Statewide Genealogy — Page 2 of 2 — Rhode Island Genealogy

Biography of Clifford Whipple

Rhode Island - three centuries of democracy vol 3

Vice-president of the United Electric Railways Company, and a well-known attorney of Providence, Clifford Whipple has risen to an important position in the city’s life. Thoroughly trained in his profession and widely experienced, he has proved his possession of legal talents of a high order, while his services in business connections have been of great value to those organizations with which he is associated. Mr. Whipple was born at Providence, Rhode Island, on September 17, 1873, a son of William P. and Mary C. (Johnson) Whipple, and member of an old New England family. Thomas Whipple, of Coventry, was his … Read more

Biography of Morris Steinert

For Morris Steinert, a musical education received in his native Germany brought not only an appreciation of the great masters and an ability to play several instruments while still very young, but filled him with a desire to enrich the lives of those around him by imparting to them some of the love of music that was his. When he came to the United States, he became the founder of what was an outstanding organization of its kind in New England, that of M. Steinert and Sons, dealers in music and musical instruments. But he found his life’s work, not … Read more

Biography of George Alder Blumer, M. D.

An important figure among American psychiatrists, Dr. George Alder Blumer has occupied a distinguished place in Rhode Island life for many years. He was born at Sunderland, England, on May 25, 1857, a son of Dr. Luke and Mary Jane (Bone) Blumer, both now deceased. He was educated successively at private school in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, the Moravian School at Neu-wiedon-Rhine, Germany, the Lycee Corneille de Rouen, France, the University of Durham, and the University of Edinburgh. Coming to the United States in 1877, Dr. Blumer was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in … Read more

Biography of Walter Eugene Ranger

More than a quarter century ago Walter Eugene Ranger achieved the unique distinction of being the first chief educational officer to be drafted directly from service in another State; he came to Rhode Island in 1905 to be Commissioner of Education after five years as State Superintendent of Education in Vermont. He was born at Wilton, Maine, November 22, 1855, son of Peter and Eliza Minot (Smith) Ranger. His descent on both sides was from families settled in New England during the colonial period. He was educated in the schools of his native town, and at Wilton Academy, and was … Read more

Rhode Island’s Relations With Massachusetts And Connecticut

William Blackstone sold his home and left Boston for the wilderness of the Blackstone Valley to escape the tyranny of the lord brethren, as he styled the magistrates-ministers of Massachusetts. Roger Williams was persecuted because of his advocacy of soul liberty, subjected to inquisition because of suspicion, formally banished from Massachusetts by the General Court for advocating his opinions and asking others to judge the validity of them, and escaped ignominious transportation back to England only because he anticipated arrest by earlier departure for the wilderness in the midst of a New England winter. He was warned away from the … Read more

Rhode Island Relations with the Indians

Rhode Island - three centuries of democracy vol 1

Verrazzano, in his letter to King Francis, recorded the general friendliness of Indians along the Atlantic Coast south of Maine to white visitors, and particularly the cordial relations maintained with the Indians for the two weeks the Florentine navigator spent in Narragansett Bay. The relations between the settlers of Pennsylvania and the Indians, established under William Penn’s treaty, indicate the possibilities for peace with aboriginal inhabitants. The Dutch were wise enough to purchase Manhattan Island from the Iroquois, and had little trouble with them thereafter. When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth they encountered no Indians, and learned subsequently that Squanto … Read more

Early Rhode Island Settlers

Old Church Built in 1707, Wickford, Rhode Island

For the failure of Christopher Columbus to find China or India, Spain quickly found ample compensation in the wealth of tropical and semi-tropical lands scarcely realized by primitive native races and awaiting exploitation by Europeans. Colonization of the new lands followed discovery so closely as almost to be simultaneous; thus, Columbus founded a colony at Navidad, Hayti, on his first voyage. On his second voyage he commanded a fleet of seventeen vessels, carrying 1500 persons, and founded two colonies. Romantic tales of conquistadors like Hernando Cortez and Francisco Pizarro yield in human interest to the story of the building of … Read more

Early Visitors To Rhode Island

The answer to the school teacher’s question, “By whom was America discovered?” resolved into a conventional sentence beginning with the name of a celebrated fifteenth century Genoese navigator some time engaged in the service of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and long associated with the year-date in history best known and best beloved by American schoolboys, is still sufficient unto itself. Another answer to the question is somewhat irrelevant to the real purpose of the dialogue, to wit, to establish an episode that was a fact of transcendental importance. That “Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492” is significant … Read more

Narragansett Bay

A Topograhical Chart of the Bay of Narraganset in the Province of New England, 1777, by Charles Blaskowitz

The outstanding features of any map of Rhode Island are Narragansett Bay and the rivers that empty their waters into the bay. On a topographical map, showing contours and elevations, land and waterways, the last are dominating features, for the highest elevations, except a few scattered hills, rise gradually to barely 800 feet above mean high water mark, and interpose scarcely an obstacle to travel on lines as straight as those laid out by Roman engineers constructing military roads and aqueducts. Rhode Island roads are far from being straight, nevertheless; after the fashion in New England, they parallel shore or … Read more