author
Virginia Baker
1859–1927
A local historian with a deep connection to Warren, Rhode Island, she wrote lively, carefully researched books that preserved the town’s Revolutionary past and the history of Sowams, the homeland associated with Massasoit. Her work reflects a strong interest in New England history and the stories rooted in her own community.
1 Audiobook
Massasoit's Town Sowams in Pokanoket, Its History Legends and Traditions
by Virginia Baker
About the author
Born in Warren, Rhode Island, in December 1859, she was an American writer and researcher whose published work centered on the history of her hometown and the surrounding region. The details consistently linked to her life place her in Warren for both her birth and death, and show that her writing grew out of close attention to local history.
Her best-known books include The History of Warren, Rhode Island, in the War of the Revolution, 1776–1783 (1901), Massasoit’s Town Sowams in Pokanoket, Its History, Legends and Traditions (1904), and A History of the Fire Department of Warren, Rhode Island (1912). Together, these works show a writer interested in preserving community memory, from Revolutionary-era events to Indigenous and civic history.
Although she is not widely known today, her books remain accessible through major public-domain archives, which has helped keep her work available to readers interested in Rhode Island, New England, and local American history. I couldn’t confirm a suitable portrait image from the pages I checked, so none is included here.