|
Eastham is a coastal
resort community straddling the forearm of Cape Cod. Located on the lower
Cape, the town is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Cape Cod
Bay to the west. Much of Eastham's Atlantic shore is part of the Cape
Cod National Seashore whose visitors' center lies along Route 6 not
far from town hall..
Eastham was founded
by seven members of a delegation from the Plymouth Colony, who traveled
to the town to scout Eastham for a new site for the center of government.
They decided not to move, but seven members of the delegation brought
their families and established a new town.
The town has several
harbors and these and the abundant shellfish are probably what brought
these early settlers from the Plymouth Colony. The settlers' economy was
based on agriculture, fishing and salt making, but Eastham's summer resort
history began as early as 1830 when the Methodist Church established a
summer camp meeting ground in town. The coming of railroad connections
in 1870 stimulated local market gardening and Eastham specialized in cranberries
and asparagus for the city markets. Eastham had cod and mackerel fisheries
and oysters to ship north. The town's harbors were not as good as those
of other communities in the area, so agriculture remained more important
to the town in the 19th century than did maritime trades. Grain production
was abundant enough to allow Eastham to export her grain, while industry
was never a real factor in the town. Residents note, however, that Swift
and Company meat packers began in Eastham before moving to Chicago.
Some original landscapes
are still visible in the section of town inside the National Park areas
while intensive modern residential growth has taken place in other areas
of town. (Narrative based on information provided by the Massachusetts
Historical Commission)
|
