History of Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA

Provincetown, Massachusetts
Barnstable county. A noted fishing town on the extreme point of Cape Cod; including Race point, which lies 3 miles N.W. from Provincetown village. It comprises Cape Cod, or Provincetown harbor, which opens on the S. This ocean harbor is very large, exceedingly easy of access, and has sufficient depth of water for the largest ships of war. This is the first harbor the "Mayflower" touched at on her passage to Plymouth in 1620.

An elaborate and highly interesting report of a survey of this harbor and the extremity of Cape Cod, by Major J.D. Graham, has recently been printed by order of congress.

The report is accompanied by a series of tables, showing the result of a long course of observations on the tide, which are not only curious, but may be useful to those who are in a situation for pursuing their speculations on this subject, by comparing them with the results of similar observtions in other places. The fullness and precision of these tables...

Provincetown was originally a part of Truro. It lies at the very extremity of the peninsula, forming a sort of claw, to an arm, which the county is said to resemble in form.

The town is composed of sand-hills, but the harbor is large, deep, safe, and of so great importance to mariners, that the Government of the United States has expended large sums in its improvement.

The May Flower, that brought the first freight of pilgrims to New England, put in here before proceeding to Plymouth ; and here the pilgrims signed a form of government, and chose a governor.

Some years after its settlement the town was almost abandoned by its inhabitants, but, after the Revolutionary War, it revived.

The inhabitants are extensively engaged in the fisheries, and in the manufacture of salt.

Distance, in a straight line from Barnstable, 30 miles; from Boston, by water, 50, and by land, 116

Captain Chapman, his brother, and two men, belonging to the fishing schooner Pledge, of Provincetown, which was run down and sunk on Grand Banks, by Hamburg ship Donau, arrived in this city on Friday, in the steamer Eastern City. They were the only survivors of the crew - the remainder, five in number, were lost with the vessel. The names of the drowned were, PATRICK MURPHY, aged 40; CORNELIUS MAHONEY, 49; BARTLET O'BIREN, 23; NEIL McKENNON, 23, and JOSEPH SILVA, 18 - none of whom were Americans. They were in the cabin when the vessel went down. The Hamburg ship took off the survivors, who, after being transferred several times to different inward bound vessels, finally reached Townsend, Me., where they secured passage in the steamer Eastern City. The Pledge was insured at the Union Office, Provincetown, for $1700.
Journal.

Provincetown, a post-township in Barn stable co., Massachusetts. This is a noted fishing place, on the extreme point of Cape Cod, 50 miles E. S. E. from Boston. Population, 3157.

Provincetown, a post-village in the above township, contains 3 or 4 churches. Inhabited chiefly by fishermen.

Provincetown is one of the most unique towns of the Commonwealth. It occupies the extreme northern point of Barnstable County and Cape Cod; and is, with exception of a narrow neck connecting it with Truro at the east, entirely enclosed by water. From midway of the western end a still narrower peninsula (or island, for the sea has made a breach through it near its beginning) runs along by and far past the mainland towards the southeast, then turning to the northeast, forms an elbow, terminating at Long Point, which is marked by a lighthouse; thus forming Provincetown harbor. It is nearly land-locked and secure, and sufficiently capacious and deep to furnish anchorage for about 2,500 vessels. It is of great importance to navigation, whether coasting or foreign, affording a convenient haven in thick and stormy weather, or in distress in consequence. An official record of the keeper of the outer light at Wood End during 1876-8 shows that in those three years 23,000 vessels passed in out...

Antone Fratus of Provincetown selected his pillow as a safe place for keeping money and there deposited $300 in an envelope. His two-year-old child found the envelope and shoved it through an open grate into the fire. There was $290 in bills, which were destroyed and a $10 gold piece was found in the ashes.