Sin and Flesh Brook

The stream starts north of Rhode Island Route 24, flowing southwest before emptying into Nannaquaket Pond [wikidata].^[1][2] From source to mouth, the stream is only about 3.2 miles (5.1 km) long.^[3] The bridge near the mouth is called the Snell Bridge.^[4] It can be seen from trails in the Sin and Flesh Brook Natural Area [wikidata] behind the Fort Barton Site.^[5][2] Most of the underlying rock is granite, but there is some whitish, fine-grained micaceous schist near the northern reaches, as well as some hornblendic schist.^[6]

Sin and Flesh Brook got its unusual name from an event on 28 March 1676.^[7][1][2][8] Quaker colonist Zoeth Howland [wikidata] (occasionally written as "Zoar Howland"^[9] or "Low Howland"^[10]) was traveling from Dartmouth, Massachusetts to Newport, Rhode Island during King Philip's War when he was killed by a group of six indigenous men.^{[7][1][11][2][8]} This was only three months after hundreds of Narragansett villagers were killed in the Great Swamp Fight across Narragansett Bay in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.^[7][2] Howland's mutilated body was later found in the unnamed stream, and local colonists started to call it Sinning Flesh River, which over time drifted to the current name.^[7][1][2][8]

Only one of the assailants was named, appearing in court records as Manasses Molasses.^{[7][2][9][10]} Molasses was tried before a court-martial without a jury in August 1676,^[10] and the evidence against him was described as inconclusive and hearsay.^[9] Molasses denied involvement with the killing, but admitted to buying Howland's coat for some ground nuts.^[10][9] Molasses stated that the killer was someone named Quasquomack.^[10] A resident of Portsmouth, Rhode Island named John Cook [wikidata] also testified at the court-martial that in the area of Puncatest in July he asked a group of indigenous people, named Woodcock, Matowat, and Job, if they knew who killed Howland.^[12][10] Cook stated he was told "there were six in the company and that Molasses was the Indian that fetched him out of the water".^[12] John Brigs testified that Molasses had also shot at someone named Joseph Russell.^[13][10] William Manchester testified that he asked the husband of Wetamoe, Peter Nonoet, who killed Howland, and was merely told that Molasses fetched him from the water.^[10] An unnamed sister of Awetamoes testified that a member of the group that attacked Howland by the name of Ohom told her that Molasses was also part of the group and took Howland from the water.^[10] A man named Wechunckfum/Abram testified that Molasses had confessed to killing an Englishman in the area.^[10] The wife of Sukats testified to a similar confession.^[10] The court-martial was persuaded by the testimony against Manasses Molasses and he was exiled and sold into slavery.^{[7][2][9][10]}

In the 1700s, a gristmill and a sawmill were built on the river by Aaron and Moses Barker.^[4] Sylvanus Nickerson opened a thread mill here circa 1844 until his death in 1857.^[4] It was then operated by Samuel Thurston and Oliver Chase before being taken over by Daniel T. Church.^[4] In 2018, preservation work was ordered for the historic bridge over the river at Old Main Road.^[14] In November 2022, the state of Rhode Island replaced the existing bridge that carried Fish Road over the river with a new one made from prefabricated bridge units at the cost of $926,000.^[15] The bridge was carrying around 9,000 vehicles each day.^[16]

The stream flows through areas of floodplain forest.^[17] Oaks, hollies, maples, and ferns populate the forest.^[18] Several species of ants are found on its banks.^[17] The brook has high levels of Enterococcus bacteria.^[3] Possibly this is related to treated wastewater from Tiverton Junior-Senior High School flowing into the river.^[19] In the 20th century, it was stocked with brook trout.^[20][21]