The First Thanksgiving
This holiday season I was wondering how the first Thanksgiving might have been celebrated by the first settlers in Westerly. Legend has it that the [...]
Where is Watch Hill?
So you think you know where Watch Hill is? Not so fast. I’m not talking about the village of Watch Hill but the actual hill. [...]
The Mystery of the Wrong Way River – Part 1
My friend Gordon and I are standing on the banks of the Pawcatuck River across from the village of Potter Hill. Â The dam which once [...]
Westerly Land Trust’s Living Laboratories
The path at the Grills Preserve winds through the forest as a group of young students excitedly point out their new discoveries. “Look, there’s a [...]
A Heritage in Stone
Today, Westerly is best known for its beaches, but for more than 100 years it was famous for its granite. The industry started in 1846 [...]
Whisky Soup: The Cure for Whatever Ails You
I love walking in the fall/winter. The air is crisp and invigorating. There are no bugs. I hate bugs, particularly mosquitoes and ticks that carry [...]
History of the Avondale Farm Preserve
In one of my previous stories, I mentioned that one of my favorite dog walks is the Avondale Farm Preserve. This 50-acre gem consists of grassland [...]
The Gaspee Affair
American history is full of stories about great men and women who became our nation’s heroes and many of them have had famous quotes. Certainly [...]
Preserving a Westerly Farm
The Westerly Land Trust’s 31st property, formerly a small family farm, has remained relatively untouched from the way it looked in the depression-era 1930s’. It’s [...]
The Great Watch Hill Fire of 1916
More than 100 years ago, on October 18, 1916, a great fire changed the face of Watch Hill forever and ended the era of the [...]
The Watch Hill Flying Horse Carousel
I remember many years ago going to the Danbury Fair with my mother when I was about six years old and riding the large merry-go-round [...]