Let’s Get Festive!

After you’ve done your shopping at the Preservation Hall Holiday Bazaar, come by the Museum for hot cocoa, cookies, and some holiday caroling!

3:30pm-5pm

Wheels mean freedom. When was you first bike and first car? Where'd you get them? And where did newfound freedom take you? Join Dwight Estey for another hour of "I Remember Wellfleet." Everyone must have a story to share about wheels and how they defined us.

What was it like to cruise Wellfleet? Who had the coolest wheels? What is a "woods car" and a "tide ride?* Then there's that other set of wheels, roller skates, which were all the rage fifty years ago.

Just a few of the other possible topics are:

Police cars, garbage trucks and street sweepers

The bike trail and "the gauntlet"

Left hand turns in summer

Tow hitch tails

Driving on the beach and back roads

Bring your story and be prepared to laugh about the high jinks and troubles wheels got us into. Masks Encouraged

Riding the Train - Dwight Estey

In 1874 President Ulysses S. Grant rode the train from Hyannis to Provincetown, stopping in Wellfleet along the way. Trace the history of the “iron horse” on the Lower Cape through pictures, newspaper articles, and personal stories. By 1960, the tracks were removed. In a “Then and Now” retrospective museum staff will divulge where one can still find intriguing vestiges from the Era of Rail   

55 W Main Street, Wellfleet Public Library

Bound Brook Island Walk

Bound Brook Island represents a long arc of the history of the Outer Cape, including Native Americans who lived on this land for over 5,000 years, descendants of the Puritans who settled here in the 17th century, sea captains who sailed the world in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the artists, architects, literary, and political figures who have frequented the Cape since the early 20th century.   Join Merrill Mead-Fox, Co-Chair of Wellfleet’s Historical Commission, and Dwight Estey, former WHSM President to learn some of the stories of the people who lived here, and see the places where these stories took place.

This 90 minute walk will take place on sand roads and a moderately hilly scenic wooded pathway.  Please be sure to bring water and wear a hat, sunscreen, and bug spray. Tickets are $20 per person, free admission for children under 12.

The walk will begin at the Atwood-Higgins House on Bound Brook Island Road.  Parking is limited, so please be sure to carpool. You may park along Bound Brook Road on the left hand side leading up to the Atwood-Higgins house. There is also a very small parking lot past the Atwood-Higgins House on the left hand side.

This walk is a collaborative effort of the Wellfleet Historical Commission (WHC) and the Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum (WHSM). Merrill Mead-Fox of the WHC will be talking about the historic houses on Bound Brook, and Dwight Estey of the WHSM will be talking about the historic schoolhouse marker.

Locations:

Atwood-Higgins House, 269 Bound Brook Island Rd (1730)

Bound Brook Island School marker (1924)

Joel/Henry Atwood House, 550 Bond Brook Island Rd (1800)

Ben Atwood House, 535 Bound Brook Island Rd (1843)

Baker-Biddle Homestead, 612 Bound Brook Island Rd (1792)

Ruth and Robert Hatch House, 309 Bound Brook Way (1961) 

“Ride the Train from Wellfleet to Provincetown”

In 1874 President Ulysses S. Grant rode the train from Hyannis to Provincetown, stopping in Wellfleet along the way. Trace the history of the “iron horse” on the Lower Cape through pictures, newspaper articles and personal stories. By 1960 the tracks were removed. In a “Then and Now” retrospective museum staff will divulge where one can still find intriguing vestiges from the Era of Rail. 

**Masks Encouraged

“The Disappearance of Wellfleet’s Robust Commercial Herring Industry”

     Learn about Wellfleet’s herring industry fish station of the late 1800s located on the banks of the Herring River near Bound Brook Island.         This illustrated presentation uses old photos and historical maps to show you where the commercial fish station was located at what was a transportation hub near the railroad tracks, at the Herring River, and next to Bound Brook Island Road.

     Between 1880 and 1900, proceeds from the sale of the fishing rights were enough to pay the salaries of all elected town officials. It is reported that the successful bidders for the herring fishery rights took about 250,000 herring from the river annually.  

     Lisbeth Wiley Chapman, a longtime Board Member of Friends of Herring River, has researched the herring fish station in an area where the landscape gives no hints of its once productive past. You will learn why this robust industry died, why the Herring River was diked at Chequessett Neck Road and Duck Harbor, and the impact the diking had on the health of the herring population of Wellfleet's Herring River.

** Masks Encouraged

The Wellfleet House Tour is coming back with a bang! Dare we say it, better than ever? 2024 will offer a new collection of never before toured homes, ranging from iconic colonial to mid century modern. Come see all the architectural wonders Wellfleet has to offer! Limited tickets are available online and at the museum shop.

All ticket booklets must be picked up on the day of the event at the Museum

Click here to reserve yours today!

The ticket booklet will include the addresses, a description of each property, and driving directions. 

Refreshments and our Museum Shop Tent will be available at House #4.

At each location, parking attendants will assist with where to put your car and docents will be on hand to help you appreciate some of the highlights of what you’ll be seeing. In some instances, the property owners will also be present and available to answer questions and share more information.

“50 Years of Wellfleet Recreation”

Wellfleet Recreation Directer Becky Rosenberg and her brother Dan will reveal how the Town of Wellfleet has adapted and led changes to how recreation is viewed. Celebrate the 50th year of the Wellfleet Road Race, the second longest running race on Cape Cod. 

Hear Becky’s personal story of breaking the gender barrier in Wellfleet Little League and how she credits the Bohemian influence. Recall fond moments of Morning Rec and Gull Pond swim lessons. Hear how Wellfleet Summer Rec has helped bridge the gap between residents and part-time residents. This is a “can’t miss” opportunity to see Wellfleet at its best!

** Masks Encouraged

Join us for our annual Strawberry Festival!

Meet your neighbors, listen to music, and have a strawberry shortcake dessert on us!

This event is free, but donations are always welcome. Note that date and time are tentative.

“A House Restored - The Tragedies and Triumphs of Saving a New England Colonial”

Lee McColgan provides insight into what it takes to restore historical structures. After working on Boston’s Old North Church and Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, he embarked upon a personal project to restore the Loring House of Pembroke as a family home. The intersection of history, architecture, and unforseen challenges provides not only an interesting story but a cautionary tale.

See the Lee’s write up in the New York Times "This Old, Old House: Would You Buy a 1702 Fixer-Upper?"

** Masks Enouraged

Jim Coogan is a Cape Cod Author. Raised in Brewster, he has spent a lifetime collecting stories about the Cape. Over the last three decades, Jim has written thirteen books, five for children. His book, Sail Away Ladies, received the U.S. Maritime Literature award for best sea-related non-fiction work in 2005. A former Cape Cod Times columnist, Coogan is a frequent speaker on topics related to Cape Cod History. His latest book, Cape Cod Passage, has over 50 stories written in novel form that cover the Narrow Land from the ice age to the Kennedys. He lives in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

Presented by Mike Parlante and the Wellfleet Historical Society

2023 Series: Building Relationships, Building Equity: Acknowledging the Continuing Wampanoag Presence on Cape Cod. We Still Live Here

All events are free.

"America" was built upon European contact and and the imposed colonization of Indigenous people.  These processes must be recognized and acknowledged for the history of this country to ever be understood in rightful context, or to develop a culture of balance, peace and respect. Understanding Wampanoag narrative and culture is part of the foundation to uplift outcomes for healthier communities on Cape Cod and the Islands. This series of events will help to make intentional efforts to address disparities in the greater community.

Join Linda Jeffers Coombs for a discussion of Delilah Sampson Gibbs who is known as a “widow and last of her tribe” in this vicinity. Delilah left us with very few but very intriguing and fascinating records. She is a mysterious figure in our town’s history. Linda Jeffers Coombs is an author and historian from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).

The MLK Action Team of Nauset Interfaith is excited to announce this series of events.

Live Here (Film and Discussion)
July 11, 2023
6:00 PM
Eastham, Chapel in the Pines
Linda Coombs

Mashpee Nine (Film and Discussion)
August 3, 2023
6:00 PM
Wellfleet Library
Paula Peters

Guided Walks and Stories
New Moon
September 16, 2023 (rain date September 17, 2023)
10:00 AM
Wellfleet woods and waterways
Marcus Hendricks

Poetry Reading and Visual Arts
September 19, 2023
6:00 PM
Eastham Library
Robert Peters

Before 1620, Who Was Here? and Delilah Gibbs, Wellfleet’s Last Indian?December 6, 2023
1:00 PM
Wellfleet Library
Linda Coombs

Wampanoag Museum Visit
October 20, 2023
1:00 PM
Mashpee Wampanoag Museum
Anita Peters

Holistic Healing: Indigenous Voices
Roundtable Discussion: Institutional and Systemic Disparities in the Health Care System
November 2023
Date, time, and location TBA

For more information email: capecodmlkactionteam@gmail.com

A perfect way to celebrate Halloween by exploring “haunted” Wellfleet! Be brave and join one of our lantern-lit walking tours. See places where people say they’ve encountered ghosts, and hear your guide tell stories of other local hauntings past and present. This eerie, one-hour tour departs promptly at 8 pm from the Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum on October 26 and 30.

Cost is $15 per person. To guarantee a spot, please book early as space is limited to 15, including children.

Thursday October 26 and Monday October 30 at 8:00

A perfect way to celebrate Halloween by exploring “haunted” Wellfleet! Be brave and join one of our lantern-lit walking tours. See places where people say they’ve encountered ghosts, and hear your guide tell stories of other local hauntings past and present. This eerie, one-hour tour departs promptly at 8 pm from the Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum on October 23, 26, and 30.

Cost is $15 per person. To guarantee a spot, please book early as space is limited to 15, including children.

Thursday October 26 and Monday October 30 at 8:00

2023 Series: Building Relationships, Building Equity: Acknowledging the Continuing Wampanoag Presence on Cape Cod. We Still Live Here

All events are free.

"America" was built upon European contact and and the imposed colonization of Indigenous people.  These processes must be recognized and acknowledged for the history of this country to ever be understood in rightful context, or to develop a culture of balance, peace and respect. Understanding Wampanoag narrative and culture is part of the foundation to uplift outcomes for healthier communities on Cape Cod and the Islands. This series of events will help to make intentional efforts to address disparities in the greater community.

2023 Series through December 2023: “Building Relationships, Building Equity: Acknowledging the Continuing Wampanoag Presence on Cape Cod”

The MLK Action Team of Nauset Interfaith is excited to announce this series of events.

Live Here (Film and Discussion)
Postponed

Mashpee Nine (Film and Discussion)
August 3, 2023
6:00 PM
Wellfleet Library
Paula Peters

Guided Walks and Stories
New Moon
September 16, 2023 (rain date September 17, 2023)
10:00 AM
Wellfleet woods and waterways
Marcus Hendricks

Poetry Reading and Visual Arts
September 19, 2023
6:00 PM
Eastham Library
Robert Peters

Wampanoag Museum Visit
October 20, 2023
11:00 AM
Mashpee Wampanoag Museum
Anita Peters

Holistic Healing: Indigenous Voices
Roundtable Discussion: Institutional and Systemic Disparities in the Health Care System
November 18, 2023
Wellfleet Preservation Hall

For more information email: capecodmlkactionteam@gmail.com

I Remember Wellfleet
The Arts

October 18th, 7 pm at the Wellfleet Public Library

For many years painting, singing, writing poetry, playing music, and acting have been deeply embedded in Wellfleet culture. Everyone has memories of music teachers, instruments played, their first time acting in a school play, and neighbors of exceptional artistry. 

Added to home grown talent, visitors have carved their niche in Wellfleet’s culture. Drawn by both a majestic ocean and the solitude of a cottage in the woods allowing for uninterrupted creativity, artists, writers, musicians, and actors found Wellfleet a place offering escape and community.

Come and share your stories as WHS&M Board Member Dwight Estey guides us through another hour of I Remember Wellfleet. 

The postponed Ropeless Buoy talk is now scheduled for October 16 th at 6pm at the Library.

Join Henry Milliken, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, and Regina Asmutis-Silvia, Executive Director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s North American office, in Plymouth for a discussion of the ropeless buoy. This event will be held at 6:00PM at the Wellfleet Library and is free of charge with donations welcome.

Dwight Estey will present the life story of Wellfleet’s most famous resident - the oyster! having been both a wild-picker and a commercial shell fisherman, Dwight knows of what he speaks. For fifty years he’s walked the flats observing the changes in the Wellfleet oyster fishery. What he doesn’t know firsthand, he’s learned through research and talking to many “real old-timers.” His subject, the oyster, hasn’t changed. It was critical to sustaining native Americans and the colonists. As its popularity spread, so did the name Wellfleet, giving outsized importance to a small community on a fragile sliver of sand. The Wellfleet oyster continues to help drive the local economy providing livelihood for your families. As a current member, former president of the Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum Board of Directors, Dwight has given countless talks and walks focusing on his favorite subject - the oyster. This presentation will include new material, looking closely at the people who made the “Wellfleet Oyster” famous - or were made famous by it. The event is free to the public.

One of the best ways to see Wellfleet is to walk the village with a local historian. Beginning and ending at WHS&M, these 90-minute guided tours provide an overview of the town’s history, simple identification of architecture, and anecdotal accounts of long-ago local characters. Participants learn about historic buildings, pass beautiful landmarks, and explore charming hidden lanes.

The tour includes 1.0 miles of walking with occasional uneven ground.

One of the best ways to see Wellfleet is to walk the village with a local historian. Beginning and ending at WHS&M, these 90-minute guided tours provide an overview of the town’s history, simple identification of architecture, and anecdotal accounts of long-ago local characters. Participants learn about historic buildings, pass beautiful landmarks, and explore charming hidden lanes.

The tour includes 1.0 miles of walking with occasional uneven ground.