Rhode Island sure does have a lot of strange history! From comic to tragic, our little state has been through so much during its existence, and luckily, there are ways to honor that history all over little Rhody. You can visit parks, museums, memorials, or even see plays about everything that the smallest state has seen since becoming one of the original colonies. Here is a memorial we think even some of the most knowledgeable locals may not know about.
This odd memorial is located in the town of Chepachet, and tells the tragic story of Betty the Fabulous Learned Elephant.
A man named Hakaliah Bailey (a distant relative of the founder of Barnum and Bailey Circus, James Bailey,) is responsible for bringing some of the first elephants to the United States for the purpose of display.
The first elephant brought over was named Old Bet.
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Old Bet drew a lot of attention, as was expected, and many of the intensely religious folks in the areas she was touring did not take kindly to the distraction Old Bet was offering from the Church and religious events.
For years after, the town ignored this horrible crime in hopes that it would not become their legacy.
Almost 150 years later, the town discovered that Bet has been murdered by a group of masons with similar religous motivations to Old Bet's murderer, and they decided to honor her with a plaque in the spot she was killed, as well as her own holiday.
Chepachet holds elephant day every May 25th in honor of Bet. There is also a Mr. Potato head statue of her outside of the town hall.
This is such a sad story, and gives us a lot to reflect on when it comes to the religious past of Rhode Island. Will you be visiting the memorial to Betty the Learned elephant sometime soon?
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