by JANE HENNEDY Site Manager, Southern Rhode Island
Walking in the Footsteps
T
OF THE PAST
here is a chorus of voices telling a broader story of Casey Farm in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. This amplified chronicle documents Native American habitation of the area; the enslaved people, hired hands, and tenant farmers who worked the land and made it what we benefit from today; as well as the eight generations of the family that owned Casey Farm, for which it is named. Historic New England partnered with Tomaquag Museum, located in Exeter, Rhode Island, to expand the
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Historic New England Fall 2019
history we share at Casey Farm. Tomaquag Museum, founded in 1958, is dedicated to sharing Indigenous culture, arts, and history. The museum played a vital role in broadening the story we tell and making it a contemporary narrative with a permanent display titled Walk in Their Footsteps. Inside the c. 1750 Casey farmhouse is a gallery-style museum room featuring portraits and photographs to tell the stories of the family that owned the property from 1702 to 1955. The Caseys are notable for their accomplishments in business, the military, and