In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Albert Crosby and Tawasentha

     Home is where the heart is. For so many their childhood home is a place of wonder and magic where they grew and learned and became who they were as adults. Most move over time and leave those places behind. Sometimes the call of those cherished memories is so strong people find themselves wishing they could live in those homes once again. For Albert Crosby of Brewster his childhood home was so meaningful to him that even after making millions of dollars in the mid-19th century far away from Cape Cod he never forgot where he came from. So much so that even when he returned home after retiring and had a custom mansion built for him his childhood home needed to remain a part of it. Crosby did so by literally building his new home around the one he grew up in. This is story of the Crosby Mansion also known as ‘Tawasentha’ and the legendary Cape Codder whose life created it.

Tawasentha

     Albert Crosby was born on January 14, 1823 in Brewster, the son of sea captain Nathan Crosby and Catherine Nickerson. The home he grew up in was small and white with a beautiful view of Cape Cod Bay to the north. It was built by his father in 1835 upon returning to Brewster from Chatham.

     During his early years Albert tried his hand at work in the Mercantile Marine Service however his fortunes quite literally lay in the western United States. In 1848 Crosby left Cape Cod and headed for Chicago with his wife Margaret whom he had married the previous year. The Crosby name on Cape Cod carried with it such weight that Albert was able to borrow $10,000 of goods from Boston to begin to create his business empire.

     Albert’s beginnings were in that of dry goods such as teas but by 1851 he had created the largest alcohol distribution business in the west. He even persuaded his younger cousin Uranus to leave Cape Cod and come work with him in Chicago. The business, Albert Crosby & Co., became a success. Albert and Uranus increased their profits in the liquor business by hoarding liquor in 1860 ahead of the Civil War which also brought with it a wartime tax on alcohol. In 1862 the business name was changed to Northbranch Distillery Co. Crosby would increase his wealth selling liquor to the Army during the Civil War.

The Crosby Opera House in Chicago (New York Public Library, Public Domain)

     Despite the success in dry goods, liquor, and even real estate, Albert’s wife Margaret longed to return back east. Crosby relented and moved to West Roxbury with her and their four children in 1862. Albert would however find any excuse he could to return to Chicago. Once such excuse was the opening of the Crosby Opera House by Uranus in 1865. Located on Washington Street the building itself cost $600,000 ($9.4 million in 2020) and it was designed for the purpose of enhancing the arts in Chicago.

     The endeavor was doomed from the start with the desire for opera in Chicago not what Uranus had expected it to be. He attempted to sell the opera house and its collection of art in a lottery in January 1867. The lottery was a huge controversy as the ‘winner’ A.H. Lee immediately sold the opera house back to Uranus Crosby at a fraction of the original cost. In April 1867 Albert Crosby bought the opera house and Uranus left Chicago for Cape Cod.

     Also in 1867 Albert Crosby added to his business portfolio, becoming director of the Chicago Railway company, a position he held for seven years. He had become president of the newly formed Downer & Bemis Brewing Co. the previous year which would serve him well in the future. While in Chicago Crosby would frequently appeal to his wife Margaret to come from West Roxbury, she always refused. During his time as opera house owner he developed a relationship with burlesque performer Matilda Garrison more than twenty years his junior.

     From October 8-10, 1871 the Great Chicago Fire destroyed more than 17,000 structures and left an estimated 300 people dead. In this fire the Crosby Opera House and its art was lost. Albert Crosby himself lost $1.5 million ($31.5 million in 2020) in art and property. The only saving grace for Albert was his railway connection and that of the Downer & Bemis Brewing Co. He was able to almost immediately begin amassing a second fortune.

     In January 1872 Albert quickly divorced Margaret and was married to Matilda that June. The couple toured Europe beginning in 1874 living the lavish lifestyle for nearly ten years. They returned to America in 1884 with Albert spending the next three years in further pursuit of wealth. However in 1887 he retired from business and longed for a return home. Despite Matilda’s lack of enthusiasm the couple arrived in Brewster in April 1888.

The original home of Nathan Crosby built into Tawasentha

     After living a life of grandeur for so long a compromise was made. Crosby’s original childhood home would remain untouched, however an impressive mansion would be built all around it. The finished product took just over a year. It was three-stories and included a 60-foot tower with a view of the bay, 35 rooms, 13 fireplaces, a 75x50-foot art gallery, and a long veranda. The mansion was given the name 'Tawasentha' after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Song of Hiawatha.” The Crosbys told guests the mansion was modeled after Versailles and Buckingham Palace among others.

     Tawasentha became the place to be for the social elite from Cape Cod, Boston, and New York. Even legends such as Mark Twain, Helen Keller, and the Duke of Wales paid it a visit. The high life at times wore on Albert as Matilda loved throwing extravagant parties. Legend has it during these times he would retreat into his childhood home part of the mansion and relax in his favorite rocking chair.

     Albert Crosby died on July 24, 1906 at the age of 83. After his death Matilda opened the art gallery to the public once a week until her death in 1928 with the art inside valued at roughly $100,000 ($2 million in 2020). At this point Tawasentha was passed to the grandnieces of Matilda who in turn sold the home and all of the art in 1929. The former Crosby estate was purchased in March 1939 by former Metropolitan singer Martha Atwood Baker. It became the new home of the Cape Cod Institute of Music. One student who went on to great success was Kirk Douglas. World War II took its toll on the school and it was dissolved in 1943 though the Institute of Music itself ran for several more years.

     Tawasentha sat empty until 1950 when the owners of the Southward Inn of Orleans bought it. It was rechristened the Gold Coast Restaurant and Inn. In 1955 fire destroyed the former art gallery section of the mansion. The tenure as a restaurant was short-lived as in 1959 a group led by Dr. John Spargo purchased it to be used as a weight loss camp for young girls. Spargo bought out his partners in 1978 and had plans in place to turn the former Crosby estate into condominiums. Luckily the plans were not approved by the town and after a few years of battling Spargo sold the mansion and its land to the state in 1986. Tawasentha became a part of Nickerson State Park.

     Over the years the building itself fell into disrepair with the 60-foot tower burned by vandals. The Friends of Crosby Mansion group, founded by Brewster residents Brian Locke and his mother Ginny, has been working to renovate and restore the property for more than 25 years. It is a beautifully impressive site located between historic Rt. 6A and Crosby Landing Beach. It is a mansion built by Albert with love for Matilda while also keeping intact the childhood home built with love for Albert by his father Nathan.

Tawasentha is located at 163 Crosby Lane in Brewster

For more information visit https://www.crosbymansion.com/

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My 5th book, Cape Cod Nights, is on sale at Amazon.com and through Arcadia Publishing

View my previous blog posts: In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pacific Guano Company

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Journey of the 3 Sisters of Nauset

                       

Photo Prints available here: Smug Mug.com

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Journey of the Three Sisters of Nauset

    Lighthouses are as much a part of Cape Cod’s history and allure as its miles of beaches, quaint villages, and fabulous shops. There are eighteen lighthouses on Cape Cod. Some of them are more universally known, such as Chatham Light, Nauset Light, Race Point Light, Highland Light, and Nobska Light. There are a few lesser known like Cleveland Ledge Light, Wings Neck Light, and Point Gammon Light, yet all of the structures have one common thread, they are located on the water. However there are three lighthouses in Eastham that are not even within sight of water. In fact they sit quietly in a field on Cable Road more than 1,800-feet from the ocean. These are the Three Sisters of Nauset and their story is one of the most fascinating in Cape Cod history. It is a story that is still going on to this day.

The Three Sisters at the turn of the 20th century. Eastham Historical Society

     The history of these structures begins nearly 200-years ago when the Town of Eastham petitioned to have a beacon built along the shore to protect passing vessels after there had been so many shipwrecks. The proposal was approved in 1836. However instead of there being one lighthouse it was decided that there would be three. The reason for the three was to help vessels differentiate the Eastham lights from the single Highland Light to the north in Truro, and the twin lights of Chatham to the south. The idea of the three lights was that of Captain ‘Mad Jack’ Percival.

     The fifteen-foot tall brick structures, placed 150-feet apart, were constructed by local builder Winslow Lewis and his team who had put in the lowest bid of $6,549 ($180,500 in 2020) on May 26, 1838. The towers took only 38 days to complete. Legend has it that the construction and layout was rushed and careless with the construction supervisor David Bryant even initially refusing to sign the completion certificate. The three beacons were seen as being too much at the site, even being referred to as ‘shiftless and costly’ by legendary author Henry David Thoreau upon a visit.

     Originally referred to as ‘the line lights’ by passing vessels the three towers soon gained the ‘Three Sisters’ nickname. Legend has it that vessels passing by remarked that they resembled three ladies in white dresses wearing black hats. The lighthouses did their job for decades until shoreline erosion threatened them. Today when a lighthouse is threatened measures are taken to save them by moving them safely away from the eroding cliffs. In the late 1800’s though the three brick towers were simply allowed to succumb to nature and fall into the sea. They were replaced in 1892 by three new ‘Sisters’ standing twenty-two feet tall still 150-feet apart. These new wooden towers with brick foundations were positioned thirty-feet back from where the original towers had fallen. These towers were easier to move back from the cliffs if necessary.

     The relentless hand of nature continued to eat away at the cliffs of present day Nauset Light Beach. It was decided in 1911 that the Three Sisters would be decommissioned as the shoreline had eroded to the point that it was within eight-yards of the north tower. Only the center tower would remain as a solo beacon attached to the lighthouse keeper’s house.

The Towers Eastham Historical Society

     The two discontinued lights, minus their lanterns, were sold to Patrick and Helen Cummings of Attleboro in 1918 for $3.50 each ($59.43 in 2020). The couple had visited Eastham via automobile while the Three Sisters were still hovering above the eroding cliffs. They were approached by a man at the beach and ironically were offered a cabin, stable, and roughly 20 acres of land in exchange for their vehicle.

     After making the deal the pair of lighthouses needed to be removed from the cliffs within ten days. In order to make it work the Cummings’ had them moved via oxen and rollers to a site near the old French Cable Station in Orleans. The Cummings family spent a pair of summers in those towers before finally having them moved to Cable Road in Eastham in 1920 where the 26x28-foot dwelling they had purchased sat. The former Sisters became bedrooms on either side of the home. The summer home became known as the ‘The Towers.’

     The career of the remaining Sister along the shore was short-lived. By 1923 it had also fallen into disrepair. Rather than fixing it up it was decided that it would be decommissioned and replaced. It was sold to Albert Hall of Hyannis at auction in 1924 for $.50 ($7.50 in 2020) and turned into a cottage much like the other two Sisters. His was known as ‘The Beacon.’

The reunited Three Sisters facing north.  Christopher Setterlund

A perfect substitute to take the reins of protecting Eastham’s coastal waters sat thirteen miles to the south in Chatham. It was there at the Coast Guard Station where another recently decommissioned lighthouse, one of the Chatham Twin Lights, resided. The forty-eight foot tall cast iron tower was moved to Eastham and the top third was painted red. Nauset Lighthouse was born.

The Towers summer home began to allow renters after the 1932 season. In time it also had a gift shop and a dance studio. The Cummings family sold the property to James Kingsland who in turn sold it to the National Park Service in 1965. Ten years later, in 1975 the Beacon was sold to the NPS by Albert Hall’s son Harold. A $510,000 restoration of the three lighthouses was completed in 1989. In 1990 the Three Sisters were reunited for the first time in nearly 80 years on Cable Road. They were placed in the same order and spacing as they once were overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

In recent years a ghost of the original Three Sisters reappeared. It was just off of Nauset Light Beach that a circular brick foundation was unearthed by the waves. When the tide is low enough one can walk right out and touch it. The foundation was likely that of the center Sister that became the ‘Beacon.’ It was not the first time though that the foundation has been exposed by the elements as it was also exposed in 1999.

The foundation of the center Sister in 1999. National Parks Service

     Lighthouses are a part of the fabric of Cape Cod and have been for centuries. Some have simple stories, some have complex stories, it is likely though that none have a story as unique as that of the Three Sisters.

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My 5th book, Cape Cod Nights, is on sale at Amazon.com and through Arcadia Publishing


View my previous blog posts: In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pacific Guano Company

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Sandy Neck Colony and Lighthouse                         

Photo Prints available here: Smug Mug.com

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In My Footsteps: Outer Banks, North Carolina - Part III Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pacific Guano Company

     For well over a century Cape Cod has been one of the premier vacation destinations in America. Its combination of miles of pristine beaches along with world class restaurants, accommodations, and shops have made it a favorite of solo travelers, couples, and families from all across the globe. From Chatham to Provincetown, from the Canal to the Atlantic, there is no shortage of wonderful places to visit and stay.

     The summer resort is a staple of the Cape with generations of families either having a second home or visiting the same area year after year. Many of these places lay along the water and have been romanticized over the decades as the playground of the wealthy. One of the original summer resort areas though had a very different journey to the present. Not many such areas can say their roots lie in the droppings of seabirds and bats. This is the story of Woods Hole’s Penzance Point and the guano that paved its way to private community.

Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory

     The narrow finger of land that today is known as Penzance Point sits at the western end of Woods Hole. It is approximately 110 total acres in size and today is the location of some of the most expensive homes on Cape Cod. In the mid-19th century it was a completely different story. At that time the strip of land was known as Long Neck.

     In the late 1850’s the oncoming Civil War coupled with the whaling industry’s decline in the eastern United States saw an abundance of idle clipper ships that had once been used for trade with Asian countries. An idea was hatched by some of these ships captains based out of New York and Boston to put them to use. Asa Shiverick Jr., whose father and uncles had built some of the ships, led the charge along with Prince Sears Crowell to create a new business on Cape Cod featuring fertilizer also known as guano.

     Shiverick and Crowell moved from Dennis to Woods Hole in 1859 and joined up with the Boston firm of Glidden & Williams. They chose Long Neck as the location of their new company to be called the Pacific Guano Company. Used only as a sheep pasture up until that time the spot was chosen due to it being a natural deep water harbor capable of holding larger clipper ships. The building of the factory dramatically altered the tiny village of Woods Hole. Nearly 200 workers were hired to create the factory. A large dormitory, some small homes, and a Roman Catholic Church were built to accommodate them.

     The product created by the factory, guano, came mostly from seabird droppings. It had begun seeing an uptick in popularity during the early 1850’s as a better alternative to manure as fertilizer. So popular did guano become that in 1856 Congress passed the U.S. Guano Act essentially allowing any American citizen could lay claim to any uninhabited guano-filled island in the world for the purpose of harvesting the product. After its creation the Pacific Guano Company staked its claim and began getting ready for work.

Woods Hole  on the right with the former location of the Pacific Guano Co. near Penzance Point circled. Google Maps

    The new company chose Howland Island, an island roughly 520 acres in size and located 1,700 miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands, to mine for guano. The Pacific Guano Company’s factory, located about 500-feet west of the present-day Woods Hole Yacht Club, was finished and put to immediate use in 1863. Soon after opening Azariah Crowell came aboard as the company’s chemist to add improvements to the guano making it an even more effective fertilizer. One such improvement was adding scrap from local fish markets to the guano. The combination of bird droppings and fish scrap however did not make Woods Hole a pleasant smelling village.

A sketch of the Pacific Guano factory in Woods Hole by S.S. Kilburn c.1860's

     Thirty-three ships were used during the first few years of mining guano for fertilizer. Six were lost on their return voyage while two others were captured by the Confederate Navy during the Civil War. It only took four years before Howland Island was basically mined out and in 1867 the Pacific Guano Company moved on to Swan Island in the Western Carribean and Navassa Island located thirty miles west of Haiti. The company hit its peak after purchasing Chisolm Island in South Carolina which was rich with rock phosphate. This provided another option besides bird droppings and fish scrap. It also led to a second Pacific Guano Company factory being built in Charleston, South Carolina in September 1869.

     The railroad was extended into Woods Hole in 1872 along with a new stone bridge across the Eel Pond channel. 200-lb bags of fertilizer were loaded onto the train cars and shipped out. Pacific Guano had its own booth at the Centennial exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. As the 1870’s ended annual sales at Pacific Guano topped 50,000 tons. It seemed as though the prosperity would never end. That would not be the case though.

     A diminishing amount of sites to mine guano coupled with an increase in the advent of artificial fertilizers began to take its toll on Pacific Guano. In 1889 shortly after an accident involving a worker word began getting out that the company was in peril. Its liabilities were listed at $3.5 million ($97.5 million in 2020) at a stockholders meeting in March 1889. Despite that there were assurances the company would be able to meet its guano demands for the year. In August 1889 the company was forced into bankruptcy and both factories ceased operations.

     Two years later in June 1891 the entirety of the property and Long Neck as a whole was purchased by Horace Crowell and William Nye. The factory and most of the buildings associated with Pacific Guano were leveled although a few were purchased and floated to different locations. The dormitory was moved and became known as the Breakwater Hotel. After developing the land for a year Crowell renamed it Penzance for a similar area in Falmouth, England and put eighteen lots up for sale.

     Over the decades that followed Penzance Point became one of the most exclusive areas of Cape Cod. In December 2019 a 9.6-acre estate was put up for sale on Penzance Point with a listing price of $25 million. It is one of the most expensive home ever listed on Cape Cod and has since been sold.

The Hotel Breakwater in 1913, courtesy of Sturgis Library

     

     After decades of life being dominated by the Pacific Guano Company and its odors of seabird droppings and fish scraps Woods Hole became known as a hub of the scientific community shortly after the company’s demise. The last remnant of the Pacific Guano Company, the Breakwater Hotel, survived until 1960 when the Marine Biological Laboratory purchased and demolished it for further expansion of the lab.

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My 5th book, Cape Cod Nights, is on sale at Amazon.com and through Arcadia Publishing


View my previous blog posts: In My Footsteps:Cape Cod's Most Beautiful Routes to Explore

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Sandy Neck Colony and Lighthouse                         

Photo Prints available here: Smug Mug.com

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In My Footsteps: Outer Banks, North Carolina - Part II The Lost Colony of Roanoke

In My Footsteps: Outer Banks, North Carolina

In My Footsteps: 2001 Cross Country Road Trip

     In November 2019 I went on an amazing 6-day road trip that began on Cape Cod and encompassed a total of 2,100 miles. It was not however the longest road trip I had ever been on. The 2019 trip was the bookend to another trip that took place in 2001. The main difference was the 2019 trip was for fun, the 2001 trip was more by necessity. That trip came about due to having to move back to Cape Cod from Las Vegas, Nevada. It was also aboard a Greyhound bus, and began in the dead of night. This is the story of that 2,700 mile, 3-day journey that began my love of travel and my desire to do a proper road trip on my own.

     After spending time going to college and working in Las Vegas things were not working out as I’d hoped. It became time to unfortunately call it a day and head back to Cape Cod to start a new chapter. It also didn’t help that I had discovered how much I loved to gamble. By gambling I mean blowing my paycheck at slot machines in Albertson’s and 7-Eleven. The trip across the country began in the Greyhound depot of Las Vegas located about 10 minutes north of the famed Strip. It was winter and the dead of night as the bus began its journey. Though nearly 20 years ago now so many of the memories of this trip are still vivid in my mind.

The El Bambi Cafe and Sinclair signs from 2011
(ArbyReed on Flickr)

Beaver, Utah

The first several hundred miles of the journey was along I-15, then to I-70. I-70 begins near Cove Fort, Utah and travels more than 2,100 miles east ending at Baltimore, Maryland. In between short bouts of sleep the first place I remember stopping was Beaver, Utah as the skies began to see their first glimmers of morning. It was a truck stop complete with a Sinclair gas station which fascinated me with its brontosaurus logo because I’d never seen one before. There wasn’t much time to look around however the bus allowed us to stretch our legs and I walked across the parking lot to a small diner called the El Bambi Truck Stop Cafe. It was every bit the classic road side diner complete with the swirling desert case and a counter of truckers having breakfast and coffee before being on their ways.

Grand Junction, Colorado

About 300 miles east of Beaver is Grand Junction, Colorado. This is an up and coming art city but also known for its mountain biking, wineries, and overall scenery. It is where the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers meet, thus the ‘junction’ name. While there I was able to take a walk and see some of the famed Art On The Corner sculptures. The outdoor-exhibit started in 1984 by Dave Davis includes some permanent pieces and some that are actually for sale. In recent years its Downtown has become a Certified Creative District and is an up and coming place for younger people to live.

Art on the Corner in Grand Junction, CO 2001

Somewhere along the way at a convenience store at a bus stop I decided to buy some cheap sleeping pills to help make the long stretches on the bus go by faster. These came in to play at the next stop 120 miles east in Eagle, Colorado.

Eagle, Colorado

This small town lies close to the Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts. It is popular for its hiking and definitely scenic views. While waiting for the bus to leave Las Vegas I had struck up a conversation with a guy about my age who was also heading across the country. At the stop in Eagle the guy got off to go into the store but was late coming back out. As the bus began to drive away he came running out and although I did see him the sleeping pills had me in such a haze that all I could do was watch him fade away. He did catch up with us a few stops later just in case anyone wondered what happened to him.

Denver, Colorado

The most nerve racking part of the 125-mile trip east to Denver was a winding drive through the Rocky Mountains as the snow fell. There is nothing like feeling a bus skid while being thousands of feet up separated from the cliffs by a single metal guardrail. After arriving in the city we were allowed a little under an hour to ‘enjoy’ Denver. This meant taking a walk outside in the light snow for a few blocks. Besides a convenience store and the Ritz-Carlton hotel I did not see much of Denver. Not truly sightseeing but more than most stops.

Ogallala, Nebraska

After leaving Denver we headed northeast on I-76 to perhaps the most unique spot I saw on this trip. This small town was once a stop on the Pony Express. It sits close to the border of the Central and Mountain Time Zones, leading to some late sunrises. This was the case when I arrived. It was a perfect combination of a late sunrise, powerful sleeping pills, and a bus station with red and white vinyl checkered cafe tables looking like it was straight out of the 1950’s. I started wondering if I was either still asleep or in an episode of The Twilight Zone. It was an interesting and unique time I spent in this bus station, plus my Nana loved the town’s name so every time I think of stopping here it reminds me of her.

My postcard from Ogallala 2001

Nebraska is smack in the middle of the Great Plains. Riding by bus through it showed just how flat and sprawling the land is. Not to say that the area isn’t worth visiting, I just know that the views surrounding I-80 through Nebraska and Iowa doesn’t lend itself to many picture postcard images.

Walcott, Iowa

The World’s Largest Truck Stop is located here. On the eastern edge of Iowa it opened in 1964 and is open 24/7/365. It is 30,000 square feet and serves on average more than 5,000 people daily. It has a barber shop, chiropractor, dentist office, laundrymat, private showers, and even dog groomers. I only got a small taste of this attraction, as was the case with most places on this list. It looked and felt like a huge shopping mall, except for when the loud speaker would call out random truckers names saying their showers were ready.

The entrance to the World's Largest Truck Stop in 2001

Davenport, Iowa

Located on the Mississippi River less than 15 miles from Walcott. It is widely considered one of the best small cities in America. Upon arriving at the bus terminal I spotted the incredible 3,800-foot Centennial Bridge which connects Davenport to Rock Island. I took off running nearly a half-mile to snap a couple of photos of the bridge in the short amount of time that we were stopped in Davenport.

Chicago, Illinois

My first experience in the legendary Chicago I am sure is not indicative of the greatness of that city. However this is how I spent my time in Chicago. The bus rolled into the station around 5am. The bus needed to refuel and get cleaned up so everyone was told they needed to get off and spend some time in the bus terminal. That was no big deal until the driver made it a point to warn us about pickpockets and strongly suggested that none of us venture off into any dark corners of the bus terminal. Needless to say I stuck close to where we all disembarked and simply waited for the all clear to return to the bus. To be fair though I did not see anything close to the ominous warning the bus driver gave us.

Leaving Chicago led us through the rest of Illinois and through Indiana with the main stop off being the city of Elkhart.

Elkhart, Indiana

Located 110 miles east of Chicago this city is famous for two contributions to the world. One is being the RV Capital of the World, the other is once being considered the Band Instrument Capital of the World. At one point Elkhart was home to 60 instrument manufacturers.

It was here that we disembarked at a gas station with several passengers walking next door to the McDonald’s. The line was a bit long and some of us began to worry that the bus might leave without us. Luckily the woman at the end of the line chimed in and said the driver wouldn’t dare leave without her, she was his wife!

There was a brief stop, more of a slow down, in Cleveland, Ohio. This was after midnight and the city looked impressive despite only stopping long enough to do a quick pickup/drop off. I was in and out as we passed through Ohio into Pennsylvania.

State College, Pennsylvania

It was here that I again realized how strong the sleeping pills were that I had been taking to help with the trip. This stop was early in the morning and somehow in a haze I wandered into a convenience store and made a few purchases and got back on the bus. Only a few hours later did I see the random purchases I made with almost no recollection.

From there it was roughly 500 miles back to Cape Cod and more specifically Hyannis. It ended more than 3 days of seeing many sites, though not as much as I wish I had at the time. Thankfully during my most recent road trip I was able to stop and see many things on my itinerary and document them with photos and videos. Maybe someday I will recreate this route and be able to enjoy it more, until then it made for an interesting few days in 2001.

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My 5th book, Cape Cod Nights, is on sale at Amazon.com and through Arcadia Publishing

View my previous blog posts: In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Deacon John Doane

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Sandy Neck Colony and Lighthouse                         

Photo Prints available here: Smug Mug.com

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com