NHA Home | Historic Nantucket Articles |

Originally published in the Historic Nantucket, Vol. 44, no. 2 (Summer 1994), p. 23-26

Once Along the Waterfront
by Edouard A. Stackpole

Vintage Stackpole, this wonderful, nostalgic piece was written by Nantucket's premier historian when he was curator of Mystic Seaport. It was originally prepared as the text of a lecture with slides and was published in the issue of April 1965.

That section of the town of Nantucket which has experienced more changes than any other is the waterfront. In the three centuries which have encompassed the life of the island settlement (called first Sherburne and since 1795 Nantucket) the portion embracing the head of the wharves and the wharves themselves have undergone a complete transformation, not once but several times. With the moving of the homestead settlement's center from the Hummock Pond area to the Great Harbor, the town of Sherburne soon became that part which sprawled down the gentle slopes of the Wesco hills to the shore. Straight Wharf, extending into the harbor, became the first major pier, probably of logs and boulders, with sand fill, and to State Street, leading to this wharf, all the original streets connected and the various house lots (Wesco, Fish Lots, Bocachico) were laid out close at hand to the landing places which grew into three other large wharves.

Because this paper has to do with what I saw along the waterfront in my boyhood, as well as to what history tells us, I think it proper to begin with my earliest recollection. Our house was on Mill Hill and from the Hill itself, seated on the long shaft leading to the Mill top, I looked out over the houses below to get my first glimpse of the blue waters of the harbor just beyond the last range of the roof-tops.

Not until years later did I appreciate what constituted my first experiences at the wharves and their approaches. A half century ago, Washington Street from Francis Street to Commercial Wharf, had a variety of shanties and small shelters bordering the harbor front. Some of the fishermen lived in these tiny places; others were mostly scallop shanties. I remember John Howard Dunham, Charles Folger, Henry Main, Frank Countee, and Luther Rose as residents. There were also the scalloping shanties of Joe Araujo, Manuel Ray and Timothy Dunham.

At the head of Commercial Wharf, in the present Legion Hall; there was a considerable storage of barrels and nets. Close at hand Clarence Ramsdell had his stable with his collection of wagons and "low-beds," while Joe Fernandez' little store was situated under the shadows of the Fernandez house. Across the street was the home of Peter Viera and his fine family. I do not recall the names of those living in a small dwelling near at hand.

Commercial Wharf was the scene of considerable activity when the little steamer Petrel came in with a load of fish. How vivid are those scenes, especially seeing Jim Everett Chapel who, though crippled, was one of the strongest men on the Island, Arthur Barren, Bill Bartlett, Charlie Vincent, and "Cap'n" Manter. In contrast to the alternate busy times and peaceful times at this wharf, I remember the horror of the fire which destroyed the Barnes boat-house at wharf's end and the loss of life. A Nantucket man named Ray leaped from the roof of the burning structure, plunging into the water and thus saving himself from the holocaust. My playmate, Tony Souza, and I ran to the scene from Washington Street and were among the first on the wharf — little realizing what we were witnessing.

History reveals how much the waterfront was changed by a series of fires, those taking place in 1838 and 1846 being the great destroyers. That of 1846 not only burnt all over the wharves, devouring the lofts, chandleries, cooperages and oil storehouses but came close to leveling the entire town. The exteriors of several brick structures were left standing in the ruins with their interiors burned out. These included the present Town Building [Current NHA office was site of town offices until 1968], the Pacific Club and the Citizens Bank. All interiors were restored.

But to gain an idea of what the waterfront looked like before this Great Fire of 1846 there are two wood engravings — one by Tanner, of the period of 1810, and the other of 1835 from J.W. Barber's "Historical Collections" — which show the five major wharves, warehouses and ropewalks which once featured the scene. These were all wiped out by the 1846 fire. As an illustration of the manner in which the waterfront was rebuilt, there is a "Bird's Eye View" of the town, issued in 1881, which has some remarkable detail as it concerns the re-building here, as well as demonstrating the ability of the town to recover from its post Civil War slump by becoming a summer resort.

Photography has aided in tracing the story of the waterfront since 1860. The early photographers, such as Summerhays and Freeman, succeeded by Wyer, Platt and Boyer, have left excellent studies, while Editor Harry B. Turner of the Inquirer and Mirror was keenly aware of the value of photos for preserving local history. An early view of Straight Wharf, showing the whaleship Narragansett and some wood sloops; panoramic views from the South Tower, and pictures taken of scenes between the wharves have added much to our store of knowledge.

We can place the exact date of a view from the tower in 1871, showing two steamers at the wharves; another in 1874, providing a classic picture of Steamboat Wharf with the steamers Island Home and River Queen; another, with the schooners Winchester and Oakes Ames tied up along side each other, with a catboat fleet under their bowsprits, offers an amazing glimpse into the past.

The catboats in themselves represent a story of much fascination. With the emergence of Nantucket as a favorite "watering place" the bluefishing parties became a feature. Sailing down to Great Point Rip with the catboats was a sport enjoyed by many visitors. But it was in the skippers of these craft that we find the unusual story, as many of these owner-skippers were formerly captains of square-rigged whaleships and merchantmen, others would be mates or pilots, others fishermen of ancient visage. For years the catboats were moored in several favorite basins, such as that in front of the Adams building at Steamboat Wharf, or along Old North Wharf, in Still Dock, and on the basins between Straight Wharf, Old South and Commercial wharves.

There are many noted craft — each could give its quota of yarns — but among the best known were the Cleopatra, with the Burgess family, Captain Watson the father and George, Senior, the son, both being pilots. At one time this carried a sail cut and colored like a huge American flag. As the Cleopatra was the largest catboat of her time, it made a unique and colorful appearance. Other catboats whose skippers were known for their skill were the Avilda, Timothy Dunham; Lucille, Captain Benjamin Pease and Captain Patrick Conway; Inez, Captain Perry Winslow; Crusader, Captain William Burchell; Fleetwing, Captain Joseph Winslow; Horatio, Captain Thomas Barrally; and Tern, Captain Joseph Enos.

As for the men who were identified with the waterfront, in their combined stories they would make a book-length article. Certain places where they would rendezvous became places of great excitement to a small boy. I think of a sundrenched porch on the front of the tiny "Bon Ton Fish Market," on Easy Street, over which John Taber presided. Here would sit Frank Meiggs with his beard; Henry Main, with his red hair and bright, blue eyes, snapping out a story between teeth clenched on the stem of a pipe; Clint Orpin, younger than the regulars here, but a veteran fisherman, and Captain Henry Folger, who had been a coasting skipper and whose resonant voice still returns over the years.

As for the Old North itself, there was the machine shop of John Cross, the son of a Church of England minister, who had run away to the sea at thirteen and roamed around the world on merchant ships. In those days, the scallop and quahaug boats were installing engines, and the Lathrop one-cylinder motor was a popular choice. John Cross had his own group of habitants and many a story not intended for publication was recounted in the shop. The boat shop of William Chase stood close by and I remember the float, with its variety of pulling boats for hire. Many of these boats were built by Mr. Chase who also had the "Sailor Boy" weathervanes on display at the wharf side. Captain Conway formerly conducted a similar establishment of boat rentals close by but that was before I was old enough to go there.

Close at hand was the mooring place for many catboats. I recall Myron Coffin and the Inez. Of particular recollection is the esteem in which he was held by all small boys, as he was understanding and kind and not as inclined to frighten them when they were wandering around the waterfront and got into mischief.

My interest in Old North Wharf was keen because of some ancestral family connection, the Pinkhams having at one time used it as the headquarters for a line of packets running to Norfolk, Baltimore, and occasionally to New Orleans. Years later, one of their warehouses was taken over by Barzillai Burdett, a boat builder, and the proprietor of a boat service to the bathing beach, with the catboat Dauntless being as well known as any in the fleet during the 1880's and 90's. Today, the Andrews building next door, is the only surviving business on this wharf which reflects the old-time scene.

A marked characteristic of those days were the myriad of walks, ways or paths leading from one wharf to the other across the intervening land. Straight Wharf was called Killen's Wharf, and between this and Old North was Cross Wharf, facing the dock between these two wharves. Here, in the winter time, schooners would tie up for the season and it was one of the great thrills of Nantucket boyhood to visit the shipkeepers, snug in their warm cabins aboard the schooners.

Along the southern line of Straight Wharf were a row of scallop shanties. Here, Steve Ryder, the Miller Brothers, Tony and Frank, and Captain Arthur Tunning among the others, brought their scallops for opening by the various "openers." The combination of young and old in this category made for interesting afternoons and evenings and much of the local lore of the waterfront was freely passed on by the oldsters — aided and embellished by the several lookers-on who spent the evening going from one shanty to the other.

The same scene held true along the Old South Wharf, where the majority of the scallop shanties were located. These scenes are as vivid today as if they recently took place: the small stove mounted high in the center of the room; the variety of oil lamps throwing a glow of yellow light over all, bringing out the dark shadows cast by the gear stowed away overhead; the "openers" hunched on stools over the benches piled high with scallops; the smell of pipe-smoke and chewing tobacco, and, most important of all, the voices of the men themselves — most of whom have long since departed. No more colorful an experience than to be among the most youthful of those who participated.

Before World War I, the summer days along the waterfront were marked by the regularly scheduled runs of the little railroad from Steamboat Wharf to Siasconset. The little locomotive, with its coaches chugging slowly along Easy Street across into Candle Street, thence to Washington Street and the Goose Pond crossing of Orange Street, made a familiar sight. But, in retrospect, it was as much the sound of its bell as any other factor which recalls to mind the picture. Photographs help not only to remind but to pinpoint dates. One of the classic "shots" of 1915 shows the little railroad in the foreground and, looking out to the area between Steamboat and Old North wharves, a large fleet of fishing schooners in the background, in port due to a storm, and in the foreground some of the catboats and other party boats of the period, plus the scallopers, and quahaugers.

To those who frequented the Old South Wharf in the pre-World War I days it was known as Swain's Wharf. Here were a lumber yard, coal pockets, grain storage warehouse, and ice plant — and fishing shanties of varied size. In those days, the quahaug beds in Nantucket Sound had only recently been discovered by Captain Sam Jackson, and boats from other ports were coming to Nantucket to partake of the rich harvest. These days, just before the outbreak of World War I, were full of excitement. The quahaugs came into port in great quantity, with the buyers and shippers busy on every wharf. Edmund Z. Ryder on Steamboat Wharf; Tom Keane and Harry Studley on Old South, as well as Nickerson & Perry on Old North Wharf kept their warehouses busy.

There was a prolonged freeze-up during the winter of 1917 and a number of ice boats were constructed for sailing over the harbor ice. Peter Schaper of the Ebenezer and Samuel R. Burchell of the Crusader had boats propelled by catboat sails. I remember watching the men eeling through the holes in the ice off Commercial Wharf, and of Joe Fisher and Charlie Brown Cathcart (later neighbors on Union Street) jabbing down with their long-handled eel spears and bringing up the thrashing bodies of the black eels that made many a tasty dish for families of the fishermen.

While my association with the catboat fleets does not go back far enough to include the veteran skippers, I do recall their names as being brought up in many a discussion. The remarkable part about these captains is in respect to their having been commanders of square-riggers and schooners during their active years. These catboat owners and skippers included Captain Alden Adams with his famous L. Roberta; Captain Perry Winslow in the White Cloud; Captain Joseph Winslow in the Emily; Captain Barzillai Luce in the Dionis; Captain Benjamin Pease in the Lucille, later commanded by Captain Patrick Conway, Captain Watson Burgess, succeeded by his son George Burgess in the Cleopatra; Captain Benjamin Morris in the Priscilla; Captain David B. Andrews in the Mischief; and Captain Charles Smalley in the Lillian (later commanded by Arthur W. Jones and Charles Blount); and Captain Whitford Joy, whom I do remember, and many others.

It is difficult to imagine such a group of shipmasters; they were unique in the history of sports fishermen, and possibly only Nantucket could boast of such a remarkable array. But, like the boats they sailed, these men quietly disappeared from the waterfront scene, and naturally they never were replaced.

But there is one survivor of that wondrous fleet — the Andrews' catboat Wonoma, now in her 65th year. Through the years, her employment as a scalloper has kept her a familiar part of the wharf scene at Island Service. While no longer under sail, she continues to represent a fleet which made its own local marine history. The story of the Nantucket catboats and their skippers would make a volume in itself.

And no mention of Island Service Wharf (Old South) would be complete without mention of the three-masted schooner Nantisco. While old photographs showing the packet schooners W.T. Boggs, Onward, W.O. Nettleton and Island City are extant, the Nantisco was the last of the Nantucket-owned schooners to have her home port here. Purchased by Henry Lang for the Island Service Company, and commanded by Captain Bishop, the Nantisco carried coal from Perth Amboy to Nantucket for several years. Ralph Bishop, the Captain's son, was a left handed pitcher on the baseball team of the young "Crescents" and on spring afternoons we would "play pass" along the big schooner at the wharf.

Perhaps the most unusual cargo ever carried out of Nantucket for a mainland port was taken out by the Nantisco in 1921 — a cargo of coconut oil. The steamer Gaelic Prince, stranded on the shoal off the east end of the Island, was forced to pump overboard most of its cargo of liquid coconut oil. Upon striking the water the oil congealed and, like huge cakes of ice, floated ashore and islanders gathered it in by wagon load and boat load and brought it to the Nantisco for shipping to the Colgate Company in New York. Many a thrifty housewife took advantage of the opportunity to make soap from the oil, and probably the greatest quantity of soap ever made on Nantucket at one time was produced in this period. The improvements to Old South Wharf; the regular repairs at Steamboat Wharf and the recent restorations on Straight Wharf have almost completely changed much of the old-time view. With the coming of oil as a successor to coal for heating, the old coal packets disappeared. The Charles C. Crosby Wharf (between Commercial and Old South Wharf) was absorbed by the public utilities company, and the little marine railway here was filled in and the site obliterated. What were once brick warehouses at the wharves have now come into other uses, and blacksmiths shops, such as Parker's, Winslow's, Warren's, and 'Quille Cormie's have now all disappeared.

But the old scene still lingers in the memory of many who were once boys along the waterfront; rowing, sailing, swimming, working and playing in and around the waterside which can never come again.