There are 15 towns on Cape Cod and each one has its own story. Some of them are well known – some not so much. Here are 15 fascinating facts – one for each town on the Cape – that might make you see this sandbar a little bit differently:
Chatham: Resting Place of Squanto
Tisquantum, a.k.a. Squanto, was the Native American who kept the Pilgrims alive while they navigated warring tribes and an incredibly harsh first winter in 1622. The legendary figure, who picked up English after he was taken against his will to Europe, acted as an interpreter for the settlers and the various tribes they traded with. He was with a trading group in Chatham when he fell gravely ill, and according to Governor Bradford’s accounts, was buried somewhere in the area. Although nobody knows the exact location, areas of speculation include the Eastward Ho! golf course, Round Cove, a hilltop near the Nickerson family burial ground and Muddy Creek. (Sculpture of Squanto at the Pilgrim Hall Museum, in Plymouth, AP Photo)
When I was a kid in Hyannis, helping work at a gas station behind my house, a guy pulled up to the pump and wanted some gas. He handed me a “can of OIL” that he said needed to go in the gas tank, before the gas. I NEVER heard of such a thing!. I opened the can, poured the oil in then put the amount of gas he told me to. I asked AL (the proprietor) what that was about. He told me it was a Foreign car, called a SAAB, and it used oil with the gas.
I owned one of those old Saabs with the 3 cylinder 2 stroke engine. Got great milage but not a lot of power and always started on cold Cape Cod mornings. Mine was a little blue station wagon and I had to replace the transaxle (transmission) 3 times. I gor pretty good at changing it out in a few hours. The little engine was so small I was able to just pull it out of the engine bay and set it on the floor. The body pan finally rusted out.
What about Marstons Mills !
WHERE IS YARMOUTH?!?!
Judging from the dates of the comments, this feature first was published ca 2016 — you’ve had 7 YEARS to add a unique fact about YARMOUTH! Get with your own program!