Tag Archives: Remaining in Provincetown

Provincetown Pilgrim Monument inspires new novel

President Theodore Roosevelt Laying the cornerstone for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown in 1907

President Theodore Roosevelt Laying the cornerstone for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown in 1907

President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt came to Provincetown, Massachusetts on August 20th, 1907 to lay the cornerstone for the Pilgrim Monument as shown in the above antique postcard.  It was a joyous occasion for the Cape Cod town and the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association founded in 1892 to honor Provincetown as the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing place in 1620.  Crowds gathered and the bands played to mark the start of construction that was completed three years later in 1910.

While Plymouth often gets much of the glory for being the first settlement of the pilgrims, it was  in Provincetown and Truro that the Pilgrims, sailing to the New World on The Mayflower, spent five weeks before they sailed to the base of the Cape. It was in Provincetown Harbor that they drew up the Mayflower Compact, which established the basic rules of governance for their new home.

The novel everyone is talking about is about to be released.

The novel everyone is talking about has been released.

The Pilgrim Monument situated up on a hill looking out over the town, stands 252 feet in height.  The design of the all granite monument that sits 350 feet above sea level, was modeled after a classic stone monument in Italy, Torre Del Mangia in Siena. Whether you approach Provincetown by boat, car, or airplane, the Pilgrim Monument immediately grabs your attention as an important landmark.  Which is why the Pilgrim Monument is a focal point on the cover of the just released novel Remaining in Provincetown now available at Amazon.com.  If you’ve been enjoying this blog,  you’ll want to read the book.

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Old Cape Cod and Provincetown in stories and song

Vintage Cape Cod postcard circa 1930

Vintage Cape Cod postcard circa 1930

“If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air,” goes the 1957 song written by Alan Jeffrey, Claire Rothrock and Milton Yakus, “Quaint little villages here and there, you’re sure to fall in love with  Old Cape Cod.” The hit tune sung by Patti Page captures the spirit of the above antique postcard published 20 some years earlier.  “If you like the taste of a lobster stew served by a window with an ocean view, you’re sure to fall in love with Old Cape Cod,” the song goes on to say although they don’t mention Provincetown’s Pilgrim Monument, fishing excursions, swimming, and little neck clams as illustrated in the postcard, the reference to “Old Cape Cod” alludes to the preponderance of historic buildings and antique shops even in the 1950s.  There are still plenty of antique shops, flea markets, and yard sales on Cape Cod today. And there were plenty of antiques bought and sold during the 1990s, when  the soon-to-be released mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown takes place. One of the book’s characters  Bruno, has furnished his entire Bed and Breakfast with antiques and another character, Sonny Carreiro, collects antique postcards. Visit our facebook page to see the novel’s front cover . Click the “like” button and you’ll automatically be entered to possibly win a FREE copy. Now available at Amazon.com.

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Digging for clams in Provincetown, Cape Cod

Ptown clammers

This rare antique postcard shows clam diggers using rakes to gather bushels of clams in Provincetown, Massachusetts on the tip of Cape Cod.  Clam chowder, stuffed quahogs, and fried clams are some of the favorites visitors enjoy when they dine, as do the characters in the novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, at Sally’s Chowder Bowl (a fictitious place that may bring back memories).  Quahogs, also known as cherry stones and little necks, along with steamers (soft-shell clams), sea clams, and razor clams were once exceedingly plentiful in Provincetown Harbor.  They were an important source of food for the Indians and the purple portion of the quahog shells were used as a trading exchange referred to as wampum.  The early American colonists took advantage of this easy to access food source and developed a taste for shellfish stews and chowders. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, shellfish provided sustenance when jobs were few and families were struggling to put food on the table. The result was a depleted shellfish population, overfished almost to extinction. The one exception is mussels, which live on rocks and benefitted from the construction of breakwaters. Today efforts are being made, with some success, to restore the shellfish population because their presence helps to filter the Bay’s water and maintain an ecological balance.  Take note that the gathering of clams and oysters requires a license and is under strict regulation.  There are, however, plenty of opportunities to go fishing.  There are a number of boats that take off from Provincetown harbor. To see another vintage postcard, just posted, visit our new face book page and like it to be entered in the drawing to win a FREE copy of the new mystery coming out later this month. Thank you.

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Gay Provincetown friendly to pets

An antique postcard with an interesting statement

An antique postcard with an interesting statement

Is this young lady saying she has no chance in Provincetown because none of the men in town are interested in her or because she is walking with a dog? When did Provincetown first get its reputation as a gay town? Lest you think this postcard is of recent manufacture, here is the back of the card.Ptownlady2

Provincetown has long had a reputation for not following society’s conventions. The fishing village at the very tip of the Cape was known as “Hell Town” back in the 19th century.  Whatever your sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or philosophical perspective, the small town on the tip of Cape Cod has long been the place you get away to not be deterred or influenced by what everyone else thinks. And as for that very cute dog, being walked on a leash, well Provincetown is also quite dog friendly and a great place to visit if you have a pet. There are many dog friendly inns and hotels in the area and placse to eat outside looking towards the bay you can sit with your favorite four legged honey.  And of course everyone with dogs know they love to run across the sand bars when the tide is low. The characters in the new novel Remaining in Provincetown, due to be released April 15th, like to walk along the beach with or without a dog. It’s a great place to think and reflect on just who the murderer in town might be. Want to find out more about the book? Visit our new facebook page, just launched, to see the cover. (click on it to see the entire image).  Like the page. We’ll be giving away some FREE copies to our facebook fans. So keep following.

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Provincetown Cape Cod railroad

Provincetown, Cape CodRailroad Station 1920

Provincetown, Cape Cod
Railroad Station 1920

Wouldn’t it be nice to take a train to Provincetown? The last train that provided service to Cape Cod as far as Hyannis, shut down operations in 1986.  Yet the railroad was an important mode of transportation to Provincetown businesses, residents and tourists 100 years ago.  It was by train that the fresh fish caught by Provincetown fisherman packed in ice was delivered directly to New York City and it was by train that summer tourists and weekend visitors from Boston and New Bedford could conveniently get to Cape Cod vacation resorts and beaches.

As recently as 1960, the freight train was still running all the way down to the end of Cape Cod. When you visit Provincetown and go for walks along the trails, you can walk along the old railroad track bed. The railroad ties left behind when the tracks were removed and have been put to other practical uses by local folk in gardens and landscaping projects, but if you close your eyes you can imagine the sounds of the train chugging through the woods.

The railroad station shown in the 1920 vintage postcard above, was located on Bradford Street in the center of town between Alden and Standish Streets.  It opened in 1873 and shut down in 1938. Initially operating as part of the Old Colony Railroad, the New Haven Railroad served the community from 1893 to 1960.

These days, you can get to Provincetown by airplane, car, bus, and boat.  Sarah Carreiro (a character in Remaining in Provincetown) takes the small plane from Boston to come back to Provincetown for her husband’s funeral.  Looking down from a small plane is a great way to see the unique geography of the Outer Cape, but that’s another story.

Visiting the Sand Dunes in Provincetown, Cape Cod

Dune buggy Tour looking out over Pilgrim Lake

Dune buggy Tour looking out over Pilgrim Lake near Provincetown

Before there was a National Seashore, four wheel drive vehicles could traverse the sand dunes at the tip of Cape Cod, traveling back and forth to visit dune shacks and go fishing. Tourists would pull over to the side of the highway and get out of their cars to run up and down the dunes as they approached Provincetown. This postcard from the 1960s shows a Dune buggy tour on the sand dune above Pilgrim Lake, which you see as you approach Provincetown from Truro.  Initially the National Seashore built a parking lot near Pilgrim Lake to provide a safe spot for visitors to park but quickly realized all the erosion damage taking place and closed the area. Dune grass has been extensively planted to help prevent more loss of the dunes. In 1946 Art Costa started Art’s Dune  Tours and his son Bob Costa has continued the tradition of providing interesting educational tours that explain some of the historic highlights of the sand dunes that span from the back side of the town out to Race Point and the Outer Shore. You can walk the across the dunes by taking the path at Snail Road and hiking across the sand  or you can enjoy the bicycle trails that cross the sand dunes as the Carreiro children do in the soon-to-be released mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown.

Atlantic House or A-House, a historically gay place

Atlantic House, Provincetown, Massachusetts and owner Frank Potter Smith

Atlantic House, Provincetown, Massachusetts and owner Frank Potter Smith

The Atlantic House, now affectionately known as the A-House, was given its current name by Portuguese sailor Frank Potter Smith, pictured in this antique postcard printed in the late 19th century. Smith (probably not his original family name) purchased the tavern in the early 1870s. Provincetown’s first Postmaster Daniel Pease built the historic building at 5 Masonic Place in 1798.

Before trains ran out to Provincetown you could reach the small town on the tip of Cape Cod by stagecoach. You could get on the stagecoach in Orleans and arrive in the center of Provincetown to be let off at what was then called the Alllstrum House (now the A-House).  You had literally reached “the end of the line.”

Considered by many social historians to be the oldest Gay Bar in the United States, among the memorabilia and art that grace the walls is a nude photograph of Tennessee Williams strolling on the beach.  Williams was one of many famous patrons in the 1940s.

Under the management of Reggie Cabral, who purchased the building with his sister and brother-in –law Mr. And Mrs. Frank Hurst in 1950 and subsequently took over full ownership, the business continued to become a favorite gathering place for locals and visitors, with its several intimate bars and happening dance floor.  Having a good time is definitely on the mind of several of the characters in Remaining in Provincetown. Will it cloud their judgment? When you live in a small town its hard to remain anonymous.

The originial Provincetown Inn on the tipe of Cape Cod

Provincetown Inn on Cape Cod

Provincetown Inn on Cape Cod

Looking out across Cape Cod Bay, the Provincetown Inn was built back in 1925 and initially had 28 guest rooms. Shown in this vintage postcard, it is located at the very end of town near the Breakwater and today looks quite different than it did  at the start of the 20th century. Purchased by Chester Peck in 1935, in the 1950s a beach was “created” using sand from the nearby dune and four additional acres (according to the Inn’s website) were created. Hmm that is not something that would be allowed today, with concerns about retaining existing coastline and drainage, but the result was a spacious resort with night club, three dining rooms, gift shop, barber and beauty shops and more. Thirty-two more rooms were also added. In 1972 the inn was sold to investors and in 1977 was sold to the Evans family.  During the mid 1970s  Marvin Hagler started coming to Provinetown to  train at the Provincetown Inn and jogged across the sand dunes to get into shape.  He set up his very own ring by the indoor swimming pool. Hagler was world middleweight boxing champion from 1980-1987.

While the indoor swimming pool is no more as the Inn has continued to be refurbished through the years one thing that does remain are the hand-painted murals that were painted by Don Aikens that were inspired by old photographs, postcards, and paintings showing how the town looked in the late 19th century.  It’s a favorite spot for the Carreiro family children to visit (the Carreiro’s being a fictitious family in the novel Remaining in Provincetown).  They’ve got a lot on their minds with their father being murdered. Will they catch who did it? Stay tuned for more information and more vintage pictures.

Sand dunes entering Provincetown Cape Cod a memory

Junction of Commercial and Bradford Streets entering Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Junction of Commercial and Bradford Streets entering Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Sand dunes greet you as you enter the east end of Provincetown in this antique postcard.  The houses on Commercial Street don’t look much different than they did 100 years ago in this unique town on the tip of Cape Cod. On Bradford Street, the town’s major two-way thoroughfare, however, it looks quite different. With just two main streets and only a one route out of town, by car, how do you commit a murder and make a clean getaway? In 1990, the approximate year  the new novel Remaining in Provincetown takes place, much of the sand dunes and woods had already made way for apartments, condominium complexes, and businesses.

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.