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The Armenian Diaspora in Rhode Island
2 years ago

The Armenian Diaspora in Rhode Island

[Most of this article was written in 2003 and is based on information at that time. The information has not been updated, except in a few spots where noted.]

Based …
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“Third Century of Liberty”?: Thomas Wilson Dorr and Debate over the Gag Rule in Rhode Island, 1835-1836
2 years ago

“Third Century of Liberty”?: Thomas Wilson Dorr and Debate over the Gag Rule in Rhode Island, 1835-1836

[Note from the authors: The essay that follows is a condensed version of a longer essay that is to accompany a major addition to the Dorr Rebellion Project (at http://library.providence.edu/dorr/) …
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The Alexander Sails for California in 1849
2 years ago

The Alexander Sails for California in 1849

In my prior article, “Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849,” the story of the Audley Clarke’s voyage to San Francisco was detailed. When Newport mariners heard about …
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Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849
2 years ago

Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849

Newport never fully recovered as a thriving maritime port following the American Revolutionary War. Its merchants did well in the trade with India and China in the times around 1800. …
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Saving and Restoring Kingston Station, and a Railfan’s Life: Part II
2 years ago

Saving and Restoring Kingston Station, and a Railfan’s Life: Part II

When I gather with other octogenarian rail enthusiasts in Rhode Island, either in person or online, we always come around to the same topic: the Younger Generation. Invariably, three observations …
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Saving and Restoring Kingston Station, and a Railfan’s Life: Part I
2 years ago

Saving and Restoring Kingston Station, and a Railfan’s Life: Part I

I don’t know if I was actually conceived on a train, but my mother was carrying me when she went back and forth on a Southern Pacific train between home …
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Narragansett Bay Freezes Over in the Winter of 1740
2 years ago

Narragansett Bay Freezes Over in the Winter of 1740

[Editor’s Note: The following interesting sketch of one of the most severe winters in the history of Rhode Island, the winter of 1739 to 1740, was written by William Greene …
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Foster Boys in the Seventh Rhode Island
2 years ago

Foster Boys in the Seventh Rhode Island

Foster, Rhode Island is one of the few places in Rhode Island that maintains a Nineteenth Century charm. Indeed if the Civil War veterans of Foster were to return, they …
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Four Extraordinary Popular American Historians  from Brown University’s Classes of 1978 to 1983
2 years ago

Four Extraordinary Popular American Historians from Brown University’s Classes of 1978 to 1983

One of my favorite hobbies is reading popular and top quality American history books by authors who have deservedly built national reputations. By popular history, I mean the author is …
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Book Review: Meet Me at the Biltmore, 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel
2 years ago

Book Review: Meet Me at the Biltmore, 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel

There is a recent welcome addition to the library of Rhode Island history books. It is Meet Me at the Biltmore, 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel, by …
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