Places of Childhood: Garden City

Places of my Childhood
Garden City, Cranston, RI

Land and Tax Assessor card from the city of Cranston, Rhode Island. 5 Apr. 2019

A few years after my maternal grandparents married, they moved to Cranston, Rhode Island from Westerly, Rhode Island. They lived in that town for the rest of their lives, and I have been busy researching the family homes and their family owned business. I have had great success with following their path through life.

These grandparents found a small ranch style home for their daughter, who was my mother, and they put down a deposit to help my father purchase a house. It was in that house and neighborhood that I grew up. We called it "The Plat". (Photo Collection)

I remember my father talking to a man in a big black car and he turned out to be the builder, Mr. Melocarro.  From public tax assessor records, created from Cranston city ledger books, I found out that a close by shopping area was built by that same builder on land once owned by William Harris (Rhode Island Monthly) It was great to find out who owned this land and that he did not come for religious reasons but to find land for his family and business.

I just barely remember the coal mine, where the Newport Creamery now still stands. At Christmas, they put up a carousel in the parking lot and I visited Santa Claus. 

Back door of the Creamery, 2014, collection of the author.

It wasn't until I looked for a record for the Garden City Elementary School, that I found out the name of the plot of land that Mr. Melocarro set aside for development. I had not thought to look here for records.

It is a big breakthrough in my investigation of my family history.  

Wills and Probate Records for a Brick Wall Ancestor

Wills and Probate Records
for a Brick Wall Ancestor

Lieut. William Steward

abt. 1692 - 1755

I certainly didn't expect to see any more records for my 6th great grandfather, Lieut. William Steward. I knew there was one because it is mentioned in the book, History of Stonington (CT). I knew that Judge Wheeler must have had access to records because of his status in his community. This is interesting because stories abound of he and a friend jumping ship to come to America and that he paid for gravestones for his first wife and himself  and that they lie in the woods somewhere in North Stonington. None of this has been proven.

When I read about this in 2004, people who may have known the location of the gravestones had died. As a gravestone photographer, I knew that the stones might have sunk into the ground by now or be paid for and never erected.  The Barbour Index of Vital Records lists the death of his first wife and his marriage to his second wife. Several researchers have suggested who his father was but no proof was given.

I was surprised to see how many documents are in the will and probate. I did know of one grandson (with gravestone) buried in the Stewart Hill cemetery. But, family that holds the deed says that no one older is buried there.

Everyone loves a good genealogy mystery, don't they? By the way, is it Stewart or Steward?