Providence Archives — Rhode Island Genealogy

Biography of Rev. John F. Downing

Rhode Island - three centuries of democracy vol 4

Rev. John F. Downing, born in Providence, Rhode Island, became pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Pascoag, Rhode Island, in March 1922. Educated at LaSalle Academy, Holy Cross College, and the Sulpician Seminary in Paris, he was ordained in 1902. Downing previously served at St. Mary’s in Bristol and Providence, and St. Michael’s in Georgiaville. During his tenure in Pascoag, he established a strong financial foundation for the parish and initiated the construction of a new church, expected to be completed by Easter 1931. He also ministers to the State Sanitarium and is active in various church societies.

Biography of Gardner Taber Swarts, M. D.

Dr. Gardner Taber Swarts, born December 13, 1857, in Providence, Rhode Island, was a pioneering public health figure and founder of the first municipal health laboratory in the U.S. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1879 and furthered his studies in Europe. As a city bacteriologist, Swarts co-established the groundbreaking health laboratory in Providence. He served as secretary and president of the American Public Health Association and significantly contributed to public health and bacteriology. Dr. Swarts was also involved in numerous civic and professional organizations. He married Fannie May Stinson and had two children. Dr. Swarts passed away on May 12, 1925.

Biography of Harold T. Lowe

Harold T. Lowe, born on July 19, 1891, in Buffalo, New York, is the superintendent of schools in North Providence, Rhode Island. Son of George and Caroline (William) Lowe, he earned a B.S. from Hobart College in 1917 and attended Columbia University. Lowe’s career began with the Otis Elevator Company before serving as a captain in the U.S. Army during World War I, where he earned the Croix de Guerre. Post-war, he transitioned to education, holding various teaching and administrative roles. Lowe married Anna Haig in 1917, and they have three children: Lucia Amy, Harold Ward, and Ellen Jean. He is active in community, fraternal, and veterans’ organizations.

Biography of Joseph H. White

Joseph H. White, born on April 1, 1872, in Union, Maine, is the Commissioner of Public Works for Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He is the son of Jonathan and Mary A. (Burkett) White. Educated in Union and at Colburn Classical Institute in Waterville, Maine, White gained practical engineering experience with the St. Georges Valley Railroad. His career began in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he served as town engineer until 1912. Moving to Woonsocket in 1916, he became assistant engineer and was appointed city engineer in 1929. White oversees engineering, water, highways, sewers, parks, and playgrounds. He is a member of several Masonic organizations and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. White married Bessie Bell Shurtleff, and they have a daughter, Cynthia. They reside at 100 Social Street, Woonsocket.

Biography of George M. Hull

George M. Hull, born on September 10, 1869, in Providence, Rhode Island, was the son of George B. and Emily (Smith) Hull. Starting as a clerk in the Union Oil Company of Providence in 1889, he advanced to plant manager until the plant’s closure in 1921. He then served as town treasurer of East Providence with distinction. Active in civic affairs, Hull held roles on the East Providence Town Council and the Rhode Island State Harbor Commission. A dedicated Freemason and community member, he also supported the Republican Party and attended the First Universalist Church of Providence. Hull married Josephine Mayno in 1893, and they had two sons, Thomas M. and George C., both World War I veterans.

Biography of Arthur G. Johnson

Arthur G. Johnson, born on October 16, 1892, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was the son of Swedish natives G. Andrew and Selma C. Johnson. A dedicated banker, Johnson began his career with Blanchard, Young and Company, later joining the Industrial Trust Company of Providence in 1916. Rising through the ranks, he became manager of its East Providence branch in 1924. A World War I Navy veteran, he was active in various professional and fraternal organizations, including the Masons. Johnson married Julia May Goozey in 1918, and they had one daughter, June. They attended Grace Church in East Providence.

Biography of Herbert Montague Sherwood

Herbert Montague Sherwood (1887-1923) was a prominent lawyer in Providence, Rhode Island. Born to David Faulkner and Mary Louisa (Scribner) Sherwood, he graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School. Sherwood practiced law with several firms, culminating in Sherwood, Heltzen & Clifford. He served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and Senate, and was a captain in the U.S. Army during WWI. He married Margaret Gammell Meader in 1920, with whom he had five daughters. Sherwood was also involved in his father’s extensive real estate ventures.

Biography of John Henry Bailey, Jr.

John Henry Bailey, Jr., born March 6, 1863, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was a dedicated educator who served as superintendent of schools in Coventry, Rhode Island. Descended from early American settlers, Bailey’s career began after graduating from the State Normal School in Providence in 1882. He held various teaching and administrative positions before becoming Coventry’s superintendent in 1919, a role he held until 1929. Post-retirement, Bailey managed the Nathanael Greene homestead in Anthony. Active in civic life, he was a Mason and member of several educational and veterans’ organizations. Bailey married Martha Josephine Harris in 1890, and they had three children.

Biography of Herbert A. Capron

Herbert A. Capron, born January 2, 1885, in Providence, Rhode Island, was a prominent figure in the state’s automobile industry. He began his career in 1903, working with his father to sell Franklin automobiles, later representing Pope and Cadillac cars. In 1929, he became the distributor of Auburn and Cord cars, serving as president of the Auburn Motor Car Company of Rhode Island. Capron was also active in Masonic organizations and the Rhode Island Automobile Dealers’ Association. He married Charlotte Smith in 1912, and they had two children, George B. and Barbara N. Capron passed away in 1931.

Rhodes and Dennis Families

The Rhodes and Dennis families hold a distinguished place in Rhode Island’s history, with their union dating back to the marriage of Sarah Arnold Rhodes and Dr. William B. Dennis on September 27, 1868. Dr. Dennis, a Harvard-educated physician, served briefly in the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War and passed away in 1877. The Rhodes lineage, notably traced to the early settler Zachariah Rhodes, highlights a legacy of civic engagement and resistance to Massachusetts’ religious mandates, leading to their relocation to Rhode Island. The marriage of these two families brought together two significant ancestral lines, contributing to the social and civic fabric of Providence, Rhode Island.