Providence City Archives

07/17/2026

06/09/2026

In recognition of the 82nd anniversary of D-Day (the allied invasion of Normandy, France), one of the many heroes from Providence who answered the call to fight against the N***s:

Raymond W. Flynn, a dedicated officer who graduated from the Providence Police Academy in 1938, began his service in Precinct 4. By October 1941, he was assigned to the traffic division, focusing on the crucial intersection of Westminster and Empire streets, showcasing his commitment to community safety. In May 1942, he answered the call of duty and joined the uArmy, eventually leading a machine gun squad in the 175th Infantry, 29th Division, during his deployment to England in 1943. Tragically, Flynn lost his life during the Normandy invasion, yet his bravery and earlier valor were honored with a posthumous Bronze Star.

Raymond’s family suffered immense loss; his father, William, a devoted Providence fireman, passed away from a heart attack in 1941 at just 52. In addition, his brother Walter endured a crippling locomotive accident at Quonset Point on June 28, 1944, leading to his death ten days later.

After the war, Flynn’s remains were retrieved from a French cemetery and placed on a transport ship bound for New York. A military es**rt solemnly ushered his casket to Providence, where it arrived on May 16, 1948. Flynn was reburied at St. Francis Cemetery, Pawtucket.

On November 15th, 2024 the City Archives and the Providence Police Department, along with representatives from the 175th infantry gave SSgt full military honors. This would not have been possible without the dilligent work of John Glancy (PPD Ret.) who procured a headstone and orchestrated a 21 gun salute, along with reenactors and gathering members of the 175th to honor SSgt Flynn.

06/08/2026

In remembrance of Dr. Gordon S. Wood (1933 - 2026), a luminary of Early American History. Dr. Wood was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1933. Prior to pursuing a career in history, Dr. Wood joined the Air Force prior to pursuing his PhD, achieving the rank of 1st Lieutenant. In 1964, Wood obtained his PhD from Harvard University.

Dr. Wood was an eminent contributor to Early American history, publishing such instrumental works: “The Creation of the American Republic, 1776 - 1787” for which he received the Bancroft Prize; “The Radicalism of the American Revolution” for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for history. These two works among the many produced by Wood changed the way we think about the American Revolution and the founding of the Republic. For these achievements he was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2011 by President Barack Obama.

Wood continued publishing into 2021, with his most recent book “Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution.”

Dr. Wood had been teaching at Brown University since 1969, and achieved the status of Professor Emeritus.

With his passing, Dr. Wood leaves the understanding of American History forever changed for the better, especially as we move toward the 250th.

05/22/2026

Thank you to and VFW LTs. Armstrong/Gladding Post #69 for helping to honor 2nd LT William P. Armstrong, a Providence native and Tuskegee airman who was killed in action during a combat patrol in 1945.

05/18/2026

Please join us this Friday, May 22nd for the rededication of William P. Armstrong Square, located at the corner of Cranston and Dodge street, at 12pm

03/31/2026

The Providence City Archives houses more than 24,000 cubic feet of archival material throughout the city, and only 75 percent of it has been accounted for thus far, so the ... Read More

03/17/2026

Mayor Patrick J McCarthy - whose family arrived in Boston in 1850 after fleeing the potato famine, served as mayor of Providence from 1906 - 1909.

McCarthy worked many jobs before settling on politics: a lathe operator, a brass finisher, a theatrical performer, sunday school teacher, real estate agent, lawyer, Rhode Island state rep, City Councilor and finally Mayor.

McCarthhys tenure as mayor saw progessive policies, which brought an 8 hour workday for city laborers, and retirement/pensions for police, fire, and teachers.

03/05/2026

You can find interesting things in the most likely places.

Featured is three assorted letterheads from businesses in the city. Theres plenty more! But these feature buildings that we do not have any renderings of in our collection.

Something as simple as a business letterhead can memorialize buildings.

02/13/2026

When processing documents in the collection there’s always bound to be something really interesting or strange. This is an excerpt from An Annual Report for the Health Department of the City of Providence, a now defunct department from, from 1961.

Hopefully the turtle and parakeet were up to date on their shots.

01/28/2026

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, Jr.’s death. Mayor Cianci, Providence’s longest-serving mayor, in many ways mirrored the life of the city’s second longest-serving Mayor, Thomas A. Doyle, whose portrait hung in Cianci’s office as a source of inspiration for the Italian American mayor.

Doyle served as mayor for 18 years (1864–1869, 1870–1881, 1884–1886). Cianci surpassed this, serving over 21 years during two separate terms (1975–1984, 1991–2002). Doyle is credited with leading Providence through a period when its population and wealth doubled during America’s Gilded Age, making Providence the wealthiest city in America per capita. Cianci was responsible for the “Providence Renaissance,” which involved moving rivers, establishing Waterplace Park, and revitalizing the city’s downtown district, and his dedication to historical preservation. Both leaders were known for their larger-than-life personalities and were extremely popular, despite facing significant criticism from the local press. Their legacies include transforming the city’s infrastructure and shaping modern Providence, and both men were pioneers in urban revitalization and renewal.

Both men, who began their tenure as Republican mayors, are credited as the only statesmen to have ever lain in state at City Hall—a building no better cherished and cared for by both mayors, for Doyle was responsible for its construction, and Cianci for restoring it, and permitted and encouraged the creation of a City Archives Department in lieu of the preservation of the building’s magnificent interior in 1978, on the building’s 100th anniversary.