South County History Center

11/27/2025

When Dr. Henry Gustav May arrived in Rhode Island in 1920, local turkeys were dying in record numbers. At the time, turkeys were a $1 million business for Rhode Island and a source of civic pride: turkeys from Horace Vose’s Westerly farm were enjoyed at White House holiday dinners for 40 years.

Thankfully, Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island) recruited Dr. May to serve as Professor of Bacteriology. “A hard worker, with an unusual amount of patience,” Dr. May started to investigate the invisible killer of Rhode Island’s turkeys.

Check Out Our Fall/Winter Newsletter for more about Dr. May's work, our newest collections, and tips for preserving your family's history. Visit https://pub.marq.com/SCHCfall2025/.

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for everyone who has bettered South County through service and sacrifice and the many friends of the Center who help preserve their stories. Thank you!

10/17/2025

Do you LOVE local history? Join us for a Regional History Fair on Saturday 10/25 from 1-4 p.m. at the Westerly Armory (41 Railroad Avenue, Westerly). More than 30 local historical societies and museums will be at the Fair, which is FREE and open to the public. More details can be found in the photo.

Many thanks to our friends at the Westerly Historical Society and Westerly Armory for planning this exciting event!

10/14/2025

Friendly reminder: Tomorrow evening (Wednesday 10/15), the Center and our friends at the Tomaquag Museum will co-host an upcoming book talk with the authors of "In Light and Shadow: A Photographic History from Indigenous America." This free book talk will be held at 6 p.m. at the Peace Dale Neighborhood Guild (325 Columbia Street, South Kingstown) in Room 12.

The Center and our friends at the Tomaquag Museumare excited to co-host an upcoming book talk with the authors of "In Light and Shadow: A Photographic History from Indigenous America." This free book talk will be held on Wednesday 10/15 at 6 p.m. at the Peace Dale Neighborhood Guild (325 Columbia Street, South Kingstown) in Room 12. Check out the attached flyer, and we hope to see you there!

10/01/2025

The Center and our friends at the Tomaquag Museumare excited to co-host an upcoming book talk with the authors of "In Light and Shadow: A Photographic History from Indigenous America." This free book talk will be held on Wednesday 10/15 at 6 p.m. at the Peace Dale Neighborhood Guild (325 Columbia Street, South Kingstown) in Room 12. Check out the attached flyer, and we hope to see you there!