In 1638, feisty colonists settled in Cranston and a century later defied the British over taxation. From the early town meetings that were rife with heated debate to the incorporation of a fully functioning city, local historian and attorney Steven Frias charts the turbulent evolution of a democracy. Frias takes the reader through twenty consecutive mayors' terms, starting with Cranston's first mayor, Edward Sullivan, who never raised property taxes during his term while successfully managing to lower the debt of the city. Frias continues on with such mayors as John Horton, who provided liberal support for public education. Discover the corruption and scandal surrounding the installation of the sewer systems, and learn why the area was dubbed "City of Farms" and how current circumstances in Cranston reflect on past leadership.