Learn about Warwick’s history through new book

On Friday, July 12, residents, history lovers, or anyone interested in local stories can come out to the A.W. Buckbee Events Center (2 Colonial Ave., Warwick) for the release of “Old Stories from Warwick’s Past,” beginning at 3 p.m. Author Jean Beattie May will be present for signing and readings.

“Old Stories from Warwick’s Past” is a collection of stories detailing the many families, places and tales that have shaped Warwick. The stories come from the collection of Jean Beattie May, fifth-generation Warwick native and village historian from 2010 to 2018. Included are stories collected by Sue Gardner, deputy historian for the town of Warwick.

One story that starts the collection answers the question: how did Warwick get its name?

Jean Beattie May was born in Warwick and graduated from Warwick High School. She attended Bradford College in Haverhill, Mass. She worked in Cambridge, Mass., after college and then moved to New York City where she worked for the Ford Foundation on their projects in Asia. She married Cushman May in 1961. Together, they followed his assignments living in Tokyo, Manila, and Hong Kong. In 1996, they returned to Warwick, spending the weekends in the house her grandfather, Judge John J. Beattie, built in 1890. In 2009, Jean and Silvio Geltario published “The Halcyon Days: The Historic Homes of Warwick and the Families that Breathed Life into Them.” Jean currently lives in Stamford, Conn., and continues to research her family history.

Jean researched and collected many local stories from the Historical Society archive, which were then put together in this book at the urging of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard. “Old Stories from Warwick’s Past” is co-sponsored by the village of Warwick and the Warwick Town Historical Society.

Village Trustee and Historical Society Vice President Mary Collura has been managing the project and is also responsible for the design and layout. The 28-story collection will be on sale for $20 (tax included) and all proceeds will go to the Warwick Historical Society to support their mission of preserving, sharing and celebrating Warwick’s history.