Episoder

  • Oscar 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 CatMaking Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat - Kindle edition by Dosa, David. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.Classic cases revisited: Oscar the cat and predicting death - PMCMeet Oscar, the Cat that Predicts Death and Provides ComfortThis Cat Sensed Death. What if Computers Could, Too? - The New York TimesCan animals predict death? | HowStuffWorksOscar (therapy cat) - WikipediaCat's 'Sixth Sense': Predicting Death?

    General on Cats

    A Brief History of House CatsCats Domesticated Themselves, Ancient DNA ShowsThe Taming of the Cat - PMCStress, security, and scent: The influence of chemical signals on the social lives of domestic cats and implications for applied settings - ScienceDirectDogs Vs. Cats: A Comparison of the 5 Senses – MIDORICIDE

    Death and Diseases, further info

    What to expect when someone is in the last few days of life | Hospice UK.Core body temperatures during final stages of life—an evaluation of data from in-hospital decedents | SpringerLinkHeart attack - Symptoms and causes - Mayo ClinicIdentifying human diamine sensors for death related putrescine and cadaverine molecules | PLOS Computational BiologyProgrammed cell death and apoptosis in aging and life span regulation

    Predicting Death

    Development of multivariable prediction models for institutionalization and mortality in the full spectrum of Alzheimer’s diseasePredicting Death: An Empirical Evaluation of Predictive Tools for Mortality | Medical Journals and Publishing | JAMA Internal Medicine

    Studies on Scents

    Scents and Senescence: "Old Person Smell" Is Real, but Not Necessarily Offensive - Scientific AmericanThe Scent of Disease: Human Body Odor Contains an Early Chemosensory Cue of SicknessSick People Smell Bad: Why Dogs Sniff Dogs, Humans Sniff Humans, and Dogs Sometimes Sniff Humans - Scientific American Blog NetworkSweat smells like ammonia: Causes and treatmentDisease and odor: An intriguing relationshipThe electronic nose technology in clinical diagnosis: A systematic review12 Diseases Doctors Can Actually Detect Through Smell

    Bio-Detection Dogs

    Diagnostic Accuracy of Canine Scent Detection in Early- and Late-Stage Lung and Breast CancersDogs can discriminate between human baseline and psychological stress condition odours | PLOS ONE How Do Dogs Sniff Out Diseases? | Discover MagazineThe science of sniffs: disease smelling dogs :: Understanding Animal Research

    Therapy Animals / Our Relationship with Animals

    The difference between dead and away: An exploratory study of behavior change during companion animal euthanasia - ScienceDirectAnimal-assisted therapy in adults: A systematic review - ScienceDirectAn Evaluation of the benefits that animal-assisted therapy provide to the terminally iII and their familiesAnimal-Assisted Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review | SpringerLinkMeasuring the Effects of an Animal-Assisted Intervention for Pediatric Oncology Patients and Their ParentsPet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk | Circulation

    Other Animal Abilities

    Toads able to detect earthquake days beforehand, says study | Animal behaviour | The GuardianSharks use Earth's magnetic field to navigate the seas | Science | AAAS. Fire-chasing beetles sense infrared radiation from fires hundreds of kilometres away.
  • Hey 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 have 100% forgotten some (Spotify history needs to go back farther!), so I’ll keep adding!

    Local Stories:

    Crimetown (If you haven’t already listened to this one, this is a MUST)Mosaic (amazing)The Memory Palace (One of my ALL TIME favorite writers. Not every episode is local, but you’ll stumble across many that are)New England LegendsThe Bowery Boys (New York, but lots of crossover)

    Not local, but I think you love them:

    Heavyweight (This is my favorite podcast of all time.)SidedoorUnexplainableNot Past ItNice Try (highly recommend the episode on bidets)HISTORY This WeekOlogiesLoreMeet your Heroes
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  • While 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 LibraryWe choose to go to the Moon - WikipediaBeta cloth - WikipediaBA 500BC / CF500 F (Beta Cloth, Beta Fabric) – Bron AerotechPopular Science | November 1967Comparison of Observed Beta Cloth Interactions with Simulated and Actual Space EnvironmentBeta Cloth Durability Assessment for Space Station Freedom (SSF) Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) Blanket CoversApollo Applications of Beta Fiber GlassLunar Dust Effects on Spacesuit SystemsMan in Machine: Apollo-Era Space Suits as Artifacts of Technology and Culture | Douglas N. LantryAPOLLO SPACE SUITJourneying to the Moon in a Suit of Glass | Behind the GlassTensile Fabrics Enhance Architecture Around the World | NASA SpinoffOwens Corning 2019 Sustainability ReportOur HistoryOwens Corning - WikipediaOwens-Corning Records, 1938-Present , MSS-222OWENS-CORNING MILESTONESCoated Membrane Materials for Use in Construction of Stressed Membrane StructuresBeta Cloth Patches50 Years on, Apollo 11 Spacesuit Continues to Influence Imaginations and New Designs | KQEDTextiles in space - Textile Technology SourceSpace Mission Patches - About PatchesToledo's Owens Corning made Apollo 11 spacesuits possible | The Blade

    If you want to know more about: Playtex and Space Suits

    Playtex - WikipediaWhat Did Playtex Have to Do With Neil Armstrong? | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian MagazineThe seamstresses who helped put a man on the moon: When NASA needed a lunar spacesuit, they turned to the women who sewed girdles and bras for Playtex - CBS NewsHow Playtex Helped Win the Space Race | Mental Floss

    The Apollo 1 & the Space Race:

    Apollo 1 - WikipediaThe Legacy of the Apollo 1 Disaster | Science| Smithsonian MagazineApollo to the Moon: A History in 50 ObjectsThe Space Race: Timeline, Cold War & Facts - HISTORYApollo | History, Missions, Significance, & Facts | BritannicaHow Apollo 11 Raised The Flag On The Moon, And What It Means TodayWhere No Flag Has Gone Before:How the race to the Moon–with an assist from pop culture–changed the meaning of the word 'technology'Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

    Ashton Mill

    Ashton - Blackstone River ValleyLabor news clippings, 22 scrapbooks, 1867-1902National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form
  • This 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

    Episode Source Material

    Meet Me At The Biltmore | Amanda Quay BlountDutee Wilcox Flint - The Meteoric Rise and Disastrous Fall of a Ford Dealer and Confidant of Henry Ford | HemmingsOnce Largest Auto Dealer in World — Lost Fortune in 1929 Market Crash | April 2, 1961OT - Ford Agent Dutee Wilcox FlintHorseless Age: The Automobile Trade Magazine, Volume 38 - July 1, 1916Ford Times, Volume 7The New York Times | June 8, 1940Our HistoryFord Motor Company | Detroit Historical SocietyFord Motor Company incorporated - HISTORYLast day of Model T production at Ford - HISTORYChronology of call letters WDWF | Radio-TV Broadcast HistoryResolutions and Ordinances of the City Council of the City of Providence ...Crystal ReceiversRhode Island Radio - WEANWPRO (AM) - WikipediaRadio World - October 7, 1922https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Age-20s/Radio-Age-1922-11.pdfThis Day in History, 1927: Ford reveals its Model A to an eager public | HemmingsPossner Castle | ArtInRuinsWPRV - WikipediaIntroduction of the New Ford Carhttp://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/506218/575684.html?1444755798http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/479401.html?1410787237US1480056A - Wooden shaft - Google Patents
  • This 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 today.

    Episode Source Material

    Image 9 of Massasoit's town Sowams in Pokanoket, its history, legends and traditions,Massasoit’s Illness, and How Winslow Cured Him - Account of Winslow visiting Massasoit Ousamequin Massasoit, Chief Who Signed Treaty With the Pilgrims, To Be Reburied | Smart News| Smithsonian MagazineSowams Heritage Area BrochureSowams Heritage Area Historical OverviewSowams Lives Four Centuries Later - coastalmags.comThis Once Was Called Sowams - Reporter TodayPokanoket booklet FINAL SMALL.pdfwith Ancient Records of Sowams and Parts Adjacent, illustrated. – Rhode Island History NavigatorSowams: with Ancient Records of Sowams and Parts Adjacent–Illustrated - Written by Thomas W Bicknell, 1908Burr's HillEarly History - Narragansett Indian Tribe. Mount Hope Farm To Celebrate 400 Years Since First Thanksgiving | Bristol, RI PatchAll the Facts About Thanksgiving | Newport, RI PatchProclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1806, Rhode Island - WallBuildersFor Indigenous people, Thanksgiving represents a day of mourningWhite House Thanksgiving Turkeys in the Roaring '20sHow to Tell the Thanksgiving Story on Its 400th Anniversary | History| Smithsonian MagazineThis tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later.Thanksgiving's hidden past: Plymouth in 1621 wasn't close to being the first celebrationWampanoag HistoryTribal chief who signed treaty with Pilgrims to be reburiedPokanoket - WikipediaWampanoag - WikipediaHistory of the Pokanoket TribePokanoket is the name of the Massasoit’s tribe, not “Wampanoag” – Sowams Heritage AreaPokanoket not Wampanoag in 17th century Sowams June 5, 2020Warren's HistoryBurr’s Hill Pokanoket Royal Burial Ground – Sowams Heritage AreaThe Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage They Imbue | History| Smithsonian MagazineThe true, dark history of Thanksgiving - Potawatomi.orgEverything You Learned About Thanksgiving Is Wrong - The New York TimesThis Land is Their LandCulture — Mashpee Wampanoag TribeIn 1621, the Wampanoag Tribe Had Its Own AgendaOf Patuxet - Colonial Society of MassachusettsThe History of the Pokanoket Tribal Diaspora
  • On 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 SpragueJohn Gordon - Online Review of Rhode Island HistoryThe Murder of Amasa Sprague, and the Irishman Persecuted for the Crime - New England Historical SocietyWeird Hauntings: True Tales of Ghostly PlacesTrial of John Gordon and William Gordon, Charged With the Murder of Amasa SpragueState v. John Gordon, 1 R.I. 179 | Casetext Search + Citatorhttp://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText11/SenateText11/S0371A.htmhttps://read.amazon.com/?asin=B00XRFTWVI&ref_=dbs_t_r_kcrIrish-Italian ratio in R.I.is close, Census Bureau saysWhen America Despised the Irish: The 19th Century’s Refugee Crisis - HISTORYDorr Rebellion - Wikipediaamasa sprague | The Cotton Boll ConspiracyThe Execution of John Gordon, a Victim of Anti-Irish Catholic Prejudice - Online Review of Rhode Island HistoryEditors at Providence Journal Discriminated Against Irish-Americans - Online Review of Rhode Island HistoryThe Irish of Rhode Island (Part I, 1638-1921)New England Families, Genealogical and MemorialDorr Rebellion | Rhode Island's Very Own, Very Small Civil War - New England Today
  • Have 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 HouseAndrea Perron on the true story behind The Conjuring | FreesatAndrea Perron Conjures The Facts of Her Family's Haunted Past In "Bathsheba: Search for Evil" - Rue MorgueRhode Island’s ‘Conjuring’ house sold, with one stipulation: No one can live there year-round - The Boston Globe'Death is not the end': Member of 'The Conjuring' family returns to Burrillville house‘Bathsheba: Search for Evil’ tells true story of the Perron family, ‘The Conjuring’ inspiration - National | Globalnews.caCorrecting the Conjuring House History | Skeptical InquirerDispelling Demons: Detective Work at The Conjuring House | Skeptical Inquirerhttps://preservation.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur406/files/pdfs_zips_downloads/national_pdfs/burrillville/burr_harrisville-mill-village-hd.pdfEd and Lorraine Warren - WikipediaEd and Lorraine WarrenLorraine Warren, Paranormal Investigator Portrayed in ‘The Conjuring,’ Dies at 92 - The New York TimesAbout - NESPRPerron Family Haunting - NESPRFrom the archives: Ed and Lorraine Warren of 'The Conjuring' Have a Long History of Paranormal Investigation in Connecticut (April 1972)https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/19251916:60525The Terrifying Rise of Haunted TourismAndrea Perron returns to RI to tell the true story behind 'The Conjuring' | Arts And Living | independentri.com
  • Ann & 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 ARCHIPEDIAAnn & Hope mill sells for $3.5 million | News | valleybreeze.comDevelopers unveil proposal for old Ann & Hope building | WPRI.comHistoricandArchitectural Resources of Cumberland, Rhode IslandThe Hermit of Study Hill: Where are Blackstone’s bones? – Rhode's GalleryBrown and IvesLonsdale Company Records (MSS 9 SG 2)Ann & Hope - WikipediaPassages: Irwin Chase, co-founder of Ann & Hope department store, paved way for Walmart, KmartThe Wal-Mart RevolutionHow to be a Billionaire: Proven Strategies from the Titans of WealthCaptain Wilbur Kelly - Blackstone River ValleyThe Landmark | BVHS HistoricandArchitectural Resources of Cumberland, Rhode IslandThe mysterious case of William Blackstone’s remains | News | valleybreeze.comWilliam Blackstone Memorial Park | quahog.orgNational Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form 1. Name 2 Location 3. Classification 4. Owner of Property 5. LocaBlackstone River State Park, Bikeway, and Visitor's Center HistoryMill Preservation in the Blackstone River ValleyRhode Island Jewish Historical Notes | 1972Ann & Hope: America's First Superstore | Down the Rhode #11993 Annual ReportDiscount store - Wikipedia
  • Have 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 the first-ever nationally advertised remedy for chronic pain.

    Want to know more? Check out these other podcasts:

    Painkiller: America's Fentanyl Crisis | Podcast on SpotifyHow The Opioid Industry Operated Like A Cartel - Fresh Air | Podcast on SpotifyHooked | Podcast on Spotify

    About Perry Davis’ Pain-Killer:

    These Plantations | By J. Earl ClausonHistory of Providence, Rhode Island - 3 - Published 1878 The Story of Perry Davis and His PainkillerThe History of Drug Advertising | Weill Cornell Medicine Samuel J. Wood LibraryMark Twain quotations - Perry Davis Pain-KillerChapter 12 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Mark Twain | Lit2Go ETCPerry Davis’ Vegetable Pain Killer | windowthroughtimeGreat Island Historian's LogProvidence Landmark Sold: Built By Painkiller FamilyWindswept

    Perry Davis’ Vegetable Pain-Killer - Ads and Marketing Materials

    Perry Davis' Vegetable Pain Killer - ECU Digital Collections[Perry Davis, bust, facing right, on advertisement for Perry Davis' vegetable pain killer] | Library of Congress - ImagesLewiston Evening Journal - August 4, 1891 | AdvertisementUS Navy Patent Medicine Perry Davis Vegetable Pain Killer c. 1900 color promo – AdvertisementAround the World in 40 Years Booklet Patent Medicine Used by Australian Gold Miners Pain Killer by Perry Davis → a Patent medicine booklet about Perry Davis’ Pain Killer[Patent medicine labels for Perry Davis & Son, showing view of Providence, R.I., and four patent medicine bottles] / Kilburn & Mallory sc., Boston.CIRCA 1900 BOOKLET - DAVIS PAIN-KILLER - PERRY DAVIS & SON PROVIDENCE RI - Advertisement1868 PAIN KILLER ALMANAC. PERRY DAVIS AND SON, PROVIDENCE RI

    Patent Medicines / Medicine History:

    History of Patent Medicine"A most detestable medicine." America's Real Drug ProblemPain-Killer: A 19th Century Global Patent Medicine and the Beginnings of Modern Brand Marketing - Ross D. Petty, 2019How Advertising Shaped the First Opioid Epidemic | Science| Smithsonian MagazineThe History of Opiates | Michael's House Treatment CenterA History Of Opioids In America : NPRPurdue Pharma taps a Gilded Age history of pharmaceutical fraudHistory of aspirin - WikipediaThe strange history of opiates in America: from morphine for kids to heroin for soldiers | James Nevius | The GuardianAdministered for pain, drugs like OxyContin have taken a massive toll | HubPrescription Painkillers | Northern Nevada Medical Center Reno–Sparks.Medicated nation: 1 in 3 people take over-the-counter painkillers daily - Study Finds

    Edmund Davis’s Death - If you want to learn more about that!

    The Mysterious Death of a Fisherman on the Grand Cascapedia River | Gaspesian Heritage WebMagazineThe American Fly Fisher
  • Long 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 | 1910Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum Celebrates African-American Food | Cranston, RI PatchProvidence Waterways: StoryMapA noble tradition - The Bay State BannerThe Truth about Baked Beans: An Edible History of New EnglandON THE RHODE TO FREEDOM | stagesoffreedomGabriel Bernon | Goodwin-Genealogy WikiaRhode Island's Shellfish Heritage: An Ecological HistoryGoing Deep Into Oyster Country - The New York TimesHistory on the Half-Shell: The Story of New York City and Its OystersThe History of Oysters: Its Rise as a Delicacy and a Staple Food Beloved by ManyA 19th Century Black Success Story: The Downing Family | HistoryNetAncient Australians and Americans Ate Billions of Oysters Over MillenniaOyster Archaeology: Ancient Trash Holds Clues To Sustainable Harvesting : The Salt : NPRHow Oysters Became a Source of Economic Freedom for Emancipated Black Folks - Earth in Coloroyster cellars | Restaurant-ing through history.Oyster bar - WikipediaCITY LORE; When the Oyster Was Their World - The New York TimesThomas Downing (restaurateur) - WikipediaHow a child of Virginia slaves became the oyster king of New York — and a favorite of the Queen of England – The Virginian-PilotGeorge Thomas Downing (1819 - 1903) — BLACK and EducationGeorge T. Downing - The Fight for Black Mobility: Traveling to Mid-Century ConventionsOn Staten Island, one of NYC's oldest African American enclaves is preserved - Curbed NYRossville, Staten Island - WikipediaFinding Freedom Through Oysters in 19th Century New York (Part Two) | Department of History | NC State UniversityEp 18 – Sandy Ground – The African American Oyster Community – City BetweenNative American Secrets Lie Buried in Huge Shell Mounds - The New York TimesThe Voluminous Shell Heaps Hidden in Plain Sight All Over NYC - Gastro Obscura
  • In 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 1977Providence Cyclodrome | ArtInRuinsForgotten Stadiums: The CycledromeCycledrome History | Pro-Football-Reference.comCycledrome - Wikipedia.Deflategate, Roaring '20s Style: New England's 1st Controversial NFL Champions | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher ReportWay before the Patriots, Providence fans enjoyed title ride with Steam RollerForgotten Stadiums: Kinsley ParkMotor-Paced - RI SPORTS CHRONICLECranston Historical SocietyProvidence Steam Roller – NFL & the Great DepressionThe Birth of the National Football League - HISTORYHow the NFL took over America in 100 yearsWho Invented (American) Football - HISTORYProvidence Steam RollerDecade by Decade The 1920s and Providence | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official SiteThrill of the 6-day race: When endurance cycling was the sport to watch – Chicago TribuneRhode Island History Journal: Volume 77 No. 1 by The Rhode Island Historical Society - IssuuA Revolution On Two Wheels: Columbia Bicycles - Connecticut History | a CTHumanities ProjectThe Safety Bicycle and Beyond | Smithsonian InstitutionNewark: Cradle of Cycling in the Sport's Golden AgeSix Day Bike Racing Was a Far More Brutal Predecessor of the Tour de France....Who Killed It and Why?Six-Day Racing in America - Peloton MagazineBike Racing 1920s | Ephemeral New York
  • So, 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, RILovecraft’s 2nd Home: 598 Angell Street, Providence, RISt. John’s Churchyard: 271 N. Main Street, Providence, RILovecraft’s 3rd Home: 10 Barnes Street, Providence, RILovecraft’s Final Home: 65 Prospect StreetLovecraft’s Grave: Swan Point Cemetery

    Episode Source Material

    H. P. Lovecraft: Nightmare Countries (The Master of Cosmic Horror) by S. T. Joshi (2012) HardcoverToday We Celebrate the Short, Unhappy Life of H.P. Lovecraft | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine H. P. Lovecraft - WikipediaThe Fantasy Author H.P. Lovecraft at 125: Genius, Cult Icon, Racist - The AtlanticHer Letters To Lovecraft: Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft – Deep Cuts in a Lovecraftian VeinLovecraftian horror — and the racism at its core — explainedHoward Phillips Lovecraft: The Life of a Gentleman of ProvidenceGuide to Lovecraftian Sites in Rhode IslandH.P. Lovecraft Birthplace - Providence, Rhode Island USA - Childhood Homes on Waymarking.comHow to Find the Spirit of H.P. Lovecraft in Providence - The New York TimesReanimating Providence | The Haunts and Hauntings of H. P. LovecraftI Am Providence”: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft – Chris Thayer - IssuuA Literary History of Weird Fiction: An Interview with S. T. JoshiThe Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft
  • In 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. Thank you to everyone who continues to listen and support me on this little podcasting journey! It truly means the world to me.

    Episode Source Material

    Remembering Smithfield: Sketches of Apple ValleyHanton City, Rhode IslandThe Diary of Thomas Vernon: A Loyalist, Banished from Newport by the Rhode Island General Assembly 1776Are There Ghosts in Smithfield's “Haunted City?”Benjamin Harrington, of Providence (c.1618 - 1694) - GenealogyThey Live Alone in Ghost Towns - The New York TimesGhost Towns - Why do we love abandoned places?Ghost town - WikipediaWilliam Harrington or HerringtonHerendeen Descendants ReportTown of Smithfield HistoryHistoricandArchitectural Resources of Smithfield, Rhode Island:Hanton City Road Area -... - Greater Rhode Island Roaming | FacebookThe Early Records of the Town of Providence
  • Have 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 some amazing behind-the-scenes stories that shed light on everything that goes into keeping a historic building like this one open for all to enjoy.

    Episode Source Material

    https://preservation.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur406/files/pdfs_zips_downloads/national_pdfs/providence/prov_weybosset-street-220_loews-state-theater.pdfPPAC History | Providence Performing Arts CenterLoews Cineplex Entertainment - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_(movie_theater)Movie palace - WikipediaThe Theaters of Providence Part 2 – The Modern Era - Online Review of Rhode Island HistoryRapp and Rapp - WikipediaProvidence Performing Arts Center - WikipediaProvidence Performing Arts Center | Rhode TourProvidence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI - Cinema TreasuresThe Theaters of Providence, Part 1 – The Early Years - Online Review of Rhode Island HistoryLoew's State Theatre, Palace Concert Theater & Ocean State TheatrePolitics and Pasta History of film - WikipediaSilent film - WikipediaProvidence Performing Arts Center (Loew's State Theatre) | SAH ARCHIPEDIAPalace Theater, (Ocean State Theatre, Performing Arts Center), 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI“Playing the Palace”: A History Of Motion Picture Palaces - The CreditsMovie Palaces Let Everyday Americans Be Royalty | Smart News| Smithsonian MagazineA very short history of cinema | National Science and Media Museum
  • In 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 parking lot near the business’s dumpster. The monument is directly behind the dumpster. It’s in thick brush. You won’t see it at first, but if you walk to the edge of the busy road (be safe) right in line with the dumpster, you’ll see a break in the bushes where the monument is hidden.

    Episode Source Material

    Jackson Was Murdered And Carter Was Hanged For It-But That Is All We're Sure About - Online Review of Rhode Island HistoryMemoirs of the Rhode Island Bar | Wilkins UpdikeThe Narragansett Historical Register | Volume 1 1882-3The Narragansett Historical Register | Volume II 1883-84The Narragansett Historical Register | Volume VII 1889State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the End of the Century: A History | 1902Literary Gossip, Criticisms of Books and Local Historical Matters Connected with Rhode Island | 1902South Kingstown Public Library Digital Collections | Hazard Diary 009Joseph Peace Hazard PapersMysterious Carter Jackson Monument, South Kingstown, Rhode IslandJoseph Peace Hazard: Rhode Island Spiritualist · Introduction · Special Collections ExhibitsMurder memorials: A grisly history written in stone - BBC NewsMurder stone - WikipediaThe Gibbet: A Disturbing Execution Practice Meant To Deter CriminalsThe Gibbet — History's Most Inhumane Punishment | by HdogarWho was Joseph Peace Hazard? | SKPL HistoryNational Register of Historic Places Registration Form GHanging in Chains - Harnessing the Power of the Criminal Corpse - NCBI BookshelfThe Incredibly Disturbing Historical Practice of GibbetingMemorials and MonumentsWhy Just 'Adding Context' to Controversial Monuments May Not Change Minds | History| Smithsonian MagazineWho do American monuments honor the most? A landmark study finally has answers.
  • The 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, RI 02860

    Episode Source Material:

    If you really enjoy diners, read anything by Richard Gutman: American Diner Then and Now: Gutman, Richard JS: 9780801865367: Amazon.com: BooksA Life Devoted to the American Diner | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian MagazineNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM NAME LOCATION tq.Modern Diner – Pawtucket, Rhode Island - Gastro ObscuraRestaurateur sues, wants shirt off Disney's rackRHODE ISLAND DINER SETTLES TRADEMARK SUIT WITH DISNEY – Orlando SentinelWhy So Many Diners Look Like Train Cars - Gastro ObscuraStreamline Moderne - Wikipedia.Hidden for more than 75 years, the origins of a Chepachet diner are being revealed | WJARHistory of Purple Cat Restaurant to be preserved by new owners | News | valleybreeze.comDrive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and TriviaFrom Hash House to Family Restaurant: The Transformation of the Diner and Post-World War II Consumer CultureDINER HISTORYWalter Scott – Rhode Island Heritage Hall of FameModern DinerHOW THE DINER GOT ITS START – Daily PressDiner - WikipediaWhere No-Frills Fast Food (the Real Thing) Was Born - The New York TimesRhode Island Diners – Where to Eat – Vacation Travel InfoFrom Chuck Wagons to Pushcarts: The History of the Food TruckFood truck - WikipediaTH Buckley- Come Get Your American DreamThe Transition from Horse-Drawn to StationaryThe Classic American EntrepreneurshipThe Original Lunch WagonsThe Masters of the Booming Lunch Car IndustryAppealing to the customersDiners of New England | Randy GarbinBluefield Daily Telegraph | April 1, 1987Clovis News Journal | June 22, 1986Today's specialHaven Brothers: Legacy of the American Diner – Food on a truck, man! - MotifPROVIDENCE DINER, 97, VS. CITY HALL, '87 - The New York TimesNews in Antebellum AmericaLong Live the Lunch Wagon King! Worcester's Diners Prove Resilient | Mass Food & WineWhence Came the Rhode Island Food Truck? | Edible RhodyHistory of the American Diner - Legendary Route 66
  • If 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 - WikipediaHaven BrosHaven BrothersProvidence Journal | Mark PatinkinDrive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and TriviaAunt Carrie, Mother Prentice were ahead of their time | | ricentral.comThe Cowl | November 19, 1988RI icon Haven Brothers gets a taste of movie fameA Life Devoted to the American Diner | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian MagazineFrom Hash House to Family Restaurant: The Transformation of the Diner and Post-World War II Consumer CultureDINER HISTORYWalter Scott – Rhode Island Heritage Hall of FameModern DinerHOW THE DINER GOT ITS START – Daily PressDiner - WikipediaWhere No-Frills Fast Food (the Real Thing) Was Born - The New York TimesRhode Island Diners – Where to Eat – Vacation Travel InfoFrom Chuck Wagons to Pushcarts: The History of the Food TruckFood truck - WikipediaTH Buckley- Come Get Your American DreamThe Transition from Horse-Drawn to StationaryThe Classic American EntrepreneurshipThe Original Lunch WagonsThe Masters of the Booming Lunch Car IndustryAppealing to the customersDiners of New England | Randy GarbinBluefield Daily Telegraph | April 1, 1987Clovis News Journal | June 22, 1986Today's specialHaven Brothers: Legacy of the American Diner – Food on a truck, man! - MotifPROVIDENCE DINER, 97, VS. CITY HALL, '87 - The New York TimesNews in Antebellum AmericaLong Live the Lunch Wagon King! Worcester's Diners Prove Resilient | Mass Food & WineWhence Came the Rhode Island Food Truck? | Edible Rhody
  • When 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 DecisionsSTATE v. BALLARD | FindLawNewport Daily News Newspaper Archives, Mar 10, 1979, p. 1Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, Mar 9, 1979Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives Aug 16, 1979Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, Oct 16, 1979, p. 8Newport Daily News Newspaper Archives, Mar 13, 1980, p. 8Wright's rules the roost
  • Episode 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, RIPidge Tavern was at 586 Pawtucket Avenue

    Episode Source Material

    It's No Typo | Paul Parker | January 19, 2020 (Search “Pidge” in the Journal Archive)Not gone after all - The Providence Journal, 3/8/2020A Toll, A Tavern, and A Farm: A History of Pidge AvenueNew York Times | Granville Standish Jr. ObituaryHistoric Taverns of Rhode Island | Robert A GeakeRhode Island · George Washington's Mount VernonTo George Washington from Nicholas Cooke, 4 April 1776Rochambeau | American Battlefield TrustMarquis de Lafayette | American Battlefield TrustDexter House | preserveriHistory & Culture - Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail (US National Park Service)
  • Carousels 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 Island: Looff Carousel (Local LegaciesHistory | Crescent Park CarouselCrescent Park Looff Carousel - WikipediaFlying Horse Carousel - WikipediaCharles ID Looff - WikipediaTHE CAROUSELS OF CONEY ISLANDCharles ID Looff Historical MarkerCharles ID Looff - A Level Above - Pier RatsWhen the Hippodrome Was Hip: The Looff Carousel and the Era of Seaside Amusement | KCETCarousel of HappinessThe Dizzy History of Carousels Begins With Knights | Smart News| Smithsonian MagazineCarousel - WikipediaCrescent Park Carousel | Preservation RICrescent Park | ArtInRuinsA Horse is a Horse: FWMoA's Looff Carousel Horse"Life's just a merry-go-round": Exploring carousel animals in the museum's collection | National Museum of American HistoryThe History of the Carousel | Origins of the CarouselCarousel AKA Merry Go Round – The Vintage LensCarousels, Roundabouts and Merry-Go-Rounds in Art | DailyArt MagazineCarousel CarversAround the World of Carousel Art.Crescent Park (defunct amusement park) - WikipediaCrescent ParkThe Coney Island of the East Coast - Reporter TodayBrass RingFlying Horses Carousel - WikipediaThe Watch Hill Flying Horse Carousel - WESTERLY RIAndrew Christian and Charles W.F. Dare - Part 1Brooklyn Daily Eagle | July 31, 1899Trolley park - Wikipediahttps://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/6974427c-b4f4-49ae-8ca2-05d79c1f90b8Pawtucket Slater Park Looff Carousel