Random Stories
Betty Alden: First-Born Daughter of the Pilgrims
In 1891, American author Jane G. Austin (not to be confused with the better-known English writer, Jane Austen), wrote in the preface to her novel, Betty Alden: The First-Born Daughter of the Pilgrims, “He who would read for himself the story of this…
For the Love of Providence: The Philanthropy of Ebenezer Knight Dexter
Known more for his impact after death than for any particular achievement in life, Providence native Ebenezer Knight Dexter remains one of the city’s most influential figures, having bequeathed the majority of his estate to the town for the…
West Broadway Neighborhood Association
Repurposing older structures is a tenet of historic preservation. Here the West Broadway Neighborhood Association practices what it preaches. Since 1983, the WBNA has been one of the strongest and most active neighborhood associations in the city.…
Chace-Cory House
The Chace-Cory House, built around 1730 by Benjamin or Abner Chace, witnessed the passing of many Tiverton generations by its front door. Once a lonely house, it has seen nearly 300 years of change at Four Corners. Its floorboards are well-worn by…
Pleasant Valley Parkway
As part of a nationwide “City Beautiful” movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Providence’s civic leaders envisioned the creation of numerous parks through the city as a means to provide refuge and beauty for its citizens as…
1902: The Imperial Theatre
In 1800, Providence had about 7,000 people. By 1900, the city was bursting with over 175,000 and still growing. The downtown commercial district, once centered on a stretch of North Main Street by the Market House, now extended across the Providence…
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Latinos in Rhode Island
5 Locations ~ Curated by This tour is based on Marta V. Martinez’s Latino History in Rhode Island: Nuestras Raíces (History Press, 2014) as well as the oral and visual histories at www.nuestrasraicesri.org. Molly Kerker and Jane Lancaster contributed research, content development, and editing. Translation by Roxana Mercado.Smith Hill Neighborhood
10 Locations ~ Curated by Jennifer Wilson, Assistant Director of the Goff Center of Education at the Rhode Island Historical SocietyJamestown Forts: Rhode Island's First Line of Defense
5 Locations ~ Curated by The Jamestown Historical SocietyFeatured Stories
West Broadway Neighborhood Association
Repurposing older structures is a tenet of historic preservation. Here the West Broadway Neighborhood Association practices what it preaches. Since 1983, the WBNA has been one of the strongest and most active neighborhood associations in the city.…
Old Traditions in a New Home: Immigration in Reservoir Triangle
In 1880, about 104,000 people lived in Providence. Thirty years later, the city’s population had more than doubled, reaching over 223,000 people. Most of this population increase was due to immigration; among those attracted to the city’s numerous…
Antillas Restaurant
Broad Street today is full of ethnic restaurants, but in the late 1970s Latinos anxious for a taste of home had very limited choices; Doña Fefa sold a few prepared foods in her store, but otherwise families had to cook their own. Roberto and José…
Rhode Tour
A project by the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Rhode Island Council for the HumanitiesRhode Tour is a statewide mobile historical smartphone application. Captivating places, intriguing people, and exciting events fill Rhode Island's history. Rhode Tour offers a new way to interact with these untold tales of the state's past. Using stories, sounds, and images, history comes alive on Rhode Tour.
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