An Introduction
To Our Site
During the summer of 1959,
Sally Pierce of Cranston, Rhode Island and Edward Theberge of Pawtucket got together with some friends for a picnic in
the park. This couple had recently begun dating, having met each other while they were both working at Hospital
Trust National Bank in Providence.
It was only natural that this group of friends would bring along
some ice cold "'Gansetts" with them that day to go along with their fare of hot dogs and hamburgers.
After all, in the late 1950's, Narragansett was the most popular local beer in all of New England.
Somewhere
on the picnic table, buried among the condiments, buns and snacks, a transistor radio might have been broadcasting
the Sox game that afternoon. As usual, Curt Gowdy would be behind the mike belting out his usual, "Hi Neighbor,
Have a 'Gansett!".
It would be hard to imagine
this couple thinking too far into the future that day, but, as fate would have it, they would soon be married and
have a couple of kids. Forty years later, one of these kids would come across a few photographs taken
of his parents that day. While most sons would only notice that his mom and dad looked remarkably
younger in these pictures, he would also notice that they were drinking Narragansett Lager Beer.
|
|
| Ed Theberge and Sally Pierce |
While this observation may
seem a bit unusual, it really isn't. It just so happens that this son shares with his dad a passion for old
Rhode Island Brewery History. It's a great hobby that not only gives us the opportunity to spend time
together, but one that gives us the chance to preserve a small part of Rhode Island's historic
past as well.
Within these Internet pages you will find the fruits of our thirty plus year
labor of love. We invite you to explore our collection and virtual museum. Look for some of the video
links we have in store for you. The BROWN TASK BAR on the left will take you wherever you want to go!
So
grab yourself an ice cold brew from the fridge, sit down, and explore days long gone by.
While Rhode
Islanders currently have the opportunity to enjoy a few native Rhode Island beers from the Coddington, Newport
Storm, Union and Trinity Breweries, all of the breweries depicted in this web site are long extinct. All we have to remember
them by are a few fading memories, some photographs, buildings which are becoming more and more extinct,
as well as a variety of treasured artifacts left over from the "good old days" ...those
days when you could buy a beer that was proudly made by one of your neighbors.
Please let us know if you have
any information you would like to share with us! Visit often as we're always adding new material to the website
as new research and material comes in. In addition to collecting these wonderful pieces of the history, our goal is to
tell the story of these breweries as accurately as possible. To do this, we use period references whenever possible.
These references be seen in our bibliography section.
If you happen to have any old items relating to Rhode Island's brewery
history that you think we may be interested in, please contact us at GSTheberge@yahoo.com. We're always looking to add new pieces to our collection. Enjoy the site!
Cheers Neighbor and GO RED SOX!
Ed and Greg Theberge
