History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1890, Part 103

Author: Deyo, Simeon L., ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: New York : Blake
Number of Pages: 1292

USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1890 > Part 103

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A record of several divisions of upland and meadow had been made several years previously and very soon after its purchase from the natives, as we find in the same year a division of ten lots: one to Ensign Jonathan Bangs, on the southerly side of Eastern harbor; another to William Twining, on the south of Bangs' lot; the third to

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Constant Freeman, and to be next south of Twining's; Israel Cole was to have the fourth, and next south of Freeman's; south of the last was that of Thomas Paine; south of this was the lot of Thomas Clark; Lieutenant Joseph Rogers had the seventh, next south of Clark's: John Snow, the next lot south; Thomas Paine, the next one south, and Caleb Hopkins had the tenth, and next south of the last. These lots extended from the bay easterly, and they are the first recorded of a division of any portion of the lands of Truro. Not until July 24. 1697, did these proprietors-still residents of Eastham-hold a meet- ing to arrange for a removal to this territory, and a settlement of the bounds of their purchases, at which meeting the bounds were set from Bound brook to Eastern harbor, and described as well as they could be in that day. A compact was also made with the Indians that the proprietors should have one-eighth of all the drift whales of both shores.

There is no doubt but that purchases were made of the Indians prior to 1689, but it was by individuals. The proprietors of Pamet were tendered a certain sum in a purchase made by Thomas Smith in 1644, which controversy was satisfactorily arranged the next day by a bid from Mr. Smith of thirty pounds for the right to the land.

June 4, 1700, the proprietors made their first declaration to remove to Pamet, the following being the record : "At a meeting of the pro- prietors held this day it was agreed that what land at Pamet might be conveniently divided should be divided, and that they would go thither (God willing) on the last Monday of October next ensuing. and divide accordingly." That there were people on the territory previous to this resolution of removal by the proprietors, is shown by a further agreement at the same meeting which was to give "five- and-twenty shillings " to any of the people of Pamet who would " make a sufficient fence below Eastern harbor pond to stop the sand and keep the tide out of said pond." The Eastham purchasers were the first settlers who gave to the territory its first municipal govern- ment, those previously there being fishermen principally, and all un- der the jurisdiction of Eastham.

No record of the removal of the proprietors was made, or, if so, it was lost; but by the records of meetings in October, 1700, it seems that they were in Pamet before the time fixed in their June meeting ; and among the first acts of these sterling men lands for the support of the ministry were laid off at Tashmuit, and near Eastern harbor ; a committee was also appointed to sell lands in behalf of the pro- prietors. The lands for the support of a learned minister were in- creased for three successive years, selections being subsequently made at what is now North Truro, also at Longnook.

At the proprietors' meeting of June 15, 1703, Jedediah Lombard,

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TOWN OF TRURO.

jr., John Snow and Thomas Paine were appointed to run bounds be- tween the great lots and fix the bounds; also to record the same in the Pamet books of record. The same committee laid out the first road of the town, which appears on the records of 1703, the road run- ning from the "head of the pond to the head of Pamet." This was called a " Drift Highway," and was laid out in July of that year. The same year a division of lands near Hog's Back was made, which re- veals the fact that this knoll had been previously named and was a well-known landmark. Jedediah Lombard, sr., had his lot laid out between Thomas Mulford's two lots, one of which was near Hog's Back and the other toward the pond south of Pamet great river.

The shells of the shellfish being needed for the manufacture of lime, in 1705 these proprietors enacted that after June first next no shellfish should be dug by any person not a resident of Pamet. In 1711 the proprietors voted that no wood be cut within the limits of the common lands for the burning of lime, except by the rightful owners.

October 29, 1705, the territory of Pamet was allowed by the general court the privilege of choosing its own officers, and was called Dangerfield-a name given by early navigators, but one which was not recognized by the residents in any of the records. On the 16th of July, 1709, Pamet, as it had been previously known, was incorpo- rated as Truro, with full powers of a town of the county, but a strin- gent proviso was added-that they support and maintain suitably a " learned orthodox minister."

The records of the proprietors, distinctive from the records of East- ham, commenced in 1700, and in the meetings as recorded, and in the admission of freemen from time to time we find the following named persons were residents when the town was incorporated: Jedediah Lombard, senior and junior, Thomas Lombard, Dr. William Dyer, Benjamin Smalley, Thomas Newcomb, Isaac Snow, Jonathan Collins, Nathaniel Harding, Joseph Young, David Peter, John Snow, Constant Freeman, Thomas Paine, senior and junior, Nathaniel Atkins, Francis Small, Lieutenant Jonathan Bangs, John Rogers, John Steele, Thomas Mulford, Hezekiah Doane, Samuel Treat, jr., Hezekiah. Purington, Humphrey Scammon, Beriah Smith, Richard Stevens, John Myrick, Moses Paine, Jonathan Vickery, Micah Atwood, Josiah Cook, Ebene- zer Hurd, Samuel Small, Samuel Young, Jonathan Paine, Edward Crowell, Ebenezer Smith, Jonathan Dyer, John Savage, Israel Cole and Thomas Smith.

In 1711 we find additional settlers, as may be seen by the names of the residents who were the only cattle owners in Truro that year: Ebenezer Doane, William Dyer, sr., Jonathan Collins, Jeremy Bick- ford, Josias Cook, Jedediah Lumbert (perhaps Lombard), Jonathan

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Vickery, Constant Freeman, Samuel Treat, John Snow, Thomas Lom. bard, Hezekiah Purington, Thomas Rogers, Benjamin Smalley, Rich- ard Webber, Thomas Smith, Daniel Smalley, Christopher Stewart, George Stewart and William Clark.

May 6, 1712, the selectmen of Eastham and Truro met to review the bounds between the towns and perfect the boundary line which had been but partially made; and in 1714 the following line was set between the province lands and Truro: "Beginning at the easterly end of a cliff near the cape harbor, called Cormorant hill at a jaw bone of a whale set in the ground, thence northwesterly to a high hill on the back side, and thence to the ocean." The province lands prior to this had been under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Truro, and these lands west of the line were, in 1717, constituted as the precinct of Cape Cod.

The following year the people of Truro, from frequent difficulties arising out of the uncertain municipal powers of the new precinct of the province lands, asked the general court by Constant Freeman, their representative, to declare the new precinct either a part or not a part of Truro, that the town could know how to proceed in regard to some persons; but not until 1727, when Provincetown was incorpo- rated a town, was the difficulty entirely overcome. Subsequently the settlers of the eastern part of Provincetown found themselves extend- ing the long street of that town into Truro, and after frequent peti- tions to the general court, the present boundary between the towns was established, giving Provincetown a greater extent of territory.

The town of Truro is now bounded east by the Atlantic, south by Wellfleet, west by the bay, and north by Provincetown and the ocean. Its distance from Boston in a direct line is only fifty-seven miles, but by railroad it is 112. The form of the township from the curving of its shores, is nearly a spherical triangle, being about eleven miles be- tween the base and apex, with a base three miles wide. The sur- face is very uneven, being what Professor Hitchcock calls a moraine, running nearly north and south; but its elevated ridge has been washed into conical hills two or three hundred feet high, giving a singular landscape. The township is free from rocks, and the soil is generally sandy, the ancient Tashmuit, the middle eastern portion, being the richest part.

Like other towns of the Cape, the land has been heavily wooded and fertile. The eastern shore is fringed with salt marshes, and these extend far up on the sides of the rivers and coves that exist on that coast of the town. The east shore is high above the ocean, and all waters run westerly to the bay. Small ponds having no visible out- lets abound. Long pond, of twenty-eight acres; Newcomb's, of thirty- two; Higgins, of seventeen; and one of fourteen, north of the last, are

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TOWN OF TRURO.

the chief ones. Mill pond, of seventeen acres, has the Pamet river for its outlet. In the extreme northwest corner of the town is East harbor, a small, shoal tide-harbor, but by drifting sands its usefulness has ceased, and the extensive salt marshes around it have been greatly diminished from the same cause. Over the dyke which the govern- ment built along the beach to the westward of the harbor the present railroad runs, effectually cutting off as an anchorage this body of water from the bay. High Head, southeast of this harbor, was a con- spicuous settlement in the early history of the town, but now contains only three residences. East Harbor village, also a prominent com- munity a century ago, was adjacent at the south, but not a residence remains. From this litlle village of twenty-three houses twenty-eight brave men were killed or died in the service of the colonies during the revolutionary war. South of the last ancient village is the former Pond village, now called North Truro. One mile south of this is Great Hollow -- another small community, and still southward is the Pamet river and the community known as Truro village. In the south- west part is another little village known as South Truro, where may be found the heaviest wood land in the town. The healthfulness of the town compares favorably with any of the Cape, and with the ac- commodations and advantages presented at the Highlands, the influx of visitors increases.

In 1715 the present King's highway was laid out through Trurc- to connect from Eastham to and through the province lands. It was really the continuation of the old county road along the Cape. It ran along the back side of the town, around the heads of the rivers, and, although only used in portions at the present day, its tortuous course is well known through the town.

In 1718 the town ordered the erection of a pound in a central place, and Joseph Young was appointed its keeper. This institution, unlike the stocks and whipping post erected about the same time, has been kept up to the present, there being at this writing three separate pounds, one at each village.

The early industries of the settlers were fishing and agriculture. It is claimed by some writers that Truro was the first and most prominent town in the whaling business, but that after a few years Falmouth, Wellfleet and Provincetown excelled. The whalemen of Truro were distinguished for their success and enterprise, and as late as the beginning of the present century the town had nine large vessels in the business, one of which was the Lydia and Sophia, built in Truro, on the Pamet river, and her timbers were cut from the land of the town. The town records of 1720 speak of Joshua Atwood's lance "that he hath made on purpose to kill fin-backs," describing the pecularities and mark. Captains David Smith and Gamaliel Col-

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

lins are recorded as the first whalemen from here who pursued the whale near the Falkland islands. The Truro captains were also largely employed in the merchant service. Fishing-the present status of which is given in the village histories, has since been largely engaged in. The bay coast has been the scene of the slaughter of the blackfish in considerable schools, the largest being that of 1874, when 1,405 were driven ashore. They lay along the shore for a mile between Great hollow and the Pond landing, and the school yielded twenty-seven thousand gallons of oil.

At a meeting of the town of Truro, December 11, 1711, it was agreed that if Thomas Paine would set up a grist mill within said town, he could take three quarts in toll for Indian corn and two for "English corn " (probably the other grains), and the town would give him sixty pounds toward the construction of the mill. The town subsequently had three other wind mills built-one on the hill where the present town hall stands, owned by Freeman Atkins, Allen Hinckley and Samuel Rider, one at South Truro near the Wellfleet line, and another at the Highlands. The latter still exists as a con- necting link between the past and present, being built by Isaac Small and owned later by his sons, James and Joshua. It is a dismantled relic used as a lookout. Its creation does not date back to that of the ocean, but their first companionship dates back of the memory of man-the huge sails of the mill serving for a welcome sight to the watching mariners of past generations, and its hulk of a tower now serving the present for an elevated sight of ocean and land. Some of the old residents have a dim tradition of yet another wind mill at East harbor, which was erected by Gamaliel Smith, and was demolished before the dawn of the present century. Later than these wind mills-in the later part of last century-a water mill, for grinding, was erected on the south side of Pamet river, and in 1844 a better one was erected upon the site, which in its turn was aban- doned before 1860 and taken down. The dam is now, in part, a prof- itable cranberry bog.

The town in 1754 gave permission to Jonathan Paine to build the first wharf of the town, on the shore of Indian neck, at the foot of the Thomas Paine lot. The wharves erected since at the mouth of Pamet river, have been ample for the uses of the people, and a century ago the harborage here was good. In 1837 a stock company built the North wharf, which was in active use for many years, and previous to this, in 1830, the Union wharf on the south side of the river had been built. Of the latter some of the piers yet remain. Lower wharf was subsequently built into the harbor at the mouth of the river, and about 1837, where the Old Colony railroad bridge now crosses Pamet harbor, these wharves were at the height of their usefulness, crowded

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TOWN OF TRURO.

with fishing vessels, fifty of which have been seen moored to the wharves during a single season.

The stores, sheds and flakes gave this portion of the town a village- like appearance. All told, the town had sixty-three vessels in the cod and mackerel fishing, which yielded annually 20,000 quintals of cod and over 15,000 barrels of mackerel, giving employment to over five hundred men. Here at the mouth of the river fifteen brigs and schooners were built between the years 1837 and 1851. Henry Rogers was the master builder, assisted by Nathaniel Hopkins, the former a resident of Boston and the latter of Provincetown. The Malvina, built in 1837, was lost with all on board within one year. The names of the fourteen others were: brigs, Eschol, John A. Paine, Odeon, E. Paine, 2d, N. I. Night, David Lombard, Laurena, B. A. Baker, L. B. Snow, Tremont, E. M. Shaw, Mary Ellen, Modena and Allegany. The Modena, built in 1850, was framed from oaks cut within the town, and more or less of the timber used in the others was cut there. Standing now on the railroad bridge over the very site of the busy wharves, and where the fifteen fishing and coasting vessels were built, and seeing the present sandy, desolate shores and choked harbor, it requires a stretch of imagination to realize that so great a change could occur in a single half century.

Soon after the war of 1812 the packet lines to Boston were thought to be a wonderful advance of improvement in communication; but in 1858 the Cape Cod Telegraph Company was a greater step, and soon after the Marine Telegraph Company was organized, which flashed to the Boston merchant the news of the safe return of vessels as soon as they were visible from the Highland.'

In 1839 the Truro Breakwater Company was incorporated with an idea to benefit the harbor; but failing to secure aid from Congress, the undertaking was abandoned. The harbor at Pond village re- ceived the attention of the government and the Truro people very early, and as late as 1806 another attempt was made to improve it; but the drifting sands rendered every expenditure useless. The dyke across East harbor is now used by the railroad, and the high embank -. ments of the road erected in 1873 across the heads of the remaining harbors of the bay shore seriously interfere with the usefulness of the inside anchorage. The government provided a light for Pamet harbor in 1849, which was discontinued in 1855; and during the lat- ter year rebuilt the Highland lights. The life saving station near these lights was erected in 1872. In the south part of the town is another station.

Salt was manufactured along the bay side of Truro, and was an extensive industry in its day. Among the first to manufacture was Dr. Jason Ayres, who erected works south of the pond at north

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Truro, which were subsequently owned by Samuel Coan. Captain Elisha Paine had works next to Coan on the south, and John Smith erected a plant next north, also purchasing that of John Grozier ad- joining. Next north were the works of Edward Armstrong, and still further north Colonel Joshua Small owned a plant which is said to have been the first in town. On the bay shore south of Elisha Paine's were the works of Sylvanus Nye, and adjoining were those of Jonah Stevens. On the north side of Little harbor meadows were located the works of Michael and Thomas Hopkins, the latter works passing into the possession of Doane Rich, who owned a plant on the south side of the meadows, and both of which were subsequently sold to Solomon Paine. South of Paine's were Reuben and Jesse Snow, and on the north of the Pamet river, near the present railroad depot, were the extensive works of Michael Snow. Along up the north side of Pamet river were Lewis Lombard, Ephraim D. Rich, John Kenney, David Lombard, Shubael Snow, David Smith, Elisha Paine, Levi Stevens, Hinks Gross, Jonathan Whorf, Joseph Collins, Freeman Atkins and Samuel Ryder. On the south side of the river, commenc- ing near the depot, were Allen Hinckley, Michael Collins, Benjamin Hinckley and Leonard P. Baker; and further up the river, John Smith, Ephraim Baker and Solomon Davis. On the bay between Pamet river and South Truro Elisha Newcomb had works, also Benja- min Hinckley; Perez Bangs' works were about half way between the river and South Truro, and Nehemiah Rich had a very extensive plant at the latter place. In 1837 Truro had thirty-nine of these works, and the decline of the business commenced soon after.

Along the King's highway were the usual taverns of last century, also the old-fashioned stores of that time, where the few necessaries. of a solid and liquid nature, were kept.

The early fishing was profitable, and the manner in which it was conducted engaged more men and vessels than now. The vessels now engaged are few and small. Weir or trap fishing has become more profitable and along the bay shore are twelve large weirs. The most northern weir is at Beach point, and S. B. Rich is the agent. There are six very extensive ones along the shore to the south, the business of which, as well as positions, centers at North Truro. Of these No. 1-off from the present depot-was built in 1881, and is owned by Atkins Hughes, John G. Thompson and T. L. Mayo & Co. In 1882 No. 2 was erected by the same parties one mile north of the depot. Ten shareholders in 1883 erected No. 3, one mile south of No. 1; and the same year No. 4 was erected one mile north of No. 2. In 1885 No. 5 was erected between the first and third, and is owned by over a score of stockholders; and No. 6 was sandwiched between the others, forming a combination of companies under the superintend-

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TOWN OF TRURO.

ence of Atkins Hughes, who, with J. G. Thompson, is a shareholder in each. These weirs, the cost of each of which was about six thou- sand dollars, are each 2,500 feet long, extending into deep water. The pound increased the expense to SS,000. Some wonderful catches are reported from these weirs, and no doubt the same occasional gocd luck attends others on the Cape. From No. 5 of these traps, one morning in the season of 1SS7, forty tons of pollock were taken, and on another lucky occasion the same weir furnished in one day 330 barrels of mackerel. South along the bay are four more weirs, of which Richard A. Rich, S. B. Atwood, N. K. Persons and William F. Baker are respectively the captains. At South Truro is still another, of which D. B. Rich is agent. These weirs give employment to seven persons each, and the salting and packing houses, and boats, with the necessary appendages for the business, give a more active appear- ance to the shore than any other part of the town; and it is well to say that at the present time this fishing is the town's most important industry.

The ocean side of Truro is probably the most dangerous shore to mariners that the Cape presents, and into the history of Truro many shipwrecks of home and foreign vessels could be interwoven. That of the British man-of-war, Somerset, in 1778, will not be forgotten by · the residents, for the hulk occasionally is unearthed by the action of the waves upon the sands; and canes and other relics are made from the oaken timbers. The 480 men captured from this unfortunate ves- sel were marched through Truro on their way to Boston. She pre- viously lay at anchor half way between the Pond landing and Prov- incetown for nearly two years, and the residents had been distressed by the exactions of the men, so that when the vessel was finally cast ashore on the other side of the town, the opportunity for remunera- tion for past injuries was welcomed by the Truro people. General Otis said it was the occasion of riotous work at the wreck. The state took proper measures and the sheriff sold the effects, reserving the cannon.

Truro was greatly bereaved by the gale of October, 1841. The records say: "On the night of that memorable day, October 3, fifty- seven of our brave seamen were swept from the shores of time, their remains sinking into one common watery grave." These were young and middle-aged fishermen, mostly engaged at the time of the storm on the George's bank. They undertook to sail to the Highland, but were carried to the southeast upon the Nantucket shoals.

A breakwater and wharf was petitioned for in 1848, the first to be 800 feet long and 550 feet from high water mark, and the wharf 400 feet long. This would have afforded shelter for boats and small ves- sels, but a portion only of the work was constructed, when it was

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HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

found that the wood work was being almost immediately destroyed by worms, and the work was abandoned. Pamet harbor in 1853 re- ceived a supposed benefit by the driving of spiles, that the current might deepen the channel: but after an expenditure of two thousand dollars. this project was also abandoned.

After years of discussion, in 1840 cart bridges were built across Great and Little Pamet rivers, and have since been kept up and greatly improved. These and other advantages of access led to the arrangement for a town hall at Truro village, the church having been previously used for public gatherings. Sometime prior to 1850 a so- ciety of Odd Fellows erected a hall by the formation of a stock com- pany, and this was purchased by the town for town purposes. The rec- ords yet recognize in the clerk's minutes the old name of Union Hall. It stands on the north bank of the Pamet river, near the churches-a good landmark for seamen and landsmen.

The poor house now in use, erected between 1840 and 1845, is also on the north side of Pamet river. The house previously used by the town was a dwelling, at South Truro, which was sold to John B. Cooper after a larger one was completed, and he now resides in it. These town buildings and the office of the clerk and treasurer are situated at Truro village, where the town business has centered. When the fish- ing business was at its height, the enterprising citizens of Truro, in the winter of 1840-41, instituted the Truro Marine Insurance Com- pany. The losses in the gale of October. 1841, seriously crippled the association, and after another year of unprofitable business, the affairs were wound up. The Truro Benevolent Society, established in 1835, has had better fortune and still exists, with a fund of several hundred dollars in its treasury. It is similar toan insurance in principle, and by the payment of a small sum annually, the member has a certain amount in sickness, or at death. This society, well administered, has done much good.

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History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1890, Part 103

Author: Deyo, Simeon L., ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: New York : Blake Number of Pages: 1292

Author: Deyo, Simeon L., ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: New York : Blake
Number of Pages: 1292