>> TONIGHT ON RHODE ISLAND PBS WEEKLY -- >> YOU ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG, BECAUSE IF, YOU KNOW, IF RHODE ISLAND GOT STARTED BY TAKING LAND FROM MY PEOPLE, WHY SHOULD I BE PROUD OF BEING A RHODE ISLANDER?

AND YET, WHEN I GO TO SCHOOL, EVERYTHING IS MADE ABOUT RHODE ISLAND.

SO YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY IN A SPACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO EVEN DEAL WITH SOCIETY AROUND YOU.

[CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY CARDI'’S FURNITURE AND MATTRESSES] >> HE WAS A WRITER, A PAINTER, PUBLICIST, A SCIENTIST, DIPLOMAT, A STATESMAN, AND HE KNEW A LOT ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.

TODAY, WE WOULD CALL HIM A MAJOR INFLUENCER.

ABSOLUTELY.

[LAUGHTER] ♪ >> GOOD EVENING.

WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND PBS WEEKLY.

I AM MICHELLE SAN MIGUEL.

>> AND I AM PAMELA WATTS.

WE LOOK AT NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

BEFORE SETTLERS BEGAN ARRIVING IN THE EARLY 6000'’S, INDIGENOUS TRIBES HAVE LIVED IN THE NARRAGANSETT BAY -- 1600'’S, INDIGENOUS TRIBES HAVE LIVED IN THE NARRAGANSETT BAY.

IT IS BELIEVED THEY GENERALLY WELCOME TO EUROPEANS, BUT THE DISEASES THEY BROUGHT, SUCH AS SMALLPOX, WOULD ULTIMATELY KILL HUGE PORTIONS OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATIONS.

>> DISEASE, WAR, WOULD CONTINUE FOR CENTURIES, PUSHING INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OUT WHILE MORE AND MORE SETTLERS ENDED UP ON THEIR LAND.

THE RHODE ISLAND CENSUS REPORTED ONLY 80 NATIVE AMERICANS LIVING IN THE STATE.

THEY STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.

WE FIRST REPORTED THE STORY IN MARCH OF 2021.

BACK THEN AND NOW AGAIN THIS EVENING, WE WILL HEAR FROM TWO NATIVE AMERICAN ISLANDERS DESCRIBING THE PREJUDICE THEY FACED GROWING UP AND CONTINUING STRUGGLE TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN TODAY'’S SOCIETY WHILE RETAINING THIRD INDIGENOUS -- RETAINING THEIR INDIGENOUS HERITAGE.

>> MY NAME IS DEBORAH SPEARS MOREHEAD.

IN MY WAMPANOAG LANGUAGE, I WAS A HELLO, CLAY, [SPEAKING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE] AND THAT WOULD BE, MY NAME IS DEBORAH TALKING WATER.

HOW ARE YOU?

WE GREW UP IN THE AREA OF LINCOLN PARK.

WE WERE ONE OF THE ONLY FAMILY OF COLOR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE GROW UP WITH MOSTLY NON-NATIVE PEOPLE.

MOST OF MY NEIGHBORS WERE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

THEY WERE THE GREATEST PEOPLE YOU WOULD EVER MEET.

IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ANYBODY WHO LOOK LIKE ME, SO I HAD A REALLY HARD TIME RELATING.

>> REHMAN WATSON, PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE NARRAGANSETT TRIBE AND THE RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITY.

SO MY GRANDMOTHER RAISED ME, I ALWAYS SOUGHT OUT EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCES WHERE THERE WAS A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE, AND THAT IS KIND OF HOW IT IS IN PROVIDENCE GENERALLY, UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL.

I WENT TO A DAYCARE WITH KIDS FROM ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS MY GRANDMOTHER, A CHRISTIAN WOMAN, THEN PUT ME IN A LUTHERAN SCHOOL.

SMALL LUTHERAN SCHOOL KID ONCE AGAIN, SUCH A DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS.

WE HAD LAOTIANS IN THERE, GUATEMALANS, OTHER NATIVES FROM DIFFERENT TRIBES, I THINK THERE WAS A HAITIAN.

MY GRANDMOTHER WAS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT MAKING SURE I WAS IN CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THERE WAS A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE.

DEBORAH: IN THE FOURTH GRADE, MY TEACHER, HE WAS HISPANIC, HE ASKED EVERYONE TO GO AROUND THE ROOM AND TELL THEIR ETHNICITY, SO I JUST SAID BLACK, BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS CALLING ME BLACK ALL THE TIME, OR CALLING ME THE IN WORD, SO MR. BLANCO, HE'’S SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I SAID, I KNOW I'’M INDIAN, BUT NOBODY WOULD BELIEVE ME.

HE SAID WELL, I KNOW YOU ARE INDIAN.

YOU DON'’T HAVE TO JUST SAY WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT YOU.

SO HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT ACTUALLY INVALIDATED WHO I WAS.

RAYMOND: I LEARNED FROM A VERY EARLY STAGE THAT THERE WERE LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE AROUND AND THAT NOT EVERYONE WAS LIKE ME, AND THAT THAT WAS NOT A BAD THING.

SO THAT DEFINITELY COLORED, IN TERMS OF HOW I AND TEMPTED -- HOW I ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE.

YOU ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG, BECAUSE IF, YOU KNOW, AS RHODE ISLAND GOT STARTED BY TAKING LAND AWAY FROM MY PEOPLE, WHY SHOULD I BE PROUD OF BEING A RHODE ISLANDER?

AND YET WHEN I GO TO SCHOOL, EVERYTHING IS MADE ABOUT RHODE ISLAND.

SO IT IS LIKE YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY IN THIS SPACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO EVEN DEAL WITH SOCIETY AROUND YOU, AND AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, BEING SORT OF INTRODUCED TO THAT SORT OF CONFLICT.

DEBORAH: WELL, IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE SOCIETY WAS TRYING TO PUT THIS MESSAGE THAT IF YOU WARNED OF A CERTAIN LOOK, STYLE, STATUS, THEN YOU WERE LESS THAN.

SO I HAD A SELF-ESTEEM THAT WAS, LIKE, WELL, I DON'’T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHITE SKIN, I DON'’T HAVE BLONDE HAIR, I DON'’T HAVE BLUE EYES, I DON'’T HAVE A MERCEDES IN MY YARD, I DID NOT HAVE ALL OF THE STATUS SYMBOLS THAT SET YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO HAVE SELF-ESTEEM.

I DID NOT FEEL MY VALUE WAS REALLY HIGH THAN.

IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN MY LIFE, BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN I NEEDED TO THINK THAT MY VALUE WAS VERY HIGH.

SO I MADE IT THROUGH, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT.

RAYMOND: ESPECIALLY GROWING UP HERE IN MOUNT HOPE, BECAUSE IF ANYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH THE NARRAGANSETT INDIAN TRIBE, THE RESERVATION AND THE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED COMMUNITIES ARE ALL THE WAY AT THE OTHER END OF THE STATE.

SO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ENJOY SCHOOL, YET, I KNOW I'’M AN INDIAN, BUT I'’M A BLACK MAN, I AM AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, AND I'’M HERE IN THE CITY, I'’M GOING TO GO BE AN NBA PLAYER, I'’M GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL GO TO A POWWOW ONCE A YEAR IF MY GRANDMOTHER BRINGS ME, THAT IS COOL, EAT SOME JOHNNY CAKES OR SOME CHOWDER, BUT I'’M HERE IN THE CITY, SO I NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT I'’M DOING IN THE CITY AND WHERE TRYING TO GO.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, MY GRANDMOTHER RAISED ME, "A BLACK MAN," IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

SHE WAS FEARFUL OF POTENTIAL THINGS IN SOCIETY THAT COULD BE HARMFUL FOR ME, SO HER ADVICE FOR MAINTAINED GROOMING FOR ME GROWING UP WAS TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW I FIT INTO THIS STRUCTURE THAT IS AROUND, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE NOT EASY FOR A BLACK MAN.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE CONVERSATION WE WOULD HAVE.

AND THEN, ONCE AGAIN, DON'’T FORGET YOU ARE A NARRAGANSETT INDIAN, THIS IS YOUR LAND, AND YOUR PEOPLE ARE STILL THERE.

VERY COMPLEX, AND THE YOUNGER AGES, TRYING TO FIGURE ALL OF THAT OUT.

DEBORAH: THE FIRST ON ISIL RACISM WAS, LIKE, -- I SAW RACISM WAS MY FIRST WALK TO SCHOOL.

I WAS WALKING TO SCHOOL WITH MY SISTER AND MY FRIEND'’S BROTHER CAME BY, AND HE WAS WALKING TO SCHOOL, AND HE JUST PICKED UP A STICK AND STARTED HITTING ME AND CALLING ME NIGGER, AND I TOOK, LIKE, TWO HITS, AND THAT I GOT ANGRY AND TURNED AROUND AND HIT HIM BACK.

THAT WAS THE END OF HIM HITTING ME.

HE NEVER HIT ME AGAIN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS SOMEBODY WHO FOUGHT BACK.

HOW DARE I HAVE COLOR IN MY SKIN?

[LAUGHS] IT JUST SEEMS SO SILLY TO ME NOW.

THE PEOPLE THAT DID THAT, THEY MUST FEEL SO AWFUL THAT THEY DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

RAYMOND: I HAD JUST TURNED 12.

I HAD JUST TURNED 12, AND I FINALLY FELT LIKE I WAS ALMOST A TEENAGER NOW, YOU KNOW, SO, NANA, CAN WE GO TO THE MALL ?

SOME OF MY .

THIS WAS BEFORE -- SOME OF MY FRIENDS WANTED TO HANG OUT AT THE MALL.

THIS WAS BEFORE PROVIDENCE MALL.

OK, YOU CAN GO.

THREE OR FOUR OF MY FRIENDS, GOT TO TOUCH BASE WITH A FRIEND FROM A COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM HERE AS WELCOME AND HE REMEMBERED IT VIVIDLY, US BEING AT THE MALL AND GETTING APPROACHED BY SECURITY, AND TELLING US THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST HANGING AROUND, AND WE WERE BUYING ANYTHING, SO WE HAD TO LEAVE.

HERE I AM WITH MY CD IN MY HAND FROM THE CD STORE, I'’M LOOKING AROUND, AND, LIKE, WE ARE PROBABLY SOME OF THE VERY FEW BROWN FACES THAT ARE THERE.

AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS ASKED, WELL, HOW COME THE REST OF THE KIDS DON'’T HAVE TO LEAVE?

WE ARE SEEING THEM HANGING -- NO REAL ANSWER.

JUST ESCORTED TO THE DOOR.

SO I CALLED MY GRANDMOTHER, NANA, THEY JUST KICK US OUT OF THE MALL.

THEY SAID WE WERE -- SHE GETS UPSET, BUT I'’M NOT REALLY PROCESSING WHY SHE SO UPSET.

YOU KNOW, COME TO FIND OUT YEARS LATER, SHE HAD MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, "WHY IS MY GRANDSON TREATED THAT WAY?"

NO RETURN PHONE CALLS.

AS I GOT OLDER, I UNDERSTOOD, OH, OK. DEBORAH: WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT AWAY WHO I AM?

WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT IT AWAY?

I THINK THE COLONIAL TECHNIQUES WERE SET UP FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO MAKE NATIVE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT BECOME ASSIMILATED, SO THAT WE WON'’T SAY THAT WE'’VE BEEN DONE WRONG, ALL THE TREATIES THAT SAY THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR LAND, THEY HAVE MURDERED OUR ANCESTORS, ALL OF THAT DISRESPECTED US.

SO IF THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS THAT WERE MADE FROM THE GOVERNMENT UP THROUGH COLONIZATION, SET IT UP SO THAT IT IS SO MUCH EASIER OR COMFORTABLE TO JUST SAY, OK, I WILL NOT BE WHO I AM.

I WILL JUST BE PART OF THE MELTING POT.

I'’M AMERICAN, SO IT DOESN'’T MATTER WHO I AM.

GROWING UP, A A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE THAT.

THEY WERE LIKE, IT DOESN'’T MATTER WHO YOU ARE.

BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE, YOU HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED LESS THAN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE COLOR.

RAYMOND: IT IS AN EVERYDAY STRUGGLE.

I THINK DIFFERENT OF US DEAL WITH IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

ONE OF THE WAYS YOU SEE PEOPLE COPING WITH IT, AND THIS IS WHY IT IS SUCH A PROBLEM IN THE AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY, IS SELF-MEDICATING.

BECAUSE YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT HERE, AND YOU CAN'’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS IT.

SO I THINK THERE'’S A LOT OF THAT COME BUT THEN YOU ALSO SEE THE OTHER SIDE WITH PEOPLE -- AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE I REALLY TENDED TOWARD HIM AS I'’VE GOTTEN OLDER, FULLY EMBRACING THEIR CULTURE AND WANTING TO GET AWAY FROM THIS THING, BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT IS NOT REAL.

I KNOW THIS IS A REAL.

I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PEOPLE.

.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE STILL DOING.

I'’M GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT IN AS MUCH AS I HAVE TO, AND WHEN I DON'’T HAVE TO, I WON'’T.

AND I THINK THE BEST WAY TO CAPTURE IT WAS IN THE WORDS OF MY UNCLE CHIEF SUNDSET, HE SAID HE IS AN INDIAN OF TODAY, A MODERN MAN WHO DOES NOT FORGET HIS NATIVE FOREFATHERS.

DEBORAH: I WOULD TELL A NATIVE TEENAGER TO KNOW THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOUR OWN VOICE, DON'’T LET ANYBODY WRITE YOUR STORY FOR YOU.

>> OUR THANKS TO DEBORAH SPEARS MOOREHEAD AND RAYMOND TWO HAWKS WATSON FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES WITH US.

>> WE TURN NOW TO A STORY WE FIRST REPORTED ON IN MAY.

JUST OVER THE NORTHERN RYLAND BORDER SINCE FRANKLIN, -- NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND BORDER SINCE FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS, NAMED IN HONOR OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN TO INTEGRATE AMERICAN-STATESMAN DECIDED TO SEND A PRESENT TO THE TOWNSPEOPLE.

WHILE THE GIFT WAS NOT WITH THE CITIZENS HOPED FOR, IT ULTIMATELY WOULD INFLUENCE THE FOUNDING OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA.

>> THEY WANT TO TOUCH THEM.

IT IS ALMOST LIKE A SACRED ARTIFACT, FOR THE TOWN.

>> REFERENCE LIBRARIAN VICKI EARLS SAYS THIS COLLECTION OF BOOKS IS SO PRECIOUS, IT IS KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY IN A GLASS DISPLAY CASE.

VICKI: THIS IS IT.

THIS IS OUR BAY.

>> THEY TREASURE THESE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FIRST AND OLDEST PUBLIC LENDING LIBRARY AND CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN AMERICA.

THE BONES WERE A GIFT FROM FAMOUS PATRIOT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

-- THE BOOKS WERE A GIFT FROM FAMOUS PATRIOT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

VICKI: HE WAS A SCIENTIST, INVENTOR, DIPLOMAT, A STATESMAN, AND HE KNEW A LOT ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.

>> SO TODAY WE WOULD CALL HIM A MAJOR INFLUENCER.

VICKI: [LAUGHS] ABSOLUTELY.

HE WAS A ROCK STAR.

>> HE WAS SO POPULAR, IN FACT, THERE ARE 31 CITIES AND STATES NAME TODAY AFTER BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

VICKI: A DOCUMENT WAS PRESENTED TO THE MASS STATE LEGISLATURE FOR NAMING THE TOWN, AND ONE ALONG THE WAY ACROSS OUT THE ORIGINAL INTENDED NAME, WHICH WAS EXETER, AND WROTE IN FRANKLIN.

>> BUT THERE WAS LIKELY IN ULTERIOR MOTIVE FOR THAT NAME CHANGE.

ACCORDING TO LONGTIME HISTORIAN JAMES JOHNSTON.

JAMES: WELL, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.

THE SITE OF THAT, IF THEY GAVE THE HONOR FOR DR. FRANKLIN, HE WOULD GIVE THEM A BILL FOR THEIR NEW MEETING HOUSE, MAYBE ONE OF PAUL REVERE'’S SPECIALS SPEAR THAT WOULD BE NICE.

>> THE BELL REQUEST FOR THE CHURCH STEEPLE WAS ENGINEERED BY POWERFUL MINISTER THE REVEREND NATHANIEL EDDINS.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN REPLIED BY SENDING THE NOW FAMOUS COLLECTION OF BOOKS INSTEAD.

THEY WERE LOANED OUT UNTIL THE FRANKLIN LIBRARY WAS BUILT IN 1904.

WHY DID BEN SEND BOOKS INSTEAD OF A BELL?

"SENSE BEING PREFERABLE TO SOUND."

JAMES: WHAT HE MEANT WAS, WOULDN'’T THEY RATHER KNOW SOMETHING OF VALUE, OR DID THEY JUST WANT TO LISTEN TO THE DEAN DOG IN THIS PEOPLE?

-- DING DONG IN THE STEEPLE?

HE WAS RICHARD HE WAS A RICH GUY WHO COULD AFFORD TO BUY A BELL WITH READY CASH.

BUYING A BELL WAS A VERY BIG PROJECT.

VERY EXPENSIVE.

YOU'’RE TALKING ABOUT, IN TODAY'’S MONEY, $200,000.

>> AND THE BOOKS WOULD COST, IN TODAY'’S MONEY.

JAMES: $10,000 TO $12,000.

>> OF THE ORIGINAL BOOKS, 93 REMAIN.

VICKI: WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD.

I THINK THERE IS A LOSS ALONG THE WAY, AS WITH ANY LIBRARY BOOK NOW, THE DOG ATE IT.

IT FELL IN THE BATHTUB.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PART OF THE COLLECTION IS THE WORKS OF JOHN LOCKE.

AND THIS IS THE TIME, THE TIME OF THE HISTORY OF ENLIGHTENMENT.

JOHN LOCKE, HIS POLITICAL THEORIES WERE A BIG PART OF THAT.

THE THEORY IS ALL PEOPLE HAVING THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE WROTE ENDED UP IN THE CONSTITUTION, ALMOST VERBATIM.

>> THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER TO THIS STORY.

TURN THE PAGE FORWARD A FEW YEARS, AND A FRANKLIN FARMBOY BORROWS THESE BOOKS.

VICKI: HE WAS MOSTLY SELF EDUCATED AND MOSTLY SELF EDUCATED THROUGH THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN COLLECTION.

>> THE SELF EDUCATED STUDENT WAS NONE OTHER THAN HORACE MANN, CONSIDERED THE FATHER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA.

VICKI: HE BELIEVED THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND THAT EDUCATION SHOULD BE TAXED-SUPPORTED.

JIM:NOT ONLY -- JAMES: NOT ONLY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR WHITE PEOPLE, BUT HE THOUGHT NATIVE AMERICANS, PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN SHOULD HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE A GOOD EDUCATION.

WHEN HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF ANTIOCH COLLEGE, HE OPENED THE DOORS TO WOMEN, TO NATIVE AMERICANS, TO PEOPLE OF COLOR, ALL ON AN EQUAL BASIS.

>> AND MANN BELIEVED ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE A LIBRARY FILLED WITH CHILDREN'’S BOOKS.

HISTORIAN JOHNSTON SAID MANN AND FRANKLIN HAD A LOT IN COMMON.

JAMES: THEY WERE BOTH VERY INNOVATIVE PEOPLE.

THEY WERE BOTH PEOPLE PRONE TO THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, IF YOU WILL.

THEY WERE NOT LIMITED BY THE CULTURE OF THE TIME.

THEY WERE TAKEN BEYOND THE CULTURE OF THE TIME.

>> UNFORTUNATELY, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN NEVER GOT TO VISIT HIS TOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS.

HE DIED IN 1790, SHORTLY AFTER DONATING THE BOOK COLLECTION.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK BEN FRANKLIN WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS NAMESAKE TOWN?

JAMES: I THINK HE WOULD'’VE BEEN HAPPY.

I THINK HE WOULD'’VE BEEN HAPPY TO KNOW THAT HIS BOOKS STARTED SOMETHING VERY POSITIVE.

I THINK HE WAS HOPING THAT SOMEBODY IN THIS TOWN WOULD PREFER SENSE TO SOUND.

I'’M SURE HE WAS LOOKING FOR THAT.

>> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, YOU CAN STREAM "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: A KEN BURNS DOCUMENT ARY," ON PBS.

THE PROVIDENCE ATHENAEUM IS NOT AS OLD AS THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN LIBRARY, BUT SOME OF ITS TREASURES ARE JUST AS EYE-POPPING.

STEPHANIE, HEAD OF RESEARCH, TOOK US ON A TOUR AND SHARED SOME INTRIGUING FINES.

♪ STEPHANIE.

HI, I AM STEPHANIE OVOIAN KIND OF A RELIC HERE IN PROVIDENCE, A 19TH CENTURY LIBRARY THAT IS OFFERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

THE BUILDING HAS SO MUCH CHARM AND SO MANY FUN LITTLE ACCENTS TO IT THAT ANY TIME YOU TURN THE CORNER, YOU ARE BOUND TO NOTICE SOMETHING NEW.

HERE WE ARE AT THE ATHENEUM'’S CARD CATALOG.

A LIBRARIAN NAMED GRACE LATER WAS HIRED IN 1875, SPECIFICALLY -- LEONARD WAS HIRED IN 1875, SPECIFICALLY TO INTRODUCE THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM.

IT TOOK HER 13 YEARS TO WRITE OUT ALL THE CARDS.

IF YOU OPEN THESE DRAWERS, YOU CAN STILL SEE GRACE'’S HANDWRITTEN CARDS INSIDE.

SO HERE WE HAVE ONE OF THE GEMS OF THE ATHENAEUM'’S ART COLLECTION.

THIS IS THE HOURS BY EDWARD MEL BONE.

IT WAS STOLEN BY ONE MAN AND THEN ANOTHER MAN WHO WAS THOUGHT TO BE PART OF JESSE JAMES'’ GANG, BUT IT WAS POSTED ON A WANTED POSTER, AND THE WORK HAS BEEN IN THIS CASE EVER SENSE.

WELCOME TO THE SILVER GRAY BOOK ROOM.

THIS SET OF BOOKS WAS COMMISSIONED BY NAPOLEON WHEN HE WAS BRINGING HIS BOOKS TO EGYPT.

HE BROUGHT SCHOLARS, SCIENTISTS, AND ARTISTS TO REPORT EVERYTHING THEY WERE SEEING IN EGYPT, AND THEY PUBLISHED THE ITEMS IN THESE BOOKS.

IT WAS A HOT TICKET ITEM AT THE TIME, AND THE BOOKS WERE CREDITED FOR PAVING THE WAY FOR MODERN EGYPTOLOGY IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE AT THE TIME.

HERE WE HAVE THE VOLUME OF TEXTS.

NEXT WE HAVE THE VOLUME OF PLATES.

LASTLY, WE HAVE THREE OF THESE DOUBLE ELEPHANT SIZED VOLUMES, WHICH INCLUDE THE LARGEST PLATES AND MAPS.

THESE ARE THE LARGEST BOOKS IN THE ATHENAEUM'’S COLLECTION.

JUST FOR FUN, I PULLED OUT ALSO BE LIBRARY'’S SMALLEST BOOKS.

THIS MEASURES JUST ABOUT ONE INCH BY .75 OF AN INCH, AND THEY CONTAIN POEMS.

♪ THIS IS THE ART ROOM, WHERE WE HONOR THE LEGACY OF EDGAR ALLAN POE.

WE WILL SET THE SCENE IN THE YEAR 1848.

THIS POET WAS A LOCAL POET AND WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST POETS IN AMEICA.

ALSO IN 1848, EDGAR ALLAN POE WAS THE TALK OF SOCIETY.

THE TWO WOULD BEGIN CORRESPONDENCE.

AT ONE POINT DURING THEIR TIME AT THE ATHENAEUM, WHITMAN ASKED POE IF HE KNEW OF A POEM CALLED -- POE TOOK A COPY OF THE BOOK OFF THE SHELF, AND SIGN HIS NAME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAY FOR HE HAD WRITTEN IT, HE HAD JUST SUBMITTED IT ANONYMOUSLY FOR WE HAVE THAT COLLECTION HERE.

YOU CAN SEE HIS SIGNATURE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

THAT MUST'’VE BEEN KIND OF A SMOOTH MOVE BETWEEN POETS, AND WOMEN AGREED TO MARRY POE, ON THE CONDITION HE REMAIN SOBER -- WHITMAN AGREED TO MARRY POKEMON THE CONDITION HE REMAIN SOBER -- POE ON THE CONDITION HE REMAIN SOBER.

SOMEONE RAN TO HER AND SAID SHE SAW HIM DRINKING, AND SHE SAID WHILE SHE STILL LOVED HIM, SHE COULD NOT MARRY HIM.

HE WAS DEAD WITHIN A YEAR.

IT IS A TRAGIC LOVE STORY.

WHITMAN WAS A FIRM DEFENDER OF HIS REPUTATION.

HERE WE ARE IN AN ALCOVE AT THE ATHENAEUM.

THIS IS A FUN LITTLE SECRET PART OF THE LIBRARY THAT WE LOVE TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT HERE AT THE DESK.

YOU CAN SEE THAT OVER THE YEARS, LOTS OF VISITORS HAVE COME TO THE LIBRARY AND LEFT LITTLE NOTES INSIDE THE DESK DRAWERS COULD YOU CAN FIND THEM THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY.

THIS ONE HAS ABOUT 50 NOTES INSIDE.

OTHER DESKS HAVE A SIMILAR AMOUNT.

SOME HAVE FEWER.

THIS ONE IS PRETTY LOVELY, THIS ILLUSTRATION HAS GOT ALL SORTS OF NOTES, LITTLE HOMELANDS.

LONGER LETTERS.

EVERY ONE IS A PART OF THE ATHENAEUM HISTORY, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FROM 1838 BUT COULD EVEN BE THIS YEAR.

EACH MAKES A LITTLE MARK ON THE LIBRARY.

>> OUR THANKS TO STEPHANIE OVOIAN.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I AM MICHELLE SAN MIGUEL.

>> AND I AM PAMELA WATTS.

WE WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF "RHODE ISLAND PBS WEEKLY."

UNTIL THEN, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF OUR PAST EPISODES ON WWW.RIPBS.ORG/WEEKLY, OR LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS AVAILABLE ON ALL OF YOUR FREE STREAMING FORMS.

-- STREAMING PLATFORMS.

THANK YOU.

NIGHT.

[CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.

VISIT NCICAP.ORG] ♪