60. FIRSTS: First Oyster Bar in Providence

Long before the quahog became Rhode Island’s iconic shellfish, oysters dominated local waters. In this episode, I’ll be diving into the stories of black innovators and entrepreneurs who shaped the oyster industry–including Manna Bernoon, who established Providence’s first Oyster and Ale House in 1736, the year of his emancipation from slavery. Episode Source Material: Early Rhode Island: A Social History of the People | 1910Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum Celebrates African-American Food | Cranston, RI PatchProvidence Waterways: StoryMapA noble tradition - The Bay State BannerThe Truth about Baked Beans: An Edible History of New EnglandON THE RHODE TO FREEDOM | stagesoffreedomGabriel Bernon | Goodwin-Genealogy WikiaRhode Island's Shellfish Heritage: An Ecological HistoryGoing Deep Into Oyster Country - The New York TimesHistory on the Half-Shell: The Story of New York City and Its OystersThe History of Oysters: Its Rise as a Delicacy and a Staple Food Beloved by ManyA 19th Century Black Success Story: The Downing Family | HistoryNetAncient Australians and Americans Ate Billions of Oysters Over MillenniaOyster Archaeology: Ancient Trash Holds Clues To Sustainable Harvesting : The Salt : NPRHow Oysters Became a Source of Economic Freedom for Emancipated Black Folks - Earth in Coloroyster cellars | Restaurant-ing through history.Oyster bar - WikipediaCITY LORE; When the Oyster Was Their World - The New York TimesThomas Downing (restaurateur) - WikipediaHow a child of Virginia slaves became the oyster king of New York — and a favorite of the Queen of England – The Virginian-PilotGeorge Thomas Downing (1819 - 1903) — BLACK and EducationGeorge T. Downing - The Fight for Black Mobility: Traveling to Mid-Century ConventionsOn Staten Island, one of NYC's oldest African American enclaves is preserved - Curbed NYRossville, Staten Island - WikipediaFinding Freedom Through Oysters in 19th Century New York (Part Two) | Department of History | NC State UniversityEp 18 – Sandy Ground – The African American Oyster Community – City BetweenNative American Secrets Lie Buried in Huge Shell Mounds - The New York TimesThe Voluminous Shell Heaps Hidden in Plain Sight All Over NYC - Gastro Obscura