Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA - Genealogy

Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA

Where is Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA? 

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"Westerly is a town on the southwestern shoreline of Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1669 by John Babcock, it is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state. The population was 22,966 at the 2000 census. The town is part of the Norwich-New London New England City and Town Area."

"On the western border of Westerly flows the Pawcatuck River, once renowned for its own species of Westerly salmon, three of which are on the town's crest. The Pawcatuck River flows from some fifteen miles (24 km) inland, emptying into Little Narragansett Bay. The Pawcatuck River also serves as the boundary between Westerly and Pawcatuck, Connecticut. Along the coast of Westerly lie salt ponds, which serve as shallow reeflike pools, whose outer walls form the long, white beaches for which the town became renowned. From west to east, these ponds are called Maschaug Pond, Winnapaug Pond, and Quonochontaug Pond. The town also has a fresh water lake, Chapman's Pond, which is undergoing revitalization. A type of granite, known as Westerly granite, has long been quarried here. Westerly granite, ideal for statuary, has been used in numerous government buildings of several states along the eastern seaboard. The Westerly area was known for its granite and stone-cutting industry."

"Westerly becomes a large tourist attraction during the summer months - some argue that the population nearly doubles. From east to west, well-known beaches include Weekapaug Beach, Westerly Town Beach, Misquamicut State Beach, East Beach and Watch Hill Beach."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerly,_Rhode_Island

Events/Places of Interest

Article genealogybank.com  "There are now living, in the town of Westerly, in the state of Rhode Island, sixteen persons, the amount of whose ages is, 1,444 years. The oldest being 102 years, and the youngest being 81 years. The average being 90 years and three months." Date: March 25, 1803 Location: New York Paper: Daily Advertiser

Article genealogybank.com  "A man in Westerly, Rhode Island, recently married a girl thirteen years of age, and committed suicide by hanging himself in a few days afterwards." Date: January 04, 1858 Location: Ohio Paper: Plain Dealer

Article genealogybank.com  "At the Westerly quarries, Rhode Island, a single stone 150 feet long, ten feet wide and eight feet thick, weighing more than 1,000 tons, has been loosened from the ledge. This is a bigger stone that the monarchs of Egypt ever produced. The Yankees are ahead." Date: July 21, 1881 Location: Indiana Paper: Indianapolis Sentinel

Article   Mrs. Charlotte Leclair of Westerly, R. I., died yesterday morning at the age of 108 years and six months. She was born in La Prairie, a small town in Quebec. Five generations of her descendants are living. Date: October 10, 1897 Location: Massachusetts Paper: Springfield Republican

TURKEY FOR THE PRESIDENT - A Rhode Island Bird Picked Out for Thanksgiving at the White House   PROVIDENCE, R. I. The Westerly turkey king has picked out the turkey which it is expected will grace President McKinley's table at the White House on Thanksgiving Day. The turkey is a magnificent-looking gobbler and is now strutting around showing its pride in its 35 pounds of superiority. The bird was selected after a careful inspection of every flock in the neighborhood of Westerly and North Stonington. The fame of the town of Westerly rests upon the fact that for years and years it has furnished the turkeys for the Thanksgiving Day dinners of the Presidents of the United States. The late Senator Anthony, of Rhode Island, first established the custom of sending a Rhode Island turkey to the President for Thanksgiving consumption, and he kept up the practice until his death. Then Nathan F. Dixon, a close friend of Senator Anthony, took up the work, and after his death the dealer through whom the turkeys had been ordered continued the custom in his own name. Some handsome and toothsome birds have gone from Westerly to the White House, but tradition holds no record to equal the 38-pounder sent by Senator Anthony to President Grant. A picture of this bird is still preserved. Dealers say that the supply of Rhode Island turkeys, which are declared to be the finest in the world, will be limited this year. The shipment will be about the same as last year, but ten years ago three times the present number were regularly marketed. The outlook for the Rhode Island turkey industry is said to be very dark and growing worse each year. Dealers cannot account for it all. In the spring the hatch is good, and the farmer and farmer's wife build castles in the air with the money that is coming in the fall. But castles crumble away as summer advances and the young turkeys die off, victims of cold, damp weather, skunks and other ills to which tender turkeys are heir. The Reading Eagle Reading, PA Nov. 21, 1900

Ancestors Who Were Born in Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA

Ancestors Who Died in Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA

Bennett

George Hoxsie Bennett (12 Apr 1876,Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA-7 Jan 1915,Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA)

Gimlich

Carolyn Emma Gimlich (26 Mar 1881,Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, USA-28 Jul 1949,Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island, USA)

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