Westerly

By Kathleen M. Fink and Courtland Loomis

A collection of rare and vintage images documents the fascinating history of Westerly and its many stages of development over time.

These images take us on a journey into the past. We see pictures of local buildings and businesses, many of which no longer exist but are still warmly remembered by native citizens, and we also see the many stages of development, including street widening and drainage, which have revolutionized life for local people over the decades. Other photographs show how much transport in particular has changed, as we see the great sailing vessels of the early nineteenth century and early modes of transport such as horses and carriages and open trolleys. From livery stables in the 1800s we are transported to the era of the automobile with pictures of Hoxsie Plymouth Dodge in the early 1900s and early autos from the 1920s and 1930s. There are images of the famous local Smith quarries, showing granite employees at work and the oxen-drawn carts used at that time. Taken over many decades, the photographs collected here bring home just how much the town has changed over the years. We experience bad times as well as good as we witness the many fires which have so drastically changed the landscape of Westerly and also the harsh years of the 1930s when the area was devastated by the Great Depression. Most important of all, we encounter the local people of Westerly, at work and at play over the decades, including school groups, sports teams, fraternities, and individual portraits of the men, women, and children who have created Westerly's history. Combining fascinating old photographs and concise, yet informative, text, this compelling visual history will delight young and old, resident and visitor alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Nov 1, 1995
• ISBN: 9781439632192

Kathleen M. Fink

Having collected over two hundred superb photographs from the Westerly Public Library, Westerly Historical Society, the Westerly Sun, the George H. Utter collection, and other sources, Kathleen M. Fink and Courtland Loomis have produced a fascinating photographic history which brings to life the story of the Westerly area from the mid-1800s to the 1940s.

Book preview

Legend

Introduction

Westerly is steeped in tradition, and its roots can be traced back over 250 years. In 1642 Mary Lawton and John Babcock, the first white settlers in the region, arrived on the east bank of the Pawcatuck River after fleeing from her family’s opposition to their marriage. They got along very well with the Native Americans in the area and their son James was the first white child born in Westerly. Others from Newport began to arrive in 1664 and shortly thereafter their place on the river, Misquamicut, was incorporated as Westerly by the Colony of Rhode Island. It was one of the first towns under the Colonial Charter in 1663 and the fifth in the colony.

Westerly has flourished from that time onward, and there have been a myriad of changes in its industry, transportation, and pace of life. The fishing industry, granite quarries, and textile mills have all been important elements of life in Westerly. Approximately 80% of all Civil War monuments are made of Westerly granite, as are other monuments throughout the United States and the world. Modes of transportation have changed dramatically through the years: the sailing vessels, horses, and carriages of the mid-1800s were replaced by the open trolley cars of the late 1800s, which were in turn replaced by the autos of the early to mid-1900s. Popular fashions have changed as well, as is evident in the photographs of schoolchildren, sporting groups, fraternity and social gatherings, and individual portraits.

Despite the multitude of changes, many of yesterday’s buildings can still be seen in Westerly today, and people still hold on to the traditions that were set down in early times by their forefathers. Westerly is full of proud people, who are appreciative of their roots — and justly so.

Kathy Fink

September 1995

Special thanks to Courtland Loomis for his help with the compiling of this book. Thanks also to Melinda Fink Tyler and Jim Curry for their hospitality, love, and encouragement.

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Old Westerly

A trolley passes by the Briggs Building on Main Street in Westerly.

An 1871 map of Westerly.

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