I’ve added a link to the area Trolley documentary film called, “END OF THE LINE: The tracks that shaped our RI streetcar suburb”, by David Asher Goldenberg.

You can watch it in its entirety online here: https://vimeo.com/664013619

Take a look at the filmmaker’s trailer here:  END OF THE LINE Trailer.mov. It’s about 2.75 minutes long. This trailer link brings you to David’s homepage. Scroll down a bit. You’ll find an image of a trolley and the title of the trailer.

The filmmaker’s intro is as follows: “The removal of streetcar tracks in front of his house in 2017 spurred the filmmaker to investigate their origins. Beginning in 1868, horse-drawn trolleys drew summer visitors to this area adjoining Narragansett Bay. And the spread of electrified lines after 1892 resulted in a rapid transformation of Edgewood into a wealthy commuter community.” The film is about the Edgewood area, but there are several mentions of the Providence-to-Buttonwoods trolley line that ran through Riverview. It’s very interesting.

I’ve also added (3) more newspaper “clippings”.

These are from, The News, Providence, RI, dated 1892 – 1896, and are at the end of the ProJo links. So scroll way down to see these headlines & links.

As always, this is a work in process that started with my interest in determining (or expanding on) the origin & historical details of RVIA in its earliest days. This includes information on the Trolley Line that ran thru and stopped in Riverview.

A “Post” I placed on this site many years ago, in History, references an old bungalow building “taken over by the River Vue Casino Association in 1893 where it served as a center for the summer colony…”. The building was referred to as “The River Vue Casino“. This building was badly damaged by fire in 1939. (according to the ProJo article).

So why is Schubel (Shubel) Cady credited with the construction of a community building in 1903 that was then referred to as “The Casino”? We celebrated our Centennial in 2003 with a Mayoral Proclamation stating our start was in 1903. But is that truly correct?

Sort of but it really has to do with the cottage association becoming formally chartered as, “Riverview Improvement Association” in 1903. RVIA bought the old casino building from RV Casino Assoc., and made improvements to it. [All according to news  published about “Fraternal Societies, At the Seaside“.]

It got me thinking and wondering about other archives that might exist at the Providence Journal (and other papers) to support a clearer picture of Riverview (or River View or Vue). ProJo has an online database that goes way back in time as early as 1829. I’m investigating other local “rags” that might have news on the area. For $10.00, I could look at 20 articles and download them to review more closely.

Before I jump into those, I want to add info about the Buttonwoods to Providence Trolley that stopped at Riverview Station, 1875 – 1935.

Check out these links. I am going to try to contact Edward Ozog, his website is the source, to ask permission to post a few of his collection photos. Very cool! I think you’ll enjoy seeing this. [Ref: Edward J. Ozog Collection, Special Collections, Providence Public Library]

Rhode Island Railroads, by Edward J. Ozog

Look around the various links inside his site. You’ll see Steamer connections to the shoreline, and route maps & schedules. Good stuff! Check the “Miscellaneous” menu items too.

Providence to Buttonwoods Line of the Rhode Island Central Railroad Co. that started in 1875.