Additional Public Comment- History of Hyannis1
Maldonado, Kaitlyn
From:jmh_frp <jmh_frp@comcast.net>
Sent:Thursday, May 25, 2023 8:27 AM
To:Maldonado, Kaitlyn
Cc:Frances Parks; Meaghan Mort
Subject:For inclusion in "Cultural Heritage" section?
This was sent to me by someone who asked that it be considered for inclusion in the cultural heritage
section…as a draft.
Just forwarding to you for consideration.
Hyannis has a proud history of innovation, commerce and the arts. She's a working town with a working port
and a diverse population of residents who succeeded together.
At the time Barnstable was incorporated in 1639 the land around Lewis Bay was sparsely settled and largely
undeveloped. The Bay was referred to as the "south sea" by the native population. Nicholas Davis built a
warehouse for oysters on the Bay in 1666. In 1690, Edward Coleman, Jr. built the first permanent residence at
the head of Lewis Bay. Lewis Bay itself is named for Jonathan Lewis (1674 - 1743). Lewis built the first two
story home in Hyannis.
Fast foward to the 1840s there were over 200 shipmasters with established dwellings in Hyannis. They were a
salty crew whose names you know from streets, schools and parks around Hyannis including "Doc" Lewis,
Henry "Pinkie" Lumbert, Dan Hathaway, Joe Phinney, Clinton Sturgis, Dick White, Moses Sturgis, and Walter
Carney. The crews of these ships were manned in large part by Africans, Cape Verdeans, and other people of
color who all helped shape the Cape Cod of today.
Cape Cod Railroad reached Hyannis on July 8, 1854. The Hyannis spur ended on the wharf in Hyannis Port
which was used to ferry goods to Nantucket. The rail tracks ran down Old Colony Road to the Sound
establishing Hyannis Port.
Development of the village of Hyannis Port began in earnest in 1871-72 when three men from Framingham,
Worcester, and Boston arrived in Hyannis with several hundred dollars and began buying up land from
Craigville beach to Hyannis, including most of Hyannis Port, to form the Hyannis Land Company. This was the
largest resort development effort in the history of the Cape.
Hyannis inner harbor was shallow and marshy, allowing only small skiffs to pull up to the fish shanties until
dredging deepened the harbor in the 1920s and 1930s. Abel D. Makepeace rose to prominence durning this
time as the Main Street prospered. The success of Makepeace's cranberry bogs earned him the nickname
“Cranberry King.” He became President of The Hyannis National Bank and was the original founder the Ocean
Spray Cranberry Company.
The Zion Union Mission was founded in 1909 by William Drew, Elijah Richardson and Hamilton Jackson. In
the 1930’s and 1940’s Mrs. Harriet Grace, better known as “Ma” Grace kept the mission open serving as pastor
and recruiting others to assist her. In 1962, Paul Rodrigues of Brockton, a graduate of the Zion Bible Institute
became pastor. His ministry was so successful that the mission took the legal steps to become The Zion Union
Church.
2
In 1924, a group of local investors set out to build a year-round residential neighborhood on the former site of
the George Lewis Farm on Winter Street in Hyannis. Fred W. Hall was hired to oversee the building and design
of the Ridgewood neighborhood which would feature two large parks, underground utilities, brick roads,
connection to the town sewer, and most importantly - electricity. The former farm site was sought after for its
proximity to downtown Hyannis and the railroad depot.
In the early 1930's and 40's Hyannis had one of the liveliest music scenes on the East Coast. The Panana Club
on the west side of town and The Rainbow Dance Hall just over the line in Yarmouth attracted the finest
orchestras and jazz musicians. The "summer end" of Main Street grew in prominence and merchants and high-
end clothiers lined the streets to the rail station and harbor. And, in the 1950's The Cape Cod Music Circus was
opened by Richard Aldrich, Broadway producer and husband of Hollywood actress, Gertrude Lawrence. The
election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 put Hyannisport and Hyannis on the map and tourism on Cape Cod
increased by steadily. Sixty years later the traffic has never been worse.
The heritage we cherish is that piece of our story which speaks to our ability to grow and adapt to changing
circumstances. As we struggle for resources and adapt to a constant stream of new residents we are mindful of
our neighbors and share the wonder of living on Cape Cod equally. The Cape is at a cross roads. Let's cross that
road together.
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