On May 15, 1900, it rained fish in the Olneyville section of Providence. Wriggling pout as long as popsicle sticks swirled down from the sky in a piscine tornado.

They came down on Harris Avenue, near the Grove Street railroad crossing. And then on hilly Joslin Street, above the mill chimneys, it rained some more fish– not just pout, but perch as well.

Olneyville is a neighborhood of Providence bordered by Atwells Avenue, U.S. Route 6 and Rhode Island Route 10. The Woonasquatucket River runs through it. In addition to getting rained on by fish, Olneyville is known for its New York System wiener.

When the pout and the perch swirled down on Olneyville, it was a crowded working-class neighborhood filled with textile mills and factory housing. One mill complex, the Weybosset, had become one of the biggest producers of worsted wool in the United States. The mills offered plenty of work for immigrants from Italy, Ireland, Africa, China and elsewhere.

That spring afternoon in 1900 the temperature soared to 93 after weeks of cold weather. Then around 4 p.m. the mercury fell in a matter of minutes to 73 degrees. The sky darkened, the wind whipped up and lightning flashed. A thunderstorm pummeled Olneyville.

Along with the fish.

Boys gathered them up and sold them as souvenirs. Many families got at least one and displayed it in their homes.

One young man grabbed a pout that fell in front of him and took it to Corcoran and O’Garra’s Saloon. Word spread and the fish brought in curious (and presumably thirsty) customers. It spent the evening swimming in a tank of water for the amusement of the saloon’s beer drinkers.

As late as 10 p.m., people still found fish in the street.

The day after the Providence Daily Journal reported that it rained fish, it put one in its window to prove to doubting readers that it really happened.

The newspaper also quoted a policeman named Sullivan who had a sterling reputation for truthfulness. Sullivan vouched for the rain of fish, having grabbed a writhing four-inch pout himself.

SOURCE: https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-day-it-rained-fish-in-providence/