With the celebration of the American Thanksgiving being held this week, we felt that this would be a good time to do a posting on Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Once each year, during our travels, we need to return to the U.S. to visit doctors for our annual check ups. This year, we found an apartment in Plymouth, "America's Hometown." Prior to the arrival of the Europeons, this was a village of 2000 Wampanoag Native Americans, officially known as the Patuxat. European explorers had actually visited this area twice before the Pilgrims established their colony here; first in 1605 when Samuel de Champlain sailed into the harbor (calling it "Port St. Louis"); and later, between 1614 and 1617, when British and French fishermen arrived. These early visitors dessimated the Wampanoag natives with diseases that killed nearly 90% of them, leaving them in no condition to resist the later Pilgrim settlers. With the establishment of the colony by the Pilgrims, Plymouth became the oldest municipality in New England and one of the oldest in the United States. Their first year in the new settlement was very harsh and the Pilgrims nearly starved. Two Patuxat Wampanoags, Samoset and Tisquantum (aka Squanto) taught the Pilgrims how to catch fish in the harbor and as well as to farm corn. In the Fall of 1621, the Pilgrims gathered with Samoset, Squanto, their chief, Massasoit, and 90 other Native Americans to celebrate their first successful harvest. This became known as the "First Thanksgiving" and is still celebrated to this day with a reenactment and a parade. There are many Wampanoags who feel that this is "a day of mourning" and hold a counter-parade on Thanksgiving day. During the early part of the 1800's , the town became a regional center of fishing and shipbuilding. The world's largest manufacturer of rope, the Plymouth Cordage,Company, was founded here in 1824. With the development of synthetic-fiber ropes in the mid-1960's, the Cordage company was forced out of business. Plymouth now is a major tourist center on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
Each year on the week-end following Thanksgiving, the Whitman Amateur Radio Club sets up several radio stations at the recreated Plimouth Plantation to provide visitors the opportunity to send radio-gram messages to relatives around the country, as well as to demonstrate some of the capabilities of this hobby to those not familiar with its utility. I've had the very great pleasure of participating in this event a number of times during my volunteer career as an amateur radio operator. It is always a wonderful time.
Once each year, during our travels, we need to return to the U.S. to visit doctors for our annual check ups. This year, we found an apartment in Plymouth, "America's Hometown." Prior to the arrival of the Europeons, this was a village of 2000 Wampanoag Native Americans, officially known as the Patuxat. European explorers had actually visited this area twice before the Pilgrims established their colony here; first in 1605 when Samuel de Champlain sailed into the harbor (calling it "Port St. Louis"); and later, between 1614 and 1617, when British and French fishermen arrived. These early visitors dessimated the Wampanoag natives with diseases that killed nearly 90% of them, leaving them in no condition to resist the later Pilgrim settlers. With the establishment of the colony by the Pilgrims, Plymouth became the oldest municipality in New England and one of the oldest in the United States. Their first year in the new settlement was very harsh and the Pilgrims nearly starved. Two Patuxat Wampanoags, Samoset and Tisquantum (aka Squanto) taught the Pilgrims how to catch fish in the harbor and as well as to farm corn. In the Fall of 1621, the Pilgrims gathered with Samoset, Squanto, their chief, Massasoit, and 90 other Native Americans to celebrate their first successful harvest. This became known as the "First Thanksgiving" and is still celebrated to this day with a reenactment and a parade. There are many Wampanoags who feel that this is "a day of mourning" and hold a counter-parade on Thanksgiving day. During the early part of the 1800's , the town became a regional center of fishing and shipbuilding. The world's largest manufacturer of rope, the Plymouth Cordage,Company, was founded here in 1824. With the development of synthetic-fiber ropes in the mid-1960's, the Cordage company was forced out of business. Plymouth now is a major tourist center on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
Each year on the week-end following Thanksgiving, the Whitman Amateur Radio Club sets up several radio stations at the recreated Plimouth Plantation to provide visitors the opportunity to send radio-gram messages to relatives around the country, as well as to demonstrate some of the capabilities of this hobby to those not familiar with its utility. I've had the very great pleasure of participating in this event a number of times during my volunteer career as an amateur radio operator. It is always a wonderful time.
Plymouth is the oldest municipality in New England, yet, despite its growing population, still maintains its status as a town. This is its town hall.
The Plymouth Rock memorial ...
...surrounds the rock upon which ,tradition states, the Pilgrims landed. However, there is no hard and fast evidence to prove this claim
Standing by the Mayflower II (replica of the original). Shortly after having this picture taken, a tug came to tow the ship to Mystic Connecticut where it will undergo two years of total refurbishment prior to the 400th anniversary (in 2020) of the Pilgrims landing.
On a small hill overlooking Plymouth Rock is this memorial statue of Massasoit, Chief of the Wampanoags who befriended the Pilgrims.
A short distance from Massasoit's statue is this plaque indicating many Native Americans' feeling that Thanksgiving really commemorates a "National Day of Mourning " for the loss of their culture.
The recreated Plymouth Plantation depicts life for the Pilgrims during their early days here. it is one of the top attractions in the town.
Each year, during the week-end following Thanksgiving, members of the Whitman Amateur Radio club set up several radio stations at Plymouth Plantation so that visitors can send radio-gram greetings to relatives around the country.
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