William Russell Sweet
Encyclopedia
William Russell Sweet was an early American artist, painter and sculptor.
of furniture and wall mounts.
Said to be "of gentle, good natured people" "I consider the Sweets a most remarkable family, not only as natural bone setters, but as an innocent inoffensive, easy going, happy people." William and his family spend many summer days along the coastline of Rhode Island
where he sketched and painted pictorial scenes. On loan to Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum
by his family, samples of William Russell Sweet carved wood chairs and wall plaques
, some of his watercolors, and this magnificent hutch cabinet (photos below) themed upon the classical poem “The Song of Hiawatha
” from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. His great grandson, Carson Young Sweet Ferri Carson Grant
has placed on loan several other artworks to the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum in RI.
” from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
, which influenced him while creating his artwork and carving the individual panels that comprise the hutch cabinet:
(WRS) "Hiawatha was troubled because his people had no way to record the great events of their life and history, or to give the names of the honored dead, or to remember the wisdom of their ancestors, he showed them how to make picture-writing."
On the birch-bark and the deer-skin;…"
“…Thus it was that Hiawatha,
In his wisdom taught the people
All the mysteries of painting,
All the art of Picture-Writing,
On the smooth bark of the birch-tree,
On the white skin of the reindeer
,
On the grave-posts of the village…”
(WRS) "Hiawatha traveled far to the west, to the land of the Dacotahs, to woo Minnehaha, the daughter of the Arrow
Maker. Just before reaching the Arrow Maker’s wigwam, he stopped to shoot a deer to bring as a present."
To his arrow whispered, "Swerve not!"
Sent it singing on its errand,
To the red heart of the roebuck;
Threw the deer across his shoulder,
And sped forward without pausing…”
(WRS) "Kwasind, “the very strong man”, was killed by envious dwarfs as he was floating, asleep, down the river in his canoe
. They threw pine cones at him (the only things that could harm him) hitting him on his one vulnerable spot (the top of his head) and he toppled, dead, out of his canoe."
Plunged beneath the sluggish water
Headlong, as an otter
plunges;
And the birch canoe, abandoned,
Drifted empty down the river,
Bottom upward swerved and drifted:
Nothing more was seen of Kwasind…”
(WRS) "Hiawatha called on the birch
tree to furnish the bark for his canoe, on the cedar for its boughs for the ribs of the canoe, on the fir
tree for its resin to make the canoe water-tight, on the tamarack for its fibers to sew the birch bark, on the hedgehog for its quills
for the decoration of the canoe."
Of your yellow bark
, O Birch-tree!..I a light canoe will build me,…
…"Give me of your boughs, O Cedar!
Of your strong and pliant branches, My canoe to make more steady,
Make more strong and firm beneath me!..."
…"Give me of your roots, O Tamarack!
Of your fibrous root
s, O Larch-tree!
My canoe to bind together,…”
…"Give me of your balm, O Fir-tree!
Of your balsam and your resin
,
So to close the seams together
That the water may not enter,…”
…"Give me of your quills
, O Hedgehog!
All your quills, O Kagh, the Hedgehog
!
I will make a necklace of them,
Make a girdle
for my beauty,
And two stars to deck her bosom!..."
(WRS) "Hiawatha set out to catch the sturgeon
, Nahma. He lowered his line, made of twisted cedar bark, and challenged Nahma to take the hook."
Dawn into the depths beneath him,
"Take my bait, O Sturgeon, Nahma!
Come up from below the water,
Let us see which is the stronger!"
And he dropped his line of cedar
Through the clear, transparent water…”
March 20, 1630 on the Winthrop Fleet
, which departed from Plymouth, England to arrive in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1636 John Sweet who was granted land by Roger Williams
, as part of the 38 families who traveled with Williams from Massachusetts to establish the colony of Rhode Island based upon principles of complete religious toleration, separation of church and state, and political democracy; values represented in the USA constitution. "Roger Williams insisted that land must be purchased from the Indians, rather than taken from them forcefully, in order to claim title to it. Williams then purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and established the settlement of Providence, Rhode Island
."
After John Sweet’s death in 1637, his children John, James and Meribah (renamed Renewed) migrated to southern Rhode Island. John's wife, Mary Periam Sweet, remarried Reverend Ezekiel Holliman and her granddaughter became known in many writing as the 'Widow Sweet' living to 91 years old. The Sweet Family was known for their good disposition, and as natural bone setters. William Russell Sweet was the son of Amos Reynolds Sweet (who helped build the Old Washington County jails in 1858) and Sarah Coggshall Sweet; then married Mary De Laigle Herndon 6/15/1893; and fathered 3 children (Colonel Russell Herndon Sweet, Margaret Grace Waring Sweet-Treat and Leila Augusta Sweet-Hay: members of SAR and DAR) and was buried in the family plot at Oak Dell Historical Cemetery, Peace Dale, RI. These two sisters, Margaret and Leila lived to over 100 years old. Colonel Russell Herndon Sweet was honored in 1946 with the 'Legion of Merit' award for his brave work in the Military Intelligence Service of the War Department during both WWI and WWII, who married Lucy Humphrey Young in Rhode Island 1919.
The Sweet family were said to be remarkable, happy natured people, William Russell Sweet was known throughout the Narragansett area as ‘Sweet-The Painter’ (The post office delivered postcards under such title) because of his prolific art works in watercolors, gouaches and oils, many wall murals and restorations created for the famed Newport mansions, and his masterful wood carvings of furniture and wall mounts. William and his family spend many summer days along the coast lines of Rhode Island, where he sketched and painted scenes of Rhode Island the fields, forests, waterfronts and local architecture as themes in his watercolors, gouache and oils.
William Russell Sweet carved many pieces including wall plaques, tables and chairs, each of individual themes; such as, the Sweet Coat of Arms, New England sea shells as Quahogs and scallops, maple leaves, nuts and berries, textile weaving patterns, and animals. William Russell Sweet greatly admired the American Indian and depicted their lifestyle in some of his art pieces. He mentored others in these skills.
In 1896, William Russell Sweet created a hutch cabinet themed upon the classical poem “The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published in 1855. William Russell Sweet, painter and sculptor, carved this hutch cabinet using local oak wood. The figures were fashioned from Amos Sweet’s pruned cherry and apple trees (Amos Street) in Peace Dale, RI. This piece of artwork stood in the family parlor and exhibited William’s personal collection of Narragansett Indian ‘art-of-fact’ as arrow heads and stone tools found in the soil around southern Rhode Island. On loan to Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum
by his family, this hutch cabinet will be a focus during the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society's 50 Anniversary in 2009.
Biography
William Russell Sweet was known throughout the Narragansett, RI area as ‘The Painter”, (documented by the post office receiving postcards and letter under such title) because of his prolific art works in watercolor and oil paintings, many wall murals done for the Newport, RI mansions, his restoration artwork, and his masterful wood carvingWood carving
Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
of furniture and wall mounts.
Said to be "of gentle, good natured people" "I consider the Sweets a most remarkable family, not only as natural bone setters, but as an innocent inoffensive, easy going, happy people." William and his family spend many summer days along the coastline of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
where he sketched and painted pictorial scenes. On loan to Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum
Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum
The Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum is a former jail building in Kingston, Rhode Island, USA, that houses the organization, a collection of fine Early American artifacts, and a history within the building's wall.-History of the building:...
by his family, samples of William Russell Sweet carved wood chairs and wall plaques
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
, some of his watercolors, and this magnificent hutch cabinet (photos below) themed upon the classical poem “The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem, in trochaic tetrameter, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, featuring an Indian hero and loosely based on legends and ethnography of the Ojibwe and other Native American peoples contained in Algic Researches and additional writings of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft...
” from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. His great grandson, Carson Young Sweet Ferri Carson Grant
Carson Grant
Carson Grant is an American actor and artist from the United States. Grant has created characters and stories in visual mediums as drawings, paintings, in films and on stage.-Early years in Rhode Island:1950s...
has placed on loan several other artworks to the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum in RI.
Carved wood hutch cabinet themed for Longfellow's poem "Song of Hiawatha"
William Russell Sweet described each section of “The Song of HiawathaThe Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem, in trochaic tetrameter, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, featuring an Indian hero and loosely based on legends and ethnography of the Ojibwe and other Native American peoples contained in Algic Researches and additional writings of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft...
” from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
, which influenced him while creating his artwork and carving the individual panels that comprise the hutch cabinet:
(WRS) "Hiawatha was troubled because his people had no way to record the great events of their life and history, or to give the names of the honored dead, or to remember the wisdom of their ancestors, he showed them how to make picture-writing."
- From Section XIV (Picture Writing)
- "…Such as these the shapes they painted
On the birch-bark and the deer-skin;…"
“…Thus it was that Hiawatha,
In his wisdom taught the people
All the mysteries of painting,
All the art of Picture-Writing,
On the smooth bark of the birch-tree,
On the white skin of the reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
,
On the grave-posts of the village…”
(WRS) "Hiawatha traveled far to the west, to the land of the Dacotahs, to woo Minnehaha, the daughter of the Arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
Maker. Just before reaching the Arrow Maker’s wigwam, he stopped to shoot a deer to bring as a present."
- From Section X (Hiawatha’s Wooing)
- “…To his bow he whispered, "Fail not!"
To his arrow whispered, "Swerve not!"
Sent it singing on its errand,
To the red heart of the roebuck;
Threw the deer across his shoulder,
And sped forward without pausing…”
(WRS) "Kwasind, “the very strong man”, was killed by envious dwarfs as he was floating, asleep, down the river in his canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
. They threw pine cones at him (the only things that could harm him) hitting him on his one vulnerable spot (the top of his head) and he toppled, dead, out of his canoe."
- From Section XVIII (The Death of Kwasind)
- “…Sideways fell into the river,
Plunged beneath the sluggish water
Headlong, as an otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
plunges;
And the birch canoe, abandoned,
Drifted empty down the river,
Bottom upward swerved and drifted:
Nothing more was seen of Kwasind…”
(WRS) "Hiawatha called on the birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
tree to furnish the bark for his canoe, on the cedar for its boughs for the ribs of the canoe, on the fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
tree for its resin to make the canoe water-tight, on the tamarack for its fibers to sew the birch bark, on the hedgehog for its quills
Quills
Quills is a 2000 period film directed by Philip Kaufman and adapted from the Obie award-winning play by Doug Wright, who also wrote the original screenplay. Inspired by the life and work of the Marquis de Sade, Quills re-imagines the last years of the Marquis' incarceration in the insane asylum at...
for the decoration of the canoe."
- From Section VII (Hiawatha’s Sailing)
- …"Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree!
Of your yellow bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
, O Birch-tree!..I a light canoe will build me,…
…"Give me of your boughs, O Cedar!
Of your strong and pliant branches, My canoe to make more steady,
Make more strong and firm beneath me!..."
…"Give me of your roots, O Tamarack!
Of your fibrous root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s, O Larch-tree!
My canoe to bind together,…”
…"Give me of your balm, O Fir-tree!
Of your balsam and your resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
,
So to close the seams together
That the water may not enter,…”
…"Give me of your quills
Quills
Quills is a 2000 period film directed by Philip Kaufman and adapted from the Obie award-winning play by Doug Wright, who also wrote the original screenplay. Inspired by the life and work of the Marquis de Sade, Quills re-imagines the last years of the Marquis' incarceration in the insane asylum at...
, O Hedgehog!
All your quills, O Kagh, the Hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
!
I will make a necklace of them,
Make a girdle
Girdle
A girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity...
for my beauty,
And two stars to deck her bosom!..."
(WRS) "Hiawatha set out to catch the sturgeon
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
, Nahma. He lowered his line, made of twisted cedar bark, and challenged Nahma to take the hook."
- From Section VIII (Hiawatha Fishing)
- …”Take my bait," cried Hiawatha,
Dawn into the depths beneath him,
"Take my bait, O Sturgeon, Nahma!
Come up from below the water,
Let us see which is the stronger!"
And he dropped his line of cedar
Through the clear, transparent water…”
Personal Notes
William Russell Sweet's family Welsh genealogy dates from John Swete 1450 (Traine, Modbury, Devon, England) through Robert Sweet (1552–1578) and Johanna Rainham (London, England) whose son, John Sweet (1579–1637), emigrated with his wife Mary Periam and their three children John, James and Meribah, to Salem, MassachusettsSalem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
March 20, 1630 on the Winthrop Fleet
Winthrop Fleet
The Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.-Motivation:...
, which departed from Plymouth, England to arrive in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1636 John Sweet who was granted land by Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, as part of the 38 families who traveled with Williams from Massachusetts to establish the colony of Rhode Island based upon principles of complete religious toleration, separation of church and state, and political democracy; values represented in the USA constitution. "Roger Williams insisted that land must be purchased from the Indians, rather than taken from them forcefully, in order to claim title to it. Williams then purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and established the settlement of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
."
After John Sweet’s death in 1637, his children John, James and Meribah (renamed Renewed) migrated to southern Rhode Island. John's wife, Mary Periam Sweet, remarried Reverend Ezekiel Holliman and her granddaughter became known in many writing as the 'Widow Sweet' living to 91 years old. The Sweet Family was known for their good disposition, and as natural bone setters. William Russell Sweet was the son of Amos Reynolds Sweet (who helped build the Old Washington County jails in 1858) and Sarah Coggshall Sweet; then married Mary De Laigle Herndon 6/15/1893; and fathered 3 children (Colonel Russell Herndon Sweet, Margaret Grace Waring Sweet-Treat and Leila Augusta Sweet-Hay: members of SAR and DAR) and was buried in the family plot at Oak Dell Historical Cemetery, Peace Dale, RI. These two sisters, Margaret and Leila lived to over 100 years old. Colonel Russell Herndon Sweet was honored in 1946 with the 'Legion of Merit' award for his brave work in the Military Intelligence Service of the War Department during both WWI and WWII, who married Lucy Humphrey Young in Rhode Island 1919.
The Sweet family were said to be remarkable, happy natured people, William Russell Sweet was known throughout the Narragansett area as ‘Sweet-The Painter’ (The post office delivered postcards under such title) because of his prolific art works in watercolors, gouaches and oils, many wall murals and restorations created for the famed Newport mansions, and his masterful wood carvings of furniture and wall mounts. William and his family spend many summer days along the coast lines of Rhode Island, where he sketched and painted scenes of Rhode Island the fields, forests, waterfronts and local architecture as themes in his watercolors, gouache and oils.
William Russell Sweet carved many pieces including wall plaques, tables and chairs, each of individual themes; such as, the Sweet Coat of Arms, New England sea shells as Quahogs and scallops, maple leaves, nuts and berries, textile weaving patterns, and animals. William Russell Sweet greatly admired the American Indian and depicted their lifestyle in some of his art pieces. He mentored others in these skills.
In 1896, William Russell Sweet created a hutch cabinet themed upon the classical poem “The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published in 1855. William Russell Sweet, painter and sculptor, carved this hutch cabinet using local oak wood. The figures were fashioned from Amos Sweet’s pruned cherry and apple trees (Amos Street) in Peace Dale, RI. This piece of artwork stood in the family parlor and exhibited William’s personal collection of Narragansett Indian ‘art-of-fact’ as arrow heads and stone tools found in the soil around southern Rhode Island. On loan to Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum
Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum
The Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Museum is a former jail building in Kingston, Rhode Island, USA, that houses the organization, a collection of fine Early American artifacts, and a history within the building's wall.-History of the building:...
by his family, this hutch cabinet will be a focus during the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society's 50 Anniversary in 2009.