#AtoZ Stay Home! Wear a Mask! "A" is for APPONAUG
It seemed appropriate this year to feature a theme that kept me close to home, so I give you my A to Z within the small acreage that is Rhode Island. I tried to be creative (you’ll see!) but I hope you learn something about Little Rhody, too. Whether you’ve lived here all your life, grew up within the boundaries, or have never set foot on one of our many beaches, come along for a virtual tour.
A small brook runs through the village of Apponaug (APP-un-awg), emptying into Apponaug Cove, then into Greenwich Bay and eventually Narragansett Bay. The meaning of the Narraganset word "Apponaug" is oyster, or shellfish, which would make sense, as there used to be loads of clams and quahogs, scallops and oysters just beneath the mud in Apponaug Cove. Originally inhabited by sub-tribes of the Narragansett nation, Opponenauhock, now Apponaug, was a popular and thriving place for the Native Americans who lived there for centuries before European settlers arrived in the area.
Apponaug is a neighborhood in the city of Warwick, located in the center of Rhode Island. Post Road (Route 1) runs right through Apponaug, and Post Road is part of the Old Pequot Path.
Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, traveled the Old Pequot Path (Post Road) from Providence down to Cocumscussoc, near present-day Wickford, in 1636. He would have traveled right through Apponaug.
The Warwick City Hall is located in Apponaug, as are the city's police and fire headquarters. There's a branch of the Warwick Public Library, and the Warwick Center for the Arts, formerly the Warwick Art Museum. For locals, Apponaug has provided some of the city's biggest traffic headaches, and for most residents, it's hard to remember a time when the traffic patterns didn't cause problems. From two-way streets to a one-way circulator, now Apponaug has rotaries, or roundabouts, that continue to stymie some drivers.
