USA > Rhode Island > Picturesque Rhode Island : pen and pencil sketches of the scenery and history its cities, towns, and hamlets, and of men who have made them famous > Part 16
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*** > City+of+Newport," ! WITH THE ++ +PRINCIPAL+POINTS+OF+INTEREST.+ Lands Fe PUBLISHED BY J. A. & R A. REID, PROVIDENCE, R. I. L COPYRIGHT, 1880. 0 K . 0 Poli Groupl 1 ATLANTI 2 5 D I H WIANTONOVY HILL G F Brenton's Cave E Lack Pric D Island Ave- 0 Coddington Pt NARRAGANSETT B OF OTLE HILL 2 4 5 6 7 11 12 13 15 17 18 POINTS OF INTEREST Allan's court 1. beef uut. Friend nnenne Jillalde =scout Friendship Church Freet court. 1 10 Downing Clarendon suurt Duke Goorge Peruston Avenue Market ajunge Hlmward .. 1 GEhbe aYCHIK Cutdun. K Jalin, Comuni conrt .. Jonen q Enlle MeAllbiler court I'rescult Ifall road G ITien \/: Iville cn an I'mspect Ili1 KIT-I 11 W'Ilhai. 1 14 Perrn MI 12 12 Bateman'nay J IF-C Elath paad Byrnce crust Bradford Cittagt Cotton Colin Caleb Fall. 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Kaplidl .. 11 9 Sevctlh |3; Bajt Coddington Lite acuile Cnvr Cnggrshall Lodge SE 19 Mallyine Hall Mary's Peal MEsimblp Rock Newport Risch Ncicpeal Gur Company. Newport Exnile Garden Newport Artillery Ca Newpan Icaling-Idioma Tucha Tem l'esse'+ To Lewing Volley and Chi Fledluw menne Carroll anenoe Caalle I lili ai en Be. I 14 pili cupal Thames . N.2 L'alun'n Ileach. Ellen's Hucha, l'art Greene Furt Wakcoll Fust Adamna Forty SIcon Newport losplul Ilpera, Ilouse Ochre I'Ist 1. 5. Corlom and I'mat Offire Fillmole Court Guerney court. Gladding count Gonld triurt lawrence ane 1 10 lze xvenne. I Inll or enne Tatoy avenue Leroy place Fong Lane Decan sienuc Oldl Foil Kund Sheffield scialle .!! hernian'i avcanc. It 1 emna avenue. T BAY Stanton's Fect Conradachen OCEAN MOTYY TẠI Easton's Pond Alnyse Pond Ton! Con Cookingon Saten& nginn Cave Coasters Harbor Ave Codding With Filendi" Alerting Fluner. Coddington Schil Children's I hane Calm Castle Will Lamf's End Liu Pond Lime Rock Ratehead Redwood L Masonic Elnil I Bailey's court 1 Biradn sy Stale I toute Green bane Cotren Warah Marsh confi F'Icianat. 1 Ayran !! Jewith Dmiinl G'd | 10 Gal Chinich limannel Eplico leIv Catho.fr Cemetery 1 1 ende' l'ein Friende' Ccihely .1 5 Teland Cemeter John Clark Lesic LOCK- Ch Society Central Ila Mist .14 10 ¥ ¥ 10 Hlallldon Itill Hor Itale Jewish Synagogue . Jewish C'emetery Pirate's Lave Quaker Meel Anthony Heuanch Ruget High School 1 10 Acoold avi nue Cily El all U. S. Ilotel. Muy thulin conit Snimci Old Columy II, IG 7 anscl. Rlehm'd MT. Co II I Shermann'a Winait's avenne NatEr's Cherry Neck To Pulgatury and l'aiadic Inn Vićw #čtür 1 lesch Vlew ave 1. 15 1. Fumer STREETS, COURTS, Etc. Deanlang D'Wull = M DRAWN BY A. L. BODNELLA - Ilninety Harbnan Jingst Ricky Fum Galle 10 CHERRY ЧАМ-ХЗОИ 1 СМИЛЯВАЯ if .1954 1 209 PROVIDENCE. granite of the finest quality, and uniform throughout in shade. A pedestal of great solidity, reached by a flight of steps, supports the statue of Roger Williams, which was cast in bronze of a peculiarly 'brilliant color, in Munich. It is seven and a half feet in height, and represents the founder of these Plantations holding in his left hand, against his breast, a volume entitled "Soul Liberty," and with his right hand extended as if in the act of addressing an audience. He wears low shoes, long stockings meeting his knee-breeches, a straight vest buttoned the whole length and finished at the bottom by a frill, a broad, turned-down collar, fastened with cord and tassel, a long cloak, and hair falling upon his shoulders. Although the statue is an ideal one, the artist has succeeded in infusing into its outlines all those characteristics with which we are wont to invest the orig- inal. At the foot of the statue, in front of the pedestal, stands a fig- ure of History, clad in classic, flowing drapery, and holding in her right hand the stylus, in the act of completing the inscription : " Roger Williams, 1636." At the right of this figure is a group of bronze emblems, comprising a shield with the anchor, a scroll, book, and a laurel wreath. On the opposite tablet is the inscription : "Erected by the City of Providence, A. D. 1877." When the natural charms of this park shall have been enhanced by taste and money, as they gradually will be in process of time, the city will own a public pleasure-ground which will be of inestimable benefit to itself, and an honor to him whose name it bears. The great gale of 1815 wrought terrible havoc in the town of Providence. The tide rose nearly ten feet higher than had ever been known before, and all but two of the vessels in the harbor were driven from their moorings. Only one bridge, the Weybosset, then connected the two sides of the town. Against this the flying vessels were impelled with irresistible force. Very quickly the bridge gave way, and " vessels, lumber, buildings, and property of every descrip- tion, in one crowded mass, were hurled with great velocity up the Cove. Thirty-five vessels, including four ships, nine brigs, seven schooners, and fifteen sloops, have been enumerated on its shores." The great ship " Ganges," as it sped by the Washington Buildings, thrust its bowsprit into the rooms of the Washington Insurance Com- pany. Very many smaller vessels were dashed against the sides of this same building. All the cellars near the river were filled with water. In many cases the inhabitants were compelled to leave their houses and to take refuge upon the hills. Everywhere chimneys 27 210 PICTURESQUE RHODE ISLAND. were thrown down, out-buildings overturned, and fences demolished. Five hundred buildings in all, were said to have been destroyed. It was estimated that the loss of property amounted to considerably more than a million of dollars. Not for many a day was the dam- age repaired. All the churches were more or less injured. The Second Baptist Meeting House, with several dwellings near it, was entirely destroyed. When the gale subsided, the shores of the Cove were covered with wrecked vessels and their cargoes, with the remnants of dwelling- houses, and with the household furniture they had contained. Upon nearly all the wharves some vessel or wrecked dwelling was left when the tide went down. At India Point, the bridge was carried away, and two men, David Butler and Reuben Winslow, lost their lives. The buildings that had stood upon these wharves were nearly all swept into the river. Notwithstanding the immense losses the gale had caused, the energy of the merchants of Providence soon repaired the damage done to its commerce, and in a very short time the trade was going on as prosperously as before. In the colonial days the commerce of Providence, although not so large as that of Newport, was still very considerable. As early as 1708 the town carried on a large trade with the West Indies, and in a report made to the Board of Trade in that year it was said that in the twenty years preceding, its shipping had increased four-fold. Many subsequent reports show a continued and steady increase. The war of the Revolution interfered greatly with the trade of the port, but did not paralyze it so completely as it did the commerce of Newport. In 1776, after Commodore Esek Hopkins had made his famous expedition to New Providence, his fleet made a rendezvous at Provi- dence, but never left the port in company again to engage in any naval enterprise. Two armed vessels, the " Warren" and the " Provi- dence, " were here built under the authority of the Continental Con- gress. Commodore Hopkins found great difficulty in procuring sailors for the new vessels, as the privateers which then frequented the harbors of the bay offered much more advantageous terms. Both the privateers and the government vessels had either to fight their way through the British fleet stationed at the mouth of the bay, or to elude the enemy by speed or strategy. As all the avenues to peaceful trade were closed to the Providence sailors, they engaged 2II PROVIDENCE. extensively in privateering, and " were generally successful in elud- ing the British cruisers which swarmed on our coast, and in making prizes of merchantmen, transports, and small vessels of war." B The Union Congregational Church. After the close of the Revolutionary War the foreign trade, having been quickly resumed, began slowly to increase, though under great disadvantages. While the American states were independent of Great Britain, they had not as yet perfected a union among them- selves. Each was an independent commonwealth, exercising all the functions of a sovereign state. In its sovereign capacity each state immediately proceeded to levy duties upon all merchandise imported from other states. The records of the Providence Custom House from the year 1785 to the year 1789 present some interesting figures in this connection. 212 PICTURESQUE RHODE ISLAND. In those years the majority of the arrivals were from ports in the other American states. Quite a large number came from the West Indies, and occasionally a vessel sailed into the harbor from some European port. An import duty of 2.5 per cent. was collected on all goods imported from the West Indies, or from abroad, and on manu- factured articles from the other states. Country produce, flour, lumber, oil, fish, and all kinds of raw material from American ports were admitted free of duty. The duties were estimated and paid in pounds, shillings and pence. Sometime in the year 1787 the rate was increased to 5 per cent. A large amount of merchandise was brought from Boston by "land transportation" in those years. This business was nearly all carried on by Dexter Brown and Moses Guild. From the records, they seem to have made one trip per week each. The first importation of cotton to Providence of which record has been found, was a bag of ninety pounds of " cotton wool," brought by the sloop "Fox," May, 1785, from "Hyspaniola," to Thos. L. Halsey. At the beginning of the year 1790 there were owned in Providence, "IIO sail of 10,590 tons, exclusive of river craft." The statement was then made, in a petition to Congress, that "there is a greater number of vessels belonging to the port than to New York," and that " it is a place of more navigation than any of its size in the Union." Rhode Island adopted the new Constitution of the United States in May, 1790. An import " act to provide more effectually for the duties imposed by law on goods, wares, and merchandise imported into the United States, and on the tonnage of ships or vessels," had passed through several stages in the United States Congress. By its provisions, Rhode Island was divided into the two customs districts of Providence and Newport. The act was approved Aug. 4, 1790. The first entry recorded under its operation in the books of the Prov- idence Custom House, is that of the sloop " Betsey," William Young, master, from Port au Prince, with a cargo of salt, molasses, sugar, coffee, and oil, on which the duties paid were $244.45. Under this new condition of affairs, business increased rapidly, and the trade with the West Indies and Europe assumed greater proportions. During the year 1791, sixty-four vessels arrived from foreign ports, the duties on the cargoes of which amounted to nearly $80,000. Of these vessels, fifty-three were from ports in the West Indies, one from Canton, China, one from Cape de Verde Islands, and the remainder from European ports. The following is a summary of the foreign - 213 PROVIDENCE. commerce of the port from the year 1810 to 1821 inclusive, showing the number of arrivals each year, and the amount of duties paid : YEAR. * No of vessels. American vessels. Foreign vessels. 18IO 84 $336,098 83 $2,074 40 18II 73 207,989 90 8,985 96 1812 4I 184,624 3I 1813 33 72, 117 87 87,093 68 1814 2I 13,427 50 58,623 49 r815 35 99,830 85 559 88 I816 58 269,650 12 IO 17 1817 57 210,359 40 1818 70 210,163 03 1819 70 399,837 81 5,012 37 I820 65 118,439 93 I82I 6I 99,626 99 The trade to Canton, China, was important. The first direct arri- val from this port was the ship "General Washington," July 5, 1789. A continuous trade existed for more than half a century, the last arrival being the ship " Lion," Jan. 30, 1841. For the years covered by the preceding table, the arrivals from Canton and the duties paid were as follows : YEAR. Vessels. Duties. YEAR. Vessels. Duties. 18IO I 53,130 74 1817 2 I8II I 118,503 86 1819 3 106,886 44 278,467 10 1816 I 104,973 13 The cargoes brought from Canton were mainly of teas, and the duties were more in amount than those paid on cargoes from any other port. In some cases, indeed, a single vessel from Canton paid more duty than all the other vessels entered during the year. The principal imports from the West Indies and South America * Of these vessels only twenty-nine were foreign ; most of the foreign vessels reached the port dur- ing the War of IS12, when the American merchant ships had been almost swept from the ocean. This fact accounts for the large amount of duties recorded in the fourth column of the foregoing table for the years 1813 and IS14. - 214 PICTURESQUE RHODE ISLAND. were rum, molasses, sugar, salt, and limes. From Europe came manufactured articles and cloths. About the beginning of the cen- tury the European trade began to increase, and vessels arrived from Liverpool, London, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Cronstadt, St. Peters- burg, Lisbon, and other European ports. Occasionally a vessel arrived from Bombay, Calcutta, or Africa. The War of 1812 seriously affected the trade of Providence. During its continuance, the duties paid on merchandise imported in foreign vessels largely exceeded the amount paid on goods imported in American ships. As a small compensation, some of the vessels captured from the British by privateers were brought into this port. In the year 1813 three prizes were entered ; the duties paid on their cargoes amounted to $28,127.49. In 1814 three more arrived, on which the duty was $12,495.66. In November, 1814, the private armed brig "Scourge," Samuel Eames, master, returned from a cruise with seventeen bales of raw silk, captured from the enemy, on which the duty amounted to $488.31. The ship "Governor Tompkins " arrived at Providence in Octo- ber, 1819, with a cargo of 1,981 bushels of coal from New Castle, Eng., on which a duty of $99.20 was paid. During the early years of the century, and until 1831, nearly every Liverpool ship brought coal as part of its cargo. In July, 1831, a vessel arrived from Sidney, N. S., with a cargo of coal, and from that time forth all the coal received in Providence from outside the United States, came from Nova Scotia, principally from the port of Pictou. Since the development of the Pennsylvania coal mines the Nova Scotia coal has been crowded out by protective duties. A great change has taken place in the ownership of the vessels engaged in the American foreign trade. Until the war of the Rebel- lion they were nearly all owned by citizens of the United States ; now the majority are owned in foreign countries. The arrivals for the past two years will illustrate this fact. At the port of Providence in 1879 there were 116 arrivals, only 27 of which were American; in 1880, 139 arrivals, of which only 39 were American. The foreign commerce of Providence has not increased in proportion with the growth of the city. In fact, there has been a very marked decrease. The growth of the city has been in the direction of manufactures, and this growth has brought a large coasting trade to the port. The first steamboat that ever sailed on the waters of the Provi- dence River was one invented by Elisha Ormsbee, of Providence, 1 215 PROVIDENCE. in 1792. It was run by an atmos- pheric engine, and attained a speed of four or five miles an hour. David Wilkinson, of Pawtucket, made all the iron work for this vessel. After a few trials the engine was taken out of the boat and the attempt aban- doned. The first steamer embody- ing the invention of Robert Fulton which was seen in Providence was the "Firefly." This vessel came from New York, and arrived at Newport, May 26, 1817, and at Providence two days later. For four months the "Firefly" plied between Providence and New York, but, ow- ing to the competition and opposition of the captains of the packets, was obliged to discontinue her trips. No steamer again appeared in Narra- gansett Bay until the "Robert Ful- ton" came from New York, August, The First Congregational Church. 1821. She brought an excursion party, and stopped at Newport, Bristol, and Providence. At all these places great crowds were assembled on the wharves to see her. The year following, the Rhode Island Steamboat Company was organized. This company . had two steamers, the "Robert Fulton" and the "Connecticut," which made regular trips between Providence and. New York, touching at Newport each way. These vessels continued to run for a number of years, and new boats were constantly added to the line. Many opposition boats were put on from time to time, and much competition existed. In 1831. there were two lines to New York, each with two steamers. In those days races frequently took place between the opposition vessels. From that time onward the business has continued, many changes occurring in the companies engaged in it. During all these years the vessels have been growing larger, more elegant, and in every way better suited for travel than were their predecessors. The existing lines are the Fall River line be- tween Providence and Fall River, stopping each way at Bristol and Bristol Ferry ; the Providence line to New York; the Providence, 216 PICTURESQUE RHODE ISLAND. Norfolk and Baltimore line ; the Winsor line to Philadelphia ; and the Continental Steamboat Company, whose steamers ply to New- port and all the shore-places on Narragansett Bay. When the first steamer came to Providence the only means of traveling or carrying merchandise on the water was by sailing vessel, and the quickest way of traveling on land was in a stage-coach. Between Providence and New York a number of packets plied. They were sloop-rigged vessels, built with an eye to speed, and with accommodations for passengers. The captains and owners of these vessels were much opposed to the steamers, and used every means in their power to drive them out. As we have seen, the first steamer that appeared at Providence was unable to compete with the packets, but this was owing more to the clumsiness of her construc- tion than any other cause. The triumph of the steamers was only a question of time. In those days, as now, a great deal of the travel and trade between Boston and New York passed through Providence. To accommodate this trade a large number of stages were run, making connections with the New York packets at Providence. These vehicles carried both freight and passengers, and made the journey rapidly by means of relays of horses. When the sailing packets were succeeded by the steamers, the business of the stages was largely increased. "During the summer of 1829 there were 328 stage-coaches a week to and from Providence, not counting the local stages running to points within a dozen miles of the city." Very exciting races often occurred between coaches of opposing lines when they happened to come together on the road. The arrival of a number at once, as was usual, to connect with the New York boats was a daily event of great interest. It could not be otherwise, when the ten or twelve large coaches, each drawn by four horses, all filled with passengers, and their tops loaded with freight, came dash- ing furiously down the street. In those days the " wayside inns " flourished. At present we know them only through Longfellow's poems, Dickens' novels, and other kindred sources. Let us be con- tent with that knowledge, since both the stage-coach and the wayside inn, viewed through the vista of the past, appear more inviting than they were in reality. The Boston and Providence Railroad was completed in 1835, and the death-blow thereby given to the general stage-coach business between the two cities. Previous to the Revolution, Providence was engaged in the whale- fishery to an extent almost equal to that of any port in Rhode Island. 217 PROVIDENCE. The war interfered with the business, but did not destroy it, as soon after the peace, in the year 1785, record is found of the arrival of six vessels from whaling voyages. The amount of oil these vessels The Beneficent Congregational Church. brought was small, but with one or two exceptions they also brought cargoes from the West Indies, and other foreign ports. From that time very few vessels were fitted out until about the year 1820, when a slight revival of the business occurred. Between 1830 and 1840 a more marked revival took place, and in the year 1841 seven ships cleared from Providence on whaling voyages. For a number of years there were nine vessels licensed to engage in the whale-fishery belonging to Providence, but the number gradually diminished, most of the vessels being sold to New Bedford, and the remainder lost or burned at sea, until not one remained. The last whaler was the ship " Lion," which sailed July 17, 1854, for the Pacific Ocean, and was lost at sea Nov. 30, 1856. The ship "South America," which cleared at Providence Nov. 10, 1843, for the Northwest Coast, and arrived home March 5, 1846, made the best whaling voyage on record up to that date. She had sent home 800 barrels of whale oil, 100 barrels 28 218 PICTURESQUE RHODE ISLAND. of sperm, 36,000 pounds of bone, and had sold at Bahia, Brazil, 1,000 barrels whale oil. Providence is one of the great industrial centres of the United States. Because of the great variety of its manufactures, less disas- ter befell it during the years of financial distress, from which the country has only just emerged, than almost any city in the Union. And yet, the stranger who walks its streets for the first time does not notice much in the appearance of the city to lead him to suppose that he is in the midst of a " perfect bee-hive of industry." A purely commercial town, the place seems to the chance visitor to be, unless he has the curiosity to inquire carefully as to the secret sources of the wealth that is so plainly proclaimed. In 1875, before the effects of the panic had worn away, the num- ber of manufacturing establishments in the city was 940. In these factories 20,271 operatives were employed; their invested capital was $16,393,734; the value of their product manufactured each year, was $52,782,875. Ever since that time there has been a gradual and healthy growth of business. The statistics of the last census will undoubtedly show that a much greater business, propor- tionally to the population, is now done than was done five years ago. One of the most prominent industries is the manufacture of jew- elry. There were in the State, in 1875, 133 establishments where jewelry was manufactured. Very nearly all of these factories are within the limits of Providence. The business is yearly increasing in magnitude. It is mainly confined to the territory bounded by Chestnut, Ship, Eddy and Broad streets. Within the city limits are a number of cotton-factories. Among the principal establishments are the Oriental Mills, the Providence Steam Mill, the Grant Mill, and the James Y. Smith Manufacturing Company. In 1875, according to the census report, about one-fourth of all the woolen goods in the State were manufactured in Providence. Among the principal concerns are the Geneva Worsted Mills, and the Prov- idence Worsted Mill (worsted goods) ; the Valley Worsted Mills (braids, yarns and hosiery) ; the Elba Woolen Mills and the Wey- bosset Mills (cassimeres) ; the Wanskuck Mill (coatings) ; and the Riverside Worsted Mills (suitings). Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.