Hi Earl -
I haven't seen an answer to your question yet, so I thought these
few clues might help some - I've narrowed the date on your map to
1875-1910.
Could it be a Sanborn Map or other fire insurance map? If someone on our
list has access to the
Providence Public library databases, they have the Sanborn Maps there.
Maybe someone can check to see if there is a map of your area there
and compare it to the one you are looking at.
I found some fire insurance maps listed here as well, although they aren't
on line
I have the "Book of Rhode Island" which was published in the 1930.
It has a page of info on the Rodman Co. [Robert] Rodman purchased
a woolen mill in 1848 in LaFayette, which failed during the panic of 1857.
It goes on to say that a few years later, he went on to purchase a mill at
Silver Spring and another at Shady Lea.
1874 - bought stone mill at Wakefield [no street given]
1877- new mill at LaFayette
In 1883 the Company reorganized under the name of Rodman Manufacturing
company.
***********************************************
The Railroad Station in Kinsgston was opened in 1875
*************************************************
I can't find a date for Dale Carlia, but today, the Ocean State Job Lot
store is located at what they call Dale Carlia Corner. I also read the
area was paved over in 1950, so your map is obviously before this
date
*****************************************************
The Wakefield High School was located on Columbia and School Streets
before 1910. In 1910 it was moved further down school st.
*********************************************************************
I found some references to Armstrong Carriage Works
They were in business from 1861-1921
*************************************************************
The Narragansett times started publishing in 1860, had a fire
in 1880, but they must have rebuilt because they are on Columbia
in 1914.
************************************************************
Does your map have the Wakefield Opera House? It was there 1882 - 1918
at 17 Columbia. It was also called Wright's Hall. If not, then, your
map may be pre 1882.
**************************************************************
William Phillips was a carriage painter in 1907 - I don't have anything
earlier than this to look at.
*******************************************************
The Images of America book for Wakefield is partially on line at
books. Check it out for some nice photos
Hope this helps some,
Lisa
----- Original Message -----
From: <E1091(a)aol.com>
To: <RIGENWEB-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 4:14 PM
Subject: [RIGENWEB] A REQUEST PLEASE.
I was given a framed map of Wakefield, Peace Dale and Rocky Brook,
Town of
South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island about 3 or 4 decades
past. The
glassed covered map, with frame, measures 23 3/4 inches wide and 33 3/4
inches high. On the left side bottom is the number 130 in 1/4 inch
numbers and on
the left side top is the number 131, also in 1/4 inch numbers. There are
no
grids on the map to easily identify the location of an individual or
business
in the above listed towns.
There is no date on the map.The scale is approximately 1" to 300 ', and on
the right top is a rectangular box, turned with the narrow side up marked
'Explanation', with the following printed inside: Iron Building and a
figure of a
building; Brick Building and a figure of a building; Wood Building and a
figure of a building; Stone Building and a figure of a building; Hot House
and a
figure of a building; Public Street or road, and a figure for that;
Private
or proposed street and a figure for that; Steam Railroad and a figure for
the
tracks; Street Car Railroad and a figure for the tracks; Fire Hydrants and
a
figure for that. I could not find any Street Car Railroad, nor the Fire
Hydrants on the map, although, my aunt told me many times, her father (my
grandfather) would take his future wife, my grandmother, on the trolly
(Street Car)
to go to the movies in Wakefield.My grandfather married my grandmother in
1902, so the trolly was in existence then, but not shown on the map.
Narragansett Pier RR tracks are shown going thru the 3 towns. My wife said
she and her mother would get on the train at Boone Street in Narragansett
and
ride it to Wakefield. If I remember correctly, the train (I think it was
blue) ran from Narragansett to Kingston. I called it the 'Dinky-Dink', as
the
train was about half the size of a regular engine and most of the time
when I
saw it, it was pulling 1 or 2 freight cars. Some information on the
RailRoad is
at
_http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss483sg34.htm_
(
http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss483sg34.htm) .
A few of the places listed on the map are: Dale Carlia Hosiery Company on
Dale Carlia Corner and Main Street (Wakefield); S. Phillips Carriage Works
is
shown across from the Dale Carlia Hosiery Company on Kingstown Road and
Main
Street (Wakefield); Rodman Mfg Company, on High Street, up from Main
Street
(Wakefield); Wakefield Passenger and Wakefield Freight Station, next to
the
RailRoad tracks, Wakefield; C.H. Armstrong Carriage Works, on Woodruff
Avenue,
abutting the RailRoad; Wakefield High School on Columbia Street;
Narragansett
Times Office on Columbia Corners, Wakefield; Fiske Square, Peace Dale ( I
always called it 'The rotary on the 'Flat', never heard of it being
called
'Fiske' Square all the time I was around there.). There are a few water
names also
listed: Upper Reservoir and Reservoir, Asa Pond, all in Peace Dale;
Saugatucket Pond, The Cove and Saugatucket River, as well as Silver Lake
Pond in
Peace Dale and Wakefield.; and Indian Run Reservoir (Wakefield). In
addition,
there are many old family names on the map, all of which were listed in
Wakefield. Some of which are:Armstrong, Bell, Brown, Caswell, Chappell,
Cunningham,
Eldred, Griffin, Kenyon, Knowles, Larkin, Moore, Moulton, Nichols,
Palmer,
Perry, Robinson, Rose, Sherman, Strong, Tefft, Watson, Whaley and Wood.
Based on the limited information above, could someone approximate the date
of the map please?
Many thanks and enjoy the information.
Earl C.