Cumberland is located in the far northeastern part of Rhode Island, right along he border with Massachusetts and the Atlantic Ocean. Its location used to make it some point of contention between Rhode Island and Massachusetts and invoked a long- running boundary dispute at one point, but now the land firmly belongs to Rhode Island and it doesn’t appear as though Massachusetts is going to get territorial about it any time soon. It’s north of Providence and a great place to spend some time if you’re traveling father north to the colder New England States, or if you’re coming back down south.

Cumberland is quietly famous for many things – for example, did you know that the first purely American brand of apples, the Yellow Sweetling, was produced here? It also may be the site of the first veteran’s memorial in the United States – during King Philip’s War, nine colonists were said to have been captured and tortured to death by Narragansett Indians. British soldiers found the bodies of the nine men and made a pile of stones in commemoration – which is still there today alongside a more formal memorial. This area is called Nine Men’s Misery and is probably Cumberland’s biggest tourist draw. During the Revolutionary War, Cumberland produced cannons and cannon balls for use by solders. And on top of all of this, a machine shop in Cumberland also made the first power looms for woolens in America, which helped drive the Industrial Revolution to even greater heights.

Doubtless to say, Cumberland is a lot more historic than its mostly-unknown name would give it credit for. It’s a great attraction that goes seriously overlooked in New England – which is great for you if you like to visit towns that are long on history but short on crowds! If you happen to be in town during August, be sure to stop by for Cumberlandfest, which features a carnival that has rides and various other attractions. There are also fireworks and live entertainment – it’s an event that attracts thousands of people each year.

There is plenty to see and do in fascinating Cumberland. Be sure to discover it before everybody else does!