In This IssueIn This IssueIn This IssueIn This Issue Page 2 Wish List Page 4 Exhibit Preview Party Page 5 Family Day Celebration Page 6 Speakers’ Series Annual Meeting Page 7 Little Compton Antiques Festival
Past Times Published by The Little Compton Historical Society ~ Summer 2016
Save The DatesSave The DatesSave The DatesSave The Dates Exhibit Preview Party July 1 Family Day July 2 Antiques Sale August 5 Annual Meeting August 10 Cider Social October 11
If Jane Should Want to Be Sold Stories of Enslavement, Indenture & FreedomStories of Enslavement, Indenture & FreedomStories of Enslavement, Indenture & FreedomStories of Enslavement, Indenture & Freedom
In Little Compton, Rhode IslandIn Little Compton, Rhode IslandIn Little Compton, Rhode IslandIn Little Compton, Rhode Island
Book & Special Exhibition 2016 Restoring VoicesRestoring VoicesRestoring VoicesRestoring Voices This summer the Little Compton
Historical Society will restore the
voices of over 250 forgotten people to
our local history. The Historical
Society’s latest project uses hundreds
of primary source documents to
bring to light the lives of people of
African, Native American, and
European descent who were enslaved
and forcibly indentured in Little
Compton between 1674 and 1816.
The organization will share their
stories with the public in a year-long
effort that includes a book written by
Managing Director Mar jor y
O’Toole, a special exhibition that will
run through February 2017, a
permanent addition to the Wilbor
House tour, a memorial to the
enslaved in the Old Burying Ground,
a lecture series, programs for school
children and a research database.
SponsorsSponsorsSponsorsSponsors The project has been sponsored by
the Rhode Island Council for the
Humanities, the Newport County
Fund, the Rhode Island Foundation
and the Ocean State Charities Trust
as well as over 70 local donors.
The Book The Book The Book The Book Entitled If Jane Should Want to Be
Sold, Stories of Enslavement, Indenture
and Freedom in Little Compton, Rhode
Island the Historical Society’s new
book is based on three years of
primary source research and tells the
true stories of people like Jane who
were enslaved by Little Compton
families. Jane’s story includes a
decision whether or not to be sold, a
marriage, a move to another
community, and the loss of a son in
the Revolution. The Revolution also
factors into the story of Boston
Wilbor, an enslaved man who
Moselle Gray, Enslaved in North Carolina and brought to Little Compton as a free child c.1860.
Continued on page 3
Page 2
SUMMER HOURSSUMMER HOURSSUMMER HOURSSUMMER HOURS
Wilbor House Tours Special Exhibition
Thurs.-Sun.
1-5 PM
or
by appointment.
Research
by appointment
Office Hours Tuesday ~ Friday 9 AM ~ 3 PM
Summer HoursSummer HoursSummer HoursSummer Hours
Wilbor House Tours Thursday ~ Sunday 1 PM ~ 5 PM
Research
Educational Programs by appointment
Office & Shop Hours Tuesday ~ Friday 9 AM ~ 3 PM
Corporate MembersCorporate MembersCorporate MembersCorporate Members Local businesses play an important role in the preservation and presentation of Little Compton’s history. Additional Corporate Members are always welcome. Please call 635-4035 or complete the membership form on page 8.
SEASON SPONSORSSEASON SPONSORSSEASON SPONSORSSEASON SPONSORS Briggs Beach, Inc. Compton Catering & Clambakes Lees Supermarket SCHOOL PROGRAM SPONSORSSCHOOL PROGRAM SPONSORSSCHOOL PROGRAM SPONSORSSCHOOL PROGRAM SPONSORS Goulart Petroleum, Inc. Roger King Fine Arts Madden Electric Company Mataronas Lobster Co., Inc. Phil’s Propane
CORPORATE MEMBERSCORPORATE MEMBERSCORPORATE MEMBERSCORPORATE MEMBERS Able Engineering, Inc. All Metals Welding & Fabrication Arkins Construction, Inc. Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards John M. Cotta, CPA Country & Coastal Properties C S & M Tele-Systems, Inc. Fern Acres Funeral Home Franlart Nurseries, Inc. Gray’s Daily Grind Gray’s Grist Mill Gray’s Ice Cream Grown Design Hearthstone Home Inspections Lamplighter, Inc. Katharine H. Leary, CPA L.C. Creative, Inc. Partners Village Store, LLC Phil’s Propane Sakonnet Events - Wilhelmina’s Catering Sakonnet Lobster Co. Sayles Livingston Design Serena’s Studio Richard Sisson, Jr. Lawn & Garden Sparks Company. Inc. Dennis Talbot, Inc. Jacob Talbot, Inc., Fine Homebuilder Walker’s Roadside Stand Waring-Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute Wilbur’s General Store, Inc. Windy Hill Nurseries, Inc. Wishing Stone Farm
President Dora Millikin
Secretary Diane MacGregor
Vice-President/Treasurer Bart Brownell
Directors Claudia Cooley Bell
Shelley Bowen
Fred Bridge
Randy Byers
Piper Hawes
Richard W. Lisle
Jane Lorch
Richard Menoche
J. William Middendorf, II
Carolyn J. Montgomery
Christopher Rawson
Maureen Rego
Mike Steers
Paul Suttell
Caroline Wilkie Wordell
Robert Wolter
Managing Director
Marjory O’Toole
Administrator
Nancy Carignan
Newsletter Designer
Shelley Bowen Little Compton
Historical Society PO Box 577
Little Compton, RI 02837
(401) 635-4035
www.littlecompton.org
Wilbor House Museum 548 West Main Road Little Compton, RI 02837 (401) 635-4035
Antique or Vintage Items
To be sold in our Antiques Sale to benefit
the Historical Society.
Antique Items with
Little Compton Histories
For possible inclusion in our permanent
collection. The Collections Committee will
review each item.
Digital Images of Family Photographs
Your clearly labeled photographs may help
us identify the hundreds of unidentified
photos in our collection.
Digital Images of Early Documents
Scans or photographs of original deeds, wills,
inventories, bonds, contracts, indentures,
manumissions, etc.
Obituaries, Funeral and Memorial
Service Programs, Copies of Eulogies
Help us document the lives of our
residents by sharing
information about your loved ones with us.
Written Histories
Record your Little Compton memories,
and we will archive them.
VOLUNTEERS
Family Day—July 2
Docents
Receptionists
Wanted as gifts or loans!
Page 3
secured his freedom by volunteering to serve in the
Rhode Island First Regiment. Jane and Boston are just
two of the dozens of men, women and children whose
stories appear in the 300 page, full-color, softcover book.
The book will be available at the Historical Society on
July 1 and 2 for anyone attending the special events
scheduled on those days and during normal business
hours thereafter. The Society will also offer the book in
our booth during the Congregational Church Fair on
Saturday, July 9 and the Little Compton Antiques
Festival on August 5. The cost is $15 for members and
$20 for non-members. For anyone unable to come to the
Historical Society, the book will be available on
Amazon.com beginning July 3. Local stores like Wilbur’s
General Store and Partner’s Village Store will also be
carrying the book. The Brownell Library will have
borrowing copies.
The ExhibitThe ExhibitThe ExhibitThe Exhibit An exhibit by the same title featuring the personal stories
of Little Compton’s enslaved, indentured and newly-free
people opens to the public on July 2. The exhibit will be
open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5 PM through
Labor Day and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM
through Columbus Day. It will also be open upon request
through February of 2017 for individuals and groups.
Admission during normal business hours is free to
members and $7.50 for adults and $5 for children who
are not members of the Society. Guided tours and school
programs are available by appointment.
The exhibition also includes a permanent addition to the
Wilbor House tour that recreates the sleeping quarters of
Fal Solomon, a forcibly indentured Native American girl
who was ordered by the Little Compton Town Council to
work for the Wilbor family until she was 18 years old.
Preview Party & Family DayPreview Party & Family DayPreview Party & Family DayPreview Party & Family Day An Exhibit Preview Party on Friday, July 1 from 6PM to
8PM will celebrate the opening of the Special Exhibition
and the availability of the Society’s new book. The author
will be available to personalize copies. Please see page 4
for ticket details.
A Family Day Celebration of Freedom takes place the
following day on Saturday July 2 and is free and open to
the public. Please turn to page 5 for more information.
Lecture SeriesLecture SeriesLecture SeriesLecture Series A lecture series featuring topics related to slavery will run
through February. Please see page 6 for details.
continued from page 1
This year marks the 200th Anniversary
of the end of slavery in Little Compton. Kate Hilliard, the last enslaved woman
in Little Compton, secured her freedom
on August 5, 1816.
Saturday, July 2 12—4 PM
The Wilbor House Museum
Free and Open to the Public
Celebrating the Opening of the 2016 Special Exhibition
Free: Admission
Special Exhibition
Wilbor House Tours
Refreshments
Children’s Activities
Cake Walk
Trophies for the best:
Pie-Eating
Skillet Throw
Seed Spitting
And more...
Slavery & Freedom
Speakers’ Series July 2016—February 2017
Free & Open to the Public
Little Compton Historical Society
Annual Meeting Wednesday, August 10, 2016Wednesday, August 10, 2016Wednesday, August 10, 2016Wednesday, August 10, 2016
United Congregational Church
Stories of Enslavement, Stories of Enslavement, Stories of Enslavement, Stories of Enslavement, IndentureIndentureIndentureIndenture and Freedom in and Freedom in and Freedom in and Freedom in Little ComptonLittle ComptonLittle ComptonLittle Compton
Speaker Marjory O’TooleMarjory O’TooleMarjory O’TooleMarjory O’Toole Author of If Jane Should Want to Be Sold
LCHS Managing Director
6:30 PM Unveiling of Slavery Memorial Old Burying Ground on the Commons
7:00 PM Business Meeting Church Sanctuary
7:15 PM Speaker
8:00 PM Reception Church Vestry
Free & Open to the PublicFree & Open to the PublicFree & Open to the PublicFree & Open to the Public
Page 6
Sponsored by
Tuesday, July 19 United Congregational Church 7 PM
The Worm in the Apple: Slavery, The Worm in the Apple: Slavery, The Worm in the Apple: Slavery, The Worm in the Apple: Slavery, Emancipation, and Race in Rhode IslandEmancipation, and Race in Rhode IslandEmancipation, and Race in Rhode IslandEmancipation, and Race in Rhode Island
Joanne Pope Melish Author of Disowning Slavery Professor Emerita University of Kentucky
Wednesday, August 3 Brownell Library 6 PM
Racism & Its Roots in SlaveryRacism & Its Roots in SlaveryRacism & Its Roots in SlaveryRacism & Its Roots in Slavery
Ray Rickman Founder of Stages of Freedom Presented in conjunction with the Brownell Library
Tuesday, September 27 United Congregational Church 7 PM
New England Slavery in an Atlantic WorldNew England Slavery in an Atlantic WorldNew England Slavery in an Atlantic WorldNew England Slavery in an Atlantic World
Linford Fisher Author of The Indian Great Awakening
Co-Author of Decoding Roger Williams Associate Professor of History, Brown University
October TBA
Wednesday, November 2 Location TBA 7 PM
American IronyAmerican IronyAmerican IronyAmerican Irony————Slavery & Religious Slavery & Religious Slavery & Religious Slavery & Religious Freedom in Colonial NewportFreedom in Colonial NewportFreedom in Colonial NewportFreedom in Colonial Newport
Keith Stokes Co-Founder of the 1696 Heritage Group
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Location TBA 7PM
ReconciliationReconciliationReconciliationReconciliation
Elon Cook Program Manager & Curator of the Center for
Reconciliation, Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island
Wednesday, February 1, 2017 Location TBA 7PM
Two Generations of Freedom: Two Generations of Freedom: Two Generations of Freedom: Two Generations of Freedom: From Kofi to Paul Cuffe From Kofi to Paul Cuffe From Kofi to Paul Cuffe From Kofi to Paul Cuffe
Jeffrey Fortin Paul Cuffe Fellow, Mystic Seaport Museum Assistant Professor of History, Emmanuel College
Thursday, February 23, 2017 Location TBA 7PM
Westport’s Stories of UnfreedomWestport’s Stories of UnfreedomWestport’s Stories of UnfreedomWestport’s Stories of Unfreedom
Tony Connors President Westport Historical Society
Page 7
Little Compton Antiques Festival The Little Compton Historical Society is proud to partner for the first time with The Little Compton Historical Society is proud to partner for the first time with The Little Compton Historical Society is proud to partner for the first time with The Little Compton Historical Society is proud to partner for the first time with Preserve Rhode Island and Ferguson & D’Arruda Antiques to present the Little Preserve Rhode Island and Ferguson & D’Arruda Antiques to present the Little Preserve Rhode Island and Ferguson & D’Arruda Antiques to present the Little Preserve Rhode Island and Ferguson & D’Arruda Antiques to present the Little Compton Antiques Festival on the grounds of the Wilbor House Museum. Compton Antiques Festival on the grounds of the Wilbor House Museum. Compton Antiques Festival on the grounds of the Wilbor House Museum. Compton Antiques Festival on the grounds of the Wilbor House Museum.
Proceeds from the festival will benefit both the Little Compton Historical Society and Preserve Rhode Island.
Antique or vintage donations for the sale are welcome anytime before the sale.
Join us during the festival:
Antique Festival Preview PartyAntique Festival Preview PartyAntique Festival Preview PartyAntique Festival Preview Party Friday, August 5 6Friday, August 5 6Friday, August 5 6Friday, August 5 6–––– 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM Tickets $50Tickets $50Tickets $50Tickets $50 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Antique Festival Antique Festival Antique Festival Antique Festival Saturday, August 6Saturday, August 6Saturday, August 6Saturday, August 6 10 AM 10 AM 10 AM 10 AM–––– 5 PM 5 PM 5 PM 5 PM Tickets $10Tickets $10Tickets $10Tickets $10
Private Tours & School Programs Private tours and age-appropriate school programs are available upon request.
Wilbor House TourWilbor House TourWilbor House TourWilbor House Tour Tour Fal Solomon’s sleeping quarters in the Wilbor
House Museum to learn about the indenturing of
Native children.
Enslaved Cemetery TourEnslaved Cemetery TourEnslaved Cemetery TourEnslaved Cemetery Tour Visit the graves of Little Compton’s enslaved people,
free people of color, slave owners, and slave ship captains
to gain a better understanding of slavery, indenture and
freedom in Little Compton.
Special ExhibitionSpecial ExhibitionSpecial ExhibitionSpecial Exhibition
If Jane Should Want to Be Sold, Stories of
Slavery Indenture & Freedom in Little Compton See the stories of Little Compton’s enslaved, indentured
and newly-free people.
Schedule your group or school visit between July 2016 &
February 2017.
The exhibit panels will be available for loan at the close
of the exhibition.
Call Managing Director Marjory O’Toole 401-635-4035 for more information.
Postal Customer
Non-Profit U.S. Postage
PAID Little Compton RI
Permit No. 30
The Little Compton Historical Society PO Box 577 Little Compton, RI 02837-0577
Return Service Requested Return Service Requested Return Service Requested Return Service Requested
Exhibit Preview Party July 1 Exhibit Preview Party July 1 Exhibit Preview Party July 1 Exhibit Preview Party July 1
Family Day July 2 Family Day July 2 Family Day July 2 Family Day July 2
Membership With Benefits from Coast to Coast
Join or Renew Today!
LCHS participates in the
Time Travelers reciprocal membership program.
Your Historical Society membership card provides you with FREE
or Discounted Admission to 250 historic sites
all across the country! For a complete list of participating sites log onto
www.mohistory.org/content/membershipservices/timetravelers.aspx
or call LCHS at 635-4035.
As always you’ll enjoy local membership benefits including
free admission to the Wilbor House and our special exhibitions,
invitations to special events and advance registration for our most
popular programs. Most importantly, your membership gift helps
preserve Little Compton’s rich history for generations.
Members receive $5 off every copy of
If Jane Should Want to Be Sold, Stories of Enslavement, Indenture and
Freedom in Little Compton, Rhode Island.
LCHS Membership □ Event Sponsor $250 & up
□ Program Sponsor $150
□ Supporting $100
□ Corporate $75
□ Contributing $50
□ Family $30
□ Individual $20
□ My Company will match my membership or gift. Completed matching form enclosed.
Please make checks payable to:
Little Compton Historical Society PO Box 577, Little Compton, RI 02837
Name: ___________________________
Address: _________________________
City: ____________________________
State: ____________ Zip: __________
Phone: ___________________________
Email: ___________________________
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