When Caleb Carr, one of the 101 men who purchased Conanicut and Dutch
Islands in 1657, petitioned the General Assembly to incorporate
Jamestown in 1678, the town had 150 inhabitants. The community thrived
until the American Revolution, when the British occupation drove away
many people. Nicholas Carr and John Eldred both remained, rebelling in
their own ways. The town recovered slowly, and its character changed
with modernized modes of transportation. Steam ferries, introduced in
1873, ushered in an era of resort hotels, affluent summer visitors, and
a service economy. The West Passage bridge in 1940 brought permanent
residents with off-island occupations and interests. The East Passage
bridge (1969) and the replacement West Passage bridge (1992) created a
suburban atmosphere enlivened by a continuing influx of summer
vacationers. Most newcomers revel in the island's beauty and are intent
on keeping Jamestown the peaceful haven that attracted them.