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| Outside The Bellows(c. Falmouth Historical Society) |
In June 1933, Cape Cod, Massachusetts was a very different place than it is today. The current Sagamore and Bourne Bridges that cross the Cape Cod Canal were two years away from being constructed. In their places stood two drawbridges built in the 1910s. The Mid-Cape Highway was two decades from existence; Route 6A and Route 28 were the main roads carrying people all over.
There was no television, and there were no radio stations. According to the 1930 census, the year-round population was a mere 32,000 or roughly 17,000 less than Barnstable alone as of 2023.
It was a much different world then, except for one thing: food. In any time, people have to eat. As the Great Depression took hold, a new eating establishment opened up in the then-quiet town of Falmouth. At that point, Falmouth’s year-round population was less than 5,000. The new restaurant was simply known as The Bellows. Its owner would make it one of the first landmark restaurants on Cape Cod.
Thekla (Starck) Hedlund(BobB/Find A Grave.com)
Thekla Marie Starck was born on June 11, 1872 in Sweden. She emigrated to the town of Lynbrook, New York about 25 miles east of New York City. Thekla met and married Morris Hedlund. The couple came to Cape Cod during the Roaring Twenties, summering in the village of Centerville. It was during her initial years on the Cape that Thekla began to establish a reputation for creating and serving delicious food.
In the early 20th century, Cape Cod experienced a surge in the popularity of tea rooms. These establishments offered more than just refreshments. They became social hubs, especially for women seeking both leisure and entrepreneurial opportunities. These tea rooms were often quaint, charming spaces, sometimes set in repurposed barns, old houses, or even grist mills, providing a homelike environment that was both inviting and respectable.
Notable Cape Cod tea rooms from the era included: The Sign of the Pine in Wellfleet, The Hangar Tea Room in Falmouth Heights, and the Dunbar Tea Room in Sandwich which is still in operation as of 2025.
Thekla and Morris first operated the Hedlund Food Shop and Tea Room in 1924 on Main Street in Centerville. Soon the name was changed to the Lustre Tea Room. Sadly Morris died in January 1929 leaving Thekla and her four children scrambling.
Morris Hedlund(BobB/Find A Grave.com)
Despite the tremendous loss Thekla carried on and ran the Lustre Tea Room with the help of her daughters Greta and Maria. Thekla’s skill with cuisine was apparent, but the loss of Morris forced her to learn the business aspect as well. It would prove invaluable.
Being familiar with how they worked Thekla initially intended on opening up another tea room as her next venture. In September 1932 she bought a piece of property from Clifford L. Hubbard located on Falmouth Heights Road. Hubbard had been a longtime selectman for the town of Falmouth.
Even back then it was quite difficult to open a new business. It was far more difficult as a woman. Hedlund found herself initially rejected by the town in January 1933. The reason at the time was that she wanted to build a house and restaurant combination. The town was hesitant as the area was only zoned for residential houses.
A second application was accepted in February to allow the building to be constructed on Falmouth Heights Road. This contained three conditions for the establishment. There must be adequate parking. The restaurant must close no later than 9:30 pm. Third was the curious rule that dancing was prohibited.
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| Inside The Bellows(Falmouth Historical Society) |
Local builder John DeMello erected the tearoom. Patrons were met with a large reception hall upon entering. The white pine walls, beamed ceiling, and fireplace screamed ‘home.’ The large dining area was complete with maple furniture and a spectacular view of a pine tree-lined garden.
Thekla Hedlund, assisted by her daughters Marie and Greta, was ready for the grand opening which occurred on June 17, 1933. Interestingly at this time Hedlund still maintained the Lustre Tea Room.
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| The Bellows menu from August 1934 |
Word spread slowly during the first season. Hedlund relied on her reputation from the Lustre Tea Room and positive feedback from those customers who took a chance on her new establishment. Those who did come in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner were treated to fine cuisine. Local lobsterman Sam Cahoon, who had provided lobsters to Hedlund at Lustre, caught them for The Bellows as well.
This was no tearoom. It was a full-fledged restaurant. The menu was loaded with delicious choices like chicken, steak, lobster, swordfish, and the very popular corn fritters. There was an array of soups, sandwiches, and desserts. The centerpiece of the menu was the Shore Dinner. For $1.75($41.22 in 2025) one could get an appetizer, main dish with sides, dessert, and beverage.
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| The Bellows Shore Dinner choices. |
A seasonal spot, The Bellows set a schedule of opening in mid-June and closing in mid-September. Thekla returned to Long Island with her two daughters for the winter.
Upon returning to the Cape for the start of the second season at The Bellows, Hedlund found that business was booming. Whereas in the first season, one could show up and find a table, it was now necessary for people to telephone ahead and make reservations.
Perhaps it was Sam Cahoon’s fresh lobsters, which were part of a $1.50($34.56 in 2025) lobster dinner. It could have been the $.75($17.28 in 2025) dinner specials every night but Sundays and holidays. Whatever it was, The Bellows was a certified hit, and it would only get bigger.
In the summer of 1935, Thekla finally had to sell the Lustre Tea Room to focus solely on the booming Bellows. It was George Doubtfire who bought the Centerville establishment from Thekla. In 1938, Hedlund received permission to expand The Bellows and it was sorely needed. The business was getting too big for the original building. John DeMello returned to help build two additions.
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| The Bellows menu from 1934 with the daily specials. |
The Bellows grew in business and reputation into the 1940s, with Thekla and her daughters shouldering the load. Often were the days when people waited outside for tables. It was a dream scenario for Hedlund, but the good times came with a price. That wear and tear eventually came to claim Hedlund. In August 1945, nearing the end of her twelfth busy season at The Bellows, Thekla suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Her daughters immediately closed down to tend to their mother.
Despite their best efforts, Thekla would never again open The Bellows. Thekla’s health worsened with a stroke and a fall resulting in a broken hip. The beloved restaurant was sold in March 1946 to Charles Colligan when it became apparent that Thekla would never be able to undertake her duties again.
The Falmouth Enterprise newspaper upon the sale of The Bellows commended Hedlund’s creation. She in turn was modest, remarking from her hospital bed: “We don’t deserve so much praise, but it makes me very happy.”
Thekla passed away on April 13, 1946, at Symmes Hospital in Arlington, Massachusetts at the age of seventy-two. Charles Colligan sold The Bellows less than two weeks after Thekla’s death to New Hampshire restaurateur William Doukas. The sale was held up briefly as it appeared that Colligan had bought and sold the establishment before even taking control of the title.
Doukas carried on Thekla’s tradition as best he could. He brought in well-established chef Val Daigle from Dinty Moore’s in Boston. Doukas spent two seasons running The Bellows.
Doukas sold The Bellows to prolific local businessman John Sheehan in February 1948. Sheehan turned The Bellows into an inn with accommodations for up to thirty-five guests. He also renamed it the Red Horse Inn, possibly due to his love of horse racing. After fifteen years The Bellows was officially no more.
Sheehan opened the new Red Horse Inn on June 19, 1948. It had a public dining room that could seat forty. It appeared as though Sheehan was keeping the restaurant lineage alive at the location on Falmouth Heights Road. This included bringing aboard Edward Masterson the former chef at Chatham Bars Inn.
The dual role of the Red Horse Inn did not last. Over time the food service was phased out and the establishment was run as a guest house only by Sheehan’s parents.
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| Red Horse Inn in 2024 |
In 1952, the Red Horse Inn was sold to Raymond Duffy to be used as a guest house with no restaurant. Previously Duffy and his wife Dorothy had owned the Falmouth Stationary store. Though the couple had good intentions their other business ventures required a lot of their time. This meant that their ownership of the Red Horse Inn was relatively brief.
They sold the property to Grace and Bob Cashman in July 1956. However, they ran the inn for the remainder of that season before ultimately moving to Denver, Colorado. Their sale meant that the establishment had been sold five times in the ten years since Thekla Hedlund’s death.
The Cashmans worked hard to make the Red Horse Inn into a landmark in Falmouth. They brought some much-needed stability to the former Bellows and held onto it for forty-seven years. It was sold to Cape Cod business icon William Zammer who was owner until his death in 2021. As of 2025, Red Horse Inn is still thriving.
However, one cannot help but think back to a different time, a different generation. Thekla Hedlund’s principles of good food and unwavering quality in cooking and service are the hallmarks of any great restaurant. It is easy to understand why The Bellows was one of the first true iconic establishments on Cape Cod.
