1889 Map of Wellfleet

About this map

Life saving stations and maritime beacons line the outer coast of the Lower Cape in this late nineteenth-century survey, reflecting an era of heavy Atlantic shipping traffic. The Cape Cod Division Old Colony Railroad serves as the backbone of the peninsula, connecting whistle-stops from Brewster up to Truro. A prominent landmark is the Methodist Camp Ground near Eastham Centre, situated amidst a landscape of intricate tidal inlets and glacial kettle ponds. Coastal features such as Billingsgate Island and its light appear in their 1880s configuration, before significant shoreline erosion altered the geography of Wellfleet Harbor. The map highlights the maritime-driven economy of the day, from the Commercial Wharf in Wellfleet to the strategic Nauset Beach Beacons watching over the Atlantic.