The Perry family has over 300 years of presence here in South County, and this summer we were visited by one of its dedicated descendants to not only learn more of their ancestor's life, but to also introduce us to an incredible project of theirs which will allow us to communicate with Simeon through the amazing power of artificial intelligence.
Between 1789 and his death in 1802, Simeon Perry kept a detailed diary of Charlestown's weather and daily happenings. Along with this information, which creates a clear picture of his family, social, spiritual and work life, there is also a database containing a diverse collection of local historical information that can be accessed to explain the world in which he lives.
Simeon and AI will partner to answer your questions along with the help of a laptop, microphone and speakers. He'll tell you that he was a Quaker and frequently attended Quaker meetings. He'll give you the names of the people he met there, who his neighbors were, the name of the boat he took into Newport for supplies and the new schoolhouse which was being built that spring and even the death of his wife. Simeon and his world will come to life and transport you back in time.
More to come on the presentation of the project and many thanks to this remarkable member for sharing her years of expertise in computer science that will enable this project to come to fruition. |