Tag Archives: Provinetown history

Provincetown walk across the water

Provincetown, Massachusetts Breakwater built in 1911

Provincetown, Massachusetts Breakwater built in 1911

The breakwater that spans across  from the end of Cape Cod’s hook across the Bay to the little spit of land known as Long Point has been in place as long as anyone can remember. But there was a time when it was referred to as “The New Government Breakwater” as it is on this postcard.  Walk across the breakwater and you’ll arrive at Long Point and the Long Point Lighthouse. Built by the Arm Corp of Engineers and completed in 1911, the intent of the breakwater was to secure the safety of the harbor and prevent the erosion of sand.  Take a walk on the breakwater and arrive at the Long Point Lighthouse or practice your skills climbing the rocks. It used to be a great place to gather mussels to steam for dinner, along with  hermit crabs and starfish.  Still the sand  around the breakwater moves and splits as the decades pass. Life changes . People die. Others  leave and new residents arrive and decide to remain in Provincetown.  Thus the name of the novel Remaining in Provincetown, a mystery not only about a murder but about the town itself.

Provincetown an idyllic setting for a murder

Provincetown Street Scenecirca 1880

Provincetown, Massachusetts  Street Scene
circa 1880

In the early days of Provincetown, the streets were narrow and unpaved because most people got around on foot or by boat.  Today walking and bicycling are still the most efficient ways of transportation, particularly during the summer season when everything is so crowded,
So where was this picture taken (a colored lithographic print)? It looks like the west end of town, near the very tip of Cape Cod, but the bay on the left hand corner is so close to the edge… One of the nice things about the town is seeing the sea as you walk down Commercial Street. It’s a small town, with only two main streets running parallel to one another, making it a challenge for someone to commit a crime and make an easy getaway. But someone does commit a murder and manages to initially escape detection. Want to know more? You’ll  just have to read: Remaining in Provincetown. Stay tuned to this blog for more information.

Provincetown souvenirs are collectibles and memories

Commercial Street near Town Hall, Provincetown, Massachusetts

Commercial Street near Town Hall, Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown in summer is a bustling place. The narrow streets are crowded with tourists. Even 100 years ago when the fishing industry provided year-round income for families, the  tourist trade was important. Souvenir shops that sold postcards, like this one shown above, as well as collectible souvenir spoons, plates, paper weights, and glasses provided seasonal income for local residents. Servicemen in the Coast Guard and Navy would come into town to see the sights that included fine restaurants, bars, and entertainment. The T-shirt shops came later! Town Hall in this antique postcard is partially obscured by the thick foliage of the trees, but it looks very much the same today as it did back then. In 1990 when the novel Remaining in Provincetown takes place, Town Hall was painted white and one of the characters has their office inside. Which one? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

Race Point Beach a part of Provincetown history

The Indian trail road to Race Point Light

The Indian Trail Road to Race Point Light

Provincetown’s National Seashore,  managed by the National Park Service, includes historic Race Point beach and Race Point Light. The Race Point Lighthouse served as an important beacon to ships before the days of radar and radio. Many ships were wrecked on the sand bars off the tip of Cape Cod and a rescue station was located not far from the lighthouse. Today, if you visit Provincetown be certain to spend time at all the gorgeous beaches and visit the restored Lifesaving Museum that was moved to the site from Chatham in 1977.  It was called the  Harbor Life-Saving Station and it was built in Chatham in 1897.  The original Provincetown station did not survive the ravages of time. On  Thursday evening you can see  rescue re-enactments .
While the roads are no longer dirt roads, there are still patches of woods and overhanging trees as you follow the route from the center of Provincetown across Route 6 and towards Race Point Beach. There are many trails across the sand dunes., some just meant for walking. Printed in Germany and sold during the era when it cost only a penny to mail a postcard for domestic delivery, this beautiful card appears to be made between 1880 and 1900. Antique postcards are important to one of the characters in the soon-to-be-released novel Remaining in Provincetown.  You might go so far as to say they were almost an obsession.

Provincetown’s Red Inn a favorite Cape Cod tourist destination

The Red Inn in 1915

The Red Inn in 1915

Restaurants in Provincetown come and go, but a few favorites like the Red Inn situated on the waterfront on the far West End of town, have stayed in operation for close to a century. The above vintage postcard shows what the Inn looked like after renovations in 1915 when owner Mary Wilkinson opened her house as “The Red Inn”. Originally the house was built by ship’s captain Freeman Atkins for his wife Emily.  The names “Freeman” and “Atkins” are names you’ll see associated with some of the narrow streets in this unique town on the tip of Cape Cod. One road, that figures into the soon-to-be released novel Remaining in Provincetown is called Atkins Mayo Road.

One of the small private dining rooms inside the Red Inn is named after Ada Raynor,  wife of Henry Hensche.  Hensche was the  founder of the Cape School of Art in 1930 after the death of Charles Webster Hawthorne, who  founded the Cape Cod School of Art..  Art Schools and artist continued to frequent the Outer Cape. in 2010 former students of  Hensche: John Clayton, John Ebersberger, Cedric Egeli, Rob Longley, and Hilda Neily, founded the Cape School of Art in Provincetown, in an effort to pass along Henry Hensche’s teachings.

The Red Inn has always been a gathering place for visiting celebrities and was one of the shot locations in a 1987 Norman Mailer movie, that although a flop at the box office, attracted Isabella Rosselini, Ryan O’Neill and Farrah Fawcett among others.

The ownership has changed through the years, but having dined there recently I can attest to the high quality of what is served. The menu features local seafood, and local produce creatively prepared and well presented. Plus there is that fabulous view to enjoy, looking towards Long Point Lighthouse. It’s the perfect setting for a mystery novel.

Provincetown fishing wharf from bygone era

Consolidated Weir Co's Wharf

Consolidated Weir Co’s Wharf

When fishing was a major  industry on Cape Cod, there were fishing weirs, nets set up in the water used to trap fish. The use of weirs for fishing was a Native American technique that was taught to the early colonists in New England. Could the name Consolidated Weir Company name have something to do with the use of weirs?  While weirs were a frequent sight in the harbor during the early part of the 20th century, they were abandoned or removed  by the late 1960s. This was long before I was born but I do recognize a building in the background that provides a clue to where this long ago wharf in Provincetown was located. The building was on the East End of town, the old ice house which provided the ice for packing the fresh caught fish for storage and transport. Visit Provincetown today and in its place is a stucco and brick building. All that are left of the wharfs on beach side are a few wood pilings.

What still remains in Provincetown from the early fishing era? Or should I ask, who is still Remaining in Provincetown?  I love a good mystery.

Murder in Provincetown?

Provincetown Railroad Wharf

Provincetown
Railroad Wharf

Provincetown, Massachusetts–

Where would you hide a body if you wanted to dispose of it quickly?  On  railway car loaded with fish?  Back in the 19th century, fish was delivered directly from the fishing boats of Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod down to New York City by railroad.  There’s a lot you can learn from old postcards…