Guidebook 2025-26 3 - Flipbook - Page 66
FALMOUTH’S HISTORY
I
n the 1660s, Falmouth's pioneering European settlers arrived in "Suckanesset,"
obtaining land from Native Americans with the sanction of the Court of Plymouth
Colony. They established their initial homes, farms, and shared pastures on the
isthmus flanked by Salt and Fresh Ponds. By 1686, the town secured its incorporation. Merely eight years later, it adopted the name Falmouth in homage to the
birthplace of Bartholomew Gosnold, purportedly the first English explorer to sight
Cape Cod in 1602. This esteemed coastal community has observed the passage of
four centuries, from the indigenous Wampanoag tribe, also known as the "People of
the First Light," to daring Yankee whalers, seasoned sea captains, and valiant Revolutionary War figures. Every corner and inlet of Falmouth resonates with enthralling tales. Roam past the birthplace of Katharine Lee Bates, the creative force behind
"America the Beautiful," or walk the shores of Surf Drive, where residents endured
an assault by the British warship HMS Nimrod in 1814. Stand sentinel beside the
majestic Nobska Lighthouse, revered as one of America's most historic and scenic
beacons, before immersing yourself in the maritime legacy of the former whaling
hub, Woods Hole.
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