US-RUn-msg31 Guide to Yankee Ingenuity 1976 Finding aid prepared by Nicholas Albaugh. University of Rhode Island Library, Special Collections and Archives Unit 2008
University Library, Special Collections and Archives 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011Tel: 401-874-4632E-mail: archives@etal.uri.eduWebsite: http://www.uri.edu/library/special_collections/
 Finding aid encoded by Nicholas Albaugh on 2008 May 23, updated by Hailie D. Posey on 2009 October 2 English Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) Overview of the Collection Wood, Linda P. Yankee Ingenuity 1976 2 box(es) (.75 linear feet) The collection consists of interviews conducted by students of Chariho Regional High School with residents of three communities, Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton, regarding the four broad areas of education, the town meeting, Yankee ingenuity, and the proposed Charlestown nuclear plant. Special Collections and University Archives
Special Collections and University Archives 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu
 Mss. Gr. 31 The records are in English. Physical Charateristics or Technical Requirements

Audiocassette recorder required for access.

Historical Information

“Yankee Ingenuity: Can the Government it forged survive?” was a project sponsored by the Chariho Regional High School and the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, designed to create a dialogue on the relationship of the individual to the local government. Twenty longtime residents of three communities, Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton, were interviewed by seven Chariho High School senior students who asked the interviewees questions covering the four broad areas of education, the town meeting, Yankee ingenuity, and the proposed Charlestown nuclear plant.

In the early 1970's, the New England Power Company proposed to build a nuclear power plant at the former Naval Air Station in Charlestown , Rhode Island . However, after a protracted legal dispute from local opposition groups, New England Power abandoned its plans and the Naval Air Station land was deeded to the town of Charlestown for use as a park and wildlife refuge.

The unique tradition of strong local government in rural New England historically has rested on the worth of the individual and his right to give consent. This government model, exemplified best by the town meeting tradition, survives to this day and was forged from the ingenuity of Yankee settlers as surely as were the stolid homes, rambling stone walls and rocky pasture which still grace our countryside.

Open for research.

Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.

Preferred Citation

Yankee Ingenuity, Mss. Gr. 31, University of Rhode Island Special Collections.

 Scope and Content Note

Twenty longtime residents of three communities, Charlestown , Richmond , and Hopkinton, were interviewed by seven Chariho senior students who asked several questions in four broad areas – education, the proposed Charlestown nuclear plant, the town meeting, and Yankee ingenuity.

Project directors were Linda Wood, librarian at Chariho, and Paul Eastwood, history teacher and audio-visual specialist at Chariho. Humanists involved in the project were Prof. James Findlay, History Department at the University of Rhode Island, and Prof. Edgar Leduc, Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University.

Student interviewers were: Debra Brown, Stephen Fish, Greg Korean, Phil Loomis, Ricci Sicilano, Karen Weeden, and Mildred Wheeler.

Transcriber was Mrs. Naomi Germia; typists were Miss Patricia L’Heureux and Mrs. Polly Vredenburg.

Arrangement

After processing, the collection was arranged in a single series as follows:

1. Original Tapes and Transcripts

Open for research.

 Acquisitions Information

The collection was transferred by Linda P. Wood in 1976.

The collection was previously held by Linda P. Wood.

The collection was processed by Russell Franks.

Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.

For more information on the Charlestown nuclear power plant and the grass roots efforts to defeat its construction refer to, Representative Claudine Schneider Papers 1973-1990, MsG #89.

No materials were seperated during processing.

Names Wood, Linda P. Subjects Nuclear power plants -- Rhode Island Richmond (R.I.) Hopkinton (R.I. : Town) Charlestown (R.I. : Town) RIAMCO Browsing Terms Business Government, Politics and Law Social Life and Customs Rhode Island/Local Interest Inventory Series 1 Series I Original Tapes and Transripts 1976 2 box(es) (.75 linear feet) Sound recordings sound recordings transcripts interviews

This series contains the original recordings on audio cassette tapes, and the original transcripts of those interviewed for the Yankee Ingenuity project. A copy of the transcript >"Yankee Ingenuity: Can the government it forged survive?" published in 1976 by the The Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities is included. The audio cassette recordings of two Charlestown Town Hall meetings demonstrating local democracy in action provide a unique insight to the inner political workings of a small New England town.

Arrangement

The Series is arranged alphabetically by the interviewee's last name. Each interview resides on one tape unless otherwise noted.

1 1 1976 Mar 22 Bitgood, Irving 1 1 1976 Apr 21 Church, Helen 1 1 1976 Apr 21 Clarke, Leon (2 tapes) 1 1 1976 Apr 20 Cottrell, A. M. (2 tapes) 1 2 1976 May 7 Edmonds, Charles - Richmond, RI (2 tapes) 1 2 1976 Apr 21 Hawkins, Marian - Richmond, RI 1 2 1976 May 4 Hoxie, Monroe - Richmond, RI 1 2 1976 May 13 Kenney, Lloyd - Hopkinton, RI (2 tapes) 1 3 1976 Apr 15 Kenyon, Lawrence - Hopkinton, RI 1 3 1976 Apr 6 Kenyon, Russell - Hopkinton, RI 1 3 1976 Apr 22 Larkin, Margaret - Charlestown, RI 1 3 1976 May 4 Maine, Ernest O. - Hopkinton, RI 1 3 1976 Apr 28 Murphy, Ira - Hopkinton, RI 1 3 1976 Mar 31 Pendleton, Clifford - Charlestown, RI 1 4 1976 Mar-1976 May Published transcript. Yankee Ingenuity: Can the government it forged survive? The Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities: Providence, 1976. 2 5 1976 Apr 19 Searle, Elizabeth - Richmond, RI 2 5 1976 May 2 Smith, Alexander - Hopkinton, RI 2 5 1976 May 11 Smith, Earle - Richmond, RI 2 5 1976 Apr 22 Whitford, Marcus - Richmond, RI (2 tapes) 2 6 1976 May 24 Charlestown Town Hall -- Yankee Ingenuity: Can the Government it forged survived? (2 tapes) 2 6 1976 May 17 Charlestown Town Hall -- Yankee Ingenuity: Can the Government it forged survived? (2 tapes)