FALL 2017
Birthday parties, weddings and vacation -- these are the events that many of us capture in photographs. But how many of us could say that we have documented everyday life in our hometown for decades? Ken Mars did just that. You may remember Kenneth T. Mars, Jr. He was a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe, an inductee into the University of Rhode Island's Lifetime Service Society and an usher at the Peace Dale First Church of God, where his father was pastor. Sadly, Ken passed away in 2011 at the age of 71. For more than forty years, Ken walked the streets of South Kingstown, camera in hand, photographing everything he saw. His images captured the everyday happenings and sights that often go unnoticed: friends passing in cars, a bustling Main Street, students scurrying to class at URI and the changing of the seasons. Over the years, Ken had tens of thousands of photographs developed and carefully compiled them into binders. He spent countless hours at the Peace Dale Library diligently researching the histories of the places he knew so well from his walks. For his beloved hometown, Ken has left quite a legacy: more than 25,000 photographs that have been saved by family members and a local photographer. The Center is pleased to announce that it is working to acquire the Kenneth T. Mars, Jr. Photograph Collection, which has been offered as a donation. Digitizing, archiving and storing a collection of this size requires significant resources, and thus the Center is pleased to announce "History in Focus," a capital campaign to support the preservation of the Mars Collection and the thousands of other materials already contained within the Center's quickly-growing archival collection. The goal of the "History in Focus" campaign is to raise $45,000, which will make possible many critical projects related to the Center's archival collection, including: Expansion of the Center's archival storage space into a second room within the Old Jail. This space will be renovated and outfitted with shelving to properly store important materials, including the Mars Collection. Special storage capability also will be added to store large format materials, such as historic maps and newspapers. (continued on next page) Digitization, processing and preservation of the Kenneth T. Mars, Jr. Photograph Collection, which will exponentially increase the Center's photography holdings. Preservation of the Allen Collection of glass plate negatives in appropriate archival-quality storage materials. Purchase of additional software, hardware and cloud storage to increase the Center's capacity of digitizing large volumes of material, including the Mars Collection. The development of both hands-on training opportunities for the Center's interns and volunteers as well new public workshops focused on digitizing and preserving family collections. With feedback from many community members, the Center relaunched in 2016 with a new vision for the future: to become a leading research and archival center dedicated to the preservation and promotion of South County’s rich and diverse history. The "History in Focus" campaign will be a dramatically positive step toward realizing that vision. We are pleased to announce that, thanks to the generosity of several community members and the Mary LeMoine Potter Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation, $5,500 has been raised for the "History in Focus" campaign to date. Your support is needed to ensure the success of these critical projects. Please continue reading below for more information about how you can join the effort to preserve South County's unique history at the Center.
History in Focus
Newsletter
Center Announces Campaign To Preserve New Collections
We hope you'll support the Center's "History in Focus" campaign by spreading the word about these exciting projects, assisting with photo recognition through exhibits online and at the Old Jail and making a contribution to help reach our goal and save South County's history! Gifts can be made to the campaign by mail, online or in person. You may choose to further designate your gifts specifically to the Archive Room Expansion, Mars Photograph Collection or Allen Collection. Gifts to the "History in Focus" campaign will be recognized online, and donors giving $100 or more also will be recognized on signage at the Old Jail. Please visit SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org/historyinfocus or contact Erica Luke at 401.783.1328 or erica@southcountyhistorycenter.org for more information.
A Small Sample of the Many archival Materials Preserved by the Center
HISTory In Focus continued
© Photographer Name
The photos included in this article (unless otherwise noted) are part of the Kenneth T. Mars, Jr. Photograph Collection.
you can Help save South County's history!
FOrmer ALlen Family Home on High Street in Wakefield
Exhibit Update: Lost & Found Selections from the Allen Collection
For those who missed our recent "Streets of SK: Meanings Behind the Monikers" programs, we are pleased to share an excerpt from the presentation by Center volunteer Andrew Polta. The South County History Center at the Old Washington County Jail sits close to a literal crossroads of history, where four of the oldest local roads come together in the historic center of Kingston. When Kingston—then called Little Rest—was first established in the late 17th century, it was centered at the meeting point of what eventually became South, Old North, Kingstown and Mooresfield Roads. These were the four most important thoroughfares in the region until well into the 19th century and served as direct routes in and out of town at a time when most roads were simply muddy tracks meandering their way between individual farms. The four roads were originally carved out of the forests, with the major work of felling and clearing trees likely undertaken by slaves. In the case of South and Old North Roads, the development of roads may have simply been a widening of a pre-existing route used by Narragansetts moving north into the interior from the south coast. Old North and South Roads bear little indication of their antiquity, except for a marker near the modern intersection of South and Curtis Corner Roads, where careful passersby will find a stone marker from 1814 reading “to Little Rest, 2 miles.” The marker serves as a reminder of a time when the town was the central market for outlying farmers and a meeting place for the colonial and early state courts and General Assembly. Paradoxically, the addition of “old” to Old North Road is one of the newest changes to these roads: it was added to avoid confusion with the North Road in Peace Dale when the federal government implemented the 911 emergency system in 1968. Leading east and west out of town are Kingstown and Mooresfield Roads. Kingstown Road takes its name from Kings Towne, the original name for the European settlement comprising much of South County. The name fell out of use after 1723, when Kings Towne split into North and South Kingstown. Mooresfield Road was originally part of the now-vanished hamlet of Mooresfield, which once lay east of Kingston at the crossing of the Saugatucket River. The mill town, named for William Moore who established a farm there in 1735, was small but prosperous until around 1900. One Mooresfield family, the Roses, received a visit in 1781 from George Washington, who was traveling from Little Rest to Newport. Unfortunately, the general had to pass on the sad news that the Roses’ son Phillip, a former aide to Washington, had recently died in a British prison hulk. Next time you find yourself traveling Kingston's historic crossroads, we hope you will feel a deeper appreciation for the history paved beneath you!
You're Invited: Member & Volunteer Appreciation Night Thursday, November 9, 6-8 p.m. at the Old Jail The Center is pleased to invite all of its dedicated members and volunteers to our annual Member & Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday, November 9, from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Old Jail. In addition to a light reception, attendees will see a special preview of the final "Lost & Found" exhibit and will receive 20% off all gift shop purchases. Thank you for your support! We hope to see you on November 9th to express our appreciation in person!
If you haven't yet visited the first installation of the Center's "Lost & Found: Selections from the Allen Collection" exhibit at the Old Jail, plan to visit before it closes on September 16th! The Allen Collection, given by Linda and Sandra Allen in memory of their parents Donald and Barbara Allen, includes approximately 400 glass plate negatives depicting late nineteenth century life in South County. The majority of the subjects are yet unidentified. The second "Lost & Found" installation will be opening to the public on Saturday, September 23rd, which is also Smithsonian Museum Day Live when all visitors receive free admission. The third and final "Lost and Found" installation will open on Saturday, November 11, but South County History Center members are invited to a special preview. See below for more details. Through December, the Center will continue to post images from the Allen Collection on our Facebook page, facebook.com/southcountyhistorycenter. Many thanks to all of the Photo Detectives who have helped identify photographs so far!
Streets of SK: Crossroads of History
VISIT THE SOUTH COUNTY HISTORY CENTER
FACEBOOK.COM/SOUTHCOUNTYHISTORYCENTER
The South County History Center Museum, Archive and Library at the Old Washington County Jail is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students (K-college). Active duty military families and law enforcement and correctional officers receive free admission. MEMBERS FREE. SOUTH COUNTY HISTORY CENTER at the OLD WASHINGTON COUNTY JAlL 2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02816 401.783.1328 SOUTHCOUNTYHISTORYCENTER.ORG
NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 128 WAKEFIELD, RI 02879
2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02816 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
New Archival Acquisition: Sea View Railroad Maps The Center recently received a donation from Ginny Kearns of nearly two dozen maps detailing the Rights of Way of the Sea View Railroad. Operating from 1900 through 1920, the railroad's trolleys transported passengers from East Greenwich to Narragansett Pier.
South County History Center at the Old Washington County Jail ● 2636 Kingstown Road, Kingston, RI 02881 For the most up-to-date program information, visit SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org or Facebook.com/SouthCountyHistoryCenter.
Unfortunate Ends Saturday, September 16, 2 p.m. at The Old Washington County Jail Local historian Bob Geake will discuss the evolution of the obituary in local papers and reveal how those death notices reflected the day-to-day dangers that people faced in early Rhode Island as well as the eccentric and unusual obituaries that found their way into print. Gone But Not Forgotten: Death & Mourning in the Victorian Era Saturday, September 30, 2 p.m. at The Old Washington COunty Jail Have you ever wondered why black is worn to a funeral, or why the deceased is surrounded by flowers? Where did the terms “saved by the bell” and “graveyard shift” come from? Did people really take pictures of the dead? Kathy Hartley, president of Friends of Hearthside, will lead a look back to the Victorian Era for answers to many questions about death customs and rituals. Ground-Penetrating Radar Demonstration & Gravestone Iconography Saturday, October 21, 1-3 p.m. At the Tower Hill Cemetery, SE Corner of Rt. 1 and Torrey RD. In partnership with Kingston Congregational Church Technological advances, including ground-penetrating radar, are making it possible for archaeologists to learn about important sites without disturbing the ground. Salve Regina’s Dr. Jon Marcoux will be conducting a demonstration with cutting-edge equipment, and Center representatives will be on hand to discuss the cemetery's headstones and Tower Hill's history. The demonstration will take place from 1-3 p.m., and attendees can visit the site at any time within that period. Parking is available at All Outdoors (4060 Tower Hill Rd, South Kingstown). In case of inclement weather, the demonstration will be postponed until Sunday, October 22, from 1-3 p.m. What Lies Beneath: A Look Below Rhode Island's Historical Burial Grounds Tuesday, OCtober 24, 6:30 p.m. at Kingston Free Library's Potter Hall In partnership with Kingston Free Library Joseph (Jay) N. Waller, Jr., Senior Archaeologist at The Public Archaeology Laboratory, will discuss the unseen world lying beneath the slate and marble gravestones of our historic burying places. Drawing from archaeological projects in Rhode Island, he will discuss nineteenth century burial practices and provide examples of common artifacts recovered from historic graves. He also will highlight a recent project in which archaeologists, with private landowner support, identified and relocated internments from a formerly “lost” historic burial ground.
Eternal Rest: Death, Mourning & Memorials
The program series "Eternal Rest: Death, Mourning & Memorials" is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Fall 2017 South County History Center Public Programs
Additional Public Programs Walk Through History: Wakefield's Main Street Thursday, September 14, 6:30 p.m. Wakefield Comfort Station 305 Main Street The Center is partnering with Preserve Wakefield to offer guided walking tours exploring the history of Main Street. There will be two tours offered at 6:30 p.m., which will be repeated at 7:15 p.m. Each tour will depart from the Wakefield Comfort Station and last 35 minutes, covering approximately a half-mile distance round trip. The tours are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. In case of inclement weather, the tours will be postponed until Thursday, September 21, at 6:30 p.m. From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution Saturday, December 2, 3 p.m. At the Old Jail Local historian Bob Geake and Tomaquag Museum director Lorén Spears will share the important story , documented in their recent book, of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolutionary War, a regiment composed of indentured servants, Narragansett people and formerly enslaved people. This program is offered as part of “Holiday in Kingston Village,” a community-wide event. On Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., the Center will offer free tours of the Jail each half-hour, along with special sales in the gift shop.
Your cell is waiting... Back by popular demand, the South County History Center's Lanterns & Legends Tours at the Old Washington County Jail are returning this October! Tour-goers will learn about some of South County's creepiest history, including brazen murders, gruesome executions and supposed vampires. The tour highlights grim artifacts from the Center's collection that are not usually on display. Tours will be offered on October 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for Center members and students (including college). Tickets must be purchased prior to the event. Space is limited, and tours quickly sell out each year. Lanterns & Legends Tours take place in the historic Jail, which has many staircases and unfortunately is not handicapped-accessible. The Jail will be minimally lit, and guests may purchase a lantern for an additional $7 with their tickets that can be used on the tour and taken home. The content discussed during the tour may be scary and difficult to understand for children younger than high school-age. Tickets can be purchased by visiting southcountyhistorycenter.org/upcoming-events or calling the Center at 401.783.1328. Private group tours are available! Contact us for more information and to schedule. Proceeds from these special tours support the Center's efforts to preserve local history.
There's No Escaping... Lanterns & Legends Tours Returning This October
