In Memoriam: William S. Simmons, 1938-2018
C. Morgan Grefe on William S. Simmons, who passed away on June 2: “He was a voice of reason, with a brilliant intellect and a sparkling sense of humor. His love of his work and his community was equaled by his tremendous compassion for humankind. He was so very kind and so very smart.”
William Greene Roelker (1886 – 1953)
“Live by faith and not on figures” William Greene Roelker, Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society from 1940 – … Continue reading William Greene Roelker (1886 – 1953)
Women’s History Month: In the Mills
This year’s National Women’s History Month celebrates trailblazing women in labor and business. As the month winds down, here’s a look at some important contributions from women in Rhode Island’s organized labor movement during the 1920s and ’30s.
“No MAN Ever Would Have Been Treated So”: Elleanor Eldridge
Celebrating Women’s History Month by way of an entrepreneur’s 233rd birthday
In Memoriam: Albert T. “Al” Klyberg, 1940-2017
C. Morgan Grefe’s statement on former RIHS Executive Director Al Klyberg, who has died at 76. All of us here offer our deepest condolences to Al’s family and friends. In the coming days, we will share more about his life and times, as well as provide memorial service information when and if it becomes available to the public.
RIHS News: ‘Colonial Justice’ Digital Archive Launches With 1729-1812 R.I. Court Records
The Rhode Island Historical Society has launched the digital archive “Colonial Justice: Preserving and Digitizing Early Rhode Island Court Records.” These specific collections were selected by RIHS curators for digitization based on their rarity, as well as their unique documentation of the colonial justice system in Rhode Island.
From a single online location, users can now access selected 1729-1812 records from the courts of Providence County, Kent County, and what was known as Kings County (now Washington County). The online archive is free and open to the public.
Dear Howard
The collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society have their own storied past and the current curators walk through the … Continue reading Dear Howard
Announcement: The RIHS Removes Four Dead Elm Trees From John Brown House Museum Property
Of interest to our members, friends, and supporters: We regret to announce that the Rhode Island Historical Society was forced to remove four more dead elm trees from the John Brown House Museum property. The RIHS hired TF Morra Tree Care, Inc., to handle the removal (as well as, potentially, a replanting strategy of more varied and disease-resistant trees in the coming months and years), and as this stage of the project draws to a close, we present Executive Director C. Morgan Grefe’s official statement on a painful decision that wasn’t really a decision at all:
Happy Hanukkah!: A Lunar Calendar
In celebration of Hanukkah, here’s an important item of Rhode Island Judaica from the R.I.H.S. Collections
Woody Spring, Rhode Island Astronaut!
Space Shuttle missions began in 1981, a year after Rhode Island’s own Sherwood “Woody” Spring was selected as an astronaut. Spring, raised in Eden Park in Cranston and Harmony village, graduated from Ponaganset High School in 1963.