Dennis
Settled in 1639 by John Crowe, Anthony Thacher, and Thomas Howes as part of Yarmouth, Dennis officially separated from its neighbor and incorporated as a town in 1793. Named after the resident minister, Reverend Josiah Dennis, the new municipality continued its agricultural focus, but seafaring soon became a major industry in the town. The Shiverick Shipyard, located near the mouth of Sesuit Creek, was famous as the only shipyard on the Cape to produce large clipper ships, while many smaller shipyards were making fishing vessels or merchant ships that transported goods and materials via the Bass River. Dennis was a prominent salt manufacturer, and by 1803, 24 different saltworks were operating in town.
Cranberry growing also flourished in Dennis, and the town once boasted a busy railroad depot and shipping wharves. Dennis is home to the Cape Playhouse, founded in 1927, which is one of the oldest professional summer theaters in America. Sixteen enticing beaches are situated on Nantucket Sound to the south and Cape Cod Bay to the north. Prefer freshwater? Numerous ponds and lakes, including Scargo Lake, a deep freshwater kettle pond, are carved into the landscape. Dennis has many nature trails, golf courses, shopping areas, restaurants, and scenic historic districts sprinkled throughout its convenient central location on the Cape.
The Indian Lands Conservation Area, once the winter home of the Nobscusset Indians, offers 25 acres of woodland and marshes. The sheltered peninsulas that jut into the Bass River provided the Native Americans with relief from northerly winds, fresh spring water, and plentiful fish and shellfish from the river. Now a town conservation area, Indian Lands is a peaceful spot for hiking and contemplation.
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