Eastham in Barnstable County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Workboat of the Marshes

Photographed by J.T. Lambrou

1. Workboat of the Marshes Marker

Inscription. A remnant from Cape Cod's agriculture past, this 1850-era hay barge was a common sight among the working dories, skiffs, and catboats of the area. Wide and flat-bottomed, it was rowed, poled, and sailed throughout the shallow marshes. Salt marsh hay was gathered from the water's edge for livestock, bedding and feed. Many local residents still remember the taste of salty milk.

After 1900, Cape Codders made the move from cows and plows to summer cottages and tourism, the usefulness of hay barges waned. Luckily, the French Transatlantic Cable Company in Town Cove used this one as a repair vessel for sixty years thus sparing it the fate of others of its kind. Today it is the last remaining hay barge on Cape Cod, perhaps in all New England, and is a reminder of the bustling maritime life of the coastal community.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.

Location. 41° 50.236′ N, 69° 58.336′ W. Marker is in Eastham, Massachusetts, in Barnstable County. It is on Nauset Road. Marker is behind the Salt Pond Visitor Center . Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 50 Doane Road, Eastham MA 02642, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Massachusetts’ Cape Cod. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Eastham Remembers (about 600 feet away, measured in a

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direct line); Eastham Town Hall (approx. half a mile away); First Encounter (approx. half a mile away); Eastham Windmill (approx. half a mile away); Bridge Road Cemetery (approx. 0.9 miles away); Doane Rock (approx. 0.9 miles away); Port de Mallebarre (approx. 1.1 miles away); Indian Rock (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eastham.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Kettles (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed).

Workboat of the Marshes image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 22, 2012

2. Workboat of the Marshes

Salt Pond Visitor Center in Cape Cod image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 22, 2012

3. Salt Pond Visitor Center in Cape Cod

Salt Pond behind the Visitor Center in Cape Cod image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 22, 2012

4. Salt Pond behind the Visitor Center in Cape Cod

1850 era bay barge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J.T. Lambrou

5. 1850 era bay barge

Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 758 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 15, 2024, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 18, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 5. submitted on August 15, 2024, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.