by Rosemary Enright | Jun 23, 2021 | 2021 Articles
In the years following World War II, marching bands were much in demand. Drum and bugle corps competed against each other, and rivalry was keen. Jamestown had had a Men’s Drum & Bugle Corps in the 1930s, and it was revived early in 1947. Later that same year,...
by JHS | Jun 14, 2021 | Events
Speech Delivered at the Dedication of the Slave History Medallion at East Ferry, Jamestown, RI, May 22, 2021 Image courtesy of Rhode Island Historical Society, MSS 1026, Folder 14, Thomas G. Hazard, Deed of Sale, 12/29/1791. Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye....
by JHS | Jun 9, 2021 | From the Collection
Sheep played a large part in the early days of the island of Conanicut. As early as 1637, when the Narragansett granted the right to the grasses of the island to the Newport settlers, sheep were grazed on the island. Sheep and wool remained important island products...
by JHS | May 27, 2021 | Events, Newsletters
Our Spring 2021 Newsletter is now available for download. Don’t miss the committee reports of all the things that we’ve been working on while at home. And take a look at the donations that made over the past year, we value everyone’s efforts to...
by Rosemary Enright | May 27, 2021 | 2021 Articles
In the 19th century – before the invention of the movie, television, and computer – most people, especially in tiny towns like Jamestown, had to make their own entertainment. Fraternal organizations that provided social activities as well as mutual support and/or...
by JHS | May 13, 2021 | JHS in the News, Library Exhibits
Many organizations – governmental, fraternal, and commercial – use patches sewn to uniforms, shirts, or hats to identify their membership. This month the JHS exhibit case in the foyer of the Jamestown Philomenian Library displays a variety of such badges from the...
by JHS | May 5, 2021 | From the Collection
Named for John T. Greble, the first U.S. Military Academy graduate to die in the Civil War, Fort Greble was established as an Endicott fortification in 1897 and was part of the RI Coastal Defense on Dutch Island which is part of the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island....
by JHS | Apr 21, 2021 | JHS in the News, Library Exhibits
April is the month when, under Rhode Island state law, all dogs over three months of age must be registered. This April the JHS mounted two exhibits about Jamestown dogs and their registration. Various Jamestown Dog Tags Christmas Dog Parade. Lew Kitts and Ken...
by Rosemary Enright | Apr 21, 2021 | 2021 Articles
During World War II, Conanicut Island was home to three named forts, all of which are now parks – Fort Burnside at Beavertail, Fort Getty on the West Passage, and Fort Wetherill on the East Passage. Each of the forts was named for a U.S. Army officer who had seen...
by Rosemary Enright | Mar 17, 2021 | 2021 Articles
In the mid-19th century, the population of Jamestown was declining. The 1870 census counted only 378 people living here. Those remaining knew the town would die if nothing were done. In 1873, the town and some of its major landowners formed the Jamestown &...
