USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Greene > A history of Greene and vicinity, 1845-1929 > Part 5
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ARTHUR B. DEXTER, REPRESENTATIVE
Arthur B. Dexter, while not a representative from Coventry, yet by his second marriage, to Mrs. Alpine E. Tanner, he became
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a resident of the village which he had known from early boyhood. He seemed more a resident of Greene than elsewhere.
Mr. Dexter was born in Providence, the son of Henry M. and Mercy Ann Dexter. At the age of seven he lost his father by accident, and he with his mother moved to Greene, living in a tenement owned by Whipple V. Phillips. They afterward moved to Moosup Valley where he lived until the marriage of his mother to Olney Arnold of West Greenwich, when he lived with the family of Olney Arnold for about three years.
During this time he became interested in the Baptist Church near-by, and in December, 1875 became a member of that church.
Returning to Foster he later married Annie Potter and started as a storekeeper and farmer, which he followed for many years, building up a large trade and being very successful. He had a large family of sons and daughters. In 1920 he lost his wife by death and soon after one of his sons. Later he married Mrs. Alpine Tanner, and removed to Greene, where he lived until his death in 1927. He had long since transferred his church member- ship to Mount Vernon Baptist Church, of which he was a member at his death.
Mr. Dexter was a strong Republican, and as such was elected from Foster to the General Assembly, for several terms, which he enjoyed very much, taking a great interest in all its proceedings, and seldom being absent from its sessions. On all questions he voted with the Republican party.
ADELBERT K. GREENE, SENATOR
Adelbert K. Greene was one of the oldest inhabitants of this section at his death. With the exception of a few years at Phenix and Willimantic his entire life was spent in this vicinity. A. K. Greene, as he was always known, was born in a house about a mile north of Greene, and all of his early life was spent in this vicinity.
Early in life he married Mary, daughter of Stephen Bowen, and she was his helpmate almost to the end of his long life.
Mr. Greene was a staunch Jefferson Democrat, and throughout his political life of more than sixty years he was always found true to his party and voted the party ticket in town and state and in presidential elections.
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While he was a strong Democrat he was always willing to recognize good men in other parties and believed strongly in majority rule if it was fairly won. He was always highly respected by men of all parties for his straight dealing in all political matters, -and in the early nineties he was honored by a term in the State Senate. He also held several offices in the town for short periods, but he did not care for office. He was a home body who cared more for his home and family than for any political or other honors.
In 1880 Mr. Greene moved to Phenix, R. I., and became con- nected with the Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner, then published by John H. Campbell as a county weekly paper. In this work he spent several years as printer and collector. He returned to his farm near Greene in 1900 and the rest of his life was spent there.
He had three sons,-Elwis, who died early in this century,- and Emerson and Edward, who are still living. Mr. Greene and his wife passed away within a short time of each other, both having lived many years beyond the three score and ten, having been highly respected as neighbors and friends throughout the entire community where they lived so many years.
WILLIAM R. POTTER, REPRESENTATIVE
William R. Potter, son of James J. Potter, was born at Summit in 1879. His father removed soon after to a farm in the western end of Coventry, and erected a new house on what was known as the Dowley place. Here William Potter's early years were spent, working on the farm and obtaining an education. Later he became a school teacher at Bowens Hill. Later he began his life work as a railroad employe, first as a crossing flagman at Lewis Crossing, and finally as station agent at Greene, which position he has filled for the last twenty-eight years to the satisfaction of the railroad company and the large community which he has served. Several years ago he purchased the John Peck place, where he still resides.
Mr. Potter's politics have been strongly Republican, and by the Republican party he has been honored by one term in the House of Representatives and by election to the town committee and the town school committee. He has always taken a deep interest in town and state politics, and has been interested in all improvements in the community as they have come along.
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He has one son, Everett Potter, who is employed as motorman by the New England Coach Company, a subsidiary of the New Haven Railroad.
JOHN Q. KETTLE, REPRESENTATIVE
John Quincy Kettle was born in Eastern Connecticut, and early in life became a sawmill employe. He followed that business for many years. Early in this century he came to Rice City and located on the Ira Andrews place, where he lived until his death in 1927.
Early in his life in Rhode Island he became interested in Rice City Church and its Christian Endeavor Society, and in these he retained his interest until his death. Several years ago he was elected clerk of the church, and he had also been president of the Christian Endeavor Society and superintendent of the Sunday School.
Mr. Kettle was a strong Democrat, and as such he was elected to represent the town for two years and was slated again but was defeated.
He left a large family to mourn his going, and left a place in the community which has not been filled.
EDWARD EVERETT ARNOLD
Edward E. Arnold, son of Nathaniel and Lydia Vaughn Arnold, was born on December 17, 1853, in the farmhouse which was owned by his father and which was to be the beginning of the extensive "Arnold Farms" of today.
His early schooling was received in the old schoolhouse near-by, which was then called District No. 3, under such teachers as Joseph Tillinghast and others who taught the winter terms. Later he attended East Greenwich Academy, and Eastman Busi- ness College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
At an early age Mr. Arnold set out to make his own way in life, and like many other of the country youths of that day he went to Providence. He secured employment with Mason, Chapin & Company, wholesale dealers in chemicals, drugs, dyes and
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painters' supplies. Mr. Arnold started on small pay and long hours, but by attention to business and a desire to learn he was later advanced to shipping clerk, and afterward to bookkeeper, a position which he held for several years. As time rolled on changes were made in the company and Mr. Arnold was advanced to a junior partnership,-and finally became the head of the firm, the name of which was changed to Arnold, Hoffman & Company. The business was now so enlarged that branch offices were set up in several other large cities. Mr. Arnold also became president of The Mathieson Alkali Works, Saltville, Virginia. In the course of his occupation he had occasion to cross the Atlantic Ocean sixty- six times.
On January 3, 1889, Mr. Arnold married Miss Mittie Hodges of Peoria, Illinois, who was a true and helpful partner to him through- out the years of their married life. Six children were born to them, of whom five were living at the time of his death,-Mittie, Dorothy, Edwin H., Henry N. and Elizabeth.
Soon after his marriage Mr. Arnold began to spend his summers at the old homestead where he was born, and this custom he fol- lowed as long as he lived. At about the same time he began the improvements on the old farm which have made it the best farm in western Coventry. Later he began to buy farms adjoining until at the present time "Arnold Farms" include a large territory which surrounds the original farm. Much of it is timber land, which Mr. Arnold loved to see growing.
Just before the World War Mr. Arnold built and started what is known as the Laboratory, about a mile northwest of Greene on the Buckshorn River.
In politics Mr. Arnold was always a staunch Republican, and as such he became very much interested in town, state and national politics. In every election he did his best, and always used his influence with his neighbors toward electing whomever was nominated by his party. He also became deeply interested in the financial welfare of the town. At one time the town had become very deeply in debt and after much thought Mr. Arnold suggested a way out, which if it had been accepted would have saved the town much money and would have made its credit good for the future, but this was not accepted by the town. Mr. Arnold later
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became president of the town council and through his influence and help the new macadam highways began to appear, and the splendid roads of western Coventry stand as a monument to his tireless work and interest to benefit the town. It took patience and much persuasion to accomplish this great work, and many were opposed to it at the beginning, fearing high taxes,-but Mr. Arnold lived to hear these same men thank him for what he had done. Mr. Arnold foresaw that the automobile had come to stay and would be the common way of travel, and he provided better roads for them, and made possible State help and State ownership, thus relieving the town of miles of highways which for generations it had had to keep in repair.
Mr. Arnold was elected to represent the town in the State Senate, which he did with great credit to himself and benefit to the town.
Mr. Arnold took a deep interest in the soldiers of the Civil War. He had lost two brothers in that war, and for many years he was never absent from Memorial Services at Hopkins Hollow held for the soldiers who lie in that cemetery. For many years he was on the committee which arranged for these annual services which remembered those who died on the field and who have passed on since.
A good friend and neighbor has left us, whom we hope to meet in the Great Beyond, where there is no parting and where Love reigns supreme.
AMBROSE H. NICHOLAS, SENATOR
Ambrose H. Nicholas, our present State Senator, was born on the farm owned by the Nicholas family for several generations, located in the extreme west end of the town of Coventry. He is the son of Caleb Ray Nicholas. His whole life has been spent on the home farm, raising farm produce. For many years he sold his milk in Providence, delivering it at Greene every morning in the year.
He was elected Senator in 1912 and served one year. This was the year of the great United States Senatorial contest between S. P. Colt and Ex-Governor Wetmore, which lasted almost the entire term, and resulted in Governor Wetmore's election.
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Mr. Nicholas has been a strong Republican all his life, and has always voted with that party in all elections, both town and state.
Quite early in life he married Miss Ida M. Briggs, daughter of Giles and Mary Briggs. They have two daughters,-Ethel M., who married Jesse Johnson of Anthony, R. I., and Nina B., who lives on the farm.
Mr. Nicholas was again elected Senator in 1928, and so will attend the session of 1929 and 1930. He has held several district and town offices, which he has always filled to the satisfaction of all.
RICE CITY CHURCH
The Rice City Christian Church had its beginning in 1815, through the work of Rev. James Varnum, a preacher who came from the West, unknown here, but he soon made friends, and through his efforts a revival of religion took place which affected the whole community for miles around. Later a church building was erected a short distance north of where the present church stands. We have no record of how long Mr. Varnum stayed, but we do know that a large church was formed, which took in a com- munity several miles square, and from which the present churches at Clayville, Moosup Valley, Mount Vernon and Summit were formed. The Line Church, so called, was formed by several of the members of the Greene Methodist Church and the church at Hopkins Hollow was also built by this Society as a branch for the accommodation of those in the south part of the parish. This church has had as pastors such men as James Burlingame, who served it for forty years; Rev. Caleb Tillinghast, afterward for many years pastor of the Broad Street Christian Church, Provi- dence, and a teacher in Stanford University, New York; Rev. Mason Hopkins, Rev. Preston B. Hopkins, Rev. Albert Blanchard, Rev. George W. Kennedy, afterward pastor of Moosup Valley Church; Rev. James Peirce; Rev. Fred C. Buker, now a pastor of Knotty Oak Baptist Church; Rev. Harry Filmer, who now lives in Florida; and many others for a longer or shorter period have served this church.
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The church has had two special revivals under Rev. Lizzie Haley, whose portrait adorns the wall back of the pulpit. The first revival was in 1882, when Miss Haley was a young woman. She was a famous preacher and crowds were present each night and several members were added to the church through this effort. Some 15 or 16 years later Rev. Miss Haley came a second time to Rice City and held meetings for forty nights, and as a result some thirty-five new members joined the church by baptism and by letters from other churches. She stayed for several weeks after, with the intention of becoming pastor later, but this was not to be. She went to Cape Cod for a rest, was taken sick and died there, much to the disappointment of Rice City Church, and beloved by all who knew her.
Several members joined the church during Mr. Buker's pas- torate and several during Mr. Filmer's stay.
About 1835 the present church building was erected and still stands as a landmark to be seen by those who pass it from time to time, and as a memorial to the hundreds who have served the church faithfully during their lives here and who have gone on to their reward.
In connection with this church, composed of members of this church and of others, a society of the Christian Endeavor was formed in 1895, which has had a continuous existence since that time. This society has had charge of the evening services, with a few exceptions, all these years, and has been heartily supported by the pastors and by the community. Its officers have been divided between the older and younger members and for the past few years has been in a flourishing condition as a community service. Charles Brennan is the present president; Hazel Dutton, secretary; Louis Andrews, treasurer.
THE AMERICAN CRANBERRY BOG
The American Cranberry Bog is located about three miles south of Greene near the town line of West Greenwich, and work on this cranberry bog was first started in the fifties of the last century by Abiel T. Sampson & Co. Mr. Sampson was a resident of Fruit Hill in what was then North Providence. It is not known
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how he first became interested in cranberry raising, but in the late fifties work was started on this new bog by digging a long ditch east from what was then known as Beaver Dam through the centre of the swamp, and then cross ditches, once in so far, north and south, the entire length of the bog. Sand was drawn on and spread, and vines brought and set out. Mr. Sampson employed several of the neighbors in the community, with their teams, to do this work. In the early sixties a house was built on the road going north from Narrowlane, and also a small cranberry house for drying the cranberries after they were picked in the fall. One great danger to the cranberry crops on this bog was the early frosts which came very suddenly some years.
The early crops were not large, but Mr. Sampson kept enlarging and improving his bog until it became the largest cranberry bog in the state. For twenty years, through the sixties and seventies of the last century, cranberry time, as it was called in those days, was a busy scene, commencing usually the last week in August and lasting through September. It gave an opportunity to men, women and children to earn enough to help out in the coming winter, and in those days many families depended on cranberry picking for their winter supplies.
During Mr. Sampson's ownership of nearly or quite thirty years all of the crops were picked by hand. Only in an emergency, such as danger of frost, would he allow any to be raked.
The pickers were brought to the bog on the opening day from as far west as Oneco, Connecticut,-from Rice City, Bowens Hill, Greene, Summit, and throughout West Greenwich, from Escoheag to Weaver's Hill. Several hundred have been on this bog day after day from 7 A. M. to 5 P. M., with a few minutes for lunch at noon. Mr. Sampson had several overseers who had charge of the pickers to see that they did their work well. The pickers usually worked in pairs, and the picking usually commenced on the north side and went east up to the large ditch in the middle of the bog, and then they were carried around on the south side and again picked to the big ditch east to the end. Each two pickers were lined off,-the lines, some 25 or 30 feet long, were attached to a ring which was thrown toward the ditch. The overseer was responsible for the lines being thrown straight and fair to all.
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Two bushel baskets were furnished each picker with his name on a tag, and at the end of each day the cranberries were carried to the cranberry house and measured and credit given on a book. Two cents a quart was paid, and a bushel or a bushel and a half was the usual day's work,-although some were able to pick two bushels or more,-but there were not many able to do this, taking the picking as it came. It was hard work, as many now living can testify, but it made a chance to earn money, the all important thing in those days.
In 1867 a new cranberry house was built, 100 by 40, with two stories and a basement. There were a few years when there was a bumper crop, and the new cranberry house and the old house were filled with the crates of cranberries coming for the market. But some years frost ruined the crop and this meant but a few days' picking and less money.
Some of the overseers of those days were Rev. John Tillinghast, Halsey M. Tillinghast, Daniel Tillinghast, Henry C. Tillinghast,- and there were others whose names have been forgotten.
At the death of Mr. Sampson the bog was owned by several parties who carried on for a few years, and then, owing to a mortgage foreclosed, it came into the hands of J. B. McCrillis, and was taken over by his son, Elisha McCrillis, who plowed up the best part of the bog, putting it into a grass farm. This not proving successful the bog lay idle for several years, when a new firm from Boston took over the bog and installed John M. Burke as manager. Mr. Burke had a life experience in cranberry raising and under his direction extensive improvements were made. New dams were built, new vines set out, new ditches dug, and new ways of securing the crop were employed. Today instead of hundreds only a few are needed to harvest the crops. A number of years ago the large cranberry house was burned down and later a new one was built on the same site.
Following Mr. Burke, Mr. Frank Gorsline, Jr. had charge of this cranberry bog for several years, and then resigned to go into other business. For nearly thirty-five years Thomas Gaul had charge of the work and lived on old Letzen place, just over the line in West Greenwich. This was his home until his death. His wife Mary lived there for several years after his death, and then went to Providence where she died early in this century.
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FREEMASONRY IN GREENE AND VICINITY
The order of Freemasons came into life in the west end of the town of Coventry through the issuing of a dispensation by the Grand Master of the State of Rhode Island to a number of applicants in or near Rice City early in the last century,-on May 27, 1816,-to Thomas O. H. Carpenter as master, Stephen M. Pearce as senior warden, Archibald Colgrove as junior warden, Jeremiah McGregor as treasurer, Cyril C. Lyon as secretary ; Isaac Gallup, senior deacon; Obed Perkins, junior deacon; Nathaniel Wil- bour, tyler and sentinel. These, with others, were duly given a charter, to be known as Hamilton Lodge No. 15. On October 19, 1817 they were duly installed in office at a special communication held probably in the first church building at Rice City. Grand Master John Carlisle was present and presided over the body, and the lodge was duly instituted on that day. Rev. Barnabas Bates gave the address on this great day for the new lodge of Freemasons in the west end of the state.
The regular meetings, or communications, as they are called in this order, were held in a hall built over the residence of J. S. Mc- Gregor located a half mile west of Rice City on what is now Plain- field Pike. This hall, then the property of J. S. McGregor, son of the former owner, burned down, with all its contents, in 1890. Meetings were held in this hall from 1847 until a few years later, when becoming dissatisfied with the lodge rooms and other mat- ters, the lodge moved to Foster Centre and finally to Clayville where it has since been located. So this first attempt to locate a lodge of Masons in the west end of Coventry was ended, and it was many years later before another lodge was formed, this time to stay until the present. The history of this later lodge follows.
IONIC LODGE No. 28 OF F. A. A. M.
Many years rolled around after the institution of Hamilton Lodge in the west part of Coventry in 1817, and during these years the order of Freemasons, together with other secret orders, had met with great opposition, and the laws in some states had been invoked against them, making it a statutory offence to belong to orders whose secret work was not known to the public. As a consequence many lodges were forced to disband and lose their
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charters,-and others, while keeping their charters, held very few meetings. In many states the order was looked upon as a menace to society because of the fact that their work was done in secret, and with doors closed to all but those initiated into the rites and ceremonies of this very ancient order. But as years passed this feeling of opposition became less and the order took on new life and energy and is today without doubt the largest and most flourishing order in the world.
Some of the residents of Greene and the surrounding territory had placed their applications with Manchester Lodge No. 12, located at Anthony some twelve miles east of Greene, and had been accepted and initiated into that lodge some time previous to the starting of what was to be known as Ionic Lodge No. 28, located in the village of Greene. There were several reasons for their action in starting a new lodge in the west end of the town. The first was the distance from their lodge, for we must remember that means of travel around 1870 were not like those of 1929. It took from two to three hours for members to reach Anthony, some fourteen miles by way of Bowen's Hill. There were no trains eve- nings,-and the members spent four or five hours in travel on the highway in order to attend the meetings. The second reason was that Greene was at that time a flourishing village and the new lodge would have a large territory from which to draw member- ship. So for these and other reasons, Whipple V. Phillips, at that time a very prominent man in the village, and some fifteen others, made an application to the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island for a dispensation to start a new lodge of Freemasons in Greene to be known as Ionic Lodge No. 28, and this dispensation was granted January 15, 1870 by Grand Master Thomas A. Doyle. On March 15, 1870 the first regular communication was held, with Whipple V. Phillips as master, Warren M. Tillinghast as senior warden, William R. Carter as junior warden, and the other appointive officers. It is not certain where this meeting was held, but prob- ably in the small hall which afterward became their home, for many years known as the Small Hall, later, and now, owned by Sanford T. Briggs.
On January 7th, 1871, the lodge was duly constituted in due and ancient form, the services again being held in the Christian Church at Rice City, this time in the present church building.
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Grand Master Thomas A. Doyle was present and performed the work of constituting the new lodge. The then Grand Chaplain was also present, and delivered the oration upon this great event, which he was fully able to successfully perform. Dwight R. Adams of Manchester Lodge was also present and made an address. He was all his life much loved by all who knew him as teacher, superin- tendent of schools, and other officers of the town and community.
The first meeting place was over what was then A. P. Taber's store, but in 1886 the present very comfortable lodge rooms were leased and fitted for the permanent use of the lodge. These rooms were publicly dedicated by Grand Master Rev. William C. Ackley. He was assisted by Past Grand Master Lyman Klapp, who delivered the oration on Freemasonry. Past Master Dwight R. Adams was again present and installed the officers elected for that year in a very impressive charge to the officers elect and to the members and their friends who were present. So this hall became the permanent home of Ionic Lodge No. 28, and all of its work since that time has been performed in this hall, which is now used jointly by this lodge and its sister lodge of Eastern Star, Ionia Lodge No. 17, which was instituted some years ago and which has had a very creditable record.
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