No one really knows what motivated a group of men to shoot and kill Betty the Learned Elephant 200 years ago.

But it was certainly one of the most memorable events in the history of the village of Chepachet.

The massacre took place on May 25, 1826. At the time, Chepachet was the cultural and economic hub of northern Rhode Island. Showmen routinely exhibited exotic animals there, providing a source of entertainment in an era before movies and television.

See Full Page