Little Compton in Newport County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)

Fal Solomon: Indentured Here

Honoring Fal

— Awashonks Garden —

Fal Solomon: Indentured Here Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, July 26, 2026

1. Fal Solomon: Indentured Here Marker

Inscription. Fal Solomon: Indentured Here
Fal Solomon was a Sakonnet girl ordered into indenture here at the Wilbor House.
In 1757 an epidemic swept through Sakonnet. Fal Solomon became ill, and her parents likely died. Dr. William Wilbor brought Fal here to his house to recover. Dr. Wilbor successfully petitioned the town for the cost of Fal's care, but unwilling to spend more, the town council ordered Fal to be indentured to the Wilbors.

Fal had to work for her keep until she was 18. The Wilbor family had to feed, clothe, and shelter her, and teach her to read English. When her indenture contract ended, the Wilbors gave Fal a new set of clothes and a Bible.

At least 14 Sakonnet children were ordered into indenture by the town. Living with English families separated Sakonnet children from their own families, language, and traditions, resulting in cultural losses that Wampanoag people are still overcoming.

Honoring Fal
Look up to the center second-floor window to see a cornhusk sculpture honoring Fal Solomon.
I was moved by Fal's story of indenture and work here at the Wilbor House. I can imagine this little

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girl losing her parents and then being taken from her community to live in a strange home. I have made cornhusk dolls representing our Wampanoag ancestors for many years. Fal's story inspired me to create the largest doll I have ever made. At about four feet high, it is the size Fal might have been when she first came here. I dressed Fal in the English-style clothing the Wilbor family would have given her to wear, but I braided her hair like her mother would have done for her. Her red ribbons are a reminder that far too many Native women go missing each year.

Toodie Coombs, Artist, Mashpee Wampanoag
B#104

Erected 2025 by Little Compton Historical Society. (Marker Number 104.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1757.

Location. 41° 29.592′ N, 71° 11.073′ W. Marker is in Little Compton, Rhode Island, in Newport County. It can be reached from West Main Road (Rhode Island Route 77). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 548 West Main Road, Little Compton RI 02837,

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United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Three Sisters: A Symbiotic Garden (here, next to this marker); Honoring Awashonks (a few steps from this marker); Distrust for the Newcomers (a few steps from this marker); Welcome to Sakonnet (a few steps from this marker); Stone Walls (within shouting distance of this marker); Ancient Connections (within shouting distance of this marker); Wilbor House (within shouting distance of this marker); 13,000 YEARS (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Little Compton.

Also see . . . Awashonks Garden Exhibit #104.

The artist honors Fal with this traditional doll that is displayed in the Wilbor House Museum in Fal's sleeping quarters. The doll is looking out the window.

(Submitted on July 29, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on July 29, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.