SPRING 2017
It is time to plan your next visit to the South County History Center! Recently two new exhibits have opened at the historic Old Washington County Jail. Focusing on the Narragansett Planters and later South County business and industry, these exhibits contain artifacts and photographs not previously exhibited. One such item is a surveyor's compass made by E.C. Brown in 1823. An inscription on the compass notes that it was made in Little Rest (Kingston's name until 1826). This April, the Center will be reopening the upper cellblock to visitors with a new exhibit exploring crime and punishment in Washington County. Featured in the exhibit will be former sheriff and jailkeeper John R. Wilcox, pictured right. John lived in the jail during his youth when his father Charles served as a jailer from 1875-1877. In 1890, John returned to Kingston's jail to be its keeper with his wife Ida and their children Jessie and Charles. He served as jailer for the next 21 years, adding the title of sheriff in 1904. This newly acquired photo of John Wilcox in his South Kingstown police uniform was a gift to the Center from Christine Hendrick in memory of Benjamin Potter, keeper of much family history for the Hendrick, (continued on next page)
Arresting New Exhibits at the old Jail
Newsletter
OLD PERRY PLACE FROM SCHC's ALLEN COLLECTION
ARRESTING NEW Exhibits continued
In fall 2014, the South County History Center launched a new internship program focused on providing training to emerging museum and library professionals. Since then, we have hosted two dozen young men and women as Collections, Public Programs and Archival interns. The Center's program is designed to provide hands-on learning in the areas of collections management, library science and museum administration. These experiences are critical to students and young professionals who are considering graduate work, completing Master's degrees and seeking to gain expertise that will allow them to become leaders of cultural heritage institutions. Former interns have gone on to graduate programs, including Museum Studies at San Francisco State University and Library Science at Simmons College; employment at prestigious institutions, such as the Museum of Science Boston and Newport Art Museum; and competitive internship and volunteer positions throughout New England and abroad. While at the Center, interns complete a specific project tailored to their interests and experience level. Interns have conducted artifact inventories, digitized collections and planned public programs, all with training and support from the Center's staff. In total, since the launch of the program in 2014, interns have clocked more than 3,000 hours with the Center. We would like to express our appreciation to all of our past and current interns for their professionalism, care and enthusiasm for the museum and library fields! The Center is now recruiting summer 2017 interns! For more information, please visit SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org.
Securing and preserving important historical treasures like the Allen Collection of glass plate negatives require specific, and often expensive, archival supplies. The Center relies on generous support from people like you to save these collections for future generations. Please consider making a donation to the Center today to support this and many other critical preservation initiatives. Make your contribution online at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org/donate or contact us by phone at 401.783.1328. Thank you for supporting local history!
Now Playing: South County on Film Collecting Initiative The Center has acquired a handful of new and exciting films depicting local life for the archive, including a film of Wakefield's Main Street in 1948 and a 1937 film of the Matunuck area. The Center needs your help to grow this area of the archive! If you have a film that you would be willing to donate or duplicate for the archive, please contact Erica Luke at erica@southcountyhistorycenter.org or 401.783.1328.
Collins and Potter descendants of Major Ebenezer Adams. Also on display in this exhibit will be items related to prominent colonial silversmith Samuel Casey who escaped a death sentence for counterfeiting, thanks to the help of a mob of his fellow Kingston villagers. Lastly, we are pleased to announce a new three-part exhibit featuring photographs from the Center's recently-acquired collection of glass plate negatives given by Linda Allen in memory of her parents, Donald and Barbara Allen. The images depict late nineteenth century life in South County, and the majority of the subjects are yet unidentified. The first part of the Allen Collection exhibit will open on Saturday, May 20th, and will be located in the changing exhibits gallery in the Old Jail. The open dates for subsequent parts will be announced this summer. There is much to see at the Old Jail this spring, and we hope you will visit soon and often!
Training the Next Generation
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Upcoming Programs & Events
Malt & Medicine: The American Soda Fountain Thursday, March 30, 5-9 p.m. (Presentation at 6:30 p.m.) at the Green Line Apothecary (203 Main Street, Wakefield) Explore the history of soda fountains and their important role in the evolution of pharmacies. Owners of Green Line Apothecary will present their experience re-creating a modern version of the classic American drugstore on Main Street in Wakefield. A portion of the soda fountain proceeds during the event will be donated to the South County History Center. This program is part of the Center's "Taverns, Teapots and Temperance: South County in a Cup" series, sponsored by Gates Insurance. The Commercialization of taste: A History of Coffee Thursday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. at the Kingston Free Library Potter Hall Join us as Jenna Teachout of the Newport Historical Society discusses the stimulating impact the introduction of coffee had on life in the American colonies, specifically Rhode Island, by examining social institutions and performances, trade goods, the crafting of material culture, the built environment and also various individuals. This program is presented in partnership with the Kingston Free Library. This program is part of the Center's "Taverns, Teapots and Temperance: South County in a Cup" series, sponsored by Gates Insurance. Kingston Village Fair Day Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Old Washington County Jail In celebration of the annual Kingston Village Fair Day, the Center will be opening the first of three exhibits featuring images from the Allen Collection of glass plate negatives. The Center will offer free admission and tours each half hour. World War II Rhode Island Saturday, June 17, 2 p.m. at the Kingston Free Library Potter Hall Christian McBurney will give the first lecture on his new book World War II Rhode Island. The state’s contributions to World War II vastly exceeded its small size. They included the Northeast’s largest naval air station at Quonset Point (with key support at Charlestown); a special, top-secret German POW camp was based in Narragansett; and civilians, including for the first time many women, did their part by manufacturing military equipment and warships. The talk will start with the scare of an enemy raid after Pearl Harbor and end with the war’s final German U-boat sunk off Point Judith. This program is presented in partnership with the Kingston Free Library. These programs are free and open to the public. For the most up-to-date program information, be sure to visit us online at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org.
Waves Report to Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, 1945
VISIT THE SOUTH COUNTY HISTORY CENTER
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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
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2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02816 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
On May 4th, be sure to celebrate the 241st anniversary of Rhode Island renouncing its allegiance to England, the first colony to do so. When signing the Declaration of Independence two months later, Rhode Island's Stephen Hopkins, for whom Hopkinton is named, said, "My hand trembles, but my heart does not."