CapeLinks Cape Cod Massachusetts
articles & blogs
-
A History of the Cape
Among the personages of Cape Cod there are those who will always be remembered for their deeds. With such a record for enterprise, adventure, patriotism and identification with great movements of the… -
It’s A Salty Old Cape Town
Truro is one of the saltiest of Cape Cod’s salty towns. Many a tale is told by those who know Truro well through long living there, of awful storms, shipwrecks, and rescues at Truro; and of voyages… -
Ease ‘Er When She Pitches
You might recollect the fable by Aesop which tells of the mighty oak that resisted a great wind and was brought by the wind crashing to the ground. There it lay in dishonor. -
Nantucket & Cape Cod Bay Scallops
Bay scallops are a regional seafood that native Cape Codders treasure. Most bay scallops never leave New England. Cooking bay scallops can be a treat all to itself, as bay scallops are excellent for… -
Cape Cod Windmills
Even nowadays, one might see a few picturesque old windmills on Cape Cod. At one time these windmills would be facing the direction from which the wind was coming and maneuvered and maintained by the… -
A Ship and A Plowshare
When Falmouth adopted its town seal in 1902, the people were pleased to have a symbol so representative of their community. The seal shows Nobska Light, a ship in full sail, and a plowshare. -
Two Discovered Cape Cod
Henry Hudson and Bartholomew Gosnold are both credited with the discovery of Cape Cod. It is clear which part of the Cape may be credited to Gosnold’s discovery, but which part Hudson discovered… -
Shallows and Shoals
As you see the tides receding at Cape Cod and behold the land beneath them emerging, as it were, you will know that Cape Cod waters are “shallow waters. They are far from deep. -
Distrust Aboard Mayflower
Not all the passengers aboard the Mayflower were of one mind as to the future, or even present policies. There were some aboard who did not agree with the strong-minded leaders. Their murmurings… -
Cape Cod Icecapade
Back in 1933-34 the Cape experienced a winter it has not yet forgotten. It was so cold that saltwater ice formed early, first in the various creeks, then in the harbors of Wellfleet and Provincetown,… -
Old Yarmouth
An interesting description of old Yarmouth is found in John Hayward’s New England Gazetteer, published 1839. It says, in part: -
A Cranberry Crook
A story rarely told is of an old Cape Cod woman who helped herself to cranberries belonging to others. To warn her, and others likeminded, a sign was posted on one of the bogs. -
Deed To Eastham
At a special ceremony in August (1951), a copy of the original deed from the Indians which was given to the Town in 1666 was presented by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the Town… -
Salt: $27 A Bushel
Less than two-hundred-fifty years ago, on the Cape and elsewhere in America, salt was a very scarce necessity. Every effort was made to get enough to meet the heavy demand for it. Many Cape Codders… -
Delusions Of Witchcraft
Although there have never been any hangings for witchcraft on the Cape, many believed in the agencies of ghosts and witches. This has proved a never ending source of material for writers. Incidents… -
Cape Cod Mortgage Net
Looking to purchase a Cape Cod Home for your primary residence, a vacation home, or an investment/retirement property? Cape Cod Mortgage.net may provide mortgage services to Cape Cod, Nantucket, and… -
Scrimshaw Art
The article most commonly made by whalemen when they “scrimshawed” was the decorated sperm whale tooth. Large ivory teeth, sometimes weighing over five pounds and over nine inches long were… -
Cape Cod Chowders
The making of a good Cape Cod fish chowder involved almost as much ceremony as a holy rite. The story is told of an old sea captain who was famous for his chowders. He set out at daybreak for his catch… -
Player’s Pharmacy, Rt. 6A, East Dennis
I worked at Player’s Pharmacy for a few years when I was in high school. The Dubins were great people to work for. I especially enjoyed talking to Phil Dubin the eldest of the family, who bought… -
Barefoot Trader, Rt. 28, West Yarmouth
Remember the Barefoot Trader? I remember it well from when I was a youngster. They had the big “Easter Island” head out front with the torch lit on top. There are now factory outlets where… -
The Swallowtail Fad
In the days of Andrew Jackson and Commodore Hull all Cape Cod personages wore swallowtail coats to formal gatherings. You can still find specimens of this extraordinary garment hidden away in Cape attics.… -
Beachcombers & Beachcombing
It’s always lots of pleasure to stroll the beach, keeping an eye to seaward for yachts, steamers, fishing… -
Free Horse With Used Buggy
It is safe to think that many folks today do not know what a “buggy” was. It was the forerunner, so to speak, of today’s used auto. And if readers think that today’s used car… -
Looking Around Bourne
Trading with the Indians was one of the major activities of the Pilgrims. They built a trading post in Bourne at a place called “Aptucxet,” which is just off of Route 28. -
Cranberry for Cosmetics
The little red cranberry is a native American fruit. The native indians of Cape Cod who used to dwell here used cranberries as medicine. -
Ship Ashore at Provincetown!
The cry “Ship ashore!” is still a thrilling one. Back in 1778, on the first day of November, it must have been more than thrilling. For the ship was the hated British ship Somerset.… -
Cape Cod Sea Captains
No lover of the sea or ships ever comes to the Cape who does not inwardly wish that he might meet the old captains of the clipper ship days, and hear them spin a yarn or two about brave voyages to distant… -
Codfish Economy
Around the year 1750, there lived in Boston, John Welch, a patriot and citizen of importance, and a captain in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Captain Welch realized the importance of the… -
An Unusual Magnet
In countless ways Provincetown is a magnet that attracts thousands and thousands of visitors to itself every year. Down to the town at the tip of the Cape come visitors from every part of the nation,… -
Cape Cod’s Lady Milkman
(circa 1961) For over a year the residents of Harwich and South Chatham enjoyed the efficient services of the only “female milkman” on Cape Cod. She was Mrs. Edna Homer, who answered… -
Mother at Sea
In the 1860’s a Cape Cod skipper who, accompanied by his wife, was making a passage to Australia, wrote home to his children as follows: -
Widow’s Walk
Widow’s walks or “captain’s walks” are found on houses by the sea, especially the sea captain’s homes of Cape Cod. -
No Crime In Martha’s Vineyard
The following is from a report published in 1855 by the Boston Telegraph: -
Wood, Wood, Everywhere
The early settlers of Cape Cod had to face the fact that they must wrest their living and their shelter from the land itself. From the trees which virtually surrounded them, they were soon hewing, hacking,… -
Save the Flowers!
In their desire to pick some of the lovely wild flowers that grow in Cape Cod fields and glens, visitors sometimes pull up the entire plant, roots and all. Few wild flowers can survive such a shock.… -
See-Worthy Suits
A Cape Codder discoursing on the “new” bathing suits of fifty some-odd years ago comments: -
Last Nantucket Indian
The last Indian of the tribe that once inhabited the Island of Nantucket, died there in November, 1854. -
The Ghosts Of Cape Cod’s Ships
Very wild have been the storms that have lashed the shores of Cape Cod where it faces the open sea, and even where the half-encircling arm bends as though to shield the ships on the sea and the dwellers… -
First In The World
The first written constitution in the world by which a government was created was the Mayflower Compact. The date of the Compact was November 11, 1620, by the Old Style calendar. -
Stovepipe Hole
Everyone knows what a thimble is, but besides the most familiar meaning there is also that of a covering for a stovepipe hole in a wall. Every parlor wall used to have a thimble where the “airtight”… -
Salmon Skippers
2 cups canned salmon 2 eggs; well-beaten 1 tablespoon minced onion 1 tablespoon chopped green pepper 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt speck… -
Billingsgate Lightkeeper Paid $5 A Week
On May 7, 1822, Congress appropriated $2,000 for a lighthouse to be constructed on Billingsgate Island, Wellfleet. The keeper of the light was Abijah Gill. He wrote bitterly a few years later that:… -
The First Booths
When some of the men from Plymouth came to Sandwich to start a settlement of their own they are believed to have built shelters called “booths.” These were efficient but not luxurious. -
Cranberry Fluff Pie
1/2 cup sugar 2 stiffly beaten egg whites 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1 pint heavy cream whipped 1 pound can whole cranberry sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water -
The Cape’s First Industry
When John Cabot touched our New England shores, he was astounded at the vast numbers of fish in the water. There were so many that bears waded out, and easily caught and ate them. These fish were food… -
Bring Oiled Paper For Your Windows
If you take a piece of plain paper, oil it lightly, and then hold it to the light, you will see that it lets in light but you will not see through it. The windows of the first Cape Cod houses had oiled… -
Mayflower Was An Ocean Liner
Compared with some of the ships traversing the Atlantic in the early seventeenth century, the pilgrim ship Mayflower was in size an ocean liner. She certainly seems to have been one of the very… -
Around The Cape 150 Years Ago
Here are a couple tidbits of info from records of a century and a half ago: -
The Mooncussers of Cape Cod
There is a tradition that a band of robbers anciently infested the shores of Cape Cod. These robbers, on horses, are said to have decoyed vessels on the rocks in the darkest of nights by means of large… -
The Last Whaler
The last whaler or rather whaling skipper of Provincetown was Captain John Atkins Cook. He retired in 1916. After he quit the sea Captain Cook wrote a pretentious account of his voyages and had it published.…
Page 8 of 11 pages « First < 6 7 8 9 10 > Last »
