Robert A. Geake Livres

Follow the author as he explores the once bustling stagecoach routes and turnpikes that crisscrossed communities throughout New England. Now quiet country lanes in the age of superhighways, traveling these routes today lets us explore the houses and buildings that still remain, and learn the history of the these homes and businesses, of the people who lived and worked within the communities these roads connected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Each journey conveys a detailed description of the route and acts as a guide, as well as providing the history of the road. Long an avid hiker and kayaker, the author also provides information about those opportunities along the routes he has chosen, as well as suggestions for lodging, camping, and eating along the journey on some of the most picturesque roads in New England.

'Warwick Through Time' presents a unique history of Rhode Island's second largest city through a series of "then and now" photographs representing historic sites, buildings, and people from the communities of Appanaug, Buttonwoods, Cowesett, Kent, and Pawtuxet Village. From its founding in 1642 to the present growth as a hub of transportation for the Northeast corridor, the city's rich history has been captured in drawings and photographs that have been preserved by the Warwick Historic Society. Utilizing their collection, we see in vivid detail, how much has changed, as well as how much has stayed the same, and been preserved for future generations. 'Warwick Through Time' is a collection of images and memories that is sure to be a keepsake for anyone who shares a love of history, and historic photographs.

For over three centuries, New Englanders have set sail in search of fortune and adventure--yet death lurked on every voyage in the form of storms, privateers, disease and human error. In hope of being spared by the sea, superstitious mariners practiced cautionary rituals. During the winter of 1779, the crew aboard the Family Trader" offered up gin to appease the squalling storms of Neptune. In the 1800s, after nearly fifty shipwrecks on Georges Bank between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia, a wizard paced the coast of Marblehead, shouting orders out to sea to guide passing ships to safety. As early as 1705, courageous settlers erected watch houses and lighted beacons at Beavertail Point outside Jamestown, Rhode Island, to aid mariners caught in the swells of Narragansett Bay. Join Robert A. Geake as he explores the forgotten traditions among New England mariners and their lives on land and sea."

The New World was full of unusual occurrences and strange trials for the early colonists of New England. Devastating plagues, violent conflicts with Native Americans and freak weather ravaged whole communities. When settlers saw an array of colors dancing through the night sky, they thought the Northern Lights were a sign that their end was near. Violators of public drunkenness were forced to wear large, red embroidered "D's" around their necks for a year under the strict laws of the colonies. Through the letters, diaries and journals of influential figures of the time, historian Robert A. Geake uncovers the oddities and wonders that amazed New England's pioneers.

From the first settlements within New England, the developing colonies of British North America became inextricably linked to slavery. The region supplied critical goods to the sugar plantations established by British planters in the West Indies. The northern colonies established their own slave plantations to supply the growing demand for goods that led to unparalleled growth in commerce and to the subsequent involvement in the triangle trade. As these northern plantations diminished at the close of the eighteenth century, the rise of textile manufacturing continued to tie the region to slavery. Historian Robert A. Geake explores the familial and economic ties that bound New England and the South into the Civil War.

Dating back to the colonial era, the historic barns and outbuildings of Rhode Island have withstood the test of time. From the state's early barnyard taverns to the modern-day horse and dairy farms that populate rural Rhode Island, each of these buildings has a story to tell. In the mid-eighteenth century, the Narragansett planters bred horses on their farms in southern Rhode Island. Later, dairy farms sprang up across the region. Milking barns were built on the largest farms in the state, including the Theinhert Dairy Farm and Barn in Lincoln. Before the advent of electric trolleys, urban barns sheltered horses for early tramcar transportation. Each barn is a beloved reminder of the state's history. Join author Robert A. Geake as he explores the origins and evolution of Rhode Island's farms.

Chronicles the history of the Providence River.