Warwick: A City at the CrossroadsAlthough known as the retail capital of Rhode Island, Warwick is much more than a conglomeration of shopping centers, malls, and industrial parks; it is a city marked by an extraordinary history and in many ways, serves as a mirror of the American experience. Like many communities across the United States, Warwick developed from a rural hamlet into a town distinguished by a variety of industries in the nineteenth century, attracting immigrants from across the globe desiring a new beginning within its mill villages. These industries brought wealth and opportunity, and paved the way for Warwick's transformation from small town to cosmopolitan center. Warwick: A City at the Crossroads is not a stale chronology, but is a work that breathes new life into the memorable characters and events that shaped the community's history over the past four centuries. Taking readers on an exciting journey through Warwick's past, this unique illustrated history begins with the first Narragansett Indian tribes that hunted amidst the virgin wilderness and details an evolving landscape touched by colonial settlement, wars, storms, depressions, resort development, and industrialization up through the present day. However, the true measure of a community is in its people, and Warwick possesses a remarkable cast of colorful characters, such as controversial city father, Samuel Gorton, Revolutionary War heroes Nathanael Greene and James Varnum, textile magnate Robert Knight, and scores of other distinct personalities, ranging from privateers and bootleggers to feared political bosses and industrial giants. |
Contents
Foreword | 4 |
Warwicks Colonial History | 21 |
The Revolutionary Era | 43 |
The Early Nineteenth Century | 66 |
The Last Half of the Nineteenth Century | 79 |
Warwick to 1930 | 99 |
Warwick from 1930 to 1950 | 123 |
Warwick from 1950 to 2000 | 141 |
Bibliography | 158 |
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Common terms and phrases
A.L. Brown Collection airport Aldrich American Apponaug Aquidneck Island Arnold became began Brayton British brought building built Buttonwoods called Captain Chafee Christopher Greene Church Colonel colonists colony Conimicut council Cranston defeated Democratic devastating Dorothy Mayor Collection Dorr Dudingston early East Greenwich election England English farm Fire Company Gaspee Gortonists governor Henry A.L. Brown Hillsgrove historian Hotel hurricane immigrants Indian John Brown Francis John Greene Knight land large numbers Lincoln Chafee major Massachusetts Miantonomi mill owners mill villages Narragansett Bay Nathanael Greene Natick Newport nineteenth century Oakland Beach park Party Pawtuxet River Pawtuxet Valley period police political Pomham Pontiac Post Road Potowomut problems prosperity Providence purchased Railroad Randall Holden Regiment Republican Revolutionary Rhode Island Rocky Point Roger Williams Ruerat sachem Samuel Gorton Shawomet shore textile industry town trade trolley troops twentieth century U.S. Senate victory vote Warwick Neck Warwick residents West Warwick William Sprague workers