Rhode Island Postal Cards - Fist Day of Issue Settling of Rhode Island by Roger Williams in 1636 Designed by David Blossom - Scott #UX112 Issued on June 26, 1986 in Providence, RI Rhode Island Town Cancels (by RIPS)

Slocum, Rhode Island 02877

The Slocumville Post Office (North Kingstown Township, Washington County) was established March 5, 1857 under Postmaster Jonathan Slocum. The name was changed to Slocum on March 3, 1900. The postmaster at the time of the name change was Arthur A. Wood. The post office is currently in operation under Postmaster Michael K. Lipka appointed on May 23, 1998.

The Slocum or Slocombe family were among the first families to settle in Rhode Island. The family patriarch; Giles Slocum was born in Old Cleve, Summerset, England in 1623.  Sometime in either 1639 or 1640 he emigrated to the colonies and ended up settling in Portsmouth, Rhode Island where he married Joan Cook in 1640. They had 9 children.

The original spelling of the name (Slocombe) derives from the English word for the valleys of southwestern England called Combes and the abundant growth of the Sloe Tree there; thus Slocombe.