200th Anniversary Warrants Year-Long Celebration

Seekonk was incorporated as a town in 1812 after breaking away from the eastern part of Rehoboth, just 36 years after the Declaration of Independence and 25 years after the U.S. Constitution was adopted. In 1861, the U.S. Supreme Court gave a large chunk of Seekonk, including the town center near Newman Congregational Church in Rumford, to Rhode Island to settle a border dispute with Massachusetts, according to town officials.

In 2012, there will also be monthly events to learn more about the town that was originally the home of the Seaconke Wampanoags.

• January – A kick-off dinner dance will be held Jan. 21 at the , with music by Malloi. Tickets are $50 each and are now available at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall.
• February – Kiwanis Club will hold their Annual on Feb. 7 at Johnson & Wales Inn and Newman Y will host a Happy Birthday Seekonk Party.
• March – Seekonk Night at the Celtics is slated for March 4. The Seekonk Honor Guard will participate and children 14 and under will be able to high five the players at half time. Call 336-2920 for details.
• April – The Seekonk Schools will hold various activities on April 9, 10 and 11 including the premier performance of a Seekonk symphony that has been commissioned.
• May – The annual will be held Saturday, May 26, with floats and period costumes.
• June – An ecumenical gathering featuring choirs and other musical offerings will take place on June 23 at the Meadows Park behind the Library. The and the Hearthstone Lions will host a family event on June 24 with chicken barbeque, antique fire trucks, local bands and other activities behind the Hurley Middle School.
• July – Seekonk Night at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket.
• August – A golf tournament and blueberry pancake breakfast at the American Legion are both being considered.
• September – The Seaconke Wampanoag Annual Pow Wow on the Red Plain in Rehoboth is scheduled for Labor Day weekend.
• October – More details to be announced.
• November – Holiday house tour organized by the Seekonk Historical Commission. The Historical Commission is also publishing a 2012 calendar with photos of historic Seekonk. If you have photos that might be considered for the calendar or for a Town of Seekonk photo album, please e-mail them to historicseekonk@live.com. A historic Seekonk quilt will also be made and raffled off.
• December – Kiwanis annual tree lighting at .

Many projects are still in the planning stage and others are yet to be scheduled. The Town Clerk’s office and the School Administration office have 200th birthday items for sale: T-shirts for children and adults designed by Seekonk school children, baseball hats, magnets, candy bars, and bottled water. Funds raised from the sale of these items will be used to cover the cost of activities organized by the school.

Seekonk residents who wish to be involved in organizing for the 200th anniversary should attend the next planning meeting, Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m. at the Seekonk Town Hall.  For more information about 200th birthday activities, call (508) 336-2920.