Past Times Published by The Little Compton Historical Society ~ July 2020

Save The Dates Virtual Exhibition Opening July 6 at 7pm

On-Line Auction July 3-6

Outdoor Exhibition Visits By Appointment July 7-31

Annual Meeting August 12 at 7pm

Indoor Exhibit Visits & Temporarily Wilbor House Tours On Hold

Exceeding Expectations Thanks to tremendous community support and partici-pation the Little Compton Women’s History Project is exceeding our expectations. We now have over 250 Little Compton women’s histories on our website (littlecompton.org), and we encourage you to explore them.

On-Going Crowdsourced Project This is a long-term effort. You will always be welcome to add new histories by emailing them to lchistory@littlecompton.org. The project’s webpages will be available indefinitely, and its content will be added to our permanent archive.

If you notice someone is missing, we encourage you to research and write their history. You can also add additional essays and photographs to someone already on the website. This is a crowdsourced project. We thank you for the information you have already shared, and depend on you for continued success. The next group of histories will be added this fall.

Indoor Exhibition We will open our indoor Special Exhibition Gallery for in-person visits when it is allowed by the state and safe to do so. It will feature a display of historic portraits, clothing, and objects exploring the lives of local women.

Offerings Virtual Exhibit Opening — page 3 On-line Auction — page 3 Outdoor Exhibition — page 4 Virtual Lectures — page 4 Annual Meeting — page 5

What to Expect This Season

New Challenges—New Approaches

Since our last newsletter the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly complicated our plans for the 2020 Season, but it hasn’t cancelled them!

We’ve redesigned a number of our offerings to share our work with you this summer in new and interesting ways. Safety—for you, our staff, and our volunteers—is our top priority.

We will be offering virtual programs on Zoom. Our exhibitions will be available for private, in-

person visits by appointment. Our website (littlecompton.org) will link you to all

our offerings. We are posting frequently on social media. Follow

us on Facebook and visit our YouTube channel for local history videos.

This newsletter shares our plans for July and is based on the currently available safety guidelines for reopening Rhode Island. Expect another newsletter in August with our plans for the Annual Meeting and our fall offerings.

Do you get our email updates? If not, please email admin@littlecompton.org and ask to be added to our email list. Email is the quickest way to receive our program updates.

Little Compton Women’s History

Project

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Corporate 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 6.

SEASON SPONSORS Briggs Beach Serena’s Studio

EVENT SPONSORS Compton Clambakes & Catering Katharine H. Leary, CPA Lees Wine and Spirts The Sakonnet Point Club Valcourt Heating

CORPORATE MEMBERS Able Engineering Amesbury Mowing Arkins Construction Cherry Arnold Cantin Photography Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards COTDesign John M. Cotta, CPA Donald J. Dufour, DDS Fall River Modern Printing Fern Acres Funeral Home Gray’s Daily Grind Gray’s Grist Mill Hearthstone Home Inspections Howland Company Interstate Insurance & Finance Roger King Fine Arts Madden Electric Company Mataronas Lobster Co., Inc. Partners Village Store Phil’s Propane Rego Earthworks, Inc. Richard Sisson, Jr. Lawn & Garden Sakonnet Events Sakonnet Lobster Company Sayles Livingston Design The Sparks Company Walker’s Roadside Stand Waring-Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute Wilbur’s General Store Wishingstone Farm

Antique Items with Little Compton Histories

For possible inclusion in our permanent collection. The Collections Committee will

review each item.

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.

Women’s Histories

For our website. Send them to lchistory@littlecompton.org

CLocal 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 6.

President Bart Brownell

Vice-President Steven Lubar, Ph.D.

Secretary Jane Lorch

Treasurer George Kilborn

Directors Shelley Bowen

Fred Bridge

Randy Byers

Juanita Goulart

Richard W. Lisle

Richard Menoche

J. William Middendorf, II

Dora Atwater Millikin

Carolyn J. Montgomery

Christopher Rawson

Maureen Rego

Mike Steers

Paul Suttell

Helen Richmond Webb

Caroline Wilkie Wordell

Executive Director Marjory O’Toole

Administrator Carol Scanlon

Museum Educator Jenna Peterson-Magnuski

Newsletter Designer Shelley Bowen

Little Compton Historical Society P.O. Box 577 Little Compton, RI 02837 (401) 635-4035

lchistory@littlecompton.org www.littlecompton.org

Wilbor House Museum 548 West Main Road Little Compton, RI 02837 (401) 635-4035

SUMMER OFFERINGS

Outdoor Exhibition by appointment

Research & Educational Programs

by appointment

Office & Shop Hours

Tuesday ~ Friday 9 AM ~ 5 PM Abigail Richmond Brown

Portrait by unknown artist, c. 1823. Courtesy of Helen Richmond Webb, great-great-granddaughter.

Monday, July 7, 7pm

Free & Open to the Public

Join us on Zoom to celebrate the opening of our Little Compton Women’s History exhibition. Enjoy a video tour of our indoor exhibit to see a fascinating collection of portraits, clothing, and objects belonging to Little Compton’s women, an overview of our outdoor exhibit, and a Q & A with Project Director, Marjory O’Toole.

Reserve your space in this virtual gathering by following the link on our website (littlecompton.org) beginning June 23.

Women’s Work On-Line Auction To Benefit the Historical Society

Bidding opens at 9am, July 3

Bidding closes at 9pm, July 6 following the virtual exhibit opening Follow the link on our website littlecompton.org Browse and bid on 30+ unique items generously donated by community members as we celebrate the work of Little Compton women. Donated items accepted through June 30.

This Sailor’s Valentine created and donated by Joanne Gregory is just one of the many items up for bid.

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Virtual Exhibit Opening

Lydia Gray Wilbor

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Virtual Lectures

Free & Open to the Public on Zoom

Visit littlecompton.org to register for the lectures

Nevertheless, She Persisted: Exploring 17th-Century Women for a 21st-Century World Wednesday, July 22 — 7pm Hilary Goodnow, Director for Education & Outreach, Plimoth Plantation

What does it really mean to walk a mile in someone else's shoes? Explore the lives of 17th-century women through the eyes of Mayflower passenger Elizabeth Tilley Howland and discuss how living history provides new insight into their joys, sorrows, and challenges.

Little Compton’s 18th-Century Women Tuesday, July 28 — 7pm Marjory O’Toole, LCHS Executive Director

From innkeepers to epidemic survivors, the 18th-century women of Little Compton led lives that we are only just beginning to understand. Learn more about these fascinating individuals and their growing community.

Look for additional virtual (and possibly in-person) lectures in our August newsletter.

Outdoor Exhibition Little Compton Women’s History Project Free

Opens July 7

For private groups of 1 to 10 people.

Self-guided visits of up to 1.5 hours.

Only one group will be on the property at a time.

Call 401-635-4035 for reservations beginning June 23.

Wander the grounds of the Little Compton Historical Society and explore the fascinating personal histories of Little Compton’s 17th to 20th-century women. Fifty banners will be hung throughout the property sharing the stories of women like Awashonks, the sachem of the Sakonnet people, Elizabeth Briggs an 18th-century innkeeper, Jessie Bross Lloyd a 19th-century social reformer, and Jane Cabot a 20th-century elected official.

Welcome New Museum Educator Jenna Peterson-Magnuski may not seem new to many of you. She has been with the Historical Society for almost 15 years as a seasonal volunteer, docent, and most recently Weekend Manager. This April we proudly welcomed Jenna to our year-round staff as the Historical Society’s first Museum Educator. Jenna has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education. She is pursuing an additional master’s in public history. Jenna will develop and offer education programs to children and adults and will contribute to our special exhibitions. This year Jenna has been responsible for devel-oping our Women’s History website and will manage exhibition visits this summer.

The Historical Society’s new Museum Educator position is made possible by a major gift from the Acebes Family Charitable Fund. We are grateful to the Acebes Family for their support of our educational efforts and look forward to the new opportunities this position will bring.

Annual Meeting Wednesday, August 12, 2020 A Virtual Option will be Available Look for details in the August Newsletter or via Email

7pm Business Meeting

7:15pm Annual Lecture Featured Speaker

Charlotte Carrington-Farmer, PhD Associate Professor of History, Roger William University

Roger Williams Had a Wife? Who was Mary Barnard the woman who married Williams in 1629, and for the next 50 years, followed him with children in tow? Professor Charlotte Carrington-Farmer will explore multiple ways of discovering more about Mary Williams and the lives of seventeenth-century women.

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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

Outdoor Exhibition Opens July 7

Free Private Visits Reservations Required

Call 401-635-4035 beginning June 23 for reservations.

Sarah, by Dora Atwater Millikin

Postal Customer

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.

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: ___________________________