USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > History of Newport County, Rhode Island. From the year 1638 to the year 1887, including the settlement of its towns, and their subsequent progress > Part 2
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
hold off later in the autumn than in other parts of the country, even in lower latitudes. Hardy flowers have been known to keep in blossom until the latter part of November. The condi- tions that make the spring rather backward also retard the ap- proach of winter. These conditions are supposed to be partly, if not principally, the effect of the surrounding waters upon the atmosphere. Large quantities of greenhouse grapes are pro- dneed here and sent to the New York markets. They are sent as early as April 1st, and during the first of the season they often sell for as high as six dollars a pound. From this they continue at falling prices until the season for out-door grapes to ripen. The atmosphere of this region during the autumn months especially is salubrious and delightful. The tempera- ture throughout the season is eqnable, being eight or ten degrees higher in winter and lower in summer than in most other places in the same latitude. Frosts appear in autumn in the latitude of North Carolina before they do here. Owing to the vigorous character of the soil, fruits grow to great size, and with aston ishing luxuriance. Some fruits originated here have obtained world-wide fame. Of such may be mentioned the Rhode Island Greening apple and the Buffnm pear.
The native plants of the county are numerous, but no syste- matic effort has been made to make a list of them. It is prob- able that in general the same plants may be found on the main- land that appear on the islands. Through the efforts of the Newport Natural History Society a partial list of those to be found on the island has been made. This embraces, no doubt, nearly all the common plants, and though still imperfect, has been prepared with much labor, and is the most complete list that can now be found. Omitting the scientific names the list is given in popular language, which is as follows : Liver-leaf, wind-flower, rne-anemone; early, bulbons, and creeping butter- eup; marsh-marigold, wild columbine, white water-lily, water- cress, Whitlow grass, shepherd's purse, blue violet, arrow- leaved violet, sweet white violet, lance-leaved violet, St. John's- wort, sand spurrey, chickweed, common mallow, yellow wood sorrel, spotted cranesbill, jewel weed, rabbit foot clover, red clover, zigzag clover, yellow hop clover, white clover, yellow sweet clover, white sweet clover, vetchiling, hard-hack, wild five finger, strawberry, high blackberry, low blackberry, dwarf wild rose, early saxifrage, common evening primrose, low
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
evening primrose, small evening primrose. button bush. blnets, thistle, Canada thistle, burdock, thorough-wort, dandelion, corn flower, beggar-ticks, May weed, yarrow, ox-eye daisy, cardinal flower, trailing arbutus or May flower, sweet pepperbush, pale laurel, common plantain, four-leaved loose- strife, common mullein, wild toadflax, butter-and-eggs, snake head, sea-side gerardia, fringed gentian, and bayberry.
The island of Aquidneck was formerly heavily wooded, but it is said that during the revolutionary war, when the British held possession of it, they entirely stripped it of its timber, and since then but little forest growth has been permitted. There are now but few sections of America of equal extent where so large a proportion of the area is devoid of forest growth and so completely under cultivation or improvement. Oak, walnut and chestnut are the prevailing kinds of forest trees, with some pine, and in certain localities especially near the ocean shore, large cedar swamps are found. Among the cultivated crops we should not fail to mention the Indian corn, for which the island and its vicinity are celebrated. The corn grown here is of superior quality, and is much used for grinding into meal, of which "Johnny-cakes" are made. Perhaps in no part of the country does the custom of preparing these cakes for the daily food of the inhabitants prevail to so large an extent as it does here. These "Johnny-cakes" are made of corn meal and water, with a little salt, but though so simple their use is so much indulged in as to become proverbial.
While the western portions of the state of Rhode Island are very simple and uniform in their geological character, the southern and eastern parts, especially those covered by the boundaries of this county, are various and complicated. As a general thing it may be said that the geological formation which distinguishes southeastern Massachusetts extends to the north- ern parts of this county. A very considerable portion of the county, however. is of a later era. Parts of the county consist of formations of coarse, conglomerates and argillaceous slates of obscure age, on account of the metamorphic action to which they have been subjected. Generally no fossils have been met with in these rocks, though occasionally one has here or else- where been found, which would seem to refer the states to the lower Silurian period. These obscure formations are connected with coal bearing strata, referable. it is supposed, to the true
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
carboniferous epoch. In these strata have been found the beds of anthracite which have been worked to some extent. This subject has been treated in part, but in its most interesting features, by Mr. T. Nelson Dale, in a lecture before the Natural History Society on the geology of the month of Narragansett bay, which, of course, covers the principal part of this county. From the words of Mr. Dale are quoted the following para- graphs. He says :
"It is well known that coal seams exist under the city of Newport. They have been struck in digging wells, and they used to erop ont near Sheep point on the cliffs. Coal plants have been found near the corner of Marlborough and Farewell streets and in several placesalong the cliffs. The slates and fine conglomerates associated with these fossiliferous and carbon- iferons strata extend from Sheep point on the south, to Almy's pond, Emmanuel Chapel (corner Spring and Perry streets) and Fort Greene on the west, to Coddington point and Bishop rock on the north, and to Bliss cave, Easton's beach and the Cliffs on the east. In the vicinity of Taggart's Ferry, Wood's Castle, at the Glen, and on the east shore of the east passage between High hill and Brown's point, we find other patches of these beds. On the west, the same group recurs at Beaver Head and Dutch island, although in a more crystalline condition, the coal having there become graphite and the clay slate a mica schist containing garnets. The vertical thickness of this series is about 2,000 feet. At the end of " the Cliffs" you will have noticed some very jagged greenish rocks which recur at the east end of Bailey's beach, forming apparently a belt from that place to the cliffs ; these rocks are chlorite schist, talcose schist, epidote, and probably serpentine. The marked peculiarity of these different minerals is that they contain a considerable per- centage of magnesia, and one of them, the epidote, some 23 per cent. of lime.
" The only other place where similar rocks occur is on Conan- ient, near the southeast corner of the island. and also most of the Dumpling islets. There, however, the chlorite schist con- tains passages of calcite and a little mica, corresponding exactly to some of the Paradise rocks, and suggesting the possibility that they were deposited at the same time. We may therefore perhaps venture to classify the alternating beds of hornblende and chlorite schist, and mica schist (traversed by veins of zoisite
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
which is related to epidote), which form the three central ridges of Paradise in the same series. The thickness of these rocks along the cliff's is about 400 to 600 feet, and the Paradise series measures about 950. Both at the Dumplings and Bailey's beach, these greenish magnesian rocks lie upon a pinkish rock which might easily be mistaken for a granite, but which is more correctly a protogine, the mica of the granite being replaced by the dark, greenish magnesian mineral, chlorite. The protogine is characterized in places by crystals of feldspar an inch in diameter, and in others by the presence of two shades if not two kinds of feldspar, a pale greenish and a pinkish color. Although it has been supposed to be eruptive, it is clearly stratified, and therefore a sedimentary rock, highly metamor- phosed. This protogine forms the point about the Boat House, Gooseberry island, and the region about the Lily pond, extend- ing from the west side of Lily pond beach to a point opposite the Little Lime Rock. It forms also the southern part of the northern extension of Conanicut. About Narragansett Pier, from the steamboat landing south to within two and one-half miles of Point Judith, protogine passing into a gneiss with black mica occurs, and the same rock constitutes also East and West islands, on the other side of the bay. The thickness of these beds of protogine is not easily computed. It is at least 1200 feet and probably much greater. West of the protogine tract of Newport Neck and forming the central part of it is a 'flinty slate' in places containing serpentine and tale. This rock lies upon the protogine, as may be seen at several points, and as is conclusively proven by the presence of two small patches of the flinty slate near the middle of the protogine tract, on the west side of Lily pond.
" The western boundary of the flinty slate extends from Bren- ton's cove to the west side of Price's neck. The same recurs at Conanicut forming a triangular shaped mass north of the protogine, and also on Sachuest neck where, associated with a slaty conglomerate mass it forms a belt on the east side. The thickness of this series varies from 500 to 2,000 feet. The re- mainder of Newport Neck consists of a series of alternating green and purple slates with passages of calcite and occasion- ally red jasper. The rock (chloritie argillyte) forms also the greater part of Rose island, the Gull Rocks, the southern ex- tremity of Coaster's Harbor island, the Coaster's Harbor rocks,
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Goat island (as ascertained by a recent well boring), the Little Lime Rock and some submerged rocks southwest of it. To this series belong also the Lime Rocks, where layers of magnesian limestone are associated with purple slates. On the Little Compton shore the green slates recur, extending from Brown's point to Church's cove. From the outerops of these rocks in our harbor, we may infer that they originally extended from the Little Lime Rock to Coaster's Harbor island, to Rose island and thence to Castle hill, occupying the entire harbor and the passage. The great veins which traverse these rocks often abonnd in chlorite, with which occurs also a pink feldspar. The series measures from 500 to 2,000 feet.
" At the north end of Rose island and the southwest end of Coaster's Harbor island is a peculiar dark gray or black rock made up of large grains of quartz firmly cemented together by metamorphic action. It is properly a coarse metamorphic sand- stone or grit. The same rock forms the entire western part of Sachnest Neck, overlying the flinty slate of the eastern portion, and contains here and there small seams of black slate with coal plants-one of which is the Annularia longifolia. This rock occurs also at Conanient on the east side of Mackerel cove, where it rests upon the protogine and forms a triangular area. Its greatest thickness is about 750 feet. This is the lowest and earliest rock in this vicinity which upon palæontological grounds we can refer to the carboniferons period.
" Apparently overlying this metamorphic sandstone we have in Mackerel cove a mass of light and dark gray argillaceous schists, which cover the entire sonthern extension of Conanicut and extend as far north as Taylor's point above Jamestown. These schists generally contain minnte nodules of carbonate of iron (siderite), which, when oxidized, give the surface of the rock a striking appearance. Instead of siderite, iron pyrites in cubical crystals sometimes occurs. This series of beds is repre- sented at the south end of Coaster's Harbor island, and forms the southern part of Easton's point. The veins which traverse these rocks often contain chlorite and sometimes also calcite and a little iron. The total thickness is 600 to 2,000 feet. At Easton's point these argillytes are overlaid by the conglomerate with which we are all familiar, which is made up of pebbles of finely laminated quartzyte with some mica and contains Lingu- Zu (Brachipod Mollusks). This rock recurs at Paradise on both
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
sides of the hornblende and mica schist beds, and along the east shore of the island from Smith's beach to Black point, and on the other side of the east passage at High Hill point. There is some uncertainty as to whether the similar conglomerate, which forms the sunmit of Miantonomah hill, and that which covers the greater part of Coaster's Harbor island, and which differs considerably in its character from that of Easton's point, etc., belong to the same age. The thickness is about 750 leet.
"The lowest and oldest rocks in this part of the state are of sedimentary origin. The first geological fact in the history of the region indicates the presence of water, the sea probably, which formed the calcareous, aluminous, siliceous and magnes- ian deposits which, under metamorphism, become gneiss, pro- togine, mica, epidote, chlorite, hornblende and serpentine schist. It is difficult to determine how far, if at all, these older strata had assumed a crystalline structure prior to the carboniferous period, as the whole series, including the carboniferous, evi- dently suffered metamorphism and flexture in late or past car- boniferons times. It is also uncertain how far these older rocks had been disturbed when the carboniferous rocks were deposited, but from several indications it seems probable that the folds indicated in the section began to be formed in pre- carboniferous times, and that the chief outlines of our bay were determined at that remote period.
" We may therefore conjecture that the nearest elevations on either side of the carboniferons deposits formed the shore of the swamps and estuaries of the carboniferous time. Such eleva- tions occur at Barber's Height and Tower hill, in North and Sonth Kingstown, and on the other side of the bay, in Tiverton and Little Compton. These southward tending ranges of pro- togine, gneiss, mica schist and chlorite slate bounded a bay or arm of the sea some 15 miles wide. In about the centre of the section may be seen masses of protogine and other pre carbonif- erous rocks. While it is possible that they may once have been covered by carboniferous deposits which subsequent erosion may have carried away, I rather incline to the belief that these rocks were never covered in the carboniferous times, but formed then an island around which such rocks were deposited. This island embraced the greater part of Newport Neck, the entire harbor, and a portion of Conanieut, and accordingly measured some four miles in diameter, so that as we ramble over the
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
small, hilly and rocky wilderness which characterizes portions of the Neck and of Conanicut, we may transport ourselves in imagination back to the time when in looking away our eyes would have rested on nothing but a shallow sea, or else upon great swamps, crowded with the peculiar vegetation of the car- boniferons time. The remainder of Conanicut and of our own island, excepting perhaps a small tract at its northern extrem- ity and possibly another at Paradise, were not in existence ; with these exceptions the nearest terra firma was at Tower hill and Little Compton.
"The carboniferons series consists of four groups of strata : (1) the metamorphic grit, (2) the clay slates with carbonate of iron, (3) the quartzyte conglomerate, and (4) the slates, coal beds and fine conglomerates, which together constitute the coal measures proper. During the deposition of the two first and lowest of the series, there was nothing of a very exceptional character in the physical conditions of our bay. The fine quartz grains of the first deposit probably came from the erosion of some areas of granite or protogine. The presence of fossil plants in the layers of slate which occur in this bed, indicates the neighborhood of marshes ; and the abundance of iron car- bonate in the succeeding bed shows the presence of carbon in the water and originally in the atmosphere. During these de- positions, it is quite probable that that process of subsidence commenced which marked the period of the coal measures. This subsidence would affect the whole region, but, either owing to its taking the form of great folds, or owing to the greater elevation of the central island, would still leave that island above water. But during the time of the third group, the coarse con- glomerate, we have evidence of an exceptional state of things. The great size of some of the boulders in the conglomerate at ' Purgatory ' and ' Paradise ' has been noticed by many. Some of these measure from four to nine feet in diameter.
"The following theories are held in regard to the origin of this conglomerate : (1) that in carboniferons times, another glacial period covered this part of the continent with an ice sheet, and that these great acenmulations of boulders were tran- sported hither from distant ledges and left by the thawing ice. A serious objection to this theory is the fact that the boulders do not bear the scratches which characterize glacial boulders. Another theory is that the bay at that time was a gull leaning
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
northwards into Artic regions, and that icebergs, broken off from some Arctic glacier, floated southwards, and, thawing as they reached a warmer latitude, deposited their burden of pebbles and boulders here, just as they are doing to-day on the banks of Newfoundland. Another theory is that the place of these conglomerates was originally occupied by a finely stratified quartzite of mica schist, formed during an earlier geological period and of marine origin, as indicated by the presence of the Brachiopoda, and that the action of the sea ground up the entire deposit into pebbles, by a process similar to that we see going on along our shores to-day. Still another theory is that a strong and swift river current opened in those times into the bay, and rolled the stones to their present place from some shore or hillside to the north. Each of these theories contains an element of prob- ability. The large size of the boulders and the absence here of strata of their identical character are remarkable facts.
" However that may be, after the formation of the conglom erate came a period of comparative tranquility, during which the ' Coal Measures,' measuring here some 2,000 feet, were de- posited. To account for alternating beds of coal, slate, and conglomerate, it is customary to suppose alternating periods of submergence and emergence. Under this theory the prospect from the Aquidneck island of the carboniferous time must have greatly varied. There were long periods during which a supposed observer would have looked ont only upon the broad arms of the bay. others during which his eyes would have rested, at least northward, northwestward, and northeastward, on a landscape bearing some resemblance to that of the Dismal Swamp of Virginia or the Everglades of Florida, and such periods recurred alternately.
" During the close of the carboniferous period, changes of a more radical, though, perhaps, gradual character set in. The submergence of the beds having reached its limit, the beds were powerfully compressed in a lateral direction, folded, tilted, faulted and fissured. This compressure is generally attributed to the disturbance of the rocky envelope of the earth following upon the cooling and contraction of its molten interior. At the same time, if not dne to the same cause, the rocks assumed a crystalline structure, the beds of carbonaceous vegetation, then probably resembling lignite or hardened peat, were changed into plumbaginous anthracite. The beds of clay in places be-
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
came mica schist, the conglomerate was compacted, and its peb- bles arranged in parallel order, and the underlying older rocks became still more crystalline in character. The fissures through- out the series became filled with veins of quartz. Numerous observations prove that this pressure came chiefly from two directions : One W. NW .- E. SE., the other at right angles N. NE .- S. SW., the former producing the great folds tending N. NE .- S. SW. parallel to the Appalachian range which was formed at this time, the other producing a series of minor folds and fissures tending W. NW .- E. SE.
" The folded strata were brought above water and the main outlines of the bay and of ourisland were formed. The surface thus exposed suffered erosion by the rivers, tides and rains during a great lapse of time, until the glacial period set in, when they were subjected to still greater changes at the hands of the ice sheet, which by means of its enormous weight and the stones and boulders frozen into its under surface, plowed out hollows, shattered and broke off rock masses, furrowed, grooved and polished all the surfaces which withstood its southward march. During the thawing of the glacier, a de- pression of the land took place, followed by an elevation of forty to fifty feet. To the action of the ice sheet and of the great stream to which it gave rise as it thawed, the final configuration of our bay and islands is mainly due. This becomes apparent in examining a section of the bay, for the depressions do not always correspond to the depressions in the folds of the strata. The folds have been ent into. How much of this is due to the preglacial erosion is uncertain. The most notable instances of these influences are seen between High Hill point and Black point in Seaconnet river and at the 'Paradise' ridges. The recess between Easton's point and Sachuest point was thus formed ; that between the Cliffs and Easton's point, and also the hollow occupied by Easton's pond, Brenton's cove, and the depression between the chloritic slates and the flinty slates on the Neck, the passage between Conanicut and Fort Adams and the harbor, Mackerel cove in Conanient, and the passages on either side of Dutch island, all are due to the same causes.
" A few things remain to be noticed. As the ice sheet thawed it deposited its load of clay, sand and boulders, all over our region, but very unequally. In this vicinity [Newport] the morainal matter is not very thick, but near Providence it forms
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
considerable hills and plateans. But we received our share of the boulders, as every builder, farmer, gardener or pedestrian knows. Much of this morainal matter was deposited in the sea, and this, together with what has since been carried thither by streams or formed by the wear and tear of the waves, the sea has, in part at least, thrown back upon the shore in the form of sand bars and beaches. Then the wind coming to the aid of the waves piled np the sand in drifts back of the beaches, dam- ming up the outlets to small streams and forming ponds which are gradually transformed into marshes. In this way the re- cesses in the coast are filled out and the shore is becoming more rounded in outline."
Religious ideas were the paramount factors in the various set- tlements which were made in different parts of our country, and which in time grew together into the concrete social mass which at length became the foundation of a mighty republic. As in different localities those religious ideas had their various colors, so the conditions gathering around the settlement of Newport county gave to it a line peculiarly its own. It is designed here to notice the development of those conditions, and trace the steps by which the banner of civilization was brought hither and planted on these delectable hills, where it has so gracefully and grandly waved upon the invigorating breezes of two and a half centuries.
As soon as we enter upon this investigation we shall find Roger Williams standing as one of the most conspicuous char- acters of the time in this section of the new world. Some notice of him could hardly be omitted in this connection, though our immediate field was not the scene of his action. We find him an irrepressible character, of great native force and determina- tion, who had been highly educated in the schools of England and invested with orders in the Church of England. He, how- ever, embraced the doctrines set forth by the Puritans and took passage in the ship " Lyon," with nineteen others, for America. The ship arrived in Nantaskett Roads on the 5th of February, 1631, and reached Boston three days later. Williams was at this time about 25 years of age. He shortly became assistant pastor of the church of Salem, but differences of opinion at once arose between him and the magistrates, and as his impet- nous disposition would brook no restraints or dictation of the constituted anthorities, he gave up the field in the following
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