Civil Rights
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
What's New!
Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
| Cape Cod Rail Trail | |
|---|---|
 The trail in Harwich, Massachusetts | |
| Length | 25.5 miles |
| Location | Barnstable County |
| Established | 1980[1] |
| Designation | Massachusetts state park |
| Trailheads | Lecount Hollow Road, Wellfleet Station Avenue, South Yarmouth |
| Use | Hiking, cycling, roller blading, horseback riding, cross-country skiing |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Season | Year-round |
| Hazards | Deer ticks, poison ivy, road crossings |
| Surface | Paved surface |
| Right of way | Former railroad line |
| Maintainer | Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Website | Cape Cod Rail Trail |
| Trail map | |
The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is a 25.5-mile (41.0 km) paved rail trail located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.[2] The trail route passes through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet. It connects to the 6-plus mile (10 km) Old Colony Rail Trail leading to Chatham, the 2 mile Yarmouth multi-use trail, and 8 miles (13 km) of trails within Nickerson State Park.[3] Short side trips on roads lead to national seashore beaches including Coast Guard Beach at the end of the Nauset Bike Trail in Cape Cod National Seashore.[4] The trail is part of the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway.
The original rail line from Yarmouth to Orleans was constructed by the Cape Cod Central Railroad (1861–1868), which was later incorporated into the Old Colony Railroad in 1872, and finished the line to Provincetown in 1873. The railroad was later incorporated into the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1893. The New Haven Railroad merged into Penn Central in 1968: it went bankrupt by 1970. The corridor was purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1976,[5]: 165–166 and a portion of the right-of-way was converted to the Cape Cod Rail Trail by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1980.[1] The current owner, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, leases the line from Station Avenue in Yarmouth to US Route 6 in Wellfleet to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for trail use.[6]
In the 1980s, the process of creating the Cape Cod Rail Trail was used as a model for creating the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.[7]
The trail begins in Yarmouth at Station Avenue. This trailhead has a parking area and is just south of exit 75 on US 6. West of here, the trail crosses over Station Ave on an overpass and connects to Peter Homer Park and continues as the town-owned Yarmouth multi-use trail, which runs for 2 miles to Higgins Crowell Road. The first 5 miles of trail run through industrial and residential areas of Yarmouth and Dennis, and include a new trail bridge over the Bass River. It roughly parallels Great Western Road during this section, crossing it twice.
The trail then enters Harwich as the landscape turns to houses and agricultural land before turning gradually north and intersecting with the Old Colony Rail Trail at a bike rotary between miles 3 and 4. The rotary has maps and benches in its center for users of the trail. North of the rotary, the trail passes through a wooded area and crosses Route 6 via an overpass. Another parking area is located at the trail's intersection with Headwaters Drive, north of Route 6. It crosses Massachusetts Route 124 at mile 5 and runs along it until mile 7, passing several ponds and entering Brewster at mile 6.
The CCRT crosses Massachusetts Route 137 at mile 8 and then runs south of central Brewster. A parking area is located at Route 137, before the trail enters Nickerson State Park just past mile 10. It is in the park for about two-thirds of a mile, intersecting some of its trails, then crosses Massachusetts Route 6A by an underpass as it leaves the park. A parking lot is located near the Route 6A crossing.
The trail continues to cross Namskaket Creek into Orleans between miles 11 and 12. The crossing of Route 6 between miles 12 and 13, near exit 89 on the highway, constitutes the trail's only (and brief) on-road section. The trail follows Salty Ridge Road to West Road, where it turns right over the Route 6 overpass. It then turns left and leaves West Road heading northeast into downtown Orleans. The CCRT crosses Main Street just past mile 13; this area in downtown has several bike shops and dining establishments. A parking area is located off of Old Colony Way, named for the former railroad that the trail runs on. The landscape changes to a less dense residential area as it leaves downtown. The third crossing of Route 6 is an overpass just before mile 14 and just east of the Orleans rotary.
The trail enters Eastham shortly after this, at which point there is a large salt marsh, Boat Meadow Creek, on the west side of the trail. It was at this location that a rudimentary canal, Jeremiah's Gutter, had existed in the 1700s, allowing passage from Cape Cod Bay to the Cove area of Orleans. Around mile marker 15, the trail enters the residential section of Eastham, crossing Gov. Prence Road. The trail remains relatively straight through most of Eastham, and at-grade road crossings are fairly frequent. Locust Road, between miles 16 and 17, is a signed bike route to the Nauset Bicycle Trail (which brings cyclists and pedestrians to Coast Guard Beach) and the Salt Pond Visitor Center, as well as other points in the Cape Cod National Seashore. In the North Eastham area, just west of the trail's intersection with Brackett Road, there are bike shops as well as delis and a Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop. North of Brackett Road, the trail runs closer to Route 6 and several motels and restaurants on the east side of the highway are connected directly to the trail.
The CCRT enters Wellfleet near mile 19. Sparse residential development lies west of the trail, while the east side of the trail is fronted by a power line right-of-way, with undeveloped National Seashore land beyond that. North of mile 21, the trail intersects Marconi Beach Road, which leads to Marconi Beach and the Marconi Station site. Sparse development continues as the trail passess Lecount Hollow Road in Wellfleet. The road provides access to several Wellfleet town beaches. As of 2023, the trail terminated after 25.5 miles at the Wellfleet Hollow State Campground.[8]
Efforts to extend the bike path from the Wellfleet trailhead north to Provincetown have been under discussion for many years. Four possible routes were identified in 2011: a scenic corridor through the National Seashore, a share-the-road corridor of back roads west of Route 6, a corridor that follows the former railroad right of way (some of which is now privately owned), and a route that would take the bike path north along a power line right of way from South Wellfleet into Truro and then along Route 6 into Provincetown.[9] Construction has largely been halted past Wellfleet as of 2023.[8]
Westward expansion is planned to Route 132.[10]
In 2024, MassTrails grants for Phase 3 construction in Yarmouth and Barnstable, and Phase 4 design in Barnstable to the Sandwich town line, were awarded.[11][12]
All crossings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
| Town | Crossing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wellfleet | Lecount Hollow Rd. | Northeastern Terminus. Parking area. Restroom. |
| Cemetery Rd. | ||
| Marconi Beach Rd. | ||
| Eastham | Nauset Rd. | |
| Brackett Rd. | Restroom. | |
| Old Orchard Rd. | ||
 US 6
|
Underpass | |
| Kingsbury Beach Rd. | ||
| Locust Rd. | ||
| Samoset Rd. | ||
| Crosby Village Rd. | ||
| Bridge Rd. | ||
| Governor Prence Rd. | ||
| Orleans | Rock Harbor Rd. | Overpass |
| US 6
|
Overpass | |
| Canal Rd. | ||
| Jones Rd. | ||
| Locust Rd. | ||
| Main St. | Parking area. | |
| West. Rd. | Short on-road overlap | |
| US 6
|
Overpass | |
| Salty Ridge Rd. | Short on-road overlap | |
| Seaview Rd. | ||
| Brewster | Mitchell Ln. | |
 Route 6A
|
Underpass. Parking area. Restrooms. | |
| Ober Rd. | ||
| Millstone Rd. | ||
| Villages Dr. | Underpass | |
| Thad Ellis Rd. | ||
| Underpass Rd. | ||
| School Dr. | ||
 Route 137
|
Parking area. | |
| Fishermen's Landing Rd. | ||
| Brewster/ |  Route 124
|
(twice in a
row) |
| Harwich | Sequattom Rd. | |
| Route 124
|
||
| Headwaters Dr. | Parking area. | |
| US 6
|
Overpass | |
| Queen Anne Rd. | ||
 Old Colony Rail Trail
|
||
| Main St. | Underpass | |
| Lothrop Ave. | ||
| Great Western Rd. | ||
| Bells Neck Rd. | ||
| Depot St. | ||
| Dennis | Great Western Rd. | |
| So. Gages Way | ||
 Route 134
|
Overpass. Parking area. | |
| Main St. | Parking area. | |
| Dennis/Yarmouth | Bass River | Bridge |
| Yarmouth | North Main St. | |
| Dupont Ave | ||
| Station Ave. | Overpass. Parking area. | |
| Peter Homer Park | Southwestern terminus; joins existing trail to Higgins Crowell Road. |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is a 25.5-mile (41.0 km) paved rail trail located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The trail route passes through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet. It connects to the 6-plus mile (10 km) Old Colony Rail Trail leading to Chatham, the 2 mile Yarmouth multi-use trail, and 8 miles (13 km) of trails within Nickerson State Park. Short side trips on roads lead to national seashore beaches including Coast Guard Beach at the end of the Nauset Bike Trail in Cape Cod National Seashore. The trail is part of the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway.
The Old Colony Rail Trail is a paved rail trail located in Harwich and Chatham, Massachusetts. It occupies the Old Colony Railroad's abandoned Chatham Branch railroad right-of-way. Most of the trail follows roughly the path of the old railbed, except for deviations around the Chatham Municipal Airport and a utility yard in Harwich. Its west end connects to the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich at a bike rotary. A multi-use path along George Ryder Road is planned to separate trail users from auto traffic. $323,000 in state funding for design and construction was awarded in 2022.
The Cape Cod Central Railroad was a railroad in southeastern Massachusetts, more specifically in central Cape Cod. It was incorporated in 1861 to extend the Cape Cod Railroad from Yarmouth to Orleans through the towns of Dennis, Harwich and Brewster. The 18.7 mile line opened for service in December, 1865. The Cape Cod Central Railroad merged with the Cape Cod Railroad in 1868. Its line later became part of the Old Colony Railroad in 1872. In 1873, Old Colony finished extending the line to Provincetown. In 1887, the Chatham Railroad Company would complete its line from the original Cape Cod Central line at Harwich to Chatham, Massachusetts. Unlike the rest of the rail lines on Cape Cod which became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893 upon its lease of the entire Old Colony Railroad network, the Chatham line remained independent until 1905 when the New York, New Haven and Hartford contracted to operate the line. Regular passenger service to Provincetown ended in 1938 and in 1959 all passenger service operated by the company on Cape Cod ceased. Today, much of the original 1865 right-of-way of the Cape Cod Central Railroad is part of the popular Cape Cod Rail Trail, which runs from South Dennis to Wellfleet. Also, the Cape Cod Central Railroad name continues as a tourist railroad during the summer and fall months with service from Hyannis, although not on the lines of the original Cape Cod Central Railroad.
The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod. For many years the Old Colony Railroad Company also operated steamboat and ferry lines, including those of the Fall River Line with express train service from Boston to its wharf in Fall River where passengers boarded luxury liners to New York City. The company also briefly operated a railroad line on Martha's Vineyard, as well as the freight-only Union Freight Railroad in Boston. The OC was named after the "Old Colony", the nickname for the Plymouth Colony. From 1845 to 1893, the OC network grew extensively largely through a series of mergers and acquisitions with other established railroads, until it was itself acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad under a lease agreement on March 1, 1893, for its entire 617-mile (993 km) network. After this date, all trains, lines, and stations became known as the "Old Colony Division" of the huge "New Haven" system. During this period, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad enjoyed a virtual monopoly on all passenger and freight rail service in southern New England. Passenger service on the New Haven's Old Colony Division ended in 1959, except for the main line between Boston and Providence and other ex-Boston and Providence Railroad lines. Several lines have been restored to passenger service: the Plymouth/Kingston Line and Middleborough/Lakeville Line in 1997, and the Greenbush Line in 2007. The South Coast Rail project extended the Middleborough/Lakeville line in 2025 as the Fall River/New Bedford Line. Other parts of the former OC system continue to be used for freight service by CSX Transportation and other short line railroads, including the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad which operates on Cape Cod and in southeastern Massachusetts. Parts of the former OC on Cape Cod are also still used to operate the Cape Cod Central Railroad tourist train from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay during the summer and fall months. Another tourist railroad, the Old Colony and Newport Scenic Railway operates on part of the former OC from Newport on Aquidneck Island. Several abandoned portions of the OC have been converted into multi-use rail trails. These include the East Bay Bike Path in Rhode Island, as well as others in Lowell, Mansfield, Fairhaven, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail on Cape Cod.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.
