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How did plans for a century old Providence water filtration plant end up in the collections of the Lawrence Public Library in Massachusetts? We may never know, but thanks to …
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The Larchmont Disaster, by Joseph and Janice Soares (Charleston, SC: History Press, 2014, $19.99)

It has been called the Titanic of Rhode Island, a little remembered disaster that claimed …
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Nineteenth century photo studios did more than take images of their clients. Many also took pictures of their communities.

The image in the banner for this article is but one …
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American history enthusiasts are generally aware of the story of Samuel Slater, and the developments that ensued following his arrival in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in January of 1790.

For readers …
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One chilly day in November 1917 the air over Rhode Island’s Greenwich Bay resounded with the then unusual roar of an aircraft engine. A graceful seaplane rose from the water …
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In one of his oft-repeated observations, Benjamin Franklin remarked “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”[1] But Franklin would have exempted colonial Rhode …
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Rhode Island can claim as its own Jemima Wilkinson, an important religious prophet and utopian leader in early America. Recently, she has been highlighted in college U.S. history text books …
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In 1881 and 1905, two respected Rhode Island history authors made the claim that in colonial times, Godfrey Malbone, a wealthy Newport merchant, had constructed a tunnel from the coastline …
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[Editor’s note: Rhode Island’s independent bookstores have been loyal supporters of authors of Rhode Island state and local history books and their readers. This week we are pleased to interview …
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In 1824, several months after he graduated from Harvard College, Thomas Wilson Dorr (1805-1854), the son of a prominent Providence, Rhode Island merchant, entered into a philosophical debate with his …
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