by JHS | Oct 1, 2022 | From the Collection
The National Register, authorized by the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966, is the official list of the Nation’s historical places worthy of preservation. To qualify for this register, a property must convey an accurate and authentic sense of its past and...
by Rosemary Enright and Sue Maden | Sep 22, 2022 | 2022 Articles, Jamestown History Articles
The New Year’s greeting to summer residents from 1930 suggesting they entice their friends to come to the island. In May 1929, 21 Jamestowners met at Town Hall to form an organization to “promote the economic, civic, and social welfare of the people of Jamestown and...
by JHS | Sep 12, 2022 | JHS in the News, Library Exhibits
What’s in your attic that could help others understand how people lived in Jamestown in the past? Barbara Magruder, great-granddaughter of William Lincoln Bates who ran Dr. Bates Sanitarium in Jamestown from 1896 until his death in 1932, had already given the JHS many...
by JHS | Sep 5, 2022 | From the Collection
In 1873, the town of Jamestown initiated the first steam ferry service between Jamestown East Ferry and Newport. Fifteen years later, in 1888, steam ferry service between West Ferry and Saunderstown on the mainland began. Just how did passengers and their belongings...
by JHS | Aug 29, 2022 | Uncategorized
House Tour Members Only Preview Party Friday, September 16, 2022, 5-7 pm When: Friday, September 16, 2022 5-7 pm Who: JHS Members What: Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres Where: 64 Walcott Avenue, the 120 year old “Twin Towers” built for Charles E....
by Peter Fay | Aug 25, 2022 | 2022 Articles, Jamestown History Articles
Manuel Furtado Dutra arrived barefoot and alone in Jamestown in 1917 when he was 13 years old. He had never worn shoes in his life, could not read or write, and had never been to school. Leaving his island home of Fayal in the Azores, Portugal, on the steamship Roma,...
by JHS | Aug 3, 2022 | From the Collection
Although we have featured the 38 Hurricane in an earlier “From the Collection”, we would like to feature one of our films this month. Many Jamestown residents have never experienced a strong hurricane or seen the extent of the damage caused by one. This...
by JHS | Jul 25, 2022 | Events, JHS in the News
2022 Days at the Windmill, July 22 & 23, photo coutesy of Norm Kaplan The 2022 JHS summer events opened with An Evening at the Windmill for JHS members and the following day was the biennial celebration of Windmill Day open to everyone. At An Evening at the...
by JHS | Jul 22, 2022 | JHS in the News, Library Exhibits
William Foster “Babe” Caswell, worked for many years for the Jamestown & Newport Ferry Company – first as a fireman, then as one of the youngest engineers, and finally as manager. During his years on the ferries he built models of the ships he worked on as...
by Rosemary Enright and Sue Maden | Jul 20, 2022 | 2022 Articles, Jamestown History Articles
William Foster Caswell, commonly known as “Babe” was born in Jamestown in November 1909, the fifth child of John and Isabel Caswell. The census-taker six months later recorded “no name” for him. Family lore says that “Babe” was his only name until he selected...
