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Arthur's Posting Roundtable KingArthursRoundtable@topica.com
KingArthur's Stuff: Rhody Firsts
We were the first to renounce the crown, establish religious freedom
and create an action figure. That would be G.I. Joe. Were home to the
first industrial mill, Jewish temple, roller-skating rink, and not just
a first Baptist church but in 1638 the first Baptist Church in America.
Apparently, were big on indoor shopping here, since the Arcade was
Americas first enclosed mall, and in 1768, Gladdings became the first
department store on U.S. Soil. Though I guess it wasn't the U.S. Yet.
We have the longest name of any state Rhode Island and Providence
Plantations. Arlene Violet was the nations first female state Attorney
General. Usquepaugh hosts the countrys only jonnycake festival. And our
state troopers were not only voted best dressed, but once did a fashion
show on David Letterman. Beat that, Connecticut.
All this is from my favorite new local book. Its by Roberta Mudge
Humble, a professor of English at the Community College of Rhode
Island,
and is called The RIght to Crow A Look at Rhode Islands Firsts, Bests &
Uniques. Perhaps its our small size, but theres something about living
here that makes people embrace ways that Rhode Island stands out. Good
or bad. He says:
When I first came here in the mid-1970s, I actually felt proud that the
New England mob was based in Providence instead of Boston; maybe
Detroit
had cars, but at least we had that industry. We also once had the
biggest maker of fake flowers anywhere. Im still proud that we have the
worlds biggest termite overlooking Route 95. Its 58 feet long. And to
think outsiders thought this wasn't a major-league place.
Ive long known we stand out as the capital of coffee milk, lemonade
slush, bubblers, cabinets and an obsession with low-number plates. Ive
known we have a famous chicken breed, the Rhode Island Red, with its
own
monument, and that we were home to the Americas Cup for more than a
century until the Aussies ripped us off. Ive known that the longest
professional baseball game, 33 innings, was at McCoy Stadium..
But there are a lot of firsts I barely knew; or didn't know. Such as
that the Newport Reading Room has the worlds oldest flush toilets. So I
love this book. It further tells me that the first World Series ever,
anywhere, was held here. And the Providence Grays won. They beat the
New York Mets. To me, that's right up there with inventing religious
freedom.
So is the fact that Babe Ruth once played for the Providence Grays.
Im even proud that in 1976, a state rep named Bernard Gladstone
proposed $2 tax on sex to increase revenues. At least it was a first..
It didn't pass.
The nations first-ever speeding ticket was given in 1904 in Newport.
The guy deserved it; he was going 20 miles per hour.
The most expensive piece of furniture ever sold was an 18th-century
desk by Rhode Island carpenter John Goddard. In 1989, someone paid
$12.1
million for it. But ounce for ounce, that's probably not as valuable as
the $25,000 paid here for license plate number 7. That means plate
number 1 is worth six figures.
Plus, Im guessing no other place has as much collective interest in
such odd foods as doughboys, dynamites, grinders, New York System
wieners, clamcakes and stuffies.
Im also guessing that no other successful politician legally added an a
to the beginning of his name, as Ralph aRusso did, to be first on a
ballot. After winning, he went on to serve as mayor of Johnston for 24
years, a state record for that office.
Oh, and show me another state where the landfill is the second-highest point. It gives you a shiver of pride.
Mr. Potato Head was born here. So was Furby, My Little Pony, and the Easy Bake Oven,
Maybe one reason we need books like Humbles is that the rest of the
world doesn't give us enough credit for these things. Im still angry
that Boston gets acclaim for sparking the Revolution by dumping some tea in
the harbor in December 1773 when, a whole year and half before that,
Rhode Islanders burned an entire British tax ship.. But who, besides us,remembers that?
Now, we have a reminder.
I think we'll celebrate with some stuffies and coffee milk.
May all your 'journeys have the spirits of our roundtable with you!!
><../'/_/ KingArthur/_//<>
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