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Health & Fitness

STATE ARCHIVES exhibit highlights Woonsocket and Blackstone Valley

Secretary Mollis Announces State Archives Latest Onsite Exhibit,

“A Slice of Life (Past) – Woonsocket & the Blackstone Valley”

Businesses at the Turn of the Century in Woonsocket and the Blackstone Valley Highlighted in New Exhibit

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PROVIDENCE, RI  --  Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis has announced the theme for the latest onsite exhibit at State Archives.  Providing an historic view of Woonsocket and the Blackstone River Valley, the “Slice of Life (Past)” exhibit features a multitude of images and original manuscripts dating from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Among the items on display are photographs of businesses and scenes of daily life, maps detailing mills and villages along the Blackstone River, and original petitions and legislation concerning the establishment of the town of Woonsocket. 

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“Visiting our State Archives is a great way to experience our state’s rich, diverse history,” said Mollis.  “State Archives has a wealth of information, photographs, records, documents, and reference materials that are simply fascinating, and will take you back in time on a journey you’ll never forget!  Our state archivists are always present and ready to answer your questions and help you research anything you are looking for, and I consider it a tremendous resource, which every Rhode Islander should try to visit at least once.”

The State Archives preserves and makes available for research Rhode Island's historical public records, which date from 1638 to the present. Year round, the State Archives reception area also features exhibits that are free and open to the public.

“A Slice of Life (Past)” is FREE and open to the public weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through April 30th at the State Archives, 337 Westminster Street in downtown Providence.  FREE validated parking is available at the nearby In-Town Parking lot at the corner of Snow and Westminster Streets. 

If you cannot make it to State Archives in person, many items on display are also viewable in the Secretary of State’s online Virtual Exhibits at http://sos.ri.gov/virtualarchives/ 

For questions or more information, please call (401) 222-2353 or write statearchives@sos.ri.gov.  For more information about State Archives, please visit http://www.sos.ri.gov/archives/

Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis is committed to making it easier to vote, making it easier to do business in Rhode Island, preserving our history and making government more open and accessible.  For more information, please visit www.sos.ri.gov.

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