styling. He doesn’t do women’s hair, except short styles similar to a men’s cut.

Assisting him is another skilled barber, David Cartegina, and together they pull in clientele from the Village as well as surrounding areas. It’s not unusual to find the shop lively with conver-sation and clients getting a variety of hair cuts. Weekends, of course, are very busy and the shop is open until late on Fridays and Saturdays.

George says that the Village has been very welcoming and supportive of his business. His baseball and basketball card collection has been packed away in boxes in the basement at home, awaiting a day when they are collector items — or whatever. No problem. We welcome him here!

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from top: George Tillett outside the barber shop. George (right) with David Cartegina.

9 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge8

ecently, a collection of fire station memorabilia was acquired by longtime Lakewood and Pawtuxet resident, Bruce Boyden. He generously shared the photographs, many over a century old, to be featured in The Bridge for readers to enjoy.

As another article in this issue describes (see page 7), the Bloomer Textile Mill in the Vil-lage was destroyed by fire in 1888. Following the fire, the owner, Charles Bloomer, made it clear that although the jewelry firm was long established in the Village, he would move its operations elsewhere unless fire protection was provided.

So in February, 1891, 32 men enthusiastically signed the membership list of Volunteer Hose Company No. 1 with Charles Bloomer as a supporter. By October, they purchased their first piece of fire-fighting equipment, the Fire King, and soon had the much neglected engine run-ning and repainted. The Fire King had enormously powerful hoses which repeatedly won state competitions.

The group purchased land at the corner of Commercial and Sheldon Streets and built their new station, reusing the one-room schoolhouse from the other side of Commercial Street as the structure’s second floor. Today, after long use as part of the Cranston Fire Department, the building is the headquarters of the State Command of the Emergency Disaster Unit of the Salvation Army. It houses vehicles for disaster work, including a large, fully-equipped truck for interventions in all kinds of disasters — fires, floods, quakes, storms, pestilence, etc. v

Pawtuxet Volunteer Fire District Photos RediscoveredBy Ginny leslie

R

(1) Pawtuxet volunteers respond to the Saskatchewan Canoe Club fire; (2) Commercial Street schoolhouse, built in the 1830s, was moved across the street in 1891 to become the second story of the new fire station; (3) a horse-drawn wagon in front of the fire station; (4) members of the company, circa 1890s; and (5) site of the former fire station, now the headquarters of the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Unit.

from top: The “Fire King,” Pawtuxet’s pet engine that has made the Village famous; and the Ladies Auxiliary, formed in 1891, to handle social affairs and provide coffee and food to firemen on the job.

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That’s what one reader of The Bridge said about this twice-a-year publication. The Bridge provides a lot:

• an authentic history of the Village,

• notices and reviews of community events,

• pictures and poetics of village personalities and businesses, and

• articles written by persons who contribute because of their love for the community and a need to celebrate our life.

We thank the generous Village businesses who advertise in The Bridge. We’re now asking YOU, our readers, to show YOUR appreciation for the PVA’s newspaper by becoming a Bridge Supporter and contributing to the design and printing costs.

Any amount is welcome, but we suggest $20. Mail your check (payable to PVA) to: PVA Bridge Supporters, P.O. Box 8626, Warwick, RI 02888

THANK YOU for help in keeping many more issues of The Bridge coming!

“THE BEST NEWSPAPER IN THE STATE!”

Name: _______________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________

______________________________________________________

11 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016Fall/Winter 201610 The Bridge

Continued from page 1Men of Color

The idea of such a regiment came to Rhode Island General James Mitchell Varnum during the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. The Continental Army faced losing a good number of soldiers in December when their terms of enlistment expired. If the winter were severe, desertions and death from sickness would be a factor in what type of force would march out against the enemy the following spring. That winter, Varnum would write to Washington that Rhode Island held enough slaves to enlist an entire regiment.

Washington, who had been reluctant to arm blacks and enlist them in the conflict, finally agreed to the effort and sent a letter of support to the Rhode Island General Assembly. After much protest and de-bate, the measure was passed, largely on the strength of the Commander-in-Chief ’s support, and the assembly issued a proclamation which read in part: “...every able bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave in this state may inlist into either of the said two battalions to serve during the continuance of the war with Great Britain; that every slave so inlisting shall be entitled to, and receive all the bounties, wages, and encouragements allowed by the Continental Con-gress ... that every slave inlisting shall, upon passing muster before Colonel Christopher Greene, be im-mediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely FREE, as though he had never been incumbered with any kind of servi-tude or slavery.”

Manumitted Slaves: Prince GreeneWho were those men of color from neighboring Kent County? What did they contribute to the war effort, and what was the outcome of earning their freedom? A few became local legends as it were, likely due to their visibility as veterans of the war and their longevity in the community. One such soldier was Prince Greene, a servant of Richard Greene, who worked as a laborer on the family farms in Coventry and Potowomut. Prince had run away from his master in 1776, as shown in the De-sertion Notice placed by Greene in the Providence Gazette in May of that year. Prince is listed in the 1777 military census. He married Rhoda Eldred of East Greenwich on June 21, 1778, but remained in the regiment, serving four years and six months as a private, and earning a badge of distinction.

Greene was also one of a handful of black soldiers to face court-martial, after an incident on April 10, 1781 in Providence. While in his barracks in Providence, Greene and other soldiers came under harassment from a drunken pair of revelers who hurled stones and bricks along with insults at the black soldiers inside. Greene stepped outside with his gun and fired into the darkness, fatally wounding twenty-three-year-old Edward Allen. The soldier was

brought to a swift trial in Providence, and was defended ably by David Howell, a prominent attorney. Greene was found “not guilty of willful murder but manslaughter.” He was accordingly branded with an “M” on his hand, and eventually allowed to rejoin the regiment.

Though free af-ter the war, Prince Greene faced years of poverty. He ap-pears on the “List of Invalids resident in the State of Rhode Island” of 1785, de-scribing his injuries as “the loss of all the toes and the feet very tender, by means of severe frost, when on the Oswego expedition...” A fiddler, Greene sometimes bargained with merchant William Arnold for violin strings in exchange for “1 evening fidlen.” He was a fixture at events in town for many years, as one description of the black neighborhood of the 1820’s describes: “on the infrequent holidays ... the highest frolics were the large quilting parties. After the quilt was finished ... a dance was in order. The music was supplied by the violin of an old negroe named Prince Greene, one of the servants of General Greene.”

Winsor FryWinsor Fry first appears in the will of his owner Thomas Fry, written in December of 1773 as “a colored man named Winsor,” bequeathed with other property to his son John. He enlisted in the Continental Army in 1778 to earn his freedom, but seems to have given in to the temptation, as others did, of stealing army supplies to sell to eager local merchants who resold them at greatly marked up prices. While stationed in Morristown, New Jersey, Fry was brought up on charges in a military court on May 28, 1780 for breaking into the commissary and “stealing from thence a quantity of beef, can-dles, and Rum...” The soldier pled guilty, but rather than showing the prisoner mercy, the military court took into consideration previous bad behavior and brought down a sentence of death. Washington, however, refused to allow this, and Fry was freed. Fry was a model soldier thereafter, and returned to East Greenwich after the war where he married his wife Lucy, and had one son named Solomon, born in 1788. Their son would become “a much respected colored man” in the community and build a small house in the town where his father was once a slave.

The New Guinea SettlementWhat of lesser known former slaves from the area? Many veterans waited years to be paid and the hard-ships of assimilating into their communities was equally challenging. Many worked as domestic serv-ants, others as laborers at local farms during planting and harvest seasons, supplementing their income with other forms of employment the rest of the year. In Pawtuxet, the manumitted slaves of Brigadier General Elisha H. Rhodes began a black settlement around a long cranberry bog off the Post Road just west of the village. This community, was called ‘New Guinea’ by the locals. Most of those who lived in the makeshift houses along the banks of the bog still worked for families and farms in neighboring Norwood and Pawtuxet.

‘New Guinea’ held elections to choose a new Governor every year for at least sixty years. The last election was reportedly held in 1837 at the Golden Ball Inn. Alfred Fisher, a lifelong resident of the

Village and its postmaster during the Civil War, recalled his younger days, when he attended these events and “well recalled the excitement of the elec-tioneering and the voting, which the elders tried to keep as dignified as possible.” For many years in Paw-tuxet, John and Thomas Lippitt, sons of the Revolu-tionary War veteran John Lippitt, dominated these elections.

Fisher recalled that on Election Day, “Each nom-ination was made in a flowery speech which some-times bore a ludicrous similarity to the bombast of the white political orators of those days. When the nominations had been made and been seconded by numerous voices, the crowd separated for the voting, those on the right being for one candidate, those on the left for the other.” The elected governor “had no authority but the position carried a lot of prestige and was eagerly sought after” in Pawtuxet...” Research has shown that these elected governors actually played an important role in relations between local slaves and masters. Former slaves and veterans honored these elections as an echo of the promise given when they fought for freedom.

The Free Will Baptist ChurchThe Free Will Baptist Church in Warwick was largely made up of these descendants of manumitted slaves and indigenous people. The church was or-ganized December 25, 1841. Among the congrega-tion were the names of Babcock and Champlin, Fry and Gardner, Hull, Holden, and Rhodes; all names well known to those who study the history of slavery in Rhode Island.

Despite the hardships faced in these years of manumission, these black and indigenous families persevered and would come to make their own mark as free men and women in the community where they had once been bound. Such perseverance was based upon the hope given to those soldiers on enlistment, that once free, eventually all freedoms and equality would come to pass. As Revolutionary War veteran R.N. Harris told an anti-slavery gathering at Ports-mouth, New Hampshire in 1842: “Then, liberties, independence, freedom, were in every man’s mouth... They were the words, which encouraged and cheered them through their hunger, and nakedness, and fa-tigue, in cold and in heat. The word slavery then filled their hearts with horror. They fought because they would not be slaves. Those whom liberty has cost nothing do not know how to prize it.” v

assive renovations to the Fair Mansion and its grounds are transform-ing it into an attractive and well-groomed old mansion that is con-sistent with the historical codes that property rehabilitation requires.

Taylor Ellis, the Housing Development Manager for House of Hope, which owns and will utilize the property, explains that renovations are expected to be finished by January next year, with occupancy to follow, probably in March.

House of Hope also renovated and now operates a similar home next door, which has added to the elegance of the community. Although that home also had major work done on it, the Fair Mansion is larger and has a new structure built behind it. Not only is the exterior of the house undergoing major work, the inside is also being thoroughly renovated. When I visited the site recently, walls had been removed and new structures built to reconfigure the interior to accom-modate separate living quarters.

The R.I. Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, which has given a quarter-million dollars from the Historic Preservation and Conservation state funds, has oversight of the project to ensure mandatory historical features are retained. For instance, certain architectural details, such as ornate designs of the old mansion, have been preserved at an expensive cost. Some old plaster was kept even though it would have been cheaper to have it replaced with plaster board. And we are all witnessing how the exterior is being kept consistent with its original design and beauty.

Structurally, the mansion had many problems in the foundation as well as the front porch columns. Architects were able identify most of these problem areas prior to contracting, even though they were often hidden from sight, to anticipate true costs.

The mansion is being rebuilt to provide homes for persons who have previ-ously been homeless or need affordable housing. These residents are persons being assisted by the House of Hope in many ways and at Fair Mansion they will have an independent living opportunity. There will be ten living quarters in the mansion, and eight of them are described as efficiency apartments: complete facilities with the exception that there are no full kitchens. Apartments will have

microwaves or hot plates but on the first floor there will be a fully equipped kitchen where residents can cook and eat in common if they choose. Five of the apartments will be in the two-story house that was built behind the main house. In the mansion itself, there will be two apartments on the first floor and three on the second. A small parking lot will be built to the south side of the house.

Taylor described how the new tenants will have leases and also case plans with the goal of having residents become fully independent in time. They will all have case workers to guide them through this process. Although it is thought that many will stay a year or so, others may be there for several years, depending on their success in meeting their goals. Such an arrangement involves develop-ing strong life skills. Having it in our community can not only be an important resource for them, it also enriches our community.

Architects for the project are O’Hearne Associates of Harrisville, R.I., and the builder is the Stand Corporation of Warwick. v

Fair Mansion Renovation By andy de lonG

M

Fair Mansion before renovation (left). Construction on the mansion is expected to be completed by January 2017.

elcome to Historic Pawtuxet Village! We love to share that phrase and use it in our

marketing or advertising. It’s used to describe the Village and how popular it’s become, how attractive we are to outsiders who love to visit. But does it occur to people what makes the Village historic?

If we all think Pawtuxet Village is such a won-derful historic gem, why is it that there isn’t more concern when we add vinyl siding to some of the most visible and historic buildings? Recently, it was with disappointment that the oldest house on Broad Street (from Providence to the end of Broad at the bridge), was vinyl sided. Rather than trying to make an improvement that would help retain its history, there was a choice in favor of easy maintenance. An important structure in the community slipped further away from its original appearance and, while neat and clean, is now changed in terms of being an important property in a National Register Historic District. The Broad Street house is just one, the old “Lindsay’s” building (across from Sunoco) is another. Ultimately, if enough of our historic buildings are changed, our National Register Historic District designation might be jeopardized.

We have two categories that identify us as “historic.” One is the buildings and houses that date

from the 1700s up to the early 1900s. Second is the historic events that have taken place in our com-munity that designate us as having a place in history. We celebrate the events annually as Gaspee Days and the Pawtuxet Rangers are a tribute to the militia that protected our town centuries ago. But the most important element of our historic nature seems to be misunderstood: the physical structures.

The National Register Historic District goes from Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet to Bayside Avenue (north to south, Cranston to Warwick), and from Rhodes across to Pawtuxet Neck (east to west). It’s not a large district, but is one of the first ever listed on the National Register. There are a num-ber of structures that were included in this district because we had so many based on age and historic significance. But slowly, and without guidelines or a concern for protection, many are changing their appearance and are no longer consistent with the notion that we are an historic place.

Warwick put local protections in place in 1989 and has been celebrated in The Providence Journal for the efforts on that side of the bridge, but Cranston has resisted local zoning efforts on multiple occasions. Guidelines and requirements are often misunderstood without taking advantage of guidance from the city’s Historic Preservation Commissions.

We’d prefer it not come to Pawtuxet losing its National Register Historic District standing. We’d rather work with homeowners and business own-ers to help them with recommendations. Hopefully enough people care about this and would be will-ing to approach their city historic commissions for suggestions before making the choice of vinyl siding and windows. It’s important to who we are and our significant identity. If you’re curious, please ask us how...

pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com www.pawtuxetvillageassociation.org

WBy susan HaRtman

Welcome to Historic Pawtuxet Village!

above: The Lippitt/Spywood Cemetery next to Citizens Bank on Post Rd. Buried here are black veterans from the Revolutionary War, residents of “New Guinea.” left: Rhoda Arnold, 1734 - 1829, wife of Thomas Arnold, buried in Lippitt/Spywood Cemetery, Lakewood, in the heart of “New Guinea.”

Fall/Winter 201612 The Bridge 13 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016

met Marietta to talk mostly about her art, which is highly respected in New England and intimately known to people in the

Village. While some artists’ work seems bigger than themselves, for Marietta — or “Bootsie”, named in childhood for the booties she always wore — the reverse seems truer. That’s because of the range of passions and experiences she’s had which are permeated with her art interests. She’s embraced a number of roles in life with a strong

sense of conscience and responsibility, always with a paintbrush or pencil in hand, so to speak.

Despite being employed full-time, raising three children (all employed at high-level positions in the business world), and having a multitude of in-terests, her art has been prolific. Asked where she gets the impetus to accomplish what she does, she explains it runs in the family: her parents were en-ergetic professionals who stressed hard work and activism in the community to help people less for-tunate than themselves.

She began drawing instinctively as a child, a time of hardship when she had some serious accidents requiring hospital care. Her father was a “Renaissance man” from whom she inherited an artistic talent. In addition to doing fine art work, he was an outstanding piano player who also played the cello and other instruments. But his primary occupation was that of a restaurant owner, a business he opened after he managed the Harvard Club for thirteen years.

The family was also socially conscious, getting involved in civil rights issues and other issues re-lated to health care. Her younger brother, for in-stance, now a successful lawyer in Arizona, went to Mississippi in the 1960s to register voters, a peril-ous task for anyone.

Her father’s clear message to Marietta was that whatever she wanted to do, she had to first earn a living. To this end, she entered Boston University and majored in business. While there, she also in-dulged in her passion for art by working in an art store, where she met her husband Robert Cleasby (who has become an accomplished musical teacher and director).

Marietta spent several years fulfilling several roles business, real estate and teaching, and in 1989, teaching at Katherine Gibbs School, she

heard about a job working in the state prison. It strongly appealed to her. She went as a paraprofes-sional, and now works full-time as a GED mentor and Arts Coordinator.

This dramatic change of directions reflects how she’s come to a number of “dichotomous” junctures in life: two (sometimes conflicting) opportunities present themselves and you choose one that moves you in a certain direction. She believes that when opportunity comes, you seize it, and that’s how you

accomplish things in life. “If I want to do some-thing, I do it. I don’t let things get in my way. If you say ‘I should do it’ you never will.”

Upon entering her home, one is hit by the amount of beautiful art-work she’s done, lining the walls, each framed picture with a distinctive feel. She doesn’t have to market her work. Peo-ple give her commissions for it. She loves portraits in particular and some of them are stunning. Grasping the inner char-acter of subjects is her aim, as it was in a paint-ing titled “Between Hope

and Despair,” which won her a top prize at the All Island Art Show in Martha’s Vineyard in 2014. Homeless persons have attracted her and she has often paid them to permit her to draw them. Few people are as colorful or have faces as revealing as street people and she’s able to grasp an essence in her drawings.

Art for her is like meditation. She describes that once she is absorbed in it, other senses shut down and she’s aware only of the moment. She calls it “operating from the right-side of the brain.” She likes to convey this to others, to anyone who can benefit from that endorphin-like experience but especially to those in prison “where time weighs heavy.”

Marietta is perhaps best known for art work, but the teaching of art is, in her eyes, a bigger con-tribution in society. As most people who teach in prison can tell you, the men and women there have a wide range of talent. Some have been told they weren’t any good at it and it can be a discovery to realize that they have a talent and/or a passion for it – or for anything, for that matter. Teaching a pas-sion for something is important to her. Discover-ing this passion makes students feel unique and see themselves differently. She teaches that you make art work for yourself, however that may be.

A dedication to working in the prison is just one of many ways she’s applied herself to so-cial and health care causes. An unusual one that she’s done episodically for ten years is with the Organization for Security Corporation of Eu-rope, a UN supervised agency to promote free elections in emerging countries. She’s overseen elections in places oppressed from years of dic-tatorship and war in Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, the Crimea and others. She took her drawing materials with her, of course, and one of several remarkable portraits of people there is displayed with this article.

Remaining true to her upbringing, she has cre-ated a profession that she loves and that supports her and her family. She produces paintings and drawings of all kinds: portraits, landscapes, and still-lifes. Put simply, they are representational art-works drawn with the exquisiteness of a draftsman and a sense of drama. For her, “every landscape is a portrait, and every portrait is a landscape.”

Marietta and her husband Robert have lived in Pawtuxet for 50 years and have spent summers in Martha’s Vineyard, a favorite escape. Their home there is in the old Methodist campground, an artsy spot to be sure, where Robert is Musical Direc-tor of the Camp Meeting Association. Her art abounds, you can imagine (and see) with the scenic wonders of that ocean-bound land. v

CloCkwise from top, left: Marietta Cleasby in her home studio; her portraits include this drawing of a Serbian woman entitled “After the War,” and the painting, “Vietnam Vet.”

Village People: Marietta CleasbyBy andy de lonG

I

one to care for them.” That is where the commission, the Rangers and the Warwick Historical Society step in. We all volunteer our time. Anyone wishing to volunteer can contact Susan Cabeceiras, the City Liai-son to the commission. She works with ServeRI and Volunteer Match to help folks needing community service, or folks that want to help us maintain these historical treasures. She can be reached at 401-738-2000, ext. 6286.

“We also have a wonderful group of friends that continually give of their time and energy to help us clean and restore cemeteries around the city,” Pegee said. She can be contacted at 401-527-1823 if people want to help.

According to Pegee, “We have also worked closely with the Warwick Historical Society, and more recently

with the Pawtuxet Rangers, to help us not only find, as in the case of the Westcott cemetery, which was lost by time, but to restore cemeteries that have been vandalized or neglected. The help of these men and women has been immeasurable, lifting headstones and bases, cutting trees which have grown too close to standing headstones, raking and cutting brush. We couldn’t have done some of what we have without their help. The folks from the Warwick Historical Society and the Pawtuxet Rangers have been a tremendous asset to our commission, and we really appreciate what they have done to carry our task forward.”

One of the latest cemeteries that the Rangers have helped with is the res-toration of Warwick historical cemetery #106, the Ambrose Taylor Lot. Mark Brown, a City Cemetery Commissioner, did some research and discovered that Ambrose Taylor (1745-1832) was a member of the Pawtuxet Rangers. Dur-ing a recent cleanup of that cemetery, Col. Barnes discovered the headstone of Ambrose’s wife, Sarah. Her headstone, which had been knocked down and overgrown, had last been seen some 100 years ago. One week later, that of Ambrose himself was uncovered and is now in the process of being restored. The Rangers, along with these other groups, are hoping to do a rededica-

tion ceremony when the cemetery restoration is completed.

The Rangers’ partnership with the Warwick Historical Society has flourished. Not only have we participated on the cemetery projects, but two members of the Rangers currently serve on their board. The Rangers recently volunteered at the Warwick Historical Society’s open house and they, in turn, have spearheaded an effort to have an historic plaque placed, in conjunction with the city of Warwick, on the Armory.

The Warwick Historical Soci-ety is a gem within the city. The Society was established in 1932 and, until 1965, met periodically in libraries, grange halls and private homes. At that time, they learned that the John Waterman Arnold House (c. 1785) was scheduled to be demolished by the city due in part to its rundown condition. The members approached the owners of the property and were granted the deed of ownership. As a condition of ownership, the Society is charged with the maintenance and upkeep of the property. Therefore, between 1965 and 2007, the Arnold House underwent a number of restoration

projects that has brought it to its present state. In 1972 the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been the headquarters of the Warwick Historical Society con-tinuously since then. In 1965, the house was completely empty so the Society asked for donations of furnishings suitable to an 18th century house, and the community responded. The major-

ity of the furnishings present in the house today were donated at that time. The Arnold House is the only early historic building in Warwick open to the public at regular hours weekly throughout the year.

The Warwick Historical Society has, over the years, acquired archival col-lections, which provide primary source materials for those interested in re-searching or writing about the history of the city. Their collections include family histories, maps, local publications, books, photographs and much more. The research library provides work stations and copy machines for your con-venience. Membership is only $10 a year and well worth it. The society also hosts other events such as paranormal investigations on site, social painting events, historic talks at the Warwick Public Library and much more. For more information, visit www.whsri.org. v

Continued from page 1Community Service

During a recent cleanup ... Col. Barnes discovered the

headstone of Ambrose’s wife, Sarah. Her headstone, which had been knocked down and

overgrown, had last been seen some 100 years ago.

CloCkwise from top: Members of the Pawtuxet Rangers assist Bob Chorney of the Warwick Historical Society in resetting a toppled headstone in cemetery #3 in Pawtuxet; the headquarters of the Warwick Historical Society; and (left to right) Jeanne Knowles, Karen Toy and Jane Knowles take a break from helping to clean a family plot.

15 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge14

“A silver lining at Cameron’s was

the opportunity for soda jerks to

have unlimited ice cream and

cabinets while you worked ...

That silver lining, I must confess,

led many of us to arrive at work

sans cigarettes and leave with a

full pack in our shirt pocket.”

n 1957 I was lucky enough to be hired at Cameron’s as a 15-year-old; I was a

friend of Brian Dutra, a main-stay there at the time, who walked me through the hiring process. Going behind the counter was an adventure: after donning a very starched, white, long-sleeve waistcoat, a must at the time, I started my new job. There were a lot of glasses, cups, pumps, spigots, scoops and sinks that were somewhat overwhelming. To me, the main cash register was like a super computer before its time. At least the cash register behind the tobacco counter was an old NCR 2, 3 or 4 with finger operations and therefore less mystifying. But making 75 cents an hour and knowing Ma Cam-eron was watching caused me to learn fast and be accurate. She would frequently come behind the counter and ring up some sort of methodical record and count the drawer, then leave, usually not commenting on what she just did. That made us stay on our toes.

The learning curve was short. I had one training session and then was on my own or working with another guy. No girls worked there when I was there, which was from ’57-’62. The schedule was planned to give experienced soda jerks the busi-est and most coveted shift like Saturday morning. Once you made that shift you also got to wash the big windows with the squeegee and be out on the sidewalk, which was, at least we thought, a small promotion. The coffee and donut crowd on Sat-urday morning were pretty much the same people week after week, so you had to remember their preferences, which wasn’t hard given the choices. Making change was not difficult either, 10 cents for coffee and a donut was it. I think when the minimum wage laws changed to include the likes of soda jerks we went to 95 cents an hour.

Learning the “business” of being a soda jerk was a labor of love. Making cherry Cokes, ice cream sodas, root beer floats, all kind of sundaes, banana splits, cabinets and more was fun. I worked a few years when Don Cameron would go to an annual convention in Kansas City for drug store owners. He would always come back with some-thing brand new. One I remember was a fruit compote sundae. I don’t recall ever selling one but Don sold a few that he was pushing and those he would make himself.

Hand packing pints and quarts of homemade ice cream and selling candy, cigars and cigarettes went along with everything else; multitasking be-fore its time. We also had to do some inventory control. At the change in shifts you had to take the empty and near empty 2½ gallon ice cream stainless steel buckets, place them down in the trap door holding ramp next to the cigars, then go downstairs and load up the replacement ice cream and wash out the empties. Continually washing those cups and glasses and keeping the counter clean was a must.

After I was there for a couple of years and had my driver’s license I got to make a few deliveries or go to other local pharmacies to pick up items. I got to drive Don Cameron’s 1958 Chevy Impala, all black. I was constantly asking Frank Smith if he needed me to make a trip, he always smiled and assured me that if he did he would let me know. As a side event, get-ting to know the girls that frequented Cameron’s led to some social events (dates) and in at least one instance even a long-term relationship ending in marriage. I myself went to four proms with girls I knew from those days.

A silver lining at Cameron’s was the opportu-nity for soda jerks to have unlimited ice cream and cabinets while you worked. We also had access to candy, cigars and cigarettes, which were not free-bees. That silver lining, I must confess, led many of us to arrive at work sans cigarettes and leave with a full pack in our shirt pocket. Most teenage boys smoked back then and we could smoke right there behind the tobacco counter. Lucky Strikes, Philip Morris, Pall Malls took a regular hit and to my knowledge no one was ever questioned or caught pilfering a pack of cigarettes. I don’t think that led anyone to bank robbery but there was a lesson to be learned on honesty and will power. There were many of life’s lessons learned in those teen years, mostly good.

I can’t remember any inner friction among the factions that worked there.

Several of my younger Hughes cousins later worked there, which was a norm of Don Cam-eron’s hiring practices. Families like the Dutras, Kopfs and McKenzies had several boys work there.

I still see several of the other soda jerks from time to time; we enjoy rehashing some old good times. While many of them, George Barnes and Zeke Olsen for example, went into the service after high school, I stayed in RI and took what is now called a gap year before going to Bryant College in Providence (now Bryant University in Smithfield). By then I was living in Fox Point and worked mostly on Wednesday nights washing the floor. Gene Kopf was attending Brown University at that time and he and I would get rides or walk from the East Side to Pawtuxet on those Wednes-days. Yes, we walked if necessary.

Jim Kane, one of the Cameron’s regular cus-tomers, was also a regular at a Jewish deli near

Brown and got me a job there. So after five years I left Cameron’s to be a deli worker for the next 3½ years (with less of a walk!). We stayed friends through my college years at the deli and we exchanged letters when I was in the Army. He also attended my wedding.

Those days working at Cameron’s were to be the end of a decade that eased us away from a post war economy and a time without a declared war. It was a

time when the youth movement was just finding itself, often through music. Elvis Presley and others were being listened to outside the home on transistor radios and car radios. The ’60s were about to take over our minds and trigger new great and wonderful happenings, albeit to the trepidation of the adult population. Things would never be the same as those ’50s for good or bad. Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll were on the way.

I went back to Cameron’s years later after attending college, spending three years in the Army and living abroad for a couple of years. The fountain was gone, but the memories of good friends, good bosses and good times are not to be forgotten. v

View From Behind the CounterBy BRian R. allen, sR.

I

left: Cameron’s soda fountain. above: Don Cameron.

any people are familiar with the story of the burning of the Brit-ish revenue schooner, the HMS Gaspee, a ship loathed by Rhode Island area merchants for its oppressive mission to gather taxes on

imported goods. As readers may know, on the night of June 9, 1772, brave men rowed south from Providence and west from Bristol to attack and burn the ship that had run aground just south of Pawtuxet. Many individuals played interesting roles before, during, and after the burning, and one such man was Dr. (Colonel) John Mawney. We are fortunate to have Dr. Mawney’s own 1826 handwritten account of that night, detailing his participation in the attack and the events that fol-lowed, found in the archives at the Rhode Island Historical Society.

As Mawney has attested, after the HMS Gaspee ran aground just south of what is now known as Gaspee Point, a group of men rowed out from the Providence waterfront to the Gaspee under the cover of darkness. With muffled oars, they approached the ship with the intention of boarding her by force and setting fire to her. During the boarding attack, the Commander of the Gaspee, Lt. Dudingston, was wounded by gunfire. John Mawney, a 21-year-old with some medical training, was one of the attackers. Following Commander Dudingston’s wounding, John Mawney gave fairly competent care to the wounded Lt. Dudingston. He removed the bullet from the wound site above the groin, then ap-plied a pressure bandage over the site to adequately stem the hemorrhage. Given the loca-tion of the wound, the lack of any antibiotics, or of definitive surgical closing of the musket ball wound, it is truly wondrous that Dudingston survived the attack at all. Fortunately (for the Commander), Dudingston’s wound to the groin was not to the testicles, but nearby on the leg, and he is known to have later fathered four children.

Dr. John Mawney was born in 1751, a descendant of rather wealthy French Huguenots (French Protestants), whose father was a prominent mer-chant in Providence. Mawney was apparently well educated, was known to study the Clas-sics, and could speak Latin. All of these skills were essential for anyone pursuing the study of medicine and surgery, and by the age of 21, he was an experienced medical student at the time of his participation in the at-tack on the Gaspee in 1772. In his handwritten account, Mawney indicated that he was personally acquainted with several persons who had been shot and killed at the Boston Massacre of 1770; this suggests that he may have been receiving some of his medical training in Boston during that time.

Since he was recognized in 1781 as a Regimental Surgeon, he must have had some formal medical education, but such education was not standardized back then in the Colonies. He prob-ably trained under his uncle, Dr. Ephraim Bowen, and later with his first wife’s father, Dr. John Wilson, in the Hopkinton, Massachusetts area, not far from the northern border with Rhode Is-land. It is also important to know that ‘surgeons,’ as he was referred to, were often quite differently trained than the ‘physicians’ of the time, who used herbs and concoctions. The practice of surgery at that time had a somewhat limited skill-set to master since general anesthesia was not invented until 1842. A busy surgeon’s practice likely consisted of lancing boils, general wound care, setting broken bones, and performing amputations when necessary (with plenty of alcohol to drink and a bullet to bite).

While he was supposedly trained as a surgeon, he was never known to have practiced much surgery or medicine after his stint in the Revolutionary War. But then, the practice of surgery or medicine at the time was arduous and frequently not well paid. Since Mawney was wealthy to begin with, he must have felt no economic imperative that forced him into a continuing role in that occupation.

Dr. Mawney became known as a literary scholar who circulated among the elite society of Rhode Island. But, according to sources, Mawney “suffered greatly in the public esteem on ac-count of his bold and unblushing irreverence and infidelity.” To be fair, this may all be a gross exaggeration for such statements could be made by any religious zealot with whom he may not have agreed—perhaps indicating he was shunned as a Huguenot Protestant or, more likely, as an atheist.

In 1792 Mawney became a Town Auditor, Clerk of the Market, and Sheriff for Providence County (as was his late father). He often ran ads in the newspapers wanting to catch horse thieves. He was elected as Representative to the General Assembly several times between 1796 and 1801,

MBy dR. JoHn ConCannon, WeBmasteR, Gaspee ViRtual aRCHiVes

Dr. (Col.) John Mawney (1751-1830)Village Scarecrows

1826 parade banner depicting the burning of the Gaspee. Surrounding the picture are the names of the four then ‘surviving captors’ who participated in the raid who were being celebrated: B. Page, E. Bowen, T. Smith, and J. Mawney.

Photos by Jim Turner

MAWNEY continued on page 22

Fall/Winter 201616 The Bridge 17 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016

Harbingers By maizy penRose

irst frost past last. Pawtuxet Village resounds in cacophonous chorus composed of citizenry, cel-ebrationists, contractors and crews, canines, theirs

and ours. It’s been quite the commotion, a spontaneous symphony, a major happening. This impromptu perfor-mance piece lacks only the witness of an atonal aficionado to be thus acknowledged. Bells toll, bands play on, an eagle soars. Operatic. Greek even.

A rallying cry rings out for arms and hammers. Renovate, revivify, rehabilitate. General reshuffling. Leases broken, renewed signed. Our handy airport, a bustling hub for visiting bubs. Times of topographical, maybe even astrological realignment, upheaval. Streets dug up and left to mire. Retaining walls set free. Live (?) wires dangled, leaky pipes snaked through neighborhoods. Power and water service could be iffy.

Tempers flared. Nerves jangled. Spectators ran rampant. What exactly was going on behind brown paper, under tattering tarps, behind unsuspecting backs? What plans afoot not necessarily always for the benefit of public good. How remarkably surprised always the citizens. Euphoria soured to handiest phobia. It became difficult to get out of the way fast enuff. Besides where were we going? We live here.

Leaving the property became a crapshoot. Sidewalks and surroundings (any flattish surface really) became fair game for free parkers. To hell with the precious Hellebororus cousins, the trashed and trampled patches of public greenery, the fussed over hell strips. SUVs, 4X4s, dredgers, dumpers, front loaders, a parade of multi axle big rigs maneuver ’round the ’bout and line up on both sides of narrow streets, grinding expensive curbing to fine grist. Eight-een wheeled flatbedders haul in boatloads of lumber and all the fixin’s. Good luck to the hapless pedestrian with young family, small dogs, a will to live. Rudely awakened at first light by the high pitched whines and low down wails of over-wrought electrically charged power tools and couples Too tuckered out by evening to make even a feeble effort. Workers come and go on whim and weather. Mowers and blowers maintain their own inconvenient schedules. Everybody’s boom blaster’s tuned to a different frequency, and always the unintelligible practice warnings urging immediate evacuation.

Villagers couldn’t hear themselves think or each other talk. Who knew what and to whom to dare blurt out anyway, without first count-ing to ten or thinking twice? Surprisingly, national politics played a very small role in overall tensions. Enjoying a moment in our great outdoors, felt somehow oddly exposed. Always the sneaky suspicion that the aggressively self-assured who live right next door to the mis-erably underinsured, know not what they don’t, could give a crappy, and in any case won’t let that slow them down.

Trees trimmed, limbed and hacked, creating quite accidental, often quite breath-taking, bird’s eye views in the grand old shotgun house style; a straight bead thru the privacy of five, six, seven domiciles. Okay, three. Other forest giants were gnashed to fine splinter on site, hauled off at great expense to be eventually returned as a delivery of many cubic yards of costly dyed-to-match mulch. Agoraphobia became the pet neurosis amongst the reasonables, a common sense excuse, and the informed choice.

Several dicey forays on foot out into the neighborhood resulted in the welcome discovery of conveniently located Little Lending Librar-ies. Fancifully painted cupboards on poles filled with possibly endless, possibly interesting happenstance. Take a book leave a book. What a lovely sentiment, and why not let the fates determine reading choices, along with what’s left of the rest of our destinies. It’s just a furtive dash around the corner. No bewildering detours to William Hall, or risky trips into virtual Village reality. Something to take the mind off, put the focus on. A book club without the theme parties.

So, what are Villagers reading? What insights once gleaned, passed on. Take a peek while waiting for the dust to settle. Experience vividly described, wildly fluctuating extremes of terrain, temperature, and temperament without being forced to leave cozy confines. Pick a winner.

Spend several weeks in the company of an American gentleman who in the early part of the last century walked across China. Wheth-er or not he wore shoes has been forgotten, what remains remarkable

is that he traversed the entire continent without a single ad-jective. Quite the slog. Try a trilogy. Triple trips back to the Norwegian dark ages. Exactly. The mind wandered. Grim got grimmer. Returned, unfinished due to reasons of pre-ventative mental hygiene. Deserted island material really. Next the true tale of a man who loved his dog too much, which too soon became tedious, nauseating even. Time passes. The uproar fusses on. Dropped off a tepid pictorial biography of the Sun King’s over-the-top life style. Not so terribly worse/better than our own. The heart leapt upon a chance discovery of a high gloss, dust-jacketed hardcover illustrated with a lusty young couple wearing scarves, trave-ling in a racy, Meta flake red convertible outfitted with striped umbrellas and picnic hampers. Imagine. Three hundred pages of beach bound open road. In heavy duty French. Shucks.

Onward, to the badly translated travails of a village of women in the mountains of Central America, who between brief visits of random husbands, brothers, sons and significant others, pass pitiful lives of alcohol fueled jealous rages and deepest despairs, neglectful of their foster children of many, many fathers and many, many mothers, in a culture where all the young girls are well-advised to dress as young boys, and everyone wears flip-flops. Crazed cartel characters, sun-baked acres of glorious poppies under hovering threats of sporadic herbicidic strafings and frequent kidnappings. A craggy unstable land of rocky mudslides, a steady diet of rice and roots with precious few greens or beans. The snakes deadly, reptiles poisonous, add stinging insects, poor schools, not much hope, and pretty much a predictable future. Rickety. Consider this author’s warning to any still undecided reincarnationists.

Sure, some times it seems as if every step forward is a kick in the rear. No, it won’t quiet down till with great relief the last portapooper is loaded up and dragged off, when the final thoughtlessly cast off beverage-of-choice con-tainer is properly recycled, when elections finally settle the Canadian question. Meantimes, please consider how lucky we are. Kiss the ground. Home, a great place to sit it out. v

Fn my professional career in anthropology and archaeology, I have worked in Africa and the Middle East, and I have researched and pub-

lished in all fields of these disciplines. But when I was doing some home improvements at 23 Fort Avenue in Pawtuxet Village, I did not expect that this expertise would come into play.

This is the second chapter of this story (the first chapter appeared in The Bridge, Spring 2016, Vol-ume 43, Number 1, page 7). The images of the ob-jects reported in that article are not repeated here.

Rhode Island PrehistoryOne important revelation of this serendipitous project was that our village rests upon a glacially scarred landscape that created our waterways, coves and bays, and the riv-ers and streams that drained the advancing and retreating glaciers. When the last glacier withdrew northward, it created a glacial moraine of rocky debris, and potholes, ponds, and lakes that laid the foundation of our modern geology. As the climate warmed, some ten thousand years ago, invasive trees and wildlife began to exploit the new post-glacial environment. Hu-mans from Asia were already in North America around 30,000 years ago but were excluded from this region. The new ecosystem at-tracted megafauna that itself attracted PaleoIndi-an hunters of fish, and animals, and foragers along the coast and waters. This was all that humans could do to fashion a lifeway.

This was to change when agriculture based on corn, beans, and squash entered the region to al-low surplus accumulation to last the winters along with acorn hoards, dried and smoked fish, venison, and small game, clams and oysters. This is the point where my excavation for a stone wall takes over down to 40-50 cms (1 1/2 feet), where I found a pre-historic/pre-colonial oyster and clam shell mid-den (disposal heap). By probing into this midden, I found a clearly fashioned hammerstone (shown above) that had been used to break the shells.

Unquestionably, these were pre-contact period and certainly before the 1676 King Phillip War. At this time, most of the village was burned down. Long before 1636, when the first Europeans set-tled within the boundaries of the Roger Williams

deed, Narragansetts were crossing the ‘Little Falls’ rapids, which gives its name to our village, following the Narragansett Trail that was to become Broad Street in centuries to come. With the military destruction of the Narragansett and Wampanoag tribes, some survivors were sold to the Caribbean and Bermuda as slaves to raise revenue to pay for the militias that had defeated them. The village changed forever.

The Next Human ChapterAs the 18th century unfolded, farm-ers and sailors and their families in

this English colony encountered more trouble. Increasingly, the English Crown economy was being challenged by the new American economy. The events of this changing and rebellious politi-cal environment included the repressive taxes of the 1768 Townshend Acts, the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, the Burning of the Gaspee on June 9, 1772 near our village, and the Boston Tea Party by the Sons of Liberty on December 16, 1773. On our neck of Pawtuxet Village, at least two homes from this period are still standing.

Three or four years after the next bloody chap-ter in our American history, the Civil War, had concluded, our (Chase) house was built.

So, when you might be digging at your house, be sure to go slowly and carefully. Keep a written and photographic record and of what you find and where. What you discover is your history, your house’s history, and the history of Pawtuxet and America. Glad to have your questions and com-ments: rlobban@ric.edu v

Serendipitous Archaeology, Part Two

I

By RiCHaRd a. loBBan, JR., pHd.pRofessoR emeRitus of antHRopoloGy, RHode island ColleGe

CloCkwise from top, left: A hammerstone used to break oyster and clam shells; an 11.5-centimeter brown glass bottle inscribed as: “The Oakland Chemical Corp., H2O2”(hydrogen peroxide); and metalware used in the construction and repair of Dr. Lobban’s house.

One can imagine some former residents playing domi-noes... I wonder who won that day?

The BridgeFall/Winter 2016 19 Fall/Winter 201618 The Bridge

arta Martinez, a woman who contributes much to the life of Pawtuxet Village, has received the Public Humanities Scholar Award for 2016 for her work on the Rhode Island Oral History Project for Latinos. This is a project she’s directed since

1991 when she, as a relative newcomer to the state, and as the Director of the Hispanic Social Services Association (HSSA), decided to gather stories from Latinos who had settled here since the late ’40s. She believed that Latinos living here needed an accurate historical account they could anchor themselves in. Gathering the histories has been a stimulating experience that she views as providing a necessary documented heritage for future generations, stories unlikely to come from historians.

The Rhode Island Coun-cil on the Humanities, which makes the award, is a non-profit affiliate of the National En-dowment for the Humanities whose founding purpose is to promote public understanding and appreciation of the hu-manities. Along with this im-portant award, Marta received recognition from the White House and all Rhode Island Congressional Offices.

These histories, some of which are in her book, Latino History of Rhode Island, are fascinating. For instance, the large Colombian community in Central Falls was started when an earlier arrival, Jay Giuttari (whose daughter Lori lives here in the Village), real-ized that his father’s factory couldn’t hire enough skilled workers for his textile mill. A

former resident of Baranquilla, Colombia, he knew of textile mills there and recruited three men skilled in weaving and loom fixing to work in RI. The textile mills, waning as an industry, had a rebirth as more skilled workers arrived and consequently developed a thriving Colombian presence in that town, although the industry eventually died out in the ’90s. Pinpointing the exact date of this migration was perplexing until Marta found one of the workers living in Seat-tle who had the date stamped on his passport: 1965.

The Oral History also describes, in the words of Latinos who have lived it, from the bare beginnings of one storefront in Providence to the influx of different nationalities over time un-til today. The growth is impactful: unlike 40 years ago, there are Spanish translations in stores and public areas, classrooms that teach ESL classes to adults and children, and schools that are dual-language (including Central Falls and Leviton Elementary in Providence). Marta is proud of a role she had with the former Board of Governors for the Department of Education. At a contentious meeting filled with advocates for Latino assistance (bitterly harangued by their opponents), the Board voted to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students for college. Latinos who had lived here all their lives were thus given benefits others took for granted.

The Oral History can provide a real American identity for Latinos, both old-timers and newcomers. It gives them a context that tells them that they have a colorful and significant his-tory and belong here. Even more, it gives non-Latinos a stronger sense of the cultural diversity that makes our country great.

Marta has a long history of working with organizations at the forefront of the development of the Latino community. In addition to the HSSA, she was on the Governor’s Hispanic Com-mission for ten years, was deeply involved in the emergence of Progreso Latino as a significant social service agency, and founded and directs RI Latino Arts. (Marta plans to open a Latino gallery in the village next year!) Perhaps more important for her, however, is her teaching in local schools and working as a consultant in many schools with programs designed to enhance cultural awareness.

She has always been an advocate for working to empower people, and having them act in common to support each other. This community orientation is reflected here where she is ac-tive in Friends of Pawtuxet Village. This involvement leads to having a lot on her plate, such as the summer and Halloween events she helps organize in the Village. She says that she is learning how to say ‘no’ (a talent her resume seems to contradict!). But we congratulate her on her amazing work over the years and contributions to make us all more aware of the human fabric of our state. v

Marta Martinez Wins 2016 Public Humanities Scholar Award

MBy andy de lonG

orn in 1950 and growing up in Pawtuxet I’ve seen a lot of change in the village and, happily, most to the good. But 60 years ago, the river, falls and cove

were very different from what we see today. I remember as a young boy that these bodies of water were essentially an industrial dump for every factory and business along its banks. I believe at the time it was considered “progress.”

Many a Friday afternoon in the summer we would see the cove become an ugly cauldron of various colors including green, red, yellow or even blue from the dyeworks upstream cleaning up its vats for the week.

Also, there was the soap factory in West Warwick that on occasion covered our cove with ugly soap suds two feet deep that took days to subside and left a nasty tar residue on everything it touched. I won’t even go into detail about the outflow pipes that drained from every house into the cove.

Then, just upstream from Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, there was the ultimate evil polluter on the river, a giant Swiss-owned experimental chemical factory. This company that spilled God knows what into the water, polluted the air as well. I recall an incident from my grammar school days when something they produced became airborne, settled across the river and ruined the paint on a number of cars in the Dryden Heights neighborhood. Shortly thereafter, a number of nondescript men showed up with checks in hand to pay for any “damage.” Some people received a check to repaint their undamaged cars and I can only assume they essentially paid off the neighborhood to help people forget the event. I wonder about the children who I played sandlot baseball and went to school with must have breathed in. Also, the smell of the river was beyond description. Believe me, back then, standing on the bridge on a hot summer day eating an ice cream cone and enjoying the falls and river view would be the last thing anyone would have dreamed of doing.

But even in the early ’50s we would occasionally witness a rare phenome-non on the cove. In the summer when conditions were just right, say a Tuesday

morning after a three-day weekend, we would find the cove full of the most beautiful gin-clear water you’ve ever seen. My Dad always said that extra day was what it took to completely flush and replenish the river with the good Scituate water.

If there was anyone living in the area who knew more about the reservoir, river and cove than Dic Aspray, I’ve never met them, and I remember him say-ing how well and quickly the river would recover if all that dumping stopped. In all my years growing up at the boatyard I had only seen that clear water a few dozen times, but it was certainly a sign of the possibilities he imagined. But, little by little, passionate people became involved and thanks to their persistence at town hall meetings and banging on the state house doors, the polluters were forced to comply. Finally in the mid-’80s, the evil giant was brought to its knees. In all my life this was the one and only public protest I’ve ever attended. Both radio and TV news were there and, according to the folks at Cameron’s Pharmacy, I was on TV wearing my bright red R.I. Shell-fisherman’s Association t-shirt of which I was a member. Shortly thereafter the doors were chained shut, the drain pipes run dry, and the stacks made to never spew polluted air again. To me that was the last obstacle to some real positive change.

Sure enough, real change did come, although not overnight. As I walk through green and beautiful Pawtuxet Park today I’m overwhelmed by the difference, and I especially love the ring of marsh grass at the tide line. At high tide on a nice summer day, if you look very closely, you’ll notice thousands of very tiny fish living among the grass. It’s a tiny bit of habitat restoration but each little bit is important! Also the yearly visits by the striped bass and bluefish, which never happened when I was a kid, are equally amazing to me.

To all those folks who over the years invested their time, energy and pas-sion to make Pawtuxet a better place, I tip my hat. I believe we owe them a great debt of gratitude and I think it’s best repaid by carrying on for those to come. It is to them I dedicate this story. v

By daVe aspRay

The Cleaning of the Cove

B

The Battleground Moves to EnglandIn the meantime, Williams had no militia to fight off the other colonies and, seen as an outcast, could count on no other resources to aid him against this more powerful foe. But he had an alternative: go to England and beseech Parliament to grant him a patent, or charter, for his land in Providence and that of Newport and Aquidneck Island, which had joined with him.

It was an extraordinary battle he fought. Mas-sachusetts had also sent men there to get permis-sion to annex Rhode Island. But Williams was more masterful: he published numerous writings to bolster his case, which was not a popular one in that he was advocating democracy, an unheard of method of government. Up to that time, govern-ment everywhere was from the top down: power came from the king and nobles, not from common citizens.

Because of Williams’ character as a fully trusted man, because of his brilliantly persuasive argu-ments, and because of his friendship with power-ful men (Henry Vane, Oliver Cromwell and John Milton, to mention a few) he was able to secure a charter that: 1) gave him land and governance rights, whereby citizens elected their leaders; 2) cautioned his New England adversaries by name “not to molest” Rhode Island; and 3) guaranteed freedom of worship. This declaration made Rhode Island the first community in history to operate democratically and to protect freedom of religion. The land was designated as the State of Rhode Is-land and the Providence Plantations.

Although there would be several other ma-jor challenges by Massachusetts to the control of

Pawtuxet in the years ahead, Williams was able to maintain his patent, not without having to return to England again to make his case in Parliament (this was during and after the English Civil War, a time of astonishing ferment).

In 1646, Samuel Gorton won his suit in Eng-land to regain control of his land. The Earl of War-wick and Committee on Foreign Plantations gave him full jurisdiction and warned Massachusetts to stand off. In appreciation, the lands were named Warwick. The victory had consequences for Paw-tuxet: emboldened by the legal triumph of Gorton, Providence and Newport, Portsmouth and War-wick produced a legal constitution and code safe-guarding their lands.

Rhode Island Rejects an Offer to Join the United ColoniesBy 1658, Massachusetts, Connecticut and the Plymouth Plantations had formed the United Colonies to act in unison with regard to eco-nomic, religious and political considerations. At long last, they invited Rhode Island to join them in what would be of great importance economi-cally. Rhode Island was eager to join and agreed to all stipulations of the contract except one: that Quakerism be outlawed. Quakerism was one of the most hated of the new religions among Chris-tian communities of all persuasions. In conse-quence, Quakers were executed.

Roger Williams was no longer active in delib-erations of government. Although their spiritual leader was absent, the leaders decided that they could not abide by that stipulation and rejected the offer. It was a stunning victory for freedom of wor-ship. The colony would live on without its leader

and sustaining its birthright, so to speak. Williams referred to this untrammeled freedom to worship as “Soule Liberty,” or “freedom of conscience.”

In 1663, King Charles II famously endorsed Rhode Island with its chartered status as a “lively experiment,” sealing its sovereignty as a democracy and a place where freedom of religion abounded. It would not be until 1747 that land disputes ended, but, in the end, our state got everything it fought for, and the battle for Pawtuxet was the beginning. John Barry writes: “Williams created the first gov-ernment in the world that broke church and state apart.” In doing so, he anticipated by almost a hun-dred years the Enlightenment Age and Jefferson-ians who believed that the state derives its author-ity from its citizens. v

*In a curious sidebar, William Harris also sued in England to get jurisdiction over his land in Pawtuxet. It was granted by Parliament. However, on the way home with his papers, he was taken captive by pirates and held captive for two years, being put to work with African slaves. He was finally let go and returned to England where he died disembarking from his ship. A story told to me by Henry Brown.

Continued from page 4Soule Liberty

Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge20 21 The BridgeFall/Winter 2016

Thank You to our 2016 Flag Sponsors!WE THANK ALL THOSE WHO SPONSORED FLAGS THIS YEAR. WE RAISE THE FLAGS BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY UNTIL THE 4TH OF JULY THROUGHOUT PAWTUXET VILLAGE. THE FOLLOWING WERE DONORS IN 2016:

Scott Avedisian... In memory of Jacqueline and George Avedisian

Henry Brown... In memory of Robert “Hoot” Hartman, Ed Greer and Frank Knight

Donna Reedy... Kudos to the Garden Group

Paula Carey... In memory of Raymond and Margaret Carey

John and Peg Adams

Felicia Gardella

Carl and Kristina Bishop... In memory of Karen Bishop George, Joseph Ferreira

Betty Challgren... In memory of Robert N. Challgren and Warren Covill

Louise Pendergast... In memory of Earl A. Anthony, Jr, and John J. Pendergast, Jr.

Francis Andrade

Tamara Keane... In memory of Michael L. Hastings, Jr.

Adrian and Chris Beaulieu... In memory of WWII Veterans

Diane Costa... In memory of our Veterans

Pawtuxet Rangers... In memory of past and current Rangers

Adele Montefusco... In memory of David Montefusco

Joyce Almeida... In memory of Ray Almeida

Paula Sullivan... In memory of Joseph H. Sullivan, Roy Magnani and Roy Magnani, Jr.

Raymond Mooney... In memory of Lt. Thomas Mooney and 2nd Lt. Mark Mooney

Augustinho Rainho... In memory of George R. Gilbert, Jr.

Michael/Brenda Hastings... In memory of Michael L. Hastings, Jr.

Ronald F. Fay... In memory of the Fay families of Edgewood

Paul and Cheryl Baeszler... In memory of George F. Rooney

Edward Johnson…. In memory of Dave Buckley

How Cranston Got Its NameBy Ginny leslie

he formation of new towns in Rhode Island was nothing new in the mid-1700s. Cranston was partitioned off of Providence in 1754, less than 20 years before the second Pawtuxet petition to form the township of Pawtuxet. Efforts at separa-

tion from Providence started as far back as 1660. Since Providence then encompassed all of present-day Providence County, roughly the northern third of the state, it would have been an arduous trip for most citizens of this enormous town to attend town meetings, record deeds or conduct other municipal business.

The early petitions to set off the southeastern part of Providence as a new town failed repeatedly, in part because the residents could not agree on what to call their new town. Depending on where in Cranston they lived, some liked the name Mashpaug, others preferred Meshanticut, still others wanted it to be called Pawtuxet. In 1732, several new townships were created out of Providence, but the setting off of Cranston was forestalled again. By 1753, when a new petition was submitted to the General Assembly, it appeared the haggling over the name was resolved with the selection of the English (not Indian) name Lynn. This name was chosen because several original settlers of Cranston had come from the Massachusetts town of that name, but it did not apply to any one settlement within Cranston.

However (and this, as they say, is so Rhode Island), the speaker of the House of Representa-tives at the time was Thomas Cranston. The original document of incorporation has a line drawn through Lynn and the name Cranston written in its place. Although some historians suggested that it was named for Samuel Cranston, a colonial governor for 29 years, the Cran-ston family was from Newport and, when the 1754 petition was submitted, Samuel had been dead for 27 years.

So, feel free to draw your own conclusions. v

T

THE GARDEN GROUP

During the summer, several volunteers took on the gardens in Pawtuxet Park to weed, clip and keep them tidy. Despite the heat, all looked great. A group of regular horseshoe players (see story on page 23) has volunteered to help. One of them, Andy McGurn, constructed an unusual garden with a small miniature bench and rocks from the cove. So many hands have helped the park gardens look great!

We can also happily and gratefully announce that Chris Hannifan has volunteered to be the leader of the Garden Group next year. We welcome the participation of all to keep our Village beautiful.

Continued from page 5Parkway

In fact, in 1910, an old stone pier at the end of Bayside Avenue was given to the MPC. “The gift will serve a dou-ble purpose. It is not only useful as a place from which to view the passing show of the small boats and pleasure craft which throng the waters of Nar-ragansett Bay but it is the only point for a long distance in either direction at which any of these boats will have the right to land.”

Land acquisition for the parkway began in 1912 and, in 1922, 51½ acres

at Warwick Downs became the most significant purchase and was renamed the Narragansett Parkway Reservation. For a few years, the 20 or so summer cottages remained and owners paid a small rental fee. Eventually the cottages were taken down. Today we know this area as Salter Grove, with picnic areas, a playground, footpaths, rocks to climb on, and a boat ramp. The Commissioners would probably be pleased to know how many people enjoy this land along the bay that they secured over a century ago.

At first, the parkway was a tree-lined gravel road that developed slowly. In his book about Warwick Downs, Henry Brown stated, “By 1927 the parkway was a beautiful and pleasant suburban boulevard.” The development of the parkway led to sales of house lots as the land on the west side of the scenic road became a desirable residential neighborhood.

A Scenic Parkway Along the Pawtuxet RiverIn addition to the parkway along Narragansett Bay’s western shore, the MPC also recom-mended a scenic parkway along the Cranston side of the Pawtuxet River. This was promoted as a “needed highway” since Park Avenue was the nearest east/west street; “a road extending along the border of a river reservation would furnish a very charming and useful drive.”

The MPC’s 1905 report stated that “straggling pioneers ... are building some very ugly cabins and making the banks ragged in their destructive ambition with the axe. A reservation should be provided all the way from ... Sockanosset Hill to the falls at Pawtuxet bridge,” a dis-tance of several miles.

The MPC acquired about 75 acres along the Pawtuxet River just upstream from the village to Warwick Avenue, with breaks along the shore for land owned by Rhodes on the Pawtuxet and canoe clubs. Much of this land remains parkland, although no parkway was built. However, it is interesting to note that the road that runs from Broad Street between the Sunoco station and Citizens Bank is Parkway Avenue.

Today most of that 75 acres is owned by the City of Cranston and provides a fine trail sys-tem along the river through the woods and a grassy meadow. The land along the river owned by the MPC between Pawtuxet Village and Rhodes was eventually sold and divided into house lots in the mid-twentieth century.

The bold proposals of the MPC for scenic parkways along Narraganset Bay from Pawtuxet to Rocky Point and along the Pawtuxet River from the falls to Sockanosset were never realized. But the legacy we enjoy today — Narragansett Parkway, Salter Grove and the Pawtuxet River Reservation — are well-used and treasured green spaces and recreational gems. v

Author’s note: A very big thanks to Henry A.L. Brown, who provided me with many detailed reports, maps, newspaper articles and his own book, A Sense of Place: Warwick Downs, to assist in my research on the Parkway.

top: Looking south from the bridge. above: Narragansett Parkway looking north across the bridge, 1930. Photos courtesy of the Warwick Historical Society.

left to right: Ann Murphy, Jan Burza, Chris Hannifan, Doris Desimone and Carol Hills

Fall/Winter 2016The Bridge22 23

Continued from page 7Factory Fire

located closest to Pawtuxet. But Providence Mayor Robins and Fire Chief Steere refused to help, fearing leaving the southern portion of the city unprotected. Additionally, they determined that the horrible condition of the roads would have caused such a delay that the building would be in ruins by the time help arrived from Providence. As it was, the factory was completely destroyed. All that remains of the Bloomer establishment is his home, still standing on Ocean Avenue, with its stately mansard roof.

Following the fire, Charles Bloomer remained active in civic affairs of Pawtuxet Village, being a member of Harmony Lodge and chairman of the committee that constructed the stone bridge crossing the Pawtuxet River. Subsequently, his name can be seen inscribed on a stone marker near the entrance door of Dear Hearts Ice Cream Shop. Mr. Bloomer was a member of the Cranston Town Council for eight years and supported the organization of the Pawtuxet Volunteers Fire Brigade in 1891. Its creation had been long overdue: prior to the Bloomer Factory fire there had been two cotton mills destroyed in the Village by fire, one on the Warwick side in 1859 and another on the Cranston side of the river in 1872. v

(Editor’s note: remember to change your smoke detector batteries twice each year, when we change the clocks forward and back.)

FINS, FUR AND FEATHERS

ay back in 1782, our government declared the American Bald Eagle as our national emblem for our national seal. It is also a symbol of freedom as well as represent-ing the wilderness and the environmental epic. Much to my dismay, the eagle is no

longer on our endangered list ... for now!The bald eagle is one of the sea eagle species, or erns. Both the female and male adults have

a black/brown back and breast, a white head, neck and tail, and yellow feet, legs and beak. Be careful not to confuse them with the osprey, which has a white breast and head, and is smaller. Typically, osprey nest on platforms, often man-made, whereas eagles’ nests are in quarries or precipices away from human habitation.

Bald eagles mate for life, or if the death of one occurs, may mate again. Their lifespan is 15 to 20 years in the wild. Bald eagles lay one to three eggs. The incubation period is 35 days. Nesting is shared by both mom and dad. After hatching, the chicks are in the nest for 20 weeks being fed by both parents. Their nests are spectacular, usually built in large trees or cliffs near rivers and coastlines for feeding purposes. The nest can be five to six feet in diameter and three feet tall and are replenished yearly. They are made of twigs, branches and grass.

An eagle’s diet is mainly fish and carrion (dead animals, often stolen from other animals). An adult eagle can weigh from ten to 14 pounds. Because their bones are hollow, the weight is less than one might expect for an animal its size. The beak, talons and feathers are made of keratin (the same as our nails and hair). They have 7,000 feathers (who counted?). When they lift a prey with their powerful talons, they can lift up to four pounds. The female is a bit larger than the male, averaging at 35 to 37 inches, while the male is 31 to 34 inches. Their wingspan while in flight ranges from 72 to 85 inches, making them impressive to watch! They can fly up to an altitude of 10,000 feet and on level flights they can achieve a speed of 30 to 35 mph. Tolerance to cold is helped by their feathers being lined with down.

Eagles are renowned for their acute eyesight. Their eyes are almost as large as humans’ eyes, but the sharpness is four times that of a human eye with perfect vision. Their voice is a shrill, high pitched and twittering sound. The Northwest coast has the greatest attraction for these birds mainly because of the salmon runs — about 70,000 of the eagles in the world live in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for that very reason. There are migration spots, one of them being along the Mississippi River, where a “bald eagle day” is celebrated in the autumn.

There is a resurgence of eagles in the Northeast, and we are seeing them today along our shores. They are larger than the common red-tailed hawk and soar with wide-spread wings, sometimes just above treetops. Juveniles are brown all over with white speckles, but the adult clearly has a white head and yellow beak, conspicuous even at altitudes. Look for them over rivers and along the edges of the bay.

Roger Williams Zoo had two American Eagles, Blaze and Glory, who recently passed on. A new younger eagle is now in the exhibit. Come and see her! v

W

The American Bald Eagle

By CaRol Hills

American Bald Eagle photo by Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren via Wikimedia Commons (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0).

hat is the oldest sport in history that is still being played in Pawtuxet Village? A clue: 40 years ago it was more popular than Pokémon. Answer? Horseshoes. Chess would be a good answer, but on this night I found the horseshoers.

On Wednesday nights, the horseshoe pit in Pawtuxet Park has a friendly crowd, some of whom are there to compete and some who are there to socialize. But they all agree that simply being outdoors with the easy grace of our cove and atmosphere is unchallenged by other places they could be. It starts at 6:00 p.m. and ends when they can’t see the pits anymore, and usually beyond, as lights come on around the harbor.

The event was started by Andy McGurn and Bob Bourne — or, wait a minute, as they explain — it was started by the Boy Scouts who built the horseshoe pits right next to a garden planted later in memory of Ed Greer. Andy and Bob saw an opportunity for a community event on summer evenings. Andy was living in a local apartment with no land for recreation. But he is a person who needs outdoor recreation: the two of them saw an opportunity for land, space, beauty, and activity, a potential to stretch wings and spend time with friends.

The horseshoe pits are not unique in our area: there is a pit on the Gaspee Plateau (whose members get together sometimes with this crew) and in Roger Williams Park. But the pits here are a ritual — Wednesdays and Saturdays in the summer through late October.

Andy, his sister Amy and his brother Chuck Sherman are no strangers to the Village. Their family has been here longer than most. Their mother Janice’s family, the Killians, had been here a generation, and they grew up with other siblings in a family of commitment to work and play. Janice was a “people person” and had the perfect occupations for that talent: a bartender and a cashier. She worked several places in that capacity and then, when she retired, worked in the Senior Center, again as a hostess. Her children mark her as someone that motivated them to become who they are today. Andy began working with his mother at a young age and, as he tells it, “I’ve always had to work.” It has done him well, and he’s now a manager at I.M. Gan.

Recreation is a great way to socialize with others, whether or not it is competitive. It gives everyone an opportunity to participate, whether you’re talking, listening, throwing or watching. Everyone is included. A wood-burning stove has been set up, drinks and snacks are available, and the group keeps the area attractive. Blue barrels in the parking lot take whatever trash there may be. The group also has a key to the boathouse so that the rest rooms there can be used. And, of course, in summer, there are concerts in the park.

As the sun began to set and a powerboat motored slowly up the cove, Glenn T. looked at me and said, “This is one of the three most beautiful spots on the East Coast. Look at it! Isn’t this great?” Behind us someone exclaimed, “Look at the lights!” v

The regular horseshoe crowd consists of (front row) Bob Bourne, “Walter,” and Dennis Saillant and (back row) Glenn Tiberius, Chuck Sherman, Amy Sherman, Andy McGurn, Susan Saillant and Maria DeMelo.

WBy andy de lonG

Horseshoes

The BridgeFall/Winter 2016

The residence of C. J. Bloomer survived the fire and still exists today.

and frequently served on the Cranston town council between 1797 and 1817.

Dr. John Mawney’s large home still stands at 135 Benefit Street on the East Side of Providence, and was the setting for H.P. Lovecraft’s famous 1927 horror classic, The Shunned House. After 1794, Mawney moved from Providence to his inherited farmland in neighbor-ing Cranston. Mawney’s estate here comprised 94 acres; a large portion of what is now known as the Elmwood neighborhood in the West End of Providence, nearby or within the confines of the adjoining city of Cranston. In June of 1815, he was advertising for lease or sale both his estates in Cranston and in Providence. He may have been overpriced; he ran the ad for over three years, and the Providence estate was sold at auction in March 1825.

We are told tales of how he and his fellow Gaspee raiders rode in a grand open carriage during the 50th Anniversary Independence Day parades and how they were ceremoniously honored as part of the crew that burned the Gaspee.

Dr. Mawney died at the age of 80 at his Cranston estate. His gravestone in the Old North Burial Ground at Providence states that Dr. Mawney achieved the rank of colonel in the Rhode Island Militia. v

Further information on the Gaspee Affair and the people involved in the attack can be found at www.gaspee.org.

Continued from page 14Mawney

Fall/Winter 201624 The Bridge

Fall/Winter 2016

Editor: Andy De LongEditorial Board: Polly T. Barey, Susan Hartman, Vicky Hollmann, Ginny Leslie, Alice PaceCopy Editors: Joyce Almeida, John Burnap, Piers Curry, Andy De Long, Elizabeth King, Ginny LeslieAdvertising: Polly T. Barey, Francine Connolly, Fran Dunn, Bonnie HoisingtonDistribution: Todd Hargraves Contributing Photographers: Andy De Long, Jim Turner Layout: Donna DeForbes

Pawtuxet Village Association Board of Directors 2016

Chairperson: Alice PaceTreasurer: Felicia GardellaSecretary: Paula SullivanBoard Members: Joyce Almeida, Andy De Long, Todd Hargraves, Janet Hartman, Susan Hartman, Alexis Hazard, Ginny Leslie, Carole Panos

Contact Us

pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com - NOTE NEW EMAIL!www.pawtuxetvillageassociation.org

Editorial Statement

The Bridge is the official publication of the Pawtuxet Village Association and serves to communicate local news and information, and to record new and old history of Pawtuxet Village and its residents.

Pawtuxet Village Association and Other Holiday Events

Saturday, Nov. 26 9:00 a.m. — PVA Garden Group Wreath Hanging and Bridge BoxesHelp decorate the village! Meet on the bridge to assist in hanging the holiday wreaths. To volunteer, contact Carole Panos at agapecp2001@aol.com.

Sunday, Dec. 4 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. — Pawtuxet Rangers Christmas Open House Join the Pawtuxet Rangers for refresh-ments and lighting of the yule log at the Rangers Armory, Remington St.

Sunday, Dec. 11PVA 36th Annual Celebration of Christmas in Pawtuxet4:00 p.m. — Ecumenical ServiceTrinity Church, Ocean AvenueJoin us for spirited carols and the first blessings of Christmas.

5:15 p.m. — Rangers ProcessionFollowing the service, the Pawtuxet Rangers will lead a procession from Trinity Church through the village to Pawtuxet Park. Bring lanterns and caroling voices!

5:30 p.m. — Christmas Tree LightingOnce again we’ll illuminate the large tree in Pawtuxet Park to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.

For details on the above PVA events, contact us at pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com

Friends of Pawtuxet Village Events

Saturday, Nov. 2611:00 a.m. — Decorate the Children’s Christmas TreeBring your homemade decorations to the gazebo in Pawtuxet Park.

Saturday, Dec. 3Noon-3:00 p.m. — Horse-Drawn Carriage RidesLeaving every half hour from the

parking lot behind the Cork & Brew at 2200 Broad Street in the Village.

10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. — Holiday StrollParticipating Village businesses and eateries will offer special discounts, music and holiday menus all day!

5:00 p.m. — Christmas Carol SingingPawtuxet Park

5:30 p.m. — Luminaria and Children’s Christmas Tree LightingSponsor a luminaria (lantern) that will be displayed around Pawtuxet Park in remembrance of loved ones. Immedi-ately followed by the lighting of the Children’s Christmas tree. Rain date: Sunday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 76:45 p.m. — Lighting of the MenorahJoin us at the gazebo for hot latkes, gelt, dreidel games and Hanukkah songs. Lighting at 7:00. Rain or shine.

Dec. 1-31Village-wide Food DriveSponsored by the Village Merchants Association. Visit www.friendsofpaw-tuxetvillage.org for details on what to contribute and where. FPV events are subject to change. For updates, visit www.friendsofpawtuxetvillage.org or contact info@friendsofpawtuxetvillage.org

William Hall Library Concert Series

Saturday, Dec. 32:00 p.m. — Renaissance V Brass Quintet Classical brass ensemble.

Wednesday, Dec. 147:00 p.m. — Atwater-Donnelly Traditional American and Celtic folk.

Saturday, Dec. 172:00 p.m. — Jon Wiening Classical guitar.

Holiday Calendar

MYSTERY PHOTO!

Lost at sea! Where can you find me? The first person to correctly identify our mystery photo will have her or his name published in the next issue of The Bridge. Send entries to pawtuxetvillageassociation@gmail.com

Nobody guessed last issue’s mystery photo. It was the image of the lopsided sailboat on top of Aspray Boat House.

Photo by Jim Turner.