Weird Island
71 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 151 ratingsSmall state, big on the weird! Weird Island brings you some of the strangest stories you probably haven’t heard before, all originating in little Rhode Island.
Maybe you’re a true crime fan, but you’re burning out on the binges and looking to shake things up. Well, look no further! We’ll bring you unsolved mysteries, conspiracy theories, weird history and even some MURDER (no need to completely leave your comfort zone). Join us as we uncover some strange stories from the smallest state.
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Episodes
68. ANIMALS: Oscar, the Cat Who Could Predict Death
February 28, 2023 11:32 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBOscar seemed like an ordinary kitten when he was adopted by Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation center in Providence, RI. But the staff and residents at Steere House quickly suspected Oscar had a unique ability. He seemed to be able to predict when someone was going to die. Heads up, this episode is more speculative than usual. And it includes a lot of talk of death. Keep that in mind while listening. Episode Source Material - Oscar A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat Making Rounds ...
WEIRD ISLAND CHECK IN: Taking a (Little) Pause
January 24, 2023 12:09 - 3 minutes - 3.05 MBHey all! I’m taking a tiny pause on new episodes for a little while to work on some other things that inspire me. I’ll be back before you know it! And, in the meantime, I still have a couple of episodes to drop. So, I hope you’ll stick around. If you’re looking for something new to listen to while I’m taking a breather, I wanted to share some of the podcasts that I've been loving recently. Some local (see list 1!) and some that are just incredible podcasts I think will be up your alley. I ...
67. MILLS: From Cotton Cloth to Space Age Textiles
January 03, 2023 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBWhile researching RI mills, I came across this one little snippet about the Ashton Mill in Cumberland, and had to know more: “Owens-Corning Fiberglas Company bought the mill... They operated in the mill until 1983. They made tire cord, drapery, and beta cloth for spacesuits for the Apollo Moon missions.” Episode Source Material: Address at Rice University in Houston, Texas on the Nation's Space Effort, 12 September 1962 | JFK Library We choose to go to the Moon - Wikipedia Beta cloth - W...
66. MEET ME AT THE BILTMORE: Dutee Wilcox Flint
December 06, 2022 10:33 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBThis week, I’m joined by Amanda Quay Blount, who just released her new book Meet Me at the Biltmore this October. She brought me a story I’d never heard before about this Rhode Island based Ford dealer. His name was Dutee Wilcox Flint, and he was one of the earliest and most successful Ford dealers in the world before he lost his empire, moved into the Biltmore, and largely vanished from memory. Find Amanda's book, Meet Met at the Biltmore HERE! Meet Me At The Biltmore | Amanda Quay Blount ...
65. THANKSGIVING: Revisiting the Origin Story
November 22, 2022 14:38 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBThis week, as many get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, I wanted to revisit the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving that many of us learned as kids. Because, I found out as an adult that I didn’t really learn the full story–I learned a mythologized version of it. And I learned that while I heard a lot about the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth, I didn’t know as much about the Wampanoag people who were already in New England, many of whom were living in what is part of Rhode Island t...
64. MURDER: Amasa Sprague and the Trial of John Gordon
November 08, 2022 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBOn December 31, 1843, Amasa Sprague was found murdered near his home in Cranston, RI. An Irish immigrant named John Gordon was tried and convicted of the crime, but even at the time, many believed he may have been innocent. Episode Source Material: Opinion/Harrington: Mystery still shrouds murder of Amasa Sprague John Gordon - Online Review of Rhode Island History The Murder of Amasa Sprague, and the Irishman Persecuted for the Crime - New England Historical Society Weird Hauntings: Tr...
63. HAUNTED: The Conjuring House
October 25, 2022 10:01 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBHave you seen The Conjuring, the 2013 Hollywood film so successful it spawned a franchise of supernatural horror films? Did you know it’s loosely based on the haunting of a Rhode Island family? The old colonial farmhouse in Burrillville, where they lived and experienced paranormal phenomena in the 1970s, has been described by some as one of the most active paranormal locations in the world. Episode Source Material About | The Conjuring House Andrea Perron on the true story behind The Con...
62. MILLS: Ann & Hope
October 11, 2022 10:10 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBAnn & Hope… were two women. Then the words became the name of a ship, followed by a mill, and later a store. This week, I’ll bring you along as I learn the story of the Ann & Hope Mill and the discount department store that shared its name. And along the way, we’ll even uncover a bit of a mystery. Episode Source Material Ann and Hope Store Complex (Ann and Hope Mill, Lonsdale Mill) | SAH ARCHIPEDIA Ann & Hope mill sells for $3.5 million | News | valleybreeze.com Developers unveil propos...
61. WINDSWEPT: The Pain-Killer Mansion
September 27, 2022 09:33 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBHave you ever been to Scarborough Beach in Narragansett and noticed that beautiful stone ruin just beyond the sand? Well, it turns out it’s the remnants of an old carriage house that once stood beside this mansion overlooking the water. The mansion was called Windswept, but locally it was known as the house built with Painkiller money, and it was built by a family who made their fortune selling this over-the-counter medicine called “Perry Davis’s Vegetable Pain-Killer,” remembered today as t...
61. Windswept: The Pain-Killer Mansion
September 27, 2022 09:33 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBHave you ever been to Scarborough Beach in Narragansett and noticed that beautiful stone ruin just beyond the sand? Well, it turns out it’s the remnants of an old carriage house that once stood beside this mansion overlooking the water. The mansion was called Windswept, but locally it was known as the house built with Painkiller money, and it was built by a family who made their fortune selling this over-the-counter medicine called “Perry Davis’s Vegetable Pain-Killer,” remembered today as t...
60. FIRSTS: First Oyster Bar in Providence
September 13, 2022 09:28 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBLong before the quahog became Rhode Island’s iconic shellfish, oysters dominated local waters. In this episode, I’ll be diving into the stories of black innovators and entrepreneurs who shaped the oyster industry–including Manna Bernoon, who established Providence’s first Oyster and Ale House in 1736, the year of his emancipation from slavery. Episode Source Material: Early Rhode Island: A Social History of the People | 1910 Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum Celebrates African-Americ...
59. CYCLEDROME: And the First New England NFL Champions
August 30, 2022 09:00 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBIn 1925, a massive bicycle racing track was built on North Main Street in Providence. Later that year, it would become home to the Providence Steam Roller, remembered today as New England’s first NFL Champions. Episode Source Material Rhode Island History | November 1977 Providence Cyclodrome | ArtInRuins Forgotten Stadiums: The Cycledrome Cycledrome History | Pro-Football-Reference.com Cycledrome - Wikipedia. Deflategate, Roaring '20s Style: New England's 1st Controversial NFL Champi...
58. WRITERS: H.P. Lovecraft
August 16, 2022 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBSo, you’ve seen his face on t-shirts and posters and on the covers of anthology books all over Providence, but who exactly is H. P. Lovecraft? Tune in to the first episode of Season 2 to find out! I cover a number of Providence locations in this episode, and you’re welcome to visit them while listening. Many are pretty close to one another. Here’s my recommended mini tour: Lovecraft’s Birthplace Memorial (home demolished): 454 Angell Street, Providence, RI Lovecraft’s 2nd Home: 598 Angel...
57. GHOST TOWN: Hanton City
May 24, 2022 09:00 - 22 minutes - 21 MBIn Smithfield, Rhode Island, out in the middle of the woods, there are the remains of an old village that disappeared over 100 years ago. A ghost town known as Hanton City, sometimes called Haunted City or the Lost City. To Visit: Walk the Hanton City Hiking Trail, starting from 70 W. Reservoir Rd in Smithfield. About 3/4 of a mile or so in (I didn't map it exactly) you'll see the remains of an old cellar on your right in a clearing. This is my last episode before a little summer break....
56. PPAC: Providence’s Movie Palaces
May 10, 2022 10:44 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBHave you ever been to see a show at the Providence Performing Arts Center and marveled at the gorgeous building? Well, you might be surprised to know that when PPAC opened in the late 1920s, the theater showed a different kind of show–movies! I’m joined by special guests Lynn Singleton and Alan Chille this week to dive into the history of Providence’s Movie Palace, these elaborately decorated movie theaters designed to make the average person feel like royalty. And Lynn and Alan will share s...
55. MURDER: Carter Jackson Monument
April 26, 2022 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBIn South Kingstown, there’s an odd monument hidden away in the bushes off Tower Hill Road. It’s a four-sided granite pillar covered, from top to bottom on all sides, in a written inscription. And this inscription tells a story. But not one of a famous battle or prominent leader or politician or historical landmark. It tells the story of a gruesome murder that took place here. To Visit: Map to Koch Eye Associates in Wakefield, at 20 Hampton Way, Wakefield, RI 02879. Park in the Koch parkin...
54. DINERS: Modern Diner
April 12, 2022 10:14 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBThe history of the classic American diner started right here in Rhode Island. It began as something called a Night Lunch Wagon. But over time the diner grew and changed, following trends in the workforce, the American family, and food culture to become the uniquely American restaurant we know and love today. And one of my favorite diners around is Modern Diner–which also happens to be the first diner ever listed on the National Register of Historic places. To Visit: 364 East Ave, Pawtucket...
53. DINERS: Haven Brothers
April 05, 2022 09:45 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBIf you’ve been to Kennedy Plaza, you’ve probably seen the big, shiny stainless steel piece of Providence late-night culture that is Haven Brothers diner. Maybe you’ve even eaten one of their famous Murder Burgers. But did you know that Haven Brothers traces its origin back to 1893, making it one of the oldest restaurants on wheels in America? To Visit: 12 Dorrance St, Providence, RI 02903 Episode Source Material: Haven Brothers Diner - Wikipedia Haven Bros Haven Brothers Providence J...
52. WEIRD NEWS: When the Wright’s Chicken Farm Kids were Kidnapped
March 22, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBWhen a friend said to me, “What about an episode about that time the Wright’s Chicken Farm kids were kidnapped?” I had to know more. Today’s episode comes right from the newspaper archives, from March of 1979. Episode Source Material: State v. Ballard :: 1982 :: Rhode Island Supreme Court Decisions STATE v. BALLARD | FindLaw Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, Mar 10, 1979, p. 1 Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, Mar 9, 1979 Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives Aug 16, 1979 ...
51. STRANGE STREETS: The Mystery of Ridge St. and Pidge Ave.
March 15, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBEpisode Description: On the border of Providence and Pawtucket, there’s a strange intersection. One single road changes its name from Ridge Street to Pidge Avenue. With Ridge and Pidge being just one letter apart, it always seemed like a mistake. With the help of Providence Journal reporter Paul Parker, we get to the bottom of the mystery. And uncover another one along the way. To Visit: Intersection of Pidge Avenue and East Avenue, Pawtucket, RI Pidge Tavern was at 586 Pawtucket Aven...
50. SUMMER MEMORIES: RI’s Historic Carousels
March 08, 2022 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBCarousels are playful and whimsical, bright and colorful. They evoke memories of childhood and innocence. Here, in Rhode Island, they’re not only time capsules of happy summer moments, but museums of folk art from the golden age of the American carousel. To Visit: Looff Carousel | Crescent Park | 700 Bullocks Point Ave, Riverside, RI 02915 Looff Carousel | Slater Park | 825 Armistice Blvd, Pawtucket, RI 02861 Flying Horse Carousel | Westerly, RI 02891 Episode Source Material: Rhode ...
49. WEIRD ANNIVERSARY: Part 2 | Fun Facts
March 01, 2022 11:17 - 32 minutes - 30 MBSometimes when I’m researching, I waste a bunch of time researching something only slightly related to the episode topic. Like the time I read an entire book about apples while researching the Tree Root that Ate Roger Williams. Today, instead of a regular episode, for each topic I’ve covered, I’m going to share one fun or interesting fact I learned while researching that didn’t make its way into the podcast.
48. WEIRD ANNIVERSARY: One Year of Weird Island
February 22, 2022 10:39 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBI've been making this podcast for a year! So instead of bringing you a normal story, I thought I'd tell you my own.
47. WEIRD FOOD: Cuffy Cockroach’s Sea Turtle Soup
February 15, 2022 10:44 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBPeople began eating turtle soup in the 1700s, and they kept eating it through the early 1900s. Companies like Campbell’s and Heinz made canned turtle soup (and something called mock turtle soup). And it wasn’t just available. It was a real culinary obsession. In the early days, there would be these big, elaborate parties, called Turtle Frolics, where people would get together to enjoy it. Including a notable Turtle Frolic in Newport, prepared and served by a talented chef named Cuffy Cockroa...
46. FIRSTS: First Oval-Track Auto Race
February 08, 2022 10:43 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBIn 1896, the very first auto race on an oval track took place at the Rhode Island State Fair, just one year after the first city-to-city auto race in the world took place. Cars were so new, no one knew what to call them. Horseless wagons? Motor wagons? Motocycles? Electric Traps? Episode Source Material: Left Turns In The Ocean State | Hemmings Scientific American Volume 75 The Autocar: A Journal Published in the interests of the mechanically-propelled road carriage 1896 Novel Race My...
45. ARCHITECTURE: Turk’s Head Building
February 01, 2022 12:20 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBHow did the Turk’s Head building get its name? Well, it’s actually built on the site of a colonial house and a store that had an unusual sign mounted outside--a wooden carving of an Ottoman Sultan. The store became known as "at the Sign of the Turk's Head." To visit: 1 Turk’s Head Place, Providence, RI 02903 Episode Source Material: Providence in Colonial Times | Gertrude Selwyn Kimball Old Providence: A Collection of Facts and Traditions Relating to Various Buildings and Sites of Histo...
44. BUBBLERS: Cogswell’s Infamous Fountains
January 18, 2022 10:28 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBIn the middle of downtown Pawtucket, there’s an old, no longer functioning drinking fountain that most people assume is just a statue. But it’s one of only a handful of remaining Temperance Fountains, donated to the city by a man who believed that the solution to drunkenness might just be a glass of fresh, cold water. To Visit: Corner of Roosevelt Ave and Main Street, Pawtucket RI | You can map to 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860 Episode Source Material: Debunking the the bubbler my...
43. WRITERS: Edgar Allan Poe in Providence
January 11, 2022 12:30 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBEpisode Description: While he never lived in Rhode Island, Edgar Allan Poe famously spent time here at the end of his life. He courted a Providence writer, Sarah Helen Whitman, and spent time at her East Side home, Swan Point Cemetery and the Athenaeum. Episode Source Material: About… – Edgar Allan Poe: Rhode Island Sarah Helen Whitman, Providence Poet Who Dumped Edgar Allan Poe - New England Historical Society Sarah Helen Whitman, Providence Poet Who Dumped Edgar Allan Poe - New Eng...
42. ANIMAL ESCAPE: Frosty The Polar Bear
January 04, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBA mini episode this week, with another animal escape. Frosty the Polar Bear escaped from the now-closed Slater Park Zoo, twice! Episode Source Material: Life After Slater Park Fanny the elephant to be freed Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, May 25, 1979, p. 13 Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, May 23, 1979, p. 13 'JATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM flNAME flLOCATION CLASSIFICATION OWNER OF PROPERTY LOCATION
41. WATERFIRE: In the Renaissance City
December 31, 2021 16:35 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWaterFire is the quintessential Providence experience, centering around a series of nearly 100 bonfires along the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. But just 40 years ago, you might not have even known that those rivers existed. If you think WaterFire isn’t weird, well, maybe it isn't. But the fact that, at one point, Providence completely covered its rivers, is. Episode Source Material: Maps of the Great Salt Cove: Cove Basin and its Evolution | ArtInRuins...
40. HOLIDAY MAGIC: The Polar Express
December 24, 2021 14:42 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBThe Polar Express has become a Christmas classic, but did you know it was written right here in RI by author Chris Van Allsburg? Episode Source Material: Chris Van Allsburg Christmas at the Van Allsburgs' | Holiday House Tour - New England Today About Chris Van Allsburg AT HOME WITH: Chris Van Allsburg; Bad Things Happen To Good Houses - The New York Times A Conversation with Chris Van Allsburg by Anita Silvey – The Polar Express 36 Harwich Rd, Providence, RI 02906 - realtor.com® T...
39. RHODESIDE ATTRACTIONS: The Big Blue Bug
December 14, 2021 11:27 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThe star of this week’s episode is a 58 foot long, 9 foot tall, 4,000 pound termite named Nibbles Woodaway. But you might know him better as the Big Blue Bug. Episode Source Material: Big Blue Bug Get To Know Us | The Big Blue Bug Of RI, MA & CT World's Largest Bug, Providence, Rhode Island Creator of RI's Big Blue Bug dies The Big Blue Bug in Providence is broken. What might happen next Big Blue Bug gets lit for 29th year Nibbles Woodaway and Lou Ferrigno join forces to benefit th...
38. FIRSTS: The First Presidential Phone Call
November 30, 2021 11:10 - 14 minutes - 10.5 MBThe first presidential phone call took place in Rhode Island, when Alexander Graham Bell called 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes as he attended a clambake at Rocky Point Park. To Visit: Rocky Point Ave. | Nothing to see but a sign, but you can stand where the first Presidential phone call took place, if that’s a thing you want to do. Episode Source Material: Rutherford B. Hayes has first phone installed in White House A clambake, slurs and phone sex: The long, strange history of pre...
37. ANIMAL ESCAPE: Rhoda the Sea Lion
November 23, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 11.4 MBCould a rumor that a sea lion escaped Roger Williams Zoo and made it all the way to the bay possibly be true? To Visit: Roger Williams Zoo | 1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI 02907 Episode Source Material: Roger Williams History Roger Williams Park - Wikipedia Horace Cleveland Rhode Island Providence 1T<.TT.7:::: Roger Williams Park Historic District See Description #7 Providence Tiernan #2 Rhode Isl History of American urban squirrel Temple To Music Sea Lions Sea Lions Return to ...
36. ABANDONED: The Railroad that Went Down with the Titanic
November 16, 2021 10:00 - 23 minutes - 17.5 MBWe’re heading to Woonsocket this week to check out a mural painted on what was an unassuming concrete wall you wouldn’t think twice about. But this concrete wall actually has an incredibly interesting backstory, one with ties to the Titanic. To Visit: Cass Ave, Woonsocket, RI - across from Woonsocket High School Episode Source Material: The Southern New England Railway Southern New England Railway - Wikipedia https://www.providencejournal.com/article/20140202/LIFESTYLE/302029971 NEW ...
35. GIANT PUMPKINS: And the RI Grower Who “Squashed” World Records
October 31, 2021 23:45 - 19 minutes - 14.8 MBIn 2006, Rhode Islander Ron Wallace grew the first 1,500 lb. pumpkin--something no one thought was possible. Then in 2012, he became the first person in the world to grow a pumpkin weighing 2,000 lbs. Now his goal is to be the first to grow a 3,000 lb. pumpkin… Hear about what it takes to grow a giant pumpkin, then try for yourself: Giant Pumpkin Seeds Wallace's Whoppers Episode Source Material: About Wallace Organic Wonder & Ron Wallace Organic Fertilizer Growing Giant Pumpkins in the...
34. HAUNTED: Ramtail Mill
October 26, 2021 09:55 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBOut in Foster, Rhode Island a ghost is rumored to haunt the place of his death. A factory that once stood along the Ponaganset river. And his presence has been noted so often and for so long in this place that it actually became Rhode Island’s only officially documented Haunted location. To Visit: In the woods off Route 6 and Ramtail Road, Foster, RI WARNING: This episode includes talk of death and suicide. Please take care when listening. Episode Source Material: Thomas D'Agostino, Rho...
33. CUMBERLAND LIBRARY: Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30PM
October 17, 2021 12:54 - 8 minutes - 6.28 MBCome meet me! I’ll be telling stories at the Cumberland Library on Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30PM. Check out this mini episode to learn the unique history of the Cumberland Library and its past life as a Trappist Monastery. Event Details: Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30PM Cumberland Public Library, 1464 Diamond Hill Rd, Cumberland, RI 02864 Weird Island: A Night of True Tales about Our Little State - Cumberland Public Library, 2021-10-20 Weird Island Live at Cumberland Library Oc...
32. HAUNTED: Newport’s Belcourt Castle
October 12, 2021 09:39 - 19 minutes - 14 MBBelcourt Castle, the third biggest mansion in Newport, was built as a bachelor pad for Oliver Belmont and his many horses. Over the years, it developed a reputation for its paranormal activity. To Visit: 657 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840 - Tours on Weekends Episode Source Material: Belcourt of Newport Ghost Hunters Investigate Newport's Belcourt Castle 'Ghosts of Belcourt Castle' - News - The Newport Daily News - Newport, RI Belcourt Castle – Haunted Houses The Ghosts Of Belcourt ...
31. BARNABY CASTLE: Part 2 | A Murder Mystery
October 05, 2021 09:35 - 27 minutes - 19.9 MBDon't just listen, see inside Barnaby Castle yourself at this years HALLOWEEN PARTY! Tickets at: http://www.kaitlyn-alyece-events.com/barnaby-castle Last week we explored the story of Barnaby Castle and the first person convicted of committing murder via the mail. This week, we’ll dive deeper into that murder mystery and ask, what if the man who was convicted didn’t do it? Plus, hear from one of the tenants living in Barnaby Castle about what it’s like to live in such a unique historica...
30. BARNABY CASTLE: First Murder by Mail
September 28, 2021 10:10 - 18 minutes - 13.8 MBBarnaby Castle, on Broadway in Providence, is this unusual looking building designed to suit its original owner, this larger-than-life personality and self-made millionaire named Jerothmul Bowers Barnaby. But while the story of J.B. Barnaby is interesting enough on its own, it’s actually his death that launches the most fascinating and odd part of this story - because his death set off a series of events that resulted in the very first murder committed via the mail. Don't just listen, see ...
29. MINI EPISODE: Pawtucket’s Hollywood Walk of Fame
September 14, 2021 12:05 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBPawtucket has it’s very own, tiny little “Walk of Fame” that Roadside America has dubbed “either the saddest or most optimistic Hollywood Walk of Fame.” I've got a Live Episode coming up on Monday, September 20th at 7:30pm! It's on Zoom, and if you wish to attend please email [email protected] and the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society will send you the Zoom link! Episode Source Material: Hollywood Walk of Fame Pawtucket, RI - Hollywood Walk of Fame Woody Allen's handprints on ...
28. TAYLOR SWIFT: The Story of Her Rhode Island Home
September 07, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 16.7 MBIn 2013, singer Taylor Swift showed up in Rhode Island with $17.7MM in cash and purchased a summer home called High Watch. Then, she wrote a song about it (see: “the last great american dynasty”). This is the real history behind Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island home. Episode Source Material: Holiday House (Watch Hill) The Outrageous Life of Rebekah Harkness, Taylor Swift’s High-Society Muse The story of Rebekah Harkness is way more complicated than Taylor Swift lets on Who is Rebekah Harkn...
27. GETTYSBURG GUN: A Cannonball Trapped in Time
August 31, 2021 09:00 - 21 minutes - 16.5 MBIn the entrance of the Rhode Island state house there is a cannon with a cannonball stuck in its muzzle. And for 100 years, no one checked to see if that cannon was filled with explosive gunpowder. To Visit: Rhode Island State House | 82 Smith St, Providence, RI 02903 Episode Source Material: Our Story: The Lives and Legacy of Those Who Served in Battery B First Rhode Island Light Artillery On the Gettysburg anniversary, a cannon in R.I. has a story to tell First Floor - Rhode Island ...
26. MINI EPISODE: The Madman of Jerimoth Hill
August 17, 2021 10:04 - 10 minutes - 9.21 MBSome people spend months or years trying to visit the highest point in every state. Rhode Island’s is Jerimoth Hill, and it’s the 5th lowest highest point in the U.S. But if you think that means it’s always been easy to get to, think again. To Visit: The trailhead is right on Route 101/Hartford Pike, approximately 0.8 miles east of the Connecticut state line. Parking is across the road from the trailhead. Be careful crossing Rt.101/Hartford Pike. Episode Source Material: Highest Elevati...
25. MINI EPISODE: Tombstone Tourism at Precious Blood
August 10, 2021 09:00 - 12 minutes - 9.63 MBPrecious Blood Cemetery in Woonsocket is one of Rhode Island’s most haunted cemeteries, after a natural disaster left spirits searching for their loved ones--and even their own body parts! In addition to its paranormal activity, this cemetery features interesting graves, including that of Marie Rose Ferron, America’s first stigmatic. Episode Source Material Precious Blood Cemetery – Woonsocket, Rhode Island Precious Blood Cemetery Rose Ferron Foundation of Rhode Island - Woonsocket, RI ...
24. SISTINE CHAPEL OF NEW ENGLAND: St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center
August 03, 2021 09:00 - 26 minutes - 21.2 MBHidden away in Woonsocket, RI is a church that has been called the Sistine Chapel of New England. Inside is one of the largest collections of frescoes in the United States. While the artwork is incredible, it’s only the beginning. After the paintings draw you in, what you find are stories--because all 475 people painted into the frescoes are real people who lived in Woonsocket in the 1940s. And some of these stories will make you say, “Wow, I’ve never heard something like that before.” To...
23. MINI EPISODE: Woonsocket’s Hachikō Statue
July 27, 2021 10:30 - 11 minutes - 8.78 MBHave you heard the story of Hachiko, Japan’s most loyal dog? Find out why there’s a statue of Hachiko hidden in Woonsocket, RI. To Visit: 1 Depot Square, Woonsocket, RI 02895 Episode Source Material: Akita (dog) History of the Akita Breed - The Akita Breed Akita History: Hachikō & the Revival of the Devoted Japanese Breed – American Kennel Club 15 thoughts on “What does Hachiko mean?” Hachikō Hidesaburō Ueno Hachi: A Dog's Tale Around New England: Woonsocket's Railroad Station's ...
22. SLATER THE TRAITOR: Father of the American Industrial Revolution
July 20, 2021 10:00 - 20 minutes - 15.8 MBEpisode Source Material The Birth of American Industry: Why Pawtucket? - Online Review of Rhode Island History The Industrial Revolution - The Big Story - Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Rhode Island and the Industrial Revolution | EnCompass Slater Mill | EnCompass Brown University Portrait Collection Wikipedia, History of Rhode Island Samuel Slater - Wikipedia David Wilkinson (machinist) How America's Industrial Revolution Was Launched by Spies Hannah Wilkinson ...
21. MINI EPISODE: What the heck is Cumberlandite?
July 13, 2021 10:19 - 11 minutes - 8.88 MBEpisode Source Material: GEOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND - 184 The American journal of science Rhode Island State Rock: Cumberlandite Cumberlandite Raw Cubes stone of Venus – Song of Stones GC51DR2 Only in Rhode Island (Earthcache) in Rhode Island, United States created by Twohig260 Walking RI: Hunt for RI's rare state rock at Cumberland's Blackall/Ballou Preserve Cumberlandite - Cumberland, Rhode Island USA - Places of Geologic Significance on Waymarking.com Historic and ...