This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Cape Cod Light the First on the Cape and Its Legacy
In 1796 James Small sold ten acres on the bluffs behind the Highlands to the general government, and in 1797 a wooden lighthouse the first on Cape Cod was built. It evolved from oil lamps to a brick tower at 42 9 91 N 70 3 18 W, rising 140 feet above sea level. The Fresnel lens from Paris 1854 1857 cost 30000 and used a brass 10 gallon lamp with a pressure float. The beacon faced fierce winds fog and sea spray with a 14 year old fog signal by Ericsson and a hot air engine powered by coal. The log recalls wrecks and rescues, while the cliff erosion persists and the coast is guarded by a government effort.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Beom
Cape Cod
James Small
Highlands
L. Sautter & Co
Paris
West
Far Indies
Lie Ericsson
Race Point
Tak Wi