USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Westport > The village of Westport Point, Massachusetts > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 W540h 1786229
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00084 6904
THE VILLAGE OF WESTPORT POINT
MASSACHUSETTS
BY KATHARINE STANLEY HALL
AND
MARY HANNAH SOWLE
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALBERT COOK CHURCH
1786223
THE VILLAGE OF WESTPORT POINT MASSACHUSETTS
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MAIN STREET, WESTPORT, Looking Toward the Wharf.
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Hall, Katharine Stanley.
F 844971 .33 The village of Westport Point, Massa- chusetts; Ly Katharine Stanley Hall and Mary Hannah Sowle. Illustrations by
Albert Cook Church. | New Bedford, Mass . , 1914 ]
' SHELF CARD
NOTAEn
.
C . Ann
F 244271. 37
NEW BEDFORD, MASS. E. ANTHONY & SONS, Incorp., PRINTERE 1914
This little sketch of our village is dedicated in honour and affection to
ZOETH HOWLAND
AND
WILLIAM POTTER HOWLAND
who have given us freely from their memories of nearly one hundred years and who are the noble representatives of the brave men and women who toiled upon the great waters and founded the homes of Westport Point
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C21057
From the Waterfront.
The Village of Westport Point
On the southern Massachusetts coast, a few miles west of where Buzzards Bay opens into the Atlantic is situated the quaint old village of Westport Point. A noble range of wooded sand dunes protects the village from the ocean, hiding it from the view of passing boats, and af- fording a quiet harbour for those who venture in the narrow and dangerous channel. The arm of the sea that separates the village from the dunes divides into two rivers thus forming the Point. The East River, or the Noquochoke, extends for eight miles into the country to the village known as The Head of Westport. The West River, or the Acoaxet, is four miles long, the village of Adamsville, Rhode Island, being at its head.
The summer colony of Westport Harbour is situ- ated on the rocky point, across the narrow har- bour mouth from the dunes. A bridge now con- nects the village of the Point with the sand hills and the magnificent four mile beach of the open Atlantic. At the east end of the Horseneck Beach is Gooseberry Neck and beyond the neck, out in the waters of Buzzards Bay, lie the Elizabeth
.
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THE VILLAGE OF
Islands. It was on Cuttyhunk, the nearest of the island group, that Bartholomew Gosnold landed in 1602. Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard and Penikese, where there is the state leper colony, are distinctly visible from the Point, also on clear days the lonely island of No Man's Land, twenty miles out at sea. Newport is seventeen miles- as the crow flies-due west of the village, and the great manufacturing cities of New Bedford and Fall River are both sixteen miles away. It is interesting to find on consulting the atlas that directly south of the Point are the Bahamas and the entrance to the Straits of Magellan; and that if we follow a due eastward course we touch Bar- celona, Naples, Constantinople, and the Great Wall of China.
The nearest trolley line is at Lincoln Park, ten miles from the Point. In 1840 the stage line be- tween the Point and New Bedford was started by A. Richards, and for sixty-six years a stage was run daily. With the installation of the trolley line the stage route ended at Lincoln Park.
The village today consists of one street a mile long with about seventy-five houses, three stores, the wharves and the Methodist church. There are a number of goverment lights visible from the village-the Hen and Chickens lightship, at the entrance of Buzzards Bay; the Sow and Pigs lightship, further south, at the entrance of Vine-
LOOKING ACROSS THE SANDHILLS Toward the East Beach.
7
WESTPORT POINT
yard Sound; Seaconnet light, not far from New- port; the lights of Cuttyhunk, and Gay Head, on Martha's Vineyard, and the eight day red lan- tern at the Harbour entrance.
Those who now visit this secluded village think of it only as a quiet, beautiful place far removed from the rush of the world and guarded by its pine crowned dunes from all the vast struggles and issues of this age. But these same dunes have gladdened the eye of many a sea captain, and many a whaling vessel has found behind them her desired haven, for this sleepy New England village has had its day of gold and glory. As year after year passes there are fewer who re- member the village in its days of prosperity, but still there are some who dream not of the dust shrouded automobiles, but of the full sails of the whaling fleet !
Many too, are the treasured relics and the old land marks that speak of the days that are gone and there are memorials here also of the time long before the whaling fishery was established, when the brave Pilgrim Fathers penetrated the rough wilderness of Massachusetts and met the Indians face to face. The Indians of Southern Massachusetts were as Gosnold described them, "A fair conditioned people," and were for years the white man's friends. The territory of Dart- mouth, in which Westport Point was then in-
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THE VILLAGE OF
cluded, was purchased in 1652 from the Indians: "Know all men by these presents that I Wesame- quen and Wamsutta, my son, have sold unto Mr. William Bradford, Captain Standish, Thomas Southworth, John Winslow, John Cook, and other associates, the purchasers or old-comers, all the tract or tracts of land lying three miles eastward from a village called Cushenagg to a certain har- bour called Acoaksett to a flat rock on the west- ward side of the said harbour. . And in
consideration hereof we the above mentioned are to pay to the said Wesamequen and Wamsutta as followeth, thirty yards of cloth, eight moose skins, fifteen axes, fifteen hoes, fifteen pairs of breeches, eight blankets, two kettles, one cloth, £22 in wampum, eight pairs stockings, eight pairs of shoes, one iron pot and ten shillings in another commoditie."
Here and there in this district interesting traces of the Indians can be found. Even after these many years the plow often turns up an arrow head. On the point of land west of the village, known as Cape Bial (named after Abiel Macomber), there is a pile of shells which tradition says are the relics of Indian clambakes, and all along the lower or Drift Road are traces of the Indian set- tlement. In the village cemetery there are no Indian graves, but there is an Indian burial ground not far up the Drift Road. It is a pity
AN OLD WESTPORT HOMESTEAD.
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WESTPORT POINT
that more of the Indian words have not been pre- served. The West and East Rivers are really the Noquochoke and the Acoaxet. The original name of Westport Point was Paquachock, and the beach known as Horseneck Beach is evidently a corrup- tion of the Indian word "Hassanegk." Hassa- negk means "a house made of stone." In a field near the Let, (the Let is an abbreviation for Inlet, because it is there that the sea very long ago had its entrance), there is an old stone cellar, prob- ably an excavation made in the hill side, lined with field stone and roofed over. There seems little doubt that the old cellar, the Hassanegk, has given the beach its name. For two generations the similarity of the beach to a horse's neck was thought to be the reason for the name, but when this Indian name was discovered the other theory was abandoned. In the story of King Philip's War the Seaconnet tribe of Indians is frequently mentioned, and it was probably the tribe of this district, too.
The territory embraced within the bounds of the present town of Westport formed a portion of the old town of Dartmouth until 1787, when it was incorporated as a separate town under its present name. The old deeds tell the story of those bygone days. Particularly interesting are the deeds connected with Liniken Island. The island lies directly north of the sand dunes, it
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THE VILLAGE OF
comprises twelve acres, six of upland and six of salt marsh. "On Dec. 31st, 1712, in the eleventh year of Her Majestie's Reign, Anne, Queen of Great Britain, etc., etc., for the sum of £21 Philip Taber sold the island to George Brownell." "On March 8th, 1754, and in the twenty-seventh year of His Majestie's Reign, John Shrefe sold the island to Jonathan Brownell for £70." "On June, 1784, the island was divided between Paul Brownell and Mary Taber, also the said Mary Taber is to have one-half part of the salt meadow or Sedge Flat Down in the River and also the one- half of that part of the island which was John Taber's, the said island is called Ram Island." "On Dec. 21st, 1793, for £96, William Macomber Joiner sold to Capt. Isaac Cory all of Liniken Island excepting a piece of marsh or Sedge Flat that Thomas Brightman bought of Pardon Brow- nell and has had in his possession the year past." This record of a year's farming of the island is most interesting :
Expence in Plowing & raising a crop of Corn on L. Isleand- 3 acres.
1844
April 30 Expence in Carting Mennre to Scow & Carting out in heaps including Horse & Ct 5.01
May 3 3 pr. Oxin & 1 Horse, 2 Plows, 4 men & 4 Boys, plowing, Spreading Dung & Seaweed & Diging Stones after the Plow
8.75
4 1 pr. Oxin & Horse, 2 men & 3 Boys & 1 plow
5.17
Monday 6 2 Men & 1 pr. Oxin & 1 Horse, Cart & large Harrow, Carting of 11 loads Stone & Har- rowing 4.00
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WESTPORT POINT
8 1 pr. Oxin & Horse & Harrow, 1 Man & Boy 1 day
3.25
8 1 Man & Boy, Horse & Plow, 1 day furrowing 2.50
Friday 9 Expense in helping .17
28.85
Seow 6 times or days say
2.00
30,85
10 (Chs Sowle, G. Tripp, Eliy Allin,) Saml Gd., -- Philip Sd & Jos. Cory 1 day) (G. S. & James Macomber) 12 day Planting 3.83 34 B. Sead Corn .50
30.15
flowing twice
15.
50.15
(Stalks & Pumpkins pays for Harvising)
93 B. Good Corn & Ruffuse & sufficient to make
it worth 100 Bushel
10 Bushels sold for
10.
90 B. say worth 4/6
€7.50
77,50
Profits $27.35
There is a tradition that Capt. Kidd buried treasure on the island and that boys from the village dug for it. The following is another of the old deeds: "Lot on Paquachock Pt. from Henry and Sarah Sowle to Henry Sowle: Wit- nesses Hillyard Mayhew, Prince Howland. This house and lot is on Paquachock Pt. and is bounded as foloeth, westerly on ye highway, southerly on Benjamin Davis' land and easterly on River or Cove and northerly on Hillyard Mayhew's land. March 12th, 1781." In 1809 the land for the Westport Point district school was secured.
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THE VILLAGE OF
DEED FROM CHRISTOPHER GIFFORD TO THE PROPRIETORS OF SCHOOL HOUSE IN DISTRICT NO. 4.
Know all Men by these Presents that I Christo- pher Gifford of Westport in the County of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts yeoman in consideration of Twenty Dollars paid by Isaac Cory, Israel Wood, Perry Gifford, Warren Gif- ford, Christopher Cornell, Abner Gifford, Micah Dean, Ebenezer V. Sowle, Asa Bly, Humphrey Hammond, Joseph Tripp, Pardon Allen, Jethro Howland, Benjamin Hicks and Elick Carr, all of them of the Town, County and Commonwealth aforesaid; the Receipt whereof I do Hereby ack- noledg, Do hereby give, grant, sell and convey unto the Said Isaac Cory, Israel Wood, Perry Gifford, Warren Gifford, Christopher Cornell, Abner Gifford, Micah Dean, Ebenezer V. Sowle, Asa Bly, Humphrey Hammond, Joseph Tripp, Pardon Allen, Jethro Howland, Benjamin Hicks and Elick Carr, to them, their heirs and assigns for Ever a certain Lot of Land situate in West- port aforesd .; Discribed and Bounded as follow- eth: Begining at Stone Sett in the Ground on the East Side of the Highway, thence Easterly thirty-four feet to a Stone Set in the Ground; from thence northerly thirty-three feet to another Stone Set in the Ground, thence westerly thirty- four feet to another Stone by the Said Highway,
AN OLD PART OF THE TOWN.
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WESTPORT POINT
thence Southerly in the Line Said Highway thirty-three feet to where it first begun this Lot bound west on the Highway that Leads to the Point and all other ways on the Said Christopher Gifford's own land and the Sd Isaac Cory, Israel Wood, Perry Gifford and the other owners are to make and maintain all the fence against this Lot and Christopher Gifford as Long as he shall have one against this Lot.
To have and to hold the Said granted premises thereto belonging to them the said Isaac Cory, Israel Wood, Perry Gifford, Warren Gifford, Christopher Cornell, Abner Gifford, Micah Dean, Ebenezer V. Sowle, Asa Bly, Humphrey Ham- mand, Joseph Tripp, Pardon Allen, Jethro How- land, Benjamin Hicks and Elick Carr and I Do Covenant with said Isaac Cory, Israel Wood and the Rest that I am Lawfully seized in Fee of the Premises and have good right to Sell the Same in manner aforesaid and that I will warrant and Defend the Same to them, Isaac Cory, Israel Wood and the Rest to them and their Heirs and assigns for ever against the Lawfull Claims of all Persons.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seal this 19th Day of June in the year of Lord 1809.
Signed, Sealed and Delivered
Christopher Gifford
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THE VILLAGE OF
In Presents of
Abner Sowle
Seleg Sowle
Bristol ss Westport, December 19, 1809. The above named Christopher Gifford acknowledged the above Instrument to be his free act and Deed
Before me
Abner Brownell, Justice of the Peace.
This lot was just north of the hotel. After the war of 1812 the United States government re- turned the surplus money when all debts had been paid, to the different states. The state of Massachusetts turned hers into a school fund and public schools were started. For some years before the building of the first public school- house Ruthy Cadman had a private school where she took in the little boys and girls to keep them out of the way. Their parents paid a little and bought the books used by the children. An old man, who was one of Ruthy Cadman's little scholars, says that "when the children grew tired she put them to bed." "The old maid's school," as it was called, was held in different houses different years. Here is an interesting record of a summer school Ruthy Cadman had in 1823:
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WESTPORT POINT
$7.56
Days
Thomas Watkins
230
.53
Harcolas Manchester
285
.66
Warren Gifford
24
.05
Saml Brightman
139
.32
Jeremh. Brightman
127
.29
Jethro Howland
99
,23
Jonathan Mayhew
121
.28
John Potter
239
.55
Joseph Tripp
191
.44
John Underwood
252
.58
Pardon Case
155
.36
Deborah Bly
105
.24
Nicholas Davis
132
.30
John H. Sowle
134
.31
Joseph Davis
96
.22
Charles Macomber
33
.33
Pardon Macomber
83
.19
Isaac Cory, Jr.
193
.45
Ruth Gifford (widow)
120
.28
Nancy Brown
154
.35
Benj. Hicks
158
.36
Reuben Tripp
66
.15
Humphrey Macomber
44
.10
Chris. Davis
16
.03
Ruth Cadman
50
.11
3246
$7.56
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THE VILLAGE OF
Shortly after the erection of the first school- house, another was built in the lot just south of Hammond's store. The building consisted of one story for some time, then a second floor was added. At one time in the busy days, there were sixty scholars in the lower school-house and fifty in the upper. This entry for 1824 is interesting: "This may certify that George C. Bailey taught the school in our district the two last winters past and that he conducted said school to the entire satisfaction of those who were inter- ested in it."
In the present Library is an old case bearing this inscription : "This case and the books origi- nally formed a part of a school library estab- lished in the village probably in the year 1840 or 1841 by Dr. George F. White, school teacher at that time. The case was donated to the West- port Point Library in the year 1904 by Miss Drusilla Cory and the books to the number of eighty-five collected from a number of houses in the village." Many of the books are most inter- esting. The series called The Boys' and Girls' Library contains much that is delightful. Caro- line Wester, or The Young Traveller From Ohio, containing the letters of a young lady of seven- teen to her sister; Indian Traits, by B. B. Thateher; Uncle Philip's Conversations with Young Persons; Sketches of the Lives of Dis-
BACK FROM THE BEACH.
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WESTPORT POINT
tinguished Females, written for girls with a view to their mental and moral improvement by an American Lady. In the School Library Series, Rambles About the Country, by Mrs. E. F. Ellet, is very fascinating. In the Common School Lib- rary Series, all should read Rural Tales and Do- mestic Tales, by Hannah More, especially the beautiful story of The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain.
Among the old papers treasured in the village attics none are more interesting than those about the control of wharves, etc. Perhaps this from "the Town Reckard" of 1805 is as early as any that can be found. The wharves originally were across the river on the dunes just west of the present bridge. Some of the old posts can still be seen half buried in the sand. "The Town Landing" was on the Point side of the river.
TOWN RECKARD.
The Committee appointed by the Town at Their meeting on the first day of April last past, to view the Town Landing at the point, upon the Petition of Peter Macomber and others. In- habitants of the Town of Westport made a re- porte in writing - that they had viewed the premises at the Point - and report as follows - That it is expedient in our opinion that the said
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THE VILLAGE OF
petitioners have liberty to build a wharf oppo- site the Town's landing in said Westport, begin- ning at the Southwest corner of the most South- ermost part of the old wharf on said landing; from thence South about seven degrees East to a flat rock by the edge of the Channel. Said wharf to be built twenty-six feet in width on the East side of said line and liberty to build a pier on the East side of said wharf, adjoining the same to make said wharf fifty-five feet upon the Channel upon the following conditions - That said Petitioners or owners of said wharf shall at all times move or cause to be moved all vessels or incumbrances of any kind, to or about said wharf That scows and other crafts shall have suitable and convenient passages or pass ways to and from said Town landing in every direction.
Signed the 13th day of May A. D. 1805.
Humphrey Macomber Barney Hicks Committee.
Robert Earl
Voted -to accept the Report and that the same be recorded.
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Westport held on the Tenth day of May A. D. 1830.
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WESTPORT POINT
Voted - To grant the Owners of the East wharf at the Point (so called) the priviledge of extending the same so as to make it more con- venient for vessels and more advantageous to the Publick.
Attest Frederick Brownell T. Clk
In 1807 Isaac Cory, Jr., received his commis- sion as "Surveyor for the port of Westport and likewise Inspector of said Port." In 1830 the commission for the Collector of Customs reads thus: "Know ye that reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, diligence and discre- tion of Isaac Cory, Jr., of Westport in the state of Massachusetts, I have appointed and by and with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, do appoint him Inspector of the Customs for the Port of West- port."
As early as 1818 there are records of presiding elders holding services in the village houses. In the earliest days there was a little meeting house where the Tripp Brothers' home is, their house is, in fact, the old meeting house enlarged. In 1830 the church was formed and the first build- ing was erected in 1832. It was located about one mile north of the present site on what is known as Prospect Hill. The land was pur-
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THE VILLAGE OF
chased by Capt. Barney Hicks for twenty dollars. The pews were sold to meet expenses. In 1840 it was moved to its present locality and was en- larged and new pews were put in. Probably in 1846 the Westport Point church was separated from Little Compton. In 1883 the present church was built. One of the ministers is buried in the village cemetery, and the inscription on his tomb tells his interesting story.
"Sacred to the Memory of AMERICA BONNEY
who was born in Plympton, Oct. 6th, 1793, called to preach the gospel in 1817, and after being in- strumental in gathering a church of forty souls in Westport and labouring with great acceptance and success in Wareham, Nantucket, and other places, departed this life Sept. 25th, 1819, deeply lamented by many friends and churches."
If only the old houses of the village could speak they would tell tales more fascinating than any novel. In the earliest days the village was located on the Dunes and near the town landing. What is known to many as Thanksgiving Lane marked about the end of the village proper. North of that there were scattered farms. The people surely must have been "stowed in pretty
THE CAMEL'S HUMP.
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WESTPORT POINT
thick!" Gradually the houses were built and the village lengthened out. A few of the houses were brought over in scows from the Dunes. The little house directly north of the present schoolhouse was the first to be moved, probably about ninety years ago. The north end of the old store on the west wharf at the foot of the street was brought from the original wharves. It is interesting to note that formerly a dock extended up to where the big stone post now stands. At one time it was used as a dry dock for "the Polly and Eliza."
One of the houses, the little grey one at the foot of Thanksgiving Lane was built by William Wat- kins who came over from England at the time of the Revolutionary War. Another was a tavern in the war days. One can imagine how the men gathered there to talk of the English war ship that lay just outside the Dunes and of the Red- coats who called the harbour "the devil's pocket hole." Probably the tavern's grog often cheered on the village guardsmen who patrolled the Horse- neck near the harbour entrance.
In the prosperous days there were cooper and blacksmith shops and several mills. The lot op- posite the hotel is still known as the mill lot and a mill used to stand too where the cemetery is to- day. This one was rigged like a schooner with a great sail and eight jibs. There was a long mast, at one end of which there was fastened a cart
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THE VILLAGE OF
wheel. There are many who can remember the picturesque saw mill in the lumber yard.
The first store was owned by Gifford and May- hew-it stood near the town landing. It is inter- esting to learn that before the establishment of delivery carts, meats, sugar and all staple supplies were brought around each fall by boat from New York to the Point. New York, too, was the port to which nearly all the oil from here was taken, it was then shipped over to Europe.
Each family guarded itself from starvation by keeping a pig-it was about the first thing the bride and groom procured! In those days the household had to be its own department store; the women sewed and weaved rugs, braided mats, made tallow and bayberry candles, had quilting bees, dried and canned their vegetables and fruits and found still spare time enough to knit and crochet fancy things that are today the pride of their children's children.
Some women for a little pin money picked over cotton that was brought down from the cotton mills. Often little children helped in the task. When the seeds had been removed the cotton was taken back to the factory and a new supply brought home. Surely one of the most interesting of the duties usually allotted to the women was the collecting and using of the native herbs. This science for such it really is, is fast
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WESTPORT POINT
passing away in the Point but it is only a few years since two sisters died who were skilled herbalists. They had as their authority a quaint old book now in the possession of their descend- ants, The English Physician Enlarged, it con- tains "directions for making syrups, conserves, oils, ointments, plasters, etc., (369 medicines in all) of herbs, roots, flowers, whereby you may have them ready for use all the year long." In each case "the Planet that governeth everyone" is given. We quote one of the quaint descrip- tions :
"Golden-rod-This ariseth up with brownish small round stalks two foot high and sometimes more, having thereon many narrow and long dark green leaves, very seldom with any dents about the edges or any stalks or white spots thereon; yet they are sometimes found divided at the top into many small branches with divers small yellow flowers on every one of them, all which are turned one way and being ripe do turn down and are carried away by the wind. The root consists of many small fibres which grow not deep in the ground, but abideth all the winter thereon shooting forth new branches every year, the old ones lying down to the ground. It groweth in the open places of woods and copses both moist and dry grounds in many places of this land. It flowereth about the month of July.
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THE VILLAGE OF
Venus claims the herb and therefore it respects beauty lost." It would be hardly edifying to give the uses !
The author of this interesting book was Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654), it was published by someone named Bullard in London in 1770 and also by Burns in 1799.
About the beginning of this century, in answer to a request sent out by the government, it was found that thirty-two herbs were used medicinally in this neighborhood. This is a rich place for its flora. A list which is probably not quite complete and which does not include grasses, sedges, and sea-weeds, numbers 400. Twenty varieties of ferns have been found. The wild fruits, too, find this an advantageous place, there are delicious wild grapes, elderberries, black- berries, blueberries, beachplums, huckleberries, and wild cherries. Cranberries were raised in great quantities in bogs on the Sand Dunes, but now the pitch pines are driving away the vines for very little is done to keep the bogs in good condition.
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