Provincetown News

Who Are the New Faces at Perry’s Wine & Liquors?: Charlie Greener and Billy Marshall!

February 23, 2019

Provincetown News

Charlie Greener and Billy Marshall met rather dramatically—on an around-the-world yacht race in 2004! The race made a stop in Boston coming up from Cape Town, and during this stopover someone recommended that the couple visit Provincetown, “and we never...

Provincetown History Snippets: What is Helltown?

February 16, 2019

History

Helltown was a settlement south of Hatches Harbor, with 33 buildings, a fleet of 30 dories, and a working population of about 125 fishermen. When Mary Heaton Vorse asked a captain why it was called Helltown, he answered, “because of the helling that went on...

Provincetown History Snippets: Library on the Move?

February 8, 2019

History

If you’re looking at the Provincetown Public Library, then you’re looking back in time! It started life as the Center Methodist Episcopal Church and was impressive for its time, with a 162-foot tower housing a bronze bell. The spire was damaged during...

Who Are the New Faces at Provincetown’s Joe coffee?

February 8, 2019

There are some new faces at an established business this spring: joe coffee has been recently purchased by three friends (Mark Shaw, Peter McBrien, and Glenn Siegmund), known collectively as MPG. And for them, it’s literally a dream come true. They...

Provincetown History Snippets: What is the HMS Somerset III?

January 31, 2019

History

The British man-of-war Somerset III terrorized the Cape area for some years up to and during the American Revolution, and was often anchored in Provincetown Harbor, where “boats frequently landed, and the officers helped themselves to water, provisions, and...

Meet WOMR, Your Community Radio Station!

January 27, 2019

Provincetown News

We thought you’d like to learn a little about our partner WOMR/WFMR, Cape Cod’s only community radio station. WOMR’s purpose is to build community through media. Mission statement: To operate a non-profit, non-commercial community radio...

Provincetown History Snippets: Fight Smart, Harm Few

January 25, 2019

History

Last year, the wreck of the pirate ship Whydah gave up part of her captain: a leg bone found in concretion is widely believed by archaeologists to belong to “Black Sam” Bellamy, New England’s most famous pirate, who became wealthy not because of greed...

Provincetown History Snippets: Sassafras and Colonization

January 17, 2019

History

Sassafras was valued in England for the medicinal qualities of its roots (it was supposed to cure both syphilis and smallpox!), so much so that two ships were sent on the “Great Sassafras Hunt” to New England. One of the captains had previously sailed...

Provincetown History Snippets: Who Was Ptown’s Original Bear?

January 10, 2019

History

Provincetown’s Donald Baxter MacMillan went on 30 expeditions to the Far North between 1908 and 1954. He was 34 years old on his first trip and a few days short of 80 when he completed his final journey. “While I would like to go into the Arctic for the...

Provincetown History Snippets: Saving Sailors

January 4, 2019

History

In the early 1800s, winters saw an average of two wrecks off the Outer Cape every month. Many sailors made it to shore—and then froze to death right on the beach. In 1872 an efficient lifesaving service was put into operation, with stations every five miles...