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Sue Maden
Crime and Punishment in 1874: A Year in the Providence Reform School
This talk is based on the diary kept by William Penn Bates in 1874 when he was in the Providence Reform School (for breaking and entering) and on the Daily Log kept by the Reform School, as well as other reports kept by them in 1874, newspaper accounts, etc. Included also is information on Rebecca Josephine Lewin, who was in the Reform School for vagrancy from age 14 after being thrown out of the house by her sister-in-law. She and Bates married in 1876 and he mentions her in this diary. The City of Providence ran the School from 1850-1880, and then it went on to be controlled by the State, which built a new facility in Cranston in 1882.
Needs: Lighted lectern/water; display space
Availability: Sue Maden is available only during daytime hours, including weekends; evenings in summer only.
Sue Maden lived in New York City for more than 25 years, working as a nurse and later as a librarian. After moving to Jamestown in 1982, she began to explore the history of her community. She has written books and columns for the local paper and has compiled accounts of Jamestown from newspapers and newsletters.