Rhode Island

Hidden History of Rhode Island delivers the best Ocean State stories you've never heard before.

Surprising tales and unexpected anecdotes color Rhode Island's legacy, from the accounts of its three brave Titanic survivors to the whirlwind Revolutionary War romance between a Smithfield girl and a French viscount. Rhode Island historian Glenn Laxton uncovers the exceptional citizens whom history has forgotten, like Robert the Hermit, a man who endured three escapes from slavery before finding liberty and peace in Rumford; the illustrious Lippitt family, who spearheaded advancements in deaf education; and Christiana Bannister, a Narragansett tribe member, nineteenth-century entrepreneur and wife to the most successful African American artist of the time. With moments of tragedy, as in the Lexington steamboat disaster, as well as triumph, as in the case of small-town boy turned baseball hero Joe Connolly, Laxton reveals Rhode Island beneath the surface.

The rolling farmlands and gentle sea of Washington County--or South County, as it's locally known--disguise its spirited history. Famous sword swallower Marie Devere, the birdman of Canonchet and even gifted medicine-makers all called the region home. Stories of natural disasters, illegal liquor establishments and mysterious explosions have been all but lost to time. Discover how Depot Square in Hope Valley survived three different floods that threatened to wipe the landmark off the map. From relics of the local Indian wars to the remnants of mysterious shipwrecks, South County is strewn with souvenirs from its fascinating history. In this collection of her most intriguing columns from the Chariho Times, local historian Kelly Sullivan Pezza uncovers the hidden gems of the county's history.