Ida Lewis Revered as America’s Bravest Woman

She saved 18 people while keeping watch at the Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport Harbor

New England Historical Society
Share
New England Historical Society
Ida Lewis Revered as America’s Bravest Woman
Copy

Did you know the so-called “bravest woman in America” was from Newport? Ida Lewis saved about 16 people during her time as the keeper at the Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport Harbor, but rescuing two soldiers from drowning when their boat capsized on March 29, 1869, gained her national attention.

Lewis’ final rescue came in 1906, when she was 64. The lighthouse is now named in her honor.

Get the full story in the reel below.

Higher taxes on Rhode Island’s richest are increasingly likely, although not without a lot of debate
The National Weather Service warns of dangerous wind chills and up to 15 inches of snow across southern New England
Starting Feb. 1, TSA will require travelers without compliant forms of identification to verify their identity through a biometric or biographic system
About 6.5% of postcard recipients file claims, court records show
Program chair Amy VanderWeele explains why this year’s pick—Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez—resonates with Rhode Islanders, from land rights to who gets to tell history
The Rhode Island governor warns against racial profiling and says the state will respond if federal immigration enforcement escalates