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    Block Island
    Block Island
    Block Island
    Ebook155 pages1 hour

    Block Island

    By Donald A. D’Amato and Henry A. L. Brown

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    About this ebook

    Treasured by locals and visitors alike, the charm of Block Island, Rhode Island, first developed as a summer resort in the late 1800s, is shown here throughout its history, from its begininning in 1637, to farming and fishing community, to summer scenes of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.


    Block Island explores the evolution of the small, 7-by-3-mile island that lies between Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Montauk Point, New York. In 1637, Block Island, also known as "New Shoreham," was claimed by Massachusetts soldiers who took the land away from the Manisses Indians. When the island was sold to 16 proprietors in 1660, the history of Block Island as part of Rhode Island began. At any time of the year, Block Island has a special look and charm of its own. In addition to its beautiful sandy beaches and thundering surf, the island is plentiful with rolling hills, fertile valleys, and ponds. Within these pages, meet the early residents of the island and learn how this farming and fishing community first developed as a summer resort destination in the late 1800s. Summer scenes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including views of the steamers that arrived daily carrying thousands of passengers from New York, Connecticut, and other parts of Rhode Island, are also featured in this collection.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 1, 1999
    ISBN9781439616321
    Block Island
    Author

    Donald A. D’Amato

    Authors Donald A. D'Amato and Henry A.L. Brown have crafted this photographic record of the community's past as a tribute to the people and places who have helped to shape Block Island's rich history. With over 200 photographs and postcards accompanied by an insightful narrative, Brown and D'Amato recapture the vibrant spirit of a fascinating community.

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      Book preview

      Block Island - Donald A. D’Amato

      appreciated.

      INTRODUCTION

      Circled by waters that never freeze,

      Beaten by billow and swept by breeze,

      Lieth the Island of Manisses.

      —John Greenleaf Whittier

      One of the state of Rhode Island’s greatest treasures is Block Island with its sandy beaches and thundering surf. The island, 7 miles long and 3.5 miles wide, was known to the Narragansett Indians as Manisses (Little God’s) Island. It lies in the Atlantic, between Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Montauk Point, New York.

      Block Island, or New Shoreham as it is also known, is far enough from any mainland to have developed a history of its own. Its past is laced with fascinating accounts of greed-induced warfare, dastardly pirates and privateers, heroic resistance to tyranny, and self-sacrificing attempts to rescue vessels cruelly battered near the island’s rock-infested shoal waters.

      At any time of the year, Block Island has a special look and charm of its own. In addition to the rolling hills and fertile valleys, the island has an estimated 365 ponds, puddles, and sinkholes—one for every day of the year. Block Island also has great clay cliffs that rise to a height of 150 feet, while Beacon Hill in the central part of the island rises to a height of 234 feet.

      In addition to the scenery and summer climate, Block Island presents one of the most fascinating dichotomies found in Rhode Island. During the summer months, its harbors are full of pleasure craft, its hotels teem with tourists, and the population soars upward of 7,000. In sharp contrast, the winter population is a sparse 500, boats are few, and even the Block Island Ferry, the island’s primary contact with the mainland, often does not make the trip.

      The island’s history also presents us with an interesting study of data exclusive to the island. The written history begins in 1524, when Giovanni Verazzano, an Italian navigator sailing for the king of France, first discovered the pear-shaped island. No Europeans landed there until 1614, when a Dutch navigator, Adrian Block, landed the small ship Unrest on the shores of the island that would later bear his name.

      For the next 200 years, the history of the island seemed to coincide with the name of Block’s ship, for the Colonial Period was largely tumultuous and chaotic. In 1636, soldiers from Massachusetts invaded Block Island, destroyed the power of the Manisses Indians, and claimed the area as their own. By 1660, the island was sold to 16 proprietors and the history of Block Island as part of Rhode Island began. When Block Island became a town in 1692, the charter read, the town of New Shoreham, otherwise Block Island.

      During the early 18th century, there were very few permanent settlers, as life was difficult and raids by privateers and pirates were common. During the French and Indian War, inhabitants of the island were terrorized by French privateers, who resorted to killing and torturing the inhabitants in their quest for riches. Captain Thomas Paine of Jamestown eventually drove the pirates from the island.

      When the hostilities between England and the colonies began in 1775, Block Island found itself a target for deserters and criminals, as well as for British raids. It was during the 18th century that practically all the trees on the island were used for fuel or building purposes. Fortunately, the Block Island ponds contained a great deal of peat, which became the primary source of fuel well into the 19th century.

      The main occupations for the islanders during the early years were farming and fishing. The sea around the island is rich in fish and is today one of the reasons many come to the island. The seas, however, can be treacherous, and Block Island has had its share of wrecks and tragedies over the centuries. Two of the most often cited shipwrecks are the Palatine tragedy of 1752 and the sinking of the Larchmont in 1907.

      It was not until the late 19th century that Block Island developed into a significant summer resort. The reason it was so delayed was the lack of a good harbor. Attempts were made as early as 1680 to develop the Great Salt Pond into a suitable mooring for large vessels. The early settlers formed a harbor company to keep a breach open to the sea. This was successful for 14 years, but repeated failures afterward saw the

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