Weekend sale boosts town’s historical society

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Vehicles by the dozens came early and often to the Johnston Historical Society’s Museum Barn Saturday morning.

Perhaps that was the best sign of just how well the society’s first-ever tag sale, scanning event and tour of the Elijah Angell House went was that by 10 o’clock, two-thirds of the items had been sold.

Yet, the lawns at both the Angell House – circa 1825 – and Museum Barn were covered with everything from gently used antique cabinets and dining room tables to chairs, snow blowers and old-fashioned bicycles.

One of the most interesting items, as society vice president and tag sale chairman Dan Brown said, “was that old-time Coca Cola sign.”

The sign, which was originally affixed to a local business and featured several forms of advertising, was the talk of Saturday’s three-hour sale.

“One guy offered us one hundred bucks,” Brown said. “I immediately said, no way.”

Bargain hunters were amazed with the impressive selection of hand-me-down goods. One woman’s shopping spree lasted all but five minutes.

“She got out of her car, looked at the bicycles, bought one, and took off,” Brown said while watching another lady try out a hand lawnmower. “Over half of the stuff you see here – and a lot of the things we’ve already sold – were donated to the Johnston Historical Society by the Robbins Funeral Home.”

Brown, who doubles as a window company executive and part-time attendant at Robbins, said: “Geoff Robbins has always been very, very generous to our society. Look at the quality of the cabinets, hutches and dining room tables and chairs that are left.”

People even purchased things like a portable typewriter and old-time movie projector, as well as home goods that were attended to by society recording secretary Elise Carlson and her son Eric and some incredibly impressive antique Christmas tree decorations.

“Look at these beauties,” Lou McGowan, the society’s president, said while opening one of three boxes of old-fashioned Christmas ornaments. “You’d never, ever know these things have been used.”

The historical society is always accepting new memberships at the price of only $10, or a few more bucks for a family.

This Saturday, community members are invited to join the society in a yard cleanup that treasurer Joe Jamroz and corresponding secretary Christopher Martin said will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the society’s properties located at 101 Putnam Pike (Route 44) in Johnston.

The society’s next general meeting is set for Wednesday, May 27, and will feature Jim Ignasher, an author and vice president of the Smithfield Historical Society, who will tell lost tales of Rhode Island and New England.

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