User:Unclephil17

Early Life

Elleanor Eldridge was born March 26, 1785 in Warwick, Rhode Island. Her father, Robin Eldridge, arrived in Rhode Island on a slave ship. He earned his freedom by fighting in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Her mother, Hannah Prophet was part Native American and a member of the Narragansett tribe. Elleanor was the youngest of couple’s nine children, only five of which reached adulthood.

Career

Elleanor Eldridge was a successful entrepreneur and Rhode Island’s first female real estate developer during a period when women and people of color had limited opportunities to work for themselves. Elleanor was 19 when her father, Robin Eldridge died. Elleanor used her skills of arithmetic, which learned during her stay with the Bakers, to handle her father’s estate. She then worked for Captain Benjamin Greene, Rhode Island base ship captain, until his death five years later. Eldridge then moved to Adams, Massachusetts where she lived with her sister and started a business of weaving, washing and soap boiling. The proceeds from their business enabled her to purchase property and build a house that she rented out for $40 per year. Elleanor then returned to Warwick and expanded her entrepreneurial pursuits by whitewashing, wallpapering and painting homes during the spring and summer months. In 1812, Elleanor Eldridge became the first female real estate developer in Rhode Island. By 1822, she had accumulated enough money to purchase more land and build a rental property valued $1700. Throughout her career she continued to acquire and rent land that she rented out to members of the community.

During her successful years as a realtor, Elleanor Eldridge endured health problems. At the age of 46, Elleanor has her second attack from typhus. During her recovery process, rumor circulates that she died. After making a full recovery, Elleanor discovered that a cunning opportunist had petitioned to have all her property sold in order to pay off a $240 loan she had acquired just before her illness. However, the sale never merged her properties, which were valued at more than $4,000. The properties were auctioned off illegally without family approval. Elleanor took her case to court and was able to claim property rights. The community of Warwick rallied around her as she fought for her property. Author, Frances Harriet Green published a book of memoirs in Elleanor’s honor and help with the financial burden that she was dealing with. Elleanor died in 1865 at the age of 80.

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