William Gardner Kenyon, son of Elisha Reynolds Potter and Mary Ann (Knowles) Kenyon, was born January 4, 1825, at Point Judith, in South Kingstown, and died July 24, 1877, in Providence. His childhood was spent in his native place and he was but fourteen years of age when his father died, so that at that early age he became the head of a large family of children. He showed remarkable ability for his years, however, and kept up the family farm so successfully, that he was enabled to educate his brothers and sisters, and keep the family together until they had grown to maturity. In 1855 he removed his family to Wakefield, R. I., it being his intention to leave then there while he went to California to join his brothers, Elisha and Edward, in search of a fortune. Upon reaching New York he was unable to procure passage upon any of the outgoing vessels, and finally abandoned his purpose and decided to make his home at Wakefield. The following year he purchased land and buildings thereon for which he paid the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, and there opened a store on the site of the present Wakefield bakery. He was successful in his enterprise and afterwards formed an association with Warren C. Barber, the firm being known as Kenyon & Barber. He was postmaster of Wakefield from May 7, 1859, to October 7, 1861, and did much to develop and improve that important department. Mr. Kenyon sold his store in 1866 to Samuel Robinson, and retired to his farm which he had bought in the year 1863. This was the old Stephen A. Wright farm, a place consisting of over one hundred acres, for which he paid the sum of ten thousand dollars, which was considered a high price at that time. The farm occupies what is now the very heart of the village of Wakefield, and has, of course, increased greatly in value. At the time of his purchase, there were no buildings, with the exception of those connected with the operation of the farm, standing there, and of these the old 'Manor House' remains to-day in good repair. In 1867 Mr. Kenyon built a large barn in the position of the present Griffin's Drug Store, for the accommodation of John N. Taylor's stage route, at that time the only way of transferring passengers from Kingston station, to Wakefield, Peacedale, and Narragansett Pier. He was unfortunate in this venture, for shortly after its completion it was struck by lightning during one of the most violent tempests that visited that region, in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, and was completely destroyed by fire. This netted a loss of about three thousand dollars to Mr. Kenyon as several horses and equipments were also destroyed, but this was soon made up for him by the growing demand for building lots in a community which was rapidly developing. Accordingly, Mr. Kenyon commenced to lay out streets, and some of these were afterwards given by him to the town free of cost, including Prospect, Mechanic, Robinson and Lake streets, and Woodruff, Meadow, Orchard and Kenyon avenues. Mr. Kenyon continued to develop his property until the close of his life, planning so successfully that the farm has become the site of a large and prosperous village, with streets lined with fine residences, and handsome shade trees. Mr. Kenyon was also engaged at one time in business as agent for farm implements, and was the first to introduce the new model mowing machine, and was himself an inventor, having secured patents for a mowing machine and hay spreader. Besides his own farm, he owned in 1874, one-fourth interest in the Bradford farm, which was located at West Kingston, and it was largely owing to his efforts that the present railroad station was located there. In the year 1868 he purchased another store, located just east of his old establishment where Eldred Brothers are now established, and taking his son, William A. Kenyon, into partnership, engaged in a mercantile business under the style of William G. Kenyon and Son. They continued in this line until the death of the elder Mr. Kenyon, when the business was sold to his youngest son, Orrin P. Kenyon, who continued it alone until 1881, when he and his brother, William A. Kenyon, formed a partnership. The firm of Kenyon Brothers greatly enlarged the original enterprise, and upon the death of the elder brother in 1887, Orrin P. Kenyon continued the business alone.
William G. Kenyon was united in married June 21, 1846, with Emeline Bull Allen, who was born Mar. 23, 1822, and died June 11, 1855. He married (second), Sept. 19, 1859, Mrs. Hannah (Pearse) Robinson, widow of Albert C. Robinson. The children by the first marriage were as follows: William A., born May 29, 1847, and died Dec. 16, 1887; Hannah Mary, born Dec. 2, 1849, died Jan. 21, 1901; Orrin Potter, mentioned below; and Samuel Weeden, born May 22, 1855, died Oct. 16, 1884. Samuel Allen, grandfather of Mrs. Emeline B. (Allen) Kenyon and first wife of William G. Kenyon, was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and was one of the volunteers that joined Colonel Barton's expedition to Newport, R. I. He assisted in the capture of General Prescott. Mrs. Kenyon was descended in two lines from Governor Henry Bull. Samuel Allen, her father, was a man of remarkable physical powers, and an equally strong character. In politics he was a Democrat.
