For centuries, heroic men and women have guarded the treacherous yet
beloved Cape Cod coastlines. From Provincetown to Chatham, Sandwich to
Cuttyhunk, and many towns in between, residents have relied on the
Atlantic for employment and nourishment. But Cape Cod has always been
plagued with a shifting coastline that consistently defies mariners'
efforts to pass through Massachusetts waters. In 1792, as shipping
increased, mariners petitioned for a sorely needed lighthouse. It was
not until 1797 that the first lighthouse on Cape Cod was built at the
Highlands in North Truro. More lights and rescue stations would follow
as the seas claimed their toll. Many lightship stations were also
established from Chatham through Nantucket Sound to mark the constantly
changing sandbars submerged offshore—more than in any other spot along
the US coastline. Today, as sea levels change and sands continue to
shift, some of these historic stations have been lost or moved, while
still others are preserved only in such photographs as these.
Author: James Claflin
Published: July 21, 2014
Softcover,
6.5 x 0.3 x 9.2 inches,
128 Pages
