Historic_transportation Provincetown,_Massachusetts

until late 1800s, east harbor opened provincetown harbor, , there no roads provincetown. east harbor diked in 1868, making way railroad, automobile.

that changed in 1868, when mouth of east harbor diked enable laying of track arrival of railroad. railroad completed, great fanfare, in 1873; , wooden bridge , sand road replaced formal roadway in 1877. railroad terminated @ railroad wharf, known today macmillan pier. provided easy means fishermen offload vessels , ship catch cities rail.

the railroad not late arrival provincetown. roads within town slow constructed:

there no road through town. no carts, carriages, wagons, horses or oxen, why road? ... here every man had path house boat or vessel, , once launched, on broad highway of nations without tax or toll. there paths neighbors, paths school, paths church; tortuous paths perhaps, pilots night or day, on land or water. besides, @ low water there road such none else boast, washed twice day year year, wide enough , free enough , long enough, if followed, armies of netherlands.

the town s internal road layout reflects historic importance of waterfront, key communication , commerce outside world. town grew, organically expanded along harborfront. main thoroughfare hard-packed beach, commerce , socializing took place. deeds refer town rode , little more footpath ran behind houses. in 1835, county commissioners turned front street , known commercial street. street ran parallel front street, set harbor − today known bradford street.

houses faced water then; since of houses have been turned around; of them still have front door on shore side. 1 man, doctor, had not lived long in town, proposed street made sixty-four feet wide, voted down such foolishness foreigners. tried compromise on thirty-two feet, twenty-two feet seemed wide enough possible purposes, , twenty-two feet wide is.