Little Compton, Rhode Island

Located at the far southeastern tip of Rhode Island and stretching into the Atlantic Ocean, Little Compton remains the most bucolic and countrified of the thirty-nine communities in the state. It has little commercial activity and serves primarily as a vacation community and an hourly commute to Providence or Boston for those who must enjoy its solitude for twelve months Little Compton is accessed from I-195 in Massachusetts to Route 24 to Route 77.

Little Compton was incorporated as a part of Plymouth Colony in 1682, after having been settled by Captain Benjamin Church, the noted Indian fighter, and others seven years previously. In 1746, under Royal Decree, it was transferred to Rhode Island together with the Towns of Cumberland, Barrington, Bristol and Tiverton.

The town was originally the home of the "Sagonate" or "Sakonnet" Indians, a particularly independent group of native Americans that fought with the settlers against the notorious King Philip, Sachem of the Wampanoags. King Philip waged a bloody war against the white settlers and tried to induce other neighboring tribes to join him.

The southern end of the town bordering the Atlantic is still known as "Sakonnet". It was here that Captain Church cleared the area for settlement.

Following the end of Indian hostilities, the small settlement in Little Compton enjoyed comparative peace and prosperity until a new threat arose; the British occupation of Newport during the Revolution. Foraging parties from the British garrison invaded Little Compton several times. The British raiders met with stiff resistance from the settlers, and were "bushwhacked" several times as in the skirmish at the Taggart House.

If you would like to find out more about the history of Little Compton, you might be interested in checking out the information at the Little Compton Historical Society web site.

Today, Little Compton is a rural-farming community. It was in Little Compton that the famous Rhode Island Red, (a breed of fowl and the State Bird), was developed. Fishing is still a major industry in the town, as one can observe with the daily departure of the fishing fleet from the Sakonnet Wharf. The town has also developed into an ideal vacation spot with the traditional atmosphere of colonial New England.

To find out more about what's happening in our town, check out the Little Compton Community Center.

If you are interested in staying in Little Compton, a nice place is the Stone House Club.  They also have fine dining.

Another place of interest here in Little Compton is the Sakonnet Vineyards. They have wine tasting, and tours are available as well as.

For information about Rhode Island in general, you might want to check out the Providence Public Library.

Tiverton, Rhode Island
    

Tiverton was originally incorporated in 1694, as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A long boundary dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts was settled in 1746, and Tiverton, by Royal Decree, together with the Towns of Cumberland, Barrington, Bristol and Little Compton was annexed to Rhode Island. The town was incorporated in 1747.

For approximately three years during the Revolution when the British held Aquidneck Island, Tiverton was an asylum for Americans fleeing from British occupation, and the town became a mustering point for Colonial forces who gathered together to drive the British off the island.

In its early day, Tiverton was chiefly a farming community with some fishing and boat construction. Until 1900 the manufacture of menhaden oil, a fish derivative, was one of the primary industrial pursuits. Cotton and woolen mills were established as early as 1827. Today, trade establishments are the major employers in the town. Recent years have seen Tiverton grow as a summer resort and residential area. Development has been concentrated in the area known as North Tiverton.  To find out more about Tiverton, check out their website at http://www.tiverton.org/.