The Humane Society, 1902 • Cobb Corner
Courtesy of The Truro Historical Society, Cobb Archives
Three years after George Washington was elected President of the United State, (1792), the Reverend James Freeman of Boston was advocating that a lighthouse be built at Truro’s Highlands; six year later, he helped found the Humane Society, with the idea of rescuing those sailors who didn’t manage to navigate well to the north or south of the Highland Lighthouse and found themselves shipwrecked.
Mr. Freeman proposed to build six lifesaving shacks between Boston Harbor and Cape Maelbarre (Chatham’s Monomoy); each shack to be furnished with firewood and blankets, and he also published a handy guide – A Description of Cape Cod. At a Meeting of the Trustees of the Humane Society October 4, 1802, it was voted “… That the Treasurer be requested to have two thousand copies of said report printed, and cause the same to be dispersed among the several Custom-houses and Insurance Offices in this Commonwealth.”
And just a wonderful report to have in your pocket in case a storm washed you ashore onto a beach in Truro: “…From the valley above mentioned the land rises, and less than a mile from it the High Land commences.
On the first elevated spot, the Clay Pounds, stands the Light House. The shore here turns to the south; the High Land extends to the Table Land of Eastham. The high Land approaches the ocean with steep and lofty banks, which it is extremely difficult to climb, especially in a storm. In violent tempests, during very high tides, the sea breaks at the foot of them, rendering it then unsafe to walk on the strand, which lies between them and the ocean. Should the seaman succeed in his attempt to ascend them, he must forbear to penetrate into the country, as houses are generally so remote, that they would escape his research during the night; he must pass on to the vallies by which the banks are intersected.
These vallies, which the inhabitants call Hollows, run at right angles to the shore, and in the middle or lowest part of them, a road leads from dwelling houses to the sea.
The first of these valleys is Dyer’s Hollow, a mile and a half south of the Light House. It is a wide opening, being two hundred rods broad from summit to summit. In it stands a dwelling house, a quarter mile from the beach.
A mile and a half south of Dyer’s Hollow, is a second valley, called Harding’s Hollow. At the entrance to this valley, the sand has gathered; so that at present a little climbing is necessary. Passing over several fences, and taking heed not to enter the wood on the right hand, at the distance of three-quarters of a mile, a house is to be found. This house stands on the south side of the road; and not far from it on the south, is Pamet river, which runs from east to west through a body of salt marsh.
The third valley, a half mile south of Harding’s Hollow is head of Pamet Hollow. It may be with ease be distinguished from the other hollows mentioned, as it is a wide opening and leads immediately over a beach to the salt marsh at the head of Pamet river. In the midst of the hollow the sand has been raised by a brush fence, carried across it from North to south. This must be passed; and the shipwrecked mariner will soon come to a fence, which separates what is called the road from the marsh. If he turns to the left hand, or south, at the distance of a quarter mile, he will discover a house. If he turns to the right hand, at the distance of half a mile, he will find the same house, which is mentioned in the foregoing paragraph.
The fourth opening, three quarters of a mile south of Head of Pamet, is Brush Valley. This hollow is narrow and climbing is necessary. Entering it, and inclining to the right will bring seamen to the house which is situated at the Head of Pamet. By proceeding straight forward, and passing over rising ground, another house may be discovered, but with more difficulty.
These three hollows, lying near together, serve to designate each other. Either of them may be used; but the Head of Pamet Hollow is the safest…”