It’s always nice to step back and take a look at life in a simpler time, and these Rhode Island historic photos do just that. It was before cell phones had even been thought of, and even before there were televisions in peoples homes. We found some amazing pictures of Little Rhody in the early 1900s that give us a glimpse of what life was like here then.

  1. Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick as it was in the early 1900s.

Wikimedia/ Aijiro Tashiro The throng enjoy themselves in front of in front of the “Japanese Ping Pong” booth.

  1. President Theodore Roosevelt makes a speech in Providence on August 23, 1902.

Wikimedia/ SMU Central University Libraries Can anyone tell where the “Trust Speech” was delivered?

  1. Another shot of Theodore Roosevelt in Rhode Island.

Wikimedia/ Public Domain Here he is with a group of sailors on the Newport boardwalk in 1908.

  1. The Providence Daily Journal announced the beginning of the construction of their new headquarters in 1903.

Wikimedia/ Public Domain The building at Eddy and Westminster streets still stands today.

  1. The statue of Columbus in Providence in 1915.

Wikimedia/ Public Domain The statue still stands in Columbus Square in the Elmwood neighborhood of Providence. The cars are a little different though.

  1. Troops gather at Dexter Training Ground in Providence.

Wikimedia/ The Providence Journal On July 25, 1917, they prepared to depart for Europe and World War I.

  1. The Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company was a large employer in Providence.

Yale Vintage Photo Library/ Jack Delano It’s awesome to see the cars and trucks that were on the road in 1940.

  1. Here is the street heading into the main business section of Woonsocket.

Yale Vintage Photo Library/ Jack Delano It’s been a long time since we’ve seen streetlights like these.

  1. A class for bakers in 1917.

Wikimedia/ United States Navy Department Recruits at the Commisary School at the Newport Training Station learn how to make wholesome food for the troops.

  1. The kitchen in the newly built “East Hall” at University of Rhode Island.

Wikimedia/ Public Domain In 1905, this kitchen boasted all the most modern amenities.

Do you recognize any of the places in these amazing pictures? Let us know in the comments!

Wikimedia/ Aijiro Tashiro

The throng enjoy themselves in front of in front of the “Japanese Ping Pong” booth.

Wikimedia/ SMU Central University Libraries

Can anyone tell where the “Trust Speech” was delivered?

Wikimedia/ Public Domain

Here he is with a group of sailors on the Newport boardwalk in 1908.

The building at Eddy and Westminster streets still stands today.

The statue still stands in Columbus Square in the Elmwood neighborhood of Providence. The cars are a little different though.

Wikimedia/ The Providence Journal

On July 25, 1917, they prepared to depart for Europe and World War I.

Yale Vintage Photo Library/ Jack Delano

It’s awesome to see the cars and trucks that were on the road in 1940.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen streetlights like these.

Wikimedia/ United States Navy Department

Recruits at the Commisary School at the Newport Training Station learn how to make wholesome food for the troops.

In 1905, this kitchen boasted all the most modern amenities.

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