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When Dr. Henry Gustav May arrived in Rhode Island in 1920, local turkeys were dying in record numbers, threatening backyard flocks and large farms alike. At the time, turkeys were a $1 million business for Rhode Island (equivalent to approximately $16 million today) and a source of civic pride: turkeys from Horace Vose’s Westerly farm were enjoyed at White House holiday dinners for 40 years. Thankfully, Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island) recruited Dr. May to serve as Professor of Bacteriology and head of the Division of Animal Breeding and Pathology at the Experiment Station. A German immigrant who served with U.S. forces during World War I, 34-year-old Dr. May and his recent bride Marguerite made a home on Old North Road. “A hard worker, with an unusual amount of patience,” Dr. May started to investigate the invisible killer of Rhode Island’s turkeys. By Thanksgiving 1923, Dr. May published a report detailing a method for reducing the disease plaguing local turkeys. As the Narragansett Times reported, Dr. May’s method “demanded no medicine and little extra bother and expense,” relying instead on a system of rotating and changing yards that reduced disease by up to 95%. Sadly, Dr. May’s life and work were cut short when he died in 1926 at the age of 40. It was speculated that his final illness, a throat infection, may have been contracted while experimenting in his campus laboratory. Following his passing, May’s wife and three young children moved to New York, and the family’s connection to Rhode Island faded. When one of Dr. May’s grandchildren contacted the Center earlier this year for research assistance, we were thrilled to help uncover this important South County story. In a message shared at Dr. May’s memorial service, a student observed that his late professor was driven by the ideal of “unfaltering, unselfish, service directed toward the betterment of all mankind.” This Thanksgiving season, we are thankful for Dr. May and countless others like him who bettered South County through service and sacrifice.
Newsletter
Dr. Henry Gustav May from R.I. State College 1927 yearbook
The Professor Who Saved Thanksgiving
Fall 2025/Winter 2026
Thank you to everyone who has helped grow the Center's collection! If you are interested in contributing to the collection, please contact us at erica@southcountyhistorycenter.org.
Maple View Farm Collection Documenting the Froberg family's North Kingstown dairy farm, this collection includes photographs, news clippings, and a New England Green Acres trophy. On this photo, donor David Froberg shared that his dad Burton (pictured), built a box for the back seat of his 1951 DeSoto to bring this bull to the family's farm. The bull, named Hi Bow, became a grand champion at the Rhode Island State Fair.
Corey Family Collection Given in memory of Marjorie Kelley Morton, this collection contains approximately 150 contracts, letters, and other paper records from the Corey family of North Kingstown and their relatives. The earliest document is 287-years-old!
A Few of our "MOO-EST" Collections
Journal of John T. Gardiner John Tillinghast Gardiner (abt. 1803 - 1878) kept a near-daily record of his life and work as an Exeter farmer for nearly four decades. Purchased for the Center at a Massachusetts auction, Gardiner's journal details his travels in South County, harvesting crops, and the weather. According to Gardiner, September 18, 1853, was "rather dull & cloudy."
New collections arrive at the Center virtually every week from generous donors across the United States. Enjoy this sneak peak at some of our new arrivals!
Milton & John Kelley Narragansett Pier Railroad Collection Creating this archival and photographic collection was a father-and-son project for Milton and John. The duo collected documents about the formation and operation of the Narragansett Pier Railroad and created a photographic record of its later years. The Kelley Collection adds to the Center's significant (and vast!) railroad-related holdings.
The Center recently lost a treasured member of our team, Trustee Emeritus H. Graham Nye. A founding member of the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society, now the South County History Center, Graham later served on our Board, generously filling multiple leadership positions including Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer. Graham helped guide the organization through challenges and opportunities, sharing his wit, knowledge, and love of local history. We are honored to be a part of Graham's lasting legacy of service to South County.
Is your family's history hiding away in a closet, attic, or basement? The holiday season and cold weather months are great times to work on preserving your family's treasures. Here are a few tips to get you started: Location, location, location. Moving photos and other keepsakes out of a basement or attic is a critical first step. Identify a place in your home that doesn't experience extremes in temperature or humidity. Store items at least a few inches off the floor. And, label, label, label. Use a #2 pencil to write on the back of photos, identifying people (by name, not just "mom"), places, and dates. Write down the history of family heirlooms so that future generations won't have to guess about their importance. Sticky albums are NOT your friend. If you have photos stored in self adhesive albums, consider removing them. Use a micro spatula to carefully lift photos and a photographic cleaner to remove residual adhesive. Back up digital photos. Make sure to protect your digital photos from computer failure and disasters by creating a cloud backup or storing an external hard drive backup at a relative's house or in a safe deposit box. Make it a family activity. Bring unidentified photographs to family gatherings and ask relatives to help. Interview elders about family lore and heirlooms, and record their memories. Try not to get overwhelmed. Family collections are accumulated over decades (and sometimes centuries), and preserving them takes time and patience. Ask for help. If you want advice for dealing with damage, finding supplies, or organizing your treasures, we're happy to help. Contact us at erica@southcountyhistorycenter.org. While not every family is ready to donate their treasures to a historical society's collection, you can still ensure that they are preserved for future generations.
Remembering Graham Nye
Tips for Preserving Your Family's History
Did you know that low humidity can also cause damage? A telltale sign: curling photographs.
Daguerreotype from the Champlin Family Collection, with label identifying Margaret Emeline (Champlin) Peckham and Edward Hazard Peckham
Help Fill Our Library Shelves The Center's library is a resource for researchers here in South County and far beyond. There are many titles that we would love to add to the collection, including those on our Research Library Wish List, posted online at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org/wishlist. Contact us at erica@southcountyhistorycenter.org if you would like to make a donation to the Center's library.
2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02881
2636 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02881 401.783.1328 Open by Appointment To best serve all researchers and visitors, the Center requires advance appointments. Schedule your visit today at SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org/visit. SouthCountyHistoryCenter.org Facebook.com/SouthCountyHistoryCenter