Newsletter
Within this scrapbook compiled by Winifred J.W. Kissouth is the Providence Journal's December 1945 article about Mae Gagnon.
Spring/Summer 2025
The Center is pleased to announce that our newest exhibit "HERstory: Women of South County" will be opening on May 17th. The exhibit explores the roles, experiences, and impacts of women on South County, which are often overlooked or unrecorded in historical records. Thanks to generous support from the Town of South Kingstown and Rhode Island Foundation, this exhibit will be open through December 2026. Through our research, we uncovered countless stories of women who made a difference through service to our community. Our research on one woman, Mary "Mae" (Leslie) Gagnon, even helped us to better understand our headquarters, the Old Washington County Jail (pictured right). Mae Leslie was born in Wakefield in 1900 and later graduated from South Kingstown High School. She spent several years working as a medical secretary until 1935 when Washington County Sheriff William H. Leslie Jr. (Mae's first cousin) hired her to be a clerk in his office. Although she was retained in this role by Sheriff Leslie's successors, she was "discharged" ten days after she married in 1939 in compliance with a state policy that prohibited employment of married women in state positions. Indeed, more than half of U.S. states had similar restrictions at the time. Worker shortages during World War II created new employment opportunities for women, including those that were married. By 1942, Mae had not only gotten her old job back, she had been promoted to "woman deputy sheriff." (Yes, "woman" was part of her job title.) Even after many years of dedicated public service, Mae was still treated as a novelty in a Providence Journal feature published in 1945 under the headline "Deputy May Gagnon, Only Feminine Minion of the Law in South County." (You read that right: her first name was misspelled throughout the article.) By 1950, Mae Gagnon's tenure in the sheriff's office was over, and we have found remarkably few records related to her life. Even her obituary failed to mention that Mae was Washington County's first woman "of the Law." "HERstory" was created to shine a light on women like Mae whose lives and accomplishments have been lost to time. We hope you'll visit soon, share stories of women who have impacted your life, and consider how you can help preserve this important history. Learn more about visiting the exhibit on the following pages or online at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org.
"HERstory: Women of South County" Opens May 17
An Exciting New Collection Has Just Landed!
"HERstory" will feature objects from Ann's wartime service, including her pilot's jacket pictured above, loaned by the International Women's Air and Space Museum.
Remembering Mary Keane Any list of South County women who have left an indelible mark on our community would be incomplete without the name Mary Keane. Up until her passing in February, Mary was a devoted friend of the Center. Over her incredible 24 years of volunteer service, she was involved in virtually every aspect of our work. The South County History Center would not be where we are today without Mary. Gardening was among Mary's many passions, and she helped maintain the gardens at the Old Jail. In the coming months, we will be enhancing the flower beds along our entry and dedicating them to Mary's memory. If you would like to help the Center honor Mary by volunteering your time and talent, please contact us at erica@southcountyhistorycenter.org.
The Center has recently acquired a major new collection documenting the life of Ann Webster Kenyon Morse (1917-1989). This vast and varied collection contains incredible archival materials and more than 2,000 photographic images. Locally, Ann is perhaps best remembered as a horsewoman - she was an award-winning equestrian by age 10 - and donor of the first 365 acres of Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge. She raised sheep at her home on Ministerial Road, called "Long Pond Farm" and later "Kenyon Farms." Ann was a debutante, a skeet-shooter, and, as you'll learn in our "HERstory" exhibit, one of Rhode Island's first woman pilots. Prior to World War II, Ann was the pilot and owner of a Taylorcraft monoplane, and she was among a small number of women who held a multi-engine license. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ann became involved in the domestic war effort. When blackout tests were held in early 1942, Ann piloted a plane for the State Defense Council to observe the effort from above. Ann served as a supply officer of the Rhode Island Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and "flew her own airplane on courier missions without compensation for the AAF [Army Air Forces]." In 1944, Ann was accepted into the competitive Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) program and successfully completed her training at the Army Air Forces Pilot School, one of only 1,074 women to earn her WASPs wings, which will also be on exhibit. When the WASPs were disbanded in late 1944, Ann returned to the Rhode Island Civil Air Patrol where she helped fight forest fires from the air and even once helped capture fugitives who escaped from the Washington County Jail. Before the Center acquired the Ann Kenyon Morse Collection, many of its contents sadly sustained moisture and insect damage. While it has been stabilized, cleaning and conservation work is required to ensure its long-term preservation. The Center's estimate for cleaning and preserving the entire collection is $17,500, and we welcome donations to help save this nationally-significant resource. Although the collection will not be available to researchers until the preservation process is complete, we will be featuring some World War II-era materials from it in our "HERstory" exhibit, as well as several items loaned to the Center by the International Women's Air & Space Museum in Ohio. If you would like to help the Center save this important new collection, please make a donation at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org or by mail. Thank you!
Protecting South County's Historical Treasures Over the last several years, we have steadily made improvements and investments into our headquarters, the historic Old Washington County Jail. These projects have helped to ensure proper care of the collection, expand storage capacity, increase accessibility, and improve our environmental and financial sustainability. Most recently, the Center has installed three new heat pumps to replace our aging oil furnace and A/C units. We also repaired several damaged and drafty windows. This upgrade has improved climate control for collections and energy efficiency. These important investments were possible thanks to the generous support of the Champlin Foundation and the Clean Heat Rhode Island Program. Thank you!
Spring and Summer Calendar Kingston Fair Day and Opening of HERstory Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Join us for the grand opening of "HERstory," explore our other exhibits and the Old Jail, and pick up a summer read in the Center's gift shop. Special Summer Open Houses Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. & Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. This summer we'll be offering two special open houses to celebrate our HERstory exhibit. All exhibits will be open, as well as our gift shop. As always, admission is free, and donations are welcome. Other Places to See Us This Summer Exhibit: "Saviors & Salvagers: Block Island Shipwrecks" Featuring materials from the Center's collection Block Island Historical Society (blockislandhistorical.org) May 24 - October 13, 2025 Exhibit: "Stories on Silver: Early Portraiture in South County" Featuring materials from the Center's collection Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum (gilbertstuartmusem.org) June 6 - October 13, 2025 Program: "Violet Sands Hazard: A Life in Three Centuries" A Presentation by Erica Luke, Center's Executive Director Block Island Historical Society (blockislandhistorical.org) Thursday, June 19, 6 p.m. Exhibit: "Marketing Matunuck" Featuring the Center's Champlin Family Collection Edward Everett Hale House (halehouseri.org) June 25 - August 27, 2025 Exhibit: "250 Years of History: Celebrating the Library" Featuring photographs from the Center's collection Kingston Free Library (skpl.org) On-going through 2025 Civil War Col. Isaac Peace Rodman Display Featuring sword carried by Col. Isaac Peace Rodman Varnum Memorial Armory Museum (varnumcontinentals.org) On-going through 2025 Be sure to check our partners' websites for more information about scheduling your visit.
2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02881 401.783.1328 Open by Appointment With the exception of Open Houses (see inside!) the Center requires advance appointments to best serve all researchers and visitors. Schedule your visit today at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org/visit. SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org Facebook.com/SouthCountyHistoryCenter
2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02881
Need help with a research question? Weekday research appointments are now available and must be scheduled at least two days in advance. We can also help answer your research question virtually. New materials arrive weekly, and return visits are encouraged! Visit SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org/research to submit your research inquiry and request an appointment.