Ben Muse

The Windmills of Dennis and Yarmouth

Last year Daniel Fortier, of the Dennis Planning Department, posted pictures of windmills used in the past in Dennis and Yarmouth.

There are windmills in yards to pump drinking water from wells, some apparently with elevated water storage tanks, industrial windmills to pump salt water into saltworks and to grind grain,  and masses of tiny windmills standing by the roadside for sale to tourists.  Some Wind Mills of Dennis and More Wind Mills of Dennis.

A hundred years ago, Daniel Wing could remember grist mill operations in South Yarmouth from 50 years before.  He wrote about mill operations, and about the histories of several local mills: A Description of the Farris Windmill in South Yarmouth.  The title is a little misleading - he does cover several windmills in addition to the Farris mill.

Downtown South Yarmouth About 1910

Here's a great old postcard of South Yarmouth center. The source at Wikipedia says 1910.

Route 28 won't be upgraded until 1933, and then it will come in through the yard on the left and exit towards Bass River across the way, just in front of the first building on the right. It's not obvious, but Bridge Street already runs off to the right at that spot.

A hundred years before, a ropewalk extended from the first building north, along the side of the road, where the line of buildings is. If you follow the road forward and slightly to the left, you can go to Yarmouthport, Weir Village, or South Dennis.

If you bear hard right just in front of the first building, you will come to Bass River in a quarter mile and can head across the new bridge to West Dennis. I'm a little surprised that the road to the river isn't better marked or more obvious.

Source: Wikipedia, Hugh Manatee

I'm guessing those automobiles have a 12 mph speed limit. In September 1907, the Yarmouth selectmen published new automobile regulations. The speed limit through this intersection, and down Bridge Street, was 12 miles an hour: with this condition - that all autos and motor cycles "shall come to a standstill at the corner of said South State Highway [Main Street in South Yarmouth - Ben] and Bridge street... before proceeding in either direction around the corner of said streets."

Walk forward a bit, to a point in the road just between the first two trees on the right.

First, turn around and look back where you just were:

Now, turn left, and look down (what the sign above says is) Bridge Street:

Keep standing here (at the head of Bridge Street), and turn to your left again:

Walk down the row of trees, turn, and look back where you started:

You were originally standing about 100 feet down the road on the left. This card dates to 1917. In 16 years, Route 28 will be driven through the second building from the right of the picture. Did you see the dress in the store window?

The reverse of this postcard had an important message:

Jumping forward to 1936, and looking down the new section of Route 28:

and now a little later:

Source: I believe this is from an ad on eBay.

...and later still:

In the mid-sixties:

Source: my postcards

 

Minor edit April 17, 2011. Speed limit edit added November 26, 2011. New pictures added November 27, 2011. Minor, but substantive, editorial changes same day.