USA > Rhode Island > The "Old Stone Bank" history of Rhode Island, Vol. IV > Part 27
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The memory of the fourth President of Brown University has been perpetuated in the names of Wayland Avenue and Wayland Square, the latter being at the intersection of Wayland Avenue, Angell and South Angell Streets. Dr. Francis Wayland was elected president of the in- stitution in 1826, and he was connected with the University for twenty-eight years. Brown grew rapidly during his active connections on the Hill; endow- ments 'were increased, the standard of study and discipline raised; Manning Hall, a memorial to the first President, was erected, and the campus saw many other improvements. Dr. Wayland later became pastor of the First Baptist Church.
Market Square is the oldest of all; it was laid out in 1738, and accepted by the Town Council in 1805. The reason for naming this public square "Market" is obvious. There stands the Market House the center of all community commerce in the early days, and around the lovely old structure grew up the marketing district
which departed for more convenience and room only a few years ago. In Market Square, the Providence Tea Party took place, and very few have not heard of the Great Gale of 1815 that flooded the area and swept away the Weybosset bridge and wrecked everything in the neighborhood.
At a Providence town meeting held on March 25, 1687, there appeared a young man from Scotland who presented a peti- tion in which he "desired of ye towne to reside amongst them and here to follow his way of dealing in goods." This man was Gideon Crawford and he had recently come over to America from Lanark, Scot- land. He received the permission sought from local officials and soon became a leader among those who laid the founda- tions of trade in this community. Craw- ford Street, Crawford Street Bridge and the square by the same name commem- orate the memory of Gideon Crawford and his son John. Crawford Square is actually at Dyer Street opposite Pine and its appearance has changed somewhat with the removal of the buildings that once lined South Main Street, across the way. John Crawford continued the great sea trade which his father had established and his vessels brought certain commod- ities to the town, which heretofore were purchasable only at Newport and Boston. John acquired land in the vicinity of Mill Street and here, in 1716, on the banks of "a picturesque basin of water, where the Moshassuck emptied into the Salt Water Cove, he built his home, shipyards, wharves and warehouse.
Olneyville Square, the site of one of the two branch offices of the Providence In- stitution for Savings, is at the intersection of Westminster and Plainfield Streets, and Hartford and Manton Avenues, and was once a part of the town of Johnston. It was officially accepted as a public square by the city, in 1872, and it has always been an important center of business ac- tivities. The Hartford-Providence stage coaches made stops at the old tavern on the Square, and many stories are told of the picturesque shops and stores, and the even more picturesque and interesting men and women who have done business there for many generations.
Long ago a public well was located on
VIEW OF OLNEYVILLE FROM BROADWAY - PICTURE TAKEN ABOUT 1866.
A.LAKESO
OLNEYVILLE SQUARE BEFORE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.
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"THE OLD STONE BANK"
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Olneyville Square directly in front of the old Free Baptist Meeting House that is now the Methodist Episcopal Tabernacle Church. Steps led from the sidewalk down to the stone floor, in the center of which was a circular hole fed by a bub- bling spring. Tin cups were suspended conveniently for use by those who came to "slake a thirst." Later a pump was in- stalled and water was drawn into a large granite trough for horses and cattle, and into an iron receptacle for the people .. When the City's sewer system was ex- tended to Olneyville the water supply for the historic pump and well was cut-off, and the landmark, like many other insti- tutions of the past, soon disappeared.
Randall Square is at the intersection of Charles, Randall and Stevens Streets and Chalkstone Avenue and it used to be pop- ularly called Bull Dog Square for the famous tavern that once stood there. In 1873 Randall Square was named after Dr. Stephen Randall, an eminent surgeon and citizen of Providence during the Rev- olutionary War. He lived on North Main Street at the head of Randall and gave the land through which the latter street runs to the city. Bull Dog Tavern, torn down in 1921 and one of the oldest build- ings in Providence, was once an important station on the old Boston-New York stage coach line. There is no record of the origin of the name, although it seems plausible
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PROVIDENCE INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS
1927
THI OLD STONE BANA
THE OLNEYVILLE BRANCH OF THE PROVIDENCE INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS, 1917-21 WESTMINSTER STREET, OLNEYVILLE SQUARE. ERECTED IN 1927.
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to attribute the name to the original tavern sign that may have read "At ye sign of ye Bull Dog.'
The intersection of Westminster, Crans- ton and Winter Streets was once Burgess Square, in 1899 it was renamed Canonicus Square, after the Narragansett Sachem, and nowadays it is generally called Hoyle Square. Hoyle Tavern was a familiar landmark at that junction for more than a century, and while the building is but a memory, the name "Hoyle " is still used by most people.
Cathedral Square was known as Union Square up until 1891 when it received its official title, and even today some people call it Monument Square or Doyle Square.
Columbus Square the scene of colorful ceremonies every year on Columbus Day, and bounded by Elmwood, Reservoir and Atlantic Avenues, was accepted by the city in 1868, and the plot was originally deeded to Cranston for a public park by Joseph J. Cooke. The statue of Columbus was presented to the city in 1893 when the square was named by the City Council.
Decatur Square, at the intersection of Carpenter, Fountain and Vinton Streets, was named for Commodore Stephen De- catur, the brilliant naval commander who subdued the Barbary pirates. Why the junction of Broad Street and Elmwood Avenue, at Bridgham, was named Trinity, no one knows unless the presence of Trin- ity Methodist Church suggested it. Springer Square at the intersection of Westminster Street and Huntington Ave- nue was named for John Springer, who erected the Springer building on that
square in the late 70's. There are really two Franklin Squares, one at the junction of Eddy Street and Allens Avenue near Crary Street, and another called Franklin Park between Atwells Avenue and Brad- ford Street. La Salle Square is known to most people and Washington Square is the wide-open area at the west end of the boulevard that leads to the new Washing- ton Bridge. Of course, other open airy places in the center of city business activ- ity are familiar to neighbors and others who travel about the streets of the com- munity, and the rest of the Rhode Island cities and towns have their squares around which business centers and traffic con- gests. Perhaps this square idea is a natural outgrowth of the old-time custom of including a public common in the lay- out of a community, although the original idea was to provide a breathing place with plenty of elbow-room for the people to meet and mingle in public gatherings. Now, the square has become pretty much like the neck of a bottle, the busiest spot in the neighborhood, with all roads lead- ing into it crowded with vehicles, and all sidewalks crammed with pedestrians.
The rotaries on our main highway have assumed the character of the public squares in our cities and towns, and it may not be idle to suggest that these be named for famous characters of history and important events that have taken place in their respective surroundings. At any rate, place names are always an inter- esting study, for it is surprising to find how few persons know the origin of fa- miliar names that are bywords in their daily routine.
OLD TIME OYSTER BARS
I' "YOU had happened to be a "young blood," living in the middle of last century, rather than a young-man-about- town in the present generation, you would not have left the theatre of an evening and set out for Child's as the place where you intended to have a bit of refreshment, a light supper, before strolling along on your way homeward. Of course you would not
have found a Child's Restaurant at that time; yet it would have been the custom then, as now, to seek out some place where you might expect to find a few of your friends as well as refreshment. Where would you have gone? To an oyster saloon, by all means. It would not matter much whose, if you just wanted oysters. However, if you valued the opinions of
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the social critics, you would have sought out "Joe" Harris' oyster bar or joined your set at Reuben Wright's or "Billy" Arnold's.
It was just about the middle of last cen- tury that the oyster bar, or oyster saloon, was at the height of popularity. Other establishments more like our modern restaurants, at least in bill of fare, were being founded slowly throughout the city, but they all owed their development to the oyster bar. These havens of old-time epicures became very much of a Provi- dence institution.
The first restaurant in Providence, a sort of fish and chip house, was opened in 1768 in Market Square by "Manna" Bernon, an emancipated slave of Gabriel Bernon. Just how popular this individual establishment may have been we do not know, but at least it did not seem to have any great effect resulting in the imme- diate founding of many others of the same type. Then it was customary for men to eat their noonday meal at home with their families. The average man would have considered it foolish to think of eat- ing downtown when he had a home to go to and a wife to cook for him. He had plenty of time. Business was not the break-neck affair of today. Noon was a pleasant interlude when families were united.
But in 1821 we find the idea of eating establishments coming back into vogue. Of course there had always been the taverns, but these may be considered more as places which catered more to travelers. In 1821 Colonel Carpenter opened what was called "Carpenter's Resterater " at No. 8 Canal Street. Canal Street in that day only had a few strag- gling stores and only extended as far north as Steeple Street. The restaurant was located in the basement of one of the buildings. Yet despite such seclusion it proved immediately popular. Over the entrance hung a huge oyster shell, weigh- ing two hundred pounds, a section of a mammoth pearl shell brought from China. Various high-spirited young men in pass- ing would try to kick it, but only one, a young giant named "Billy" Wilcox, succeeded.
Colonel Carpenter's establishment was hardly a restaurant in the present sense of
the term. Rightly called an oyster saloon, its bill of fare indeed consisted of nothing but oysters, the variety being in their preparation. There is some dispute as to whether Colonel Carpenter actually did have the first oyster saloon in the city. Records are somewhat confused and one James Thurber, 2nd, opened a similar establishment at about the same time, locating it at the corner of West Water Street and Market Square.
At least there were plenty of oysters for both. These bivalves existed in large natural beds in the Cove, the Seekonk River and the Providence River. It was a ready abundance that anyone might tap. And others were quick to follow the new idea. Several oyster saloons sprang up in Market Square within a few years.
J. B. Harris, employed for a while by Colonel Carpenter, finally succeeded his employer and for forty years carried on the business at the old stand with marked success. When he moved into the Franklin House at the northeast corner of College Hill and Market Square, his clientele in- creased, and his oyster saloon became the most popular in town. Many were the dignitaries that came there to eat, and many were the business and political deals which were planned within its walls. "Joe " Harris seemed to realize the respon- sibility that fell upon his cooking when the very temper (and thus the decision) of these important individuals depended on what they were eating. He enlarged upon Colonel Carpenter's reputation and quite exceeded himself. Proof of this is the fact that soon the "young bloods" of the town began to be numbered among his many patrons. Then business sepa- rated into distinct periods, that of the day- time ending around 4 P.M., that of the evening beginning at 8 o'clock. But un- doubtedly the busiest hours of all were those between 12 and 2 A.M. There were. no closing laws, and the oyster saloon was open almost the full twenty-four hours of each day.
The amount of oysters that were con- sumed was really enormous. Of course they were cheap, but even so men would very frequently put away half a- gallon at a sitting, nor be considered gluttons. Oysters then sold for 80g a bushel, 67¢ a
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PRYANT & STRATTONHR.ACOMMERCIAL'SCHOOL
WAITE Nome
DODGE & CAMFIELD
AUTO SUPPLY CO.
60
EMPIRE
BATAVIA TIRES
EMPIRE
TIRES
TIRES
BUTLER EXCHANGE IN THE DAYS OF MODEL-T'S.
gallon, and 62¢ a plate. Oyster stews sold for 12¿ ¿ a plate and were much larger than those served now. All this was deter- mined by the abundance of oysters found all along the bay. Proprietors of the saloons raked enough for their own needs, and it was only the steady increase among these saloons, the steady drain upon the source of natural supply that forced the price of oysters up. By 1867 they were selling for 57g a quart, and had only dropped seventeen cents by 1876.
"Joe" Harris was still running an oyster saloon as late as the 70's. His "fries" were known all over town. He himself was a character that might not easily be forgotten. Working or idle, he always wore a tall "stove-pipe" hat, and his sleeves were generally rolled up. It was he who as early as 1832 first had the fore- sight to begin re-stocking oyster beds for the future.
What was an oyster bar like? Well, to begin with, it was almost always in the
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cellar or basement of a building. Pro- prietors did not need to advertise. Their clientele sought them out. The bar itself was long and high, piled with oysters in the shell. Here were also the typical accessories needed by the epicure the tall salt and pepper shakers, thick saucers, oyster crackers, and the vinegar cruets. At the end of the bar might also be the "goose-necks" from which brown ale or beer was drawn. Customers could either sit at the bar or at small tables. If at the latter, they were served by waiters who had been former oystermen, hardened individuals who wore their shirts open at the neck, exposing their red underwear, kept their sleeves rolled, and usually chewed tobacco.
Market Square was the place where most of these oyster bars began. But as Providence moved across the river so did they. By 1843, Frank Foster had opened an oyster saloon and museum on Wey- bosset Street, at a point where Dorrance Street was later cut through. This was the first oyster bar that was situated on the ground or street level.
Others were quick to follow. Octavian Rice had a place on Orange Street, deco- rated in every way to express his sym- pathies with the Dorrites. Opposite the Congregational Church on Weybosset Street, John W. Pettis had a popular establishment. Incidentally the Pettises were very active as proprietors of oyster saloons. Most famous was the Pettis oyster bar opened in 1850 at 5 and 7 Orange Street. This was in a house which had formerly been the first house to' be built on Westminster Street. Then there was the oyster saloon begun by John Pettis and Lindsay Anderson, located in the Bank of America Building first and then on the site of the present R. I. Hospi- tal Trust Building. The Pettises were the most extensive owners of oyster beds in the city. Robert Pettis of the Orange Street restaurant discovered a great bed far down the bay and for a while kept its location a secret. Finally, he was trailed by rivals, and the bed was quickly cleaned out. He had been offering to Providence patrons oysters that measured 7 to 9 inches across the larger end.
Simri Smith in Market Square, Reuben Wright on Westminster Street, Asa Plas- tridge in the What Cheer Building, all were prominent among the old time pro- prietors of the famous oyster bars, but most popular of all was "Billy" Arnold. He had been in the employ of Plastridge but succeeded to the business. For a while his place was in the Bank of America Building, but he finally moved to the old Grosvenor Building. When the Banigan Building was erected in its place, "Billy" moved again and was finally located at 12 Weybosset Street, when he was suc- ceeded by his son-in-law, Mason W. Tillinghast.
The oyster bar was popular all through the middle of the century, but, as increas- ing rivals, restaurants that served a full and varied bill of fare were also springing up. In the 70's there were nearly 50 res- taurants doing business in the city, of which half sold liquor. Probably it was "Charley" Wilbur who had the last typical oyster bar on Eddy Street, behind the City Hall.
But whoever was the last proprietor, whichever was the last oyster saloon, both are now gone. There was a time when everything was "oysters." Even clams were second-rate. Those were the days when a man could order that delectable dish, a "blazer." What was it? Simply this. The customer sitting at a table and calling for a "blazer" was first brought a little tripod, a tin plate, and an alcohol lamp. The waiter would set the tin plate on the tripod, light the lamp under it, and then pour about a half-pint of oysters out of the shells into the plate. Next he would bring a small bowl of rolled oyster crackers and another containing a beaten egg. After that much service the preparation of the dish was in the customer's hands. When the oysters began to sizzle he would add salt and pepper, then the cracker crumbs, and lastly the beaten egg, stirring the mixture well. With a glass of ale, when the winter's wind was howling along the streets outside, the completed dish was fit for a king, guaranteed to top off any evening in the most satisfactory manner. Oyster bars and "blazers" may yet return from out of the past.
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ANGELE & CO
"GRIP CAR" ON COLLEGE HILL, USED AS LONG AS COUNTER-WEIGHT SYSTEM WAS IN OPERATION 1893-1914.
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL AND RHODE ISLAND
A LEXANDER GRAHAM BELL came to this country from Scotland, and, follow- ing in the footsteps of his father, taught in a school for deaf mutes in Boston. During his leisure moments he devoted much time to experimentation with telegraphy. Dur- ing one of these experimental periods he discovered the first possibilities of tele- phone communication - quite by acci- dent. Young Professor Bell and his assist- ant, Mr. Watson, had set up some spe- cially constructed telegraphic instruments at opposite ends of a room, and while Watson was engaged in snapping some reeds on his set of instruments, Bell carefully recorded the results transmitted to him. One of the reeds accidentally
fused, making a distinct sound which was clearly communicated over the wire.
"What was that?" he called to Watson. The latter explained. "But I heard it," exclaimed the professor. A few moments of reflection, and he began to perceive the possibilities involved in the discovery, and immediately set to work on an apparatus which would transmit the human voice. This was in 1875. A year later he came closer to the realization of his dreams, in- asmuch as he was able to send the famous message "Come here, Mr. Watson, I want you," over the few feet of wire stretched between two floors or separate rooms of a building. From then on, it was the intri- guing story of an inventor's hopes, dis-
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couragements, starvation, struggle, sacri- fice, disillusionment, and final triumph.
Hearing of Bell's interesting experiments and remarkable invention, two Brown University professors, Eli Whitney Blake and John Pierce undertook to re-work some of Bell's experiments and originate new sound-sending devices. They knew that Bell had been working on the theory that the power of his instruments was in proportion to their size. In fact, when Bell held an exhibition of his discoveries in' old Music Hall in Providence, he had displayed some small instruments with diaphragms only an inch in diameter, and also a larger one with a diaphragm of fully one foot. These had reproduced music perfectly, but not the human voice.
Professor Blake conceived the idea of concentrating all sound impulses on the center of the diaphragm. He achieved this by reducing the size of the diaphragm to exclude alien sounds, and then built a new type of converging or concave mouth- piece which centralized air vibrations made by a person talking. The impor- tance of this improvement should be readily understood, even though sensi- tivity and selectivity have long since become highly developed powers of the modern sound catching diaphragm, or radio microphone. During the years of 1875 and 1876 several of the students in Professor Blake's laboratory put their heads and hands to work on the idea that had attracted the interest of their teacher, and it is recorded that some sort of tele- phone apparatus was finally set up by which these young experimenters could converse with each other over a wire strung from one room to another. As a result of this research and experimenting, Professors Blake and Pierce undertook to give a demonstration. In the home of Mr. Rowland Hazard on Williams Street, the crude sending and receiving instru- ments were installed and wires were strung between two rooms, at some dis- tance apart. A large gathering of people had been invited to witness the experi- ment, and many of these were completely startled to hear, over what the Professors called the telephone, the voices of friends they recognized, but did not suspect were among the guests.
When he learned of the experimenta- tion going on in the laboratories of Brown, and when stories of the remarkable dem- onstration at the Hazard house in Provi- dence reached his ears, Alexander Graham Bell did exactly what any inventor would do under the circumstances. He lost a lot of sleep and wrote several threatening letters to Professors Blake and Pierce. Did they attempt to cash in, so to speak, on their private discoveries; did they run to a patent lawyer in an attempt to prove that they had any prior claims to the invention and development of what ap- peared to be a miracle of science? Not at all. They were just amused and went right on with their research and experi- menting. And when they had finished, one of their instruments, said to be the first over which speech could be heard clearly, was packed into a cardboard box and shipped to Mr. Bell, with their cards.
Shortly after, they communicated with Mr. Bell, professing that, inasmuch as they had not been addicted to visions of possible wealth, but had only been acting in the true spirit of scientific investigation, he was wholly welcome to the fruits of their past labors and to the benefit of future experimentation. Naturally, this generous action brought Bell to Provi- dence at once to meet and confer with his would-be friends, and from then on many things happened in the evolution of the device.
Professor Blake continued his experi- ments at Peace Dale, Rhode Island, where he set up for use as a practical convenience a telephone line between the home of Rowland Hazard and that of his brother. This line was one quarter of a mile long, and was the first to be used for other than experimental purposes. Also, about this same time, Dr. Fenner H. Peckham, later an official of the Providence Telephone Company, established sound communica- tion between his home at 27 Benefit Street and his office near the railroad tunnel on North Main Street. This line was a half mile in length and made use of telegraph wires already strung between the two locations. Over this line was transmitted the first call for medical assistance ever sent by telephone, an emergency message which immediately demonstrated the
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tremendous practical value of the new invention.
On Thursday, June 28, 1877, the third of the four days set aside for one of the biggest celebrations in the history of Rhode Island, Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States, was the honored guest of the Grand Army of the Republic at a Rocky Point clambake. Between speeches, cannon salutes, fire- works, parading, cheering and general tumult, it was announced that a demon- stration of "this new fangled contrap- tion," called the telephone, had been arranged for the amusement of the Presi- dent and his party. After the Mayor of Providence had concluded his brief ad- dress, the President retired to what the newspapers then described as a "parlor," where Prof. Bell's agent, Mr. Frederick A. Gower, had set up a telephone instru- ment. Connection was made with the City Hotel in Providence, and President Hayes experimented for some minutes sending and receiving vocal messages. It was the Chief Executive's first experience with the device, and he expressed himself satisfied with the "very remarkable" efforts produced and the ease with which he was enabled to manage it. The Gov- ernor of Pennsylvania and several other gentlemen tried out their voices and ears with the same gratifying results.
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