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**Narragansett was
incorporated as a town in 1901. Prior to that time, it was part of South
Kingstown, with local history dating back to 1675 when Roland Robinson
settled in South County and purchased land from the Narragansett
Indians in Pettaquamscutt
and Pt. Judith
**Shipbuilding was an early industry with sailing vessels built on the
Narrow River at Middlebridge. South Ferry, or Franklin Ferry, was a
thriving community, offering ferry service to Jamestown and Newport for
more than a hundred years in the early 1700’s. South Ferry Church was
a landmark on every sea captain’s chart of Narragansett Bay.
**Between 1888 and 1920 Narragansett was well known as an elegant summer
resort with a dozen more grand hotels and many large estates and
"cottages". Probably the most prominent landmark was Narragansett
Casino, covering nearly one square block from Ocean Road to
Mathewson Street. The towers on Ocean Road served as the main entrance
and covered promenade and are all that remain after a devastating fire
in 1900. Most of the large hotels, all built in wood, were destroyed by
fire during the early 1900’s.
**The Bay Campus of the University of Rhode Island
at the end of South Ferry Road is the site of the world renowned URI
Graduate School of Oceanography.
**Tourism
is an important facet of life in Narragansett, with attractive
beaches, sport fishing, a relaxed atmosphere, comfortable
cottages and motels, and camping areas all contributing to the
tourist’s enjoyment. Narragansett strives to preserve the pleasure of
a resort community with the amenities of year-round living
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