Rhode Island Governor John Collins was born on June 8, 1717 in Newport. In 1786, he became the third Governor of the State of Rhode Island, and was the last independent chosen until Lincoln Chaffee was elected in 2010.

Before he was elected Governor, Collins was an admirer of George Washington and a fierce advocate for independence. In 1778, during the Revolutionary War, Collins represented the state in the Second Continental Congress.

Collins served two terms as Governor (1786-1790) and was later elected to the US Congress, although he was never seated there. He died in Newport in 1795 and is buried at Brenton Neck.

Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams writes about music, the arts and more for What'sUpNewp. He is also an Editor and Writer for Hey Rhody Media. Ken DJ's "The Kingston Coffeehouse," a roots/folk/rock radio show every Tuesday, 6-9 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM. He is a former educator in the Scituate, RI school system where he taught Social Studies for over 30 years. He is on the board of the Rhode Island Folk Festival and Newport Live (formerly Common Fence Music), a non-profit that brings diverse musical acts to...