“’Oh, no, it doesn’t ache at all, I called you up to hear your voice, certainly I can stand it, I’ve stood much worse trials.’  I slammed up the receiver, looked at the clock and it was two-fifteen.  Too late to attend the lecture in the library so I went out and called on Alice, yes, indeed, I repeat, telephones are very handy and save lots of time.”

“Here is our lunch, we’re in the city now, come on, Bessie.”

FALMOUTH INNER HARBOR

Twelve years ago on May 11, 1910, the H.W.  Miller, the first two-masted schooner came into the harbor, then known as Deacon’s Pond, now Falmouth Inner Harbor.  Other smaller vessels had been in, but this was the first which marked the commercial use of the basin.

A harbor in this place had been talked about for several years, but the first legal action was taken in the February town meeting of 1906, when a committee of five men:  Geo. W. Jones, Charles S. Burgess, Asa L. Pattee, Nathan S. Ellis and Charles A. Robinson were appointed to look into the matter and carry out the wishes of the town.

Joseph Walsh was our representative in Boston, and presided at the meeting, acting as moderator.

Heman A. Harding, then senator from the Cape district, acted as legal adviser for the State.

There were many meetings of the committee and interested citizens, and among the latter A.W.  Goodness, A.B.  Clough and W.E.A.  Clough were untiring in their efforts and were largely responsible for the success of the project.

On January 20, 1907, the Harbor and Land Commissioners called for a hearing “for building jetties and dredging to make a boat harbor at Deacon’s Pond, Falmouth.”

The first plan was drawn by Frank W. Hodgdon in September, 1907.

The first appropriation made for the cost was $25,000 from the State and $10,000 from the Town.

The lower part of the land dredged was purchased on July 13, 1804, from Abram and Lois Bowerman by Watson Jenkins, Joseph Mayhew, Stephen Davis, Consider Hatch and Joseph Davis, Jr., and used as a site for salt works by the whole or part of them.  On August 1, 1805, the same Abram and Lois Bowerman deeded additional land to Joseph Davis, Jr., and on June 17, 1816, the same parties sold more land to Nymphas Davis, the son of Joseph, Jr.

As Joseph Davis, Sr., the father of Joseph, Jr., was then a deacon in the Congregational church, the name was gradually changed from the old name of “Bowerman’s Pond” to “the deacon’s pond” and it finally became Deacon’s Pond.  Later, when the name did not locate the harbor sufficiently, it was officially changed to “Falmouth Inner Harbor.”

There were formerly two outlets from the pond into Vineyard Sound, and some of the old deeds refer to the East and West rivers.  There was also a ditch across the marsh, probably through the land now owned by Edward Gallagher.