A Letter – and Invitation – From Amanda Aldrich O’Bannon

Just as people are made stronger by being together, our local institutions are stronger when we work together across boundaries and find new ways to connect. These bonds make us more resilient and forge alliances that can take us in directions unimaginable. I’m always impressed with the amazing directions RIHS takes, and I’m excited that its members, friends, and supporters like you might come to see our play on March 15, with proceeds from the evening benefiting the organization!

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.

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: