In the early 1940s, when you drove east over the recently completed Jamestown Bridge, the land before you was open farmland.

Hunt’s Drug Store stood at the corner of Conanicus and Narragansett avenues where the East Ferry Deli is now.

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.

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.

Francis X. West was an artist and painting contractor who worked from his Red Elephant Studio on Cole Street. In the JHS Collection is his artist’s palette with images of clouds, gulls, and sailboats. At the bottom of the palette is his autograph, “Frank West RES.”

From the early eighteenth century until the American Revolution, approximately one-third of the people living and working in Jamestown were recently captured Africans, second-generation African Americans, or indigenous people, mostly Narragansett.

J.S. Lovering Wharton of Philadelphia designed Clingstone, his new home, with artist William Trost Richards.

Perusing archival material in the JHS collection, we came upon a reminiscence titled “Noel” that was written by W. L. Watson, December 1948. Among Mr. Watson’s thoughtful words about family holidays and summer visits at the Carr homestead, he reflects upon the value of memories and the importance of keeping them.

Our online collection has many items from 1763 to 2020 describing the votes and voters of Jamestown.

Members of the Jamestown Historical Society who grew up on Conanicut Island or spent their summers here will recognize many of the businesses that are found in the JHS Financial records.