Varnum Continentals

Preserving and Sharing Rhode Island History

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[SEPT 11 DINNER MEETING] Author/historian Paul F. Caranci on his book “Wired”

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Paul F. Caranci
Paul F. Caranci

September’s speaker, Paul F. Caranci (Website || Amazon) Rhode Island’s former Deputy Secretary of State (2007-2015) and North Providence town councilman (1994-2011) has dedicated his life to public service, history, and writing. He is the author of seven published books (with an 8th upcoming), and numerous magazine and online articles. He last spoke at a Varnum Continentals member meeting about his book “The Hanging and Redemption of John Gordon: The True Story of Rhode Island’s Last Execution.”

Wired by Paul F. Caranci
Wired by Paul F. Caranci

At our September meeting, he’ll speak about his book “Wired,” an explosive case of political corruption that rocked a small town, an entire state, and drew headlines across the nation. Three sitting councilmen had been arrested and accused of executing a scheme to extort bribes. And once the dust settled, as many as 10 North Providence officials were caught up in a scandal that swirled around nearly everyone in the suburban New England town that some called, “the most corrupt town in America.”

Yet had it not been for one man who worked undercover with the FBI for seventeen months — a career politician with 30 years’ experience railing against corruption — the scheme may never have been revealed. In “Wired,” Caranci shares his harrrowing personal account of how he gambled his 30-year political career, his reputation, and his family’s safety in his quest to restore good, honest government to a community that needed it most.

Join us for this not-to-be-missed presentation! As always, your guests are welcome.

Reservations must be received by 5:00 pm Friday, September 8. Call Scott Seaback at 401-413-6277 or email him at scott@ritemps.com.

TIME: 5:30 pm (social hour); 6:30 pm (dinner followed by program)
MENU: Steak Fry! Steaks on the grill, baked potato bar, grilled veggies, salad, rolls & butter, dessert and coffee.
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20/person including dinner

[FEB. 20 DINNER MEETING] Speaker Brian Wallin: “Down to the Sea by Rail – Short Rail Lines of Rhode Island”

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Brian Wallin, a veteran broadcast news reporter and producer.
Brian Wallin, a veteran broadcast news reporter and producer.

Unfortunately, the the Rhode Island-based Greenwich Bay Brass could not accommodate the new member dinner date (Monday, February 20).  But we have a brilliant replacement speaker!  Our February meeting will feature historian, author, lecturer and Varnum Trustee Brian L. Wallin, who will take us back in time for a richly illustrated, and sometimes humorous, ride “Down to the Sea by Rail”.

For most Rhode Islanders, a ride on the railroad means AMTRAK. But did you known that our state was once home to nearly three dozen rail lines in the 19th and early 20th centuries?

Possibly one of the most interesting (and quirkiest) was the 8 1/2 mile long Narragansett Pier Railroad, the pride and joy of the prominent Hazard milling family of South County. Running between Kingston, where it linked up with the New York, New Haven & Hartford RR, the NPRR chugged through the countryside stopping at PeaceDale (home of the Hazard’s mill), Wakefield and at the oceanfront at Narragansett.

Between 1876 and the last run in 1981, the line gave rise to stories and legends. Alas, the NPRR, like all the other short lines is lost to history. Today, it’s route survives as the O’Neill Bike Path.  So, climb aboard!

Please update Scott Seaback (401-413-6277 || scott@ritemps.com) by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 17 if your ability to attend has changed due to the new date. If there’s no change, then you do not need to contact Scott.

TIME: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
MENU: Steak Tips with Bourbon Sauce & Chicken Marsala, served over Rice Pilaf, with Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Salad , Rolls & Butter, Coffee and Dessert.
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20/person

[DEC. 12 DINNER MEETING] Women in Combat: From the American Revolution to the Modern Day

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Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts
Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts

The presence of women on the battlefield caring for the wounded goes back centuries. Women today serve in front-line duties, but that wasn’t an accepted practice in the past. Many stories exist about women who donned uniforms and fought beside men on the battlefield. Countless other women provided nursing care and support services behind the lines. During the Civil War, hundreds of women were involved in active combat. These women, usually in some type of uniform, braved the battlefield and were sometimes armed.

American women on the battlefield trace their existence back to the Revolutionary War and Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts. In the U.S. Civil War, Rhode Island’s own Kady Brownell joined her husband on the front lines. Dressed in female attire, she served as a color bearer, one of the most dangerous roles in combat at the time. There’s a twist to her story, though. In 1864, General U.S. Grant banned women from military encampments, but that didn’t stop the practice. Women continued to go on the battlefield to care for the wounded. Some served as spies. They managed to enlist and conceal their identities until they were killed or wounded. Others made it through the war without their true identities revealed.

Kady Brownell
Kady Brownell

Author, lecturer, and Varnum Trustee Brian Wallin will tell Deborah Sampson’s and Kady Brownell’s stories along with those of other women who contributed to the war efforts over the centuries, providing the foundation that enables American women to participate in every area of military service today.

Reservations must be received by 5 pm Friday, December 9. Call Scott Seaback at 401-413-6277 or email scott@ritemps.com.

TIME: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
MENU: Steamship round of beef, scalloped potatoes, roasted vegetables, and chocolate mousse.
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20/person

[NOV. 14 DINNER MEETING] The journey to publication of the diary and story of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, 2nd RI Volunteers

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Elisha Hunt Rhodes of Cranston, RI
Elisha Hunt Rhodes

One of the finest Civil War soldier’s diaries ever written was compiled by Elisha Hunt Rhodes of Cranston, RI. First published in 1985 by Andrew Mowbray of Lincoln, RI, under the title of “A History of the 2nd RI Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Great Rebellion”, the remarkable story of Rhodes’ four years in the Army of the Potomac became nationally known as a result of the popular Ken Burns documentary film The Civil War in 1990. But the diary’s publication – and Burns’ discovery of it – may not have happened without a chance visit to an antiques shop in Walpole, NH, by Dr. Walter Powell in the winter of 1984. That story, and a look at Colonel Rhodes extraordinary career, is the topic of our November program.

Dr. Walter Powell
Dr. Walter Powell

About the speaker: Dr. Walter Powell has served as the Executive Director of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants since July 2013. Prior to coming to Plymouth, he had a long career in historic preservation, including 17 years as Director of Planning and Historic Preservation for the Borough of Gettysburg, PA, where he directed the restoration of the Gettysburg Railroad Station, and served as historian on the restoration of the historic David Willis House, where President Abraham Lincoln completed the Gettysburg Address. Dr. Powell has several Civil War publications to his credit, including “Connecticut Yankees at Gettysburg“ and “Letters from the Storm: The Intimate Civil War Letters of Lt. J.A.H. Foster, 155th Pennsylvania Volunteers”.

TIME: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
MENU: A traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings (pumpkin pie, too)!
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20/person

[SEPTEMBER 12 DINNER MEETING] Howard Vernon Allen, Community Leader and Legend

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Howard Vernon Allen
Howard Vernon Allen

This month, as we approach the 110th anniversary year of the founding of the Varnum Continentals, trustee Brian Wallin takes us back in time to meet one of the founders of our organization and its longtime commander, H.V. Allen.

Howard Vernon Allen was descended from one of Rhode Island’s founding families, and Brian will share a few of their stories to demonstrate the commitment to patriotism and good citizenship that was a hallmark of H.V.’s long and productive life.  From his early days as a young bank clerk to his extensive involvement in community organizations and patriotic initiatives, we’ll hear some of the backstory of life in early 20th century East Greenwich through Howard Allen’s experiences.

Varnum Memorial Armory Vice President and Museum Curator Patrick Donovan has assembled some artifacts associated with H.V.’s role in the Continentals and will have them display. If you are new to our fellowship and are interested in learning about one of our founding fathers or if you would just like to take a brief trip  down memory lane through images and anecdotes, then don’t miss this special presentation.

About the speaker: Brian Wallin, whose career was split between work as a television journalist and then as a hospital administrator, writes our monthly Varnum newsletter history column. He is also a  contributing author to the online journal of RI History, www.smallstatebighistory.com. He is the co-author of a new book on the Rhode Island homefront during World War II, which will be published next spring.

TIME: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
MENU: Surf & Turf! Filet Mignon with baked stuffed shrimp, corn on the cob, salad, rolls and butter, dessert, and coffee.
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20/person

Reservations must be received by 5:00 PM on Friday, September 9. Call Scott Seaback at 401-413-6277 or email scott@ritemps.com.

About the Varnum Continentals

The Varnum Continentals are committed to the preservation of the historic heritage of our community, our state, and our nation. Please take a virtual tour of our museums to learn more about our mission to encourage patriotism. You can participate with us through active membership and/or philanthropic support in our non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Museum tours are welcomed and our facilities may be rented for suitable events.

Our Mission

The Varnum Continentals are committed to encourage patriotism through the Varnum Armory Museum, the Continental Militia, and the James Mitchell Varnum House and thus to preserve, support, and communicate the military history of our community, our state, and our nation.

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