Tag Archives: provincetown cape cod

Provincetown Fishing Tradition Celebrated at Blessing of the Fleet

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This 1960’s postcard shows a plentiful catch of fish on a commercial fishing boat out of Provincetown.  Fifty plus years later and the commercial fishing boats are not as plentiful as they once were, docked off of MacMillan Pier.  Still the tradition continues and has been revitalized in recent years with the Portuguese Festival that has enhanced the annual Blessing of the Fleet. 

The end of June is a great time to visit Provincetown an the celebration begins this weekend on Thursday the 26th.  To get into the mood of Provincetown, pick up a copy of Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook , the recently published murder mystery that still has everyone talking.  What happens during the Blessing of the Fleet in the story set in the 1980s might give you some clues. A few autographed copies can be found at the  Provincetown Bookshop on Commercial Street or buy it online in trade paperback or ebook. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Provincetown East Harbor Now Pilgrim Lake

Pilgrim Lake approaching from Mayflower Heights Provincetown, Cape Cod

Pilgrim Lake approaching from Mayflower Heights
Provincetown, Cape Cod

This postcard shows what Pilgrim Lake looked like approximately 120 years ago, but it had already undergone many changes.

Once known historically as Eastern Harbor and later as East Harbor, the protected inlet was eventually diked in 1868 to make it possible for track to be laid for the railroad that made Provincetown into a thriving hub for fishing. The railroad took the fish from the Provincetown Wharf all the way to New York City.

But in building a railroad and a roadway in 1877, East Harbor became a lake known as Pilgrim Lake.

What’s interesting in this old postcard is that the dunes look fairly low and the vegetation is high. The vegetation is what caused the desalination. The fish population gradually depleted although in the mid 20th century there were reports of large terrapin turtles that lived in the lake. What did they eat?

The vegetation and wildlife continues to evolve as the National Park Service attempts to restore portions of the habitat.

What happens next? Only time will tell. Life is often a mystery.

Want to read a novel set in Provincetown? Remaining in Provincetown, “captures the characters and places perfectly,” says one reader review. “Finally an author has been able to successfully capture the flavor of that quirky town on the tip of Cape Cod and do it well,” says another. Available at Provinetown’s favorite local bookstore, Provincetown Bookshop,  or online as a paperback or ebook you’ll want to read Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook to get you ready for summer 2014. Like it on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Provincetown in the 1920s Vintage Cars Downtown Scene

1920scenterThe center of Provincetown in the 1920s looks less crowded with its colorful roadsters, green lawn, and trees around Town Hall. But the architecture is the same as it is today in 2014. On the postcard from which this picture was taken it says,” Provincetown on the tip of the Cape, is frequently described as being two miles long and two streets wide. The streets are narrow and winding and traffic enters on Commercial Street and returns on Bradford. The Town Crier with his bell is still seen on the streets of Provincetown. ” (The postcard was published by E.D. West & Co.)  If you love reading about Provincetown, check out the murder mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook., available at bookstores and online in trade paperback and as an ebook. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Provincetown Book Gets Five Stars

Provincetown, Cape Cod Bradford Street, just past the town center during the early 1960s.

Provincetown, Cape Cod
Bradford Street, just past the town center during the early 1960s.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it, December 27, 2013

By
Karen O’Shaughnessy (Manchester, NH United States) – See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Remaining in Provincetown (Kindle Edition)
If you love Provincetown, you’ll love this book. It captures the characters and places perfectly. It also had me wondering “who done it” all the way through.
If you haven’t read Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, you’re in for a treat. Buy your copy today at The Provincetown Bookstore or find it online in trade paperback or on kindle. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Provincetown Artistic Inspiration

East End Provincetown, Cape Cod

East End
Provincetown, Cape Cod

The Inner Satisfaction

By Harry Kemp

(from Poet of the Dunes)

The Inner Satisfaction is the goal; There is no profit for the soul:
In palace or in hut if you abide,
It does not matter– with that gift inside.

The above  antique postcard was printed in Germany and published by the Advocate at the end of the 19th century when traveling by boats was often easier than walking to get from the East End to the West End of Provincetown. The poem was published by Provincetown Publishers and printed by The Advocate Press in 1952.  If you like books connected with Provincetown and haven’t yet read Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, copies are available at local bookstores and for purchase online in trade paperback and as an ebook. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going!!

Provincetown Along The Shore

Along the Shore Provincetown, Cape Cod

Along the Shore
Provincetown, Cape Cod

Along the shore is where I want to be on a beautiful day when the sun in shining   Pink sky along the water’s edge and pale yellow sand that rubs against my toes    Another glorious day in Provincetown where the light is bright and pure and the sounds of the sea are never far from my ears.

The above postcard is a color lithographic print circa 1910.  Love Provincetown? Check out the new murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook available in trade paperback and as an ebook. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Sailors and Railroad Wharf Provincetown Photography

Provincetown sailorsMany of the antique postcards that depict Provincetown, the wonderful small town on the tip of Cape Cod, with sailors walking the streets. The reason for this is because one of the most important events in the town during  both 1907 and 1910 was the construction and subsequent dedication of the Pilgrim Monument. In 1907 when the first cornerstone was laid, President Theodore Roosevelt was in attendance. Subsequently in 1910 when the monument was dedicated, the ceremonies were presided over  by President William Howard Taft. At both events the entire Atlantic Fleet of the United States Navy was in Provincetown harbor for the ceremonies. That’s a lot of sailors. The above postcard shows sailors landing at Railroad Wharf. No sailors walk the streets in the new murder mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook but several of the characters are interested  in history and tradition. Pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore or order it online at Amazon.com in trade paperback or on kindle. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Unique Provincetown on the Tip of Cape Cod

Provincetown on the tip of the Cape has well been called the most unique town in the country for certainly there is just one Provincetown and nothing like it anywhere else. It is the oldest town on the Cape and has always been the center of a great fishing industry. Its street are more winding lands making the town the Mecca for hundreds of artists.                                                                             

179 Commercial Street Provincetown, Cape Cod

179 Commercial Street
Provincetown, Cape Cod

The above text comes directly from the above Post Card published in about 1940 from the look of the cars in the picture, by E.D. West in West Yarmouth, Cape Cod and is called an ” CT-Art Colortone”. Recognize the corner? The illustration shows the town at an earlier time when newspapers, magazines, and telegrams were the main forms of communication along with the old rotary dial telephone. This was back when you needed to pick up the phone and ask the local operator to connect you to the four digit town number you were trying to reach and there were “party lines” shared by multiple households trying to economize.  The murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook is set in more recent history– approximately 1990– but the town continues to change. Pick up a copy of the book at your favorite local bookstore or order it online. Like us on facebook and keep the conversation going.

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

At bookstores that include the Provincetown Bookshop.

At bookstores that include the Provincetown Bookshop.

Provincetown Cape Cod 19th Century Landscape

19th century Provincetown Cape Cod

19th century Provincetown Cape Cod

What did Provincetown, that lively town on the tip of Cape Cod, look like before there were big motels? Stand on the corner of Commercial Street and Kendall Lane on the town’s East End and imagine. Once upon a time before there was a big parking lot and a pool for the Surf Side Arms Motor Inn on this left corner, there were mature trees and a white picket fence. Kendall Lane was an actual dirt lane, not a paved street.  It was a setting that invited strollers who chatted and admired the greenery on their way towards the town landing near by.
How times have changed. But it’s fun to look at the above antique postcard and remember. Want to remember the 1990s? Pick up a copy of the murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, this year’s favorite new book set in Provincetown. Buy a copy at the Provincetown Bookshop or online. It’s available as a trade paperback and an ebook. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going!

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Railroad Wharf Provincetown Cape Cod Sailing Vessels

Provincetown Railroad Wharf

Provincetown
Railroad Wharf

This postcard, a hand colored photograph, was mailed from Provincetown Massachusetts to Bethehem  New Hampshire in 1908. Titled  “Fishing & Pleasure Boats, Railroad Wharf, Provincetown, Mass” it was published by The Robinson Brothers in Boston and was printed in Germany and distributed by the Metropolitan News Company.
It is a lovely picture which shows the gracefulness of the sailboats used for recreation and the handsome schooners used for fishing. Before there was  a Macmillan Wharf, the main downtown wharf in Provincetown was known as Railroad Wharf because the railroad tracks ran all the way down to the end in order to easily load fish off the fishing boats for shipping (with some ice of course) straight to major cities that included New York. It was back in the days when men wore bowler derby hats and a child might carry a parasol. Horses and carts were still being used, along with the first automobiles. That was long ago and times have changed. The town on the tip of Cape Cod continues to evolve. What was it like a few decades ago? To get an impression, read the new mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook. Available online where books are sold and locally in Provincetown at the Provincetown bookshop (autographed). Like us on facebook and keep the conversation growing.