History Project Logo

Charlotte Collection

Charlotte

Overview

The storyline of the trap boat "Charlotte" is, essentially, the history of trap boat fishing in Provincetown as seen through the entity of a single trap boat, the trajectory of its working life and, eventually, its brief resurrection and then permanent demise. Trap boat fishing was an environmentally sound concept and had its origins in the methods used for snaring and netting a catch of fish as devised by the indigenous American Indian who successfully fished Cape Cod's waters long before the white man followed in his footsteps. Using a stationary net with complicated arrangements for loading and then capturing whole schools of fish in significant numbers, it did not depend on methods of disturbing the bottom of fishing grounds nor on long trips offshore to coastal shelves where certain species congregate. In their heyday, trap boats hauled fish out of the traps by the thousands of pounds and the durable and sturdy trap boats, loaded to the gunnels with their catch, delivered them to the ice houses which cut and prepared and froze the catch for delivery to the markets. Furthermore, trap boat fishing constituted a healthy way of life and allowed the fisherman to follow a reasonable daily schedule: whereas, dragging for fish often provoked a taxing encounter with nature and sometimes a very deleterious one for both man and the environment upon which he depended for a living. [More...]

Showing all archives in the Charlotte collection
Images:
Items per page:
  • Color photo of CCRHS students in front of restored Charlotte
    Color photo of Cape Cod Regional High School students in front of the trapboat Charlotte, which...
    Collection: Charlotte
    Format: Photo
    Subjects: Boats and boating, Fish trapping, and Fishing boats--Massachusetts--Provincetown
  • Mailgram  Re Trapshed Demolition From Sec. of Transportattion
    Copy of telegram to S.Del Deo and J.Del Deo, Historic district March 18,1975 to Coast Guard to...
    Collection: Charlotte
    Format: Text
    Subjects: Atlantic Fisherman, Fish trade--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Fish trapping, Fisheries--Massachusetts--Provincetown--History, Fishing villages--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Historic Districts--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Historic buildings--Massachusetts-Provincetown, Industries, Provincetown (Mass.)--History--21st century, Provincetown Heritage Museum, Telegram, Weirs, West End (Provincetown, Mass.), and Wharfs
  • Trap Boat Charlotte Photograph of Cape Cod Tech Students
    Black and white photograph of Cape Cod Technical School students aboard the "Charlotte"...
    Collection: Charlotte
    Format: Photo
    Subjects: Atlantic Fisherman, Boats and boating, Cold Storages, Fish trade--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Fish trapping, Fisheries--Massachusetts--Provincetown--History, Fishing boats--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Historical museums--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Industries, Provincetown (Mass.)--History--20th century, Provincetown Heritage Museum, Waterfronts, and Weirs
  • Trap Boat Charlotte Photo June 1979
    Photograph of newly restored Trap Boat Charlotte being backed into the Heritage Museum yard...
    Collection: Charlotte
    Format: Photo
    Subjects: Atlantic Fisherman, Fish trade--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Fish trapping, Fisheries--Massachusetts--Provincetown--History, Fishing boats--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Fishing villages, Fishing villages--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Historical museums--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Provincetown (Mass.)--History--20th century, Provincetown Heritage Museum, Weirs, and Del Deo, Josephine
  • Freemans Wharf Trap Shed Demolition
    Shed wreckers strike at sunrise and demolish historic trap shed in the West End. (Article and photo)
    Collection: Charlotte
    Format: Newsprint
    Subjects: Atlantic Fisherman, Cold Storages, Commercial Street (Provincetown, Mass.), Fish trade--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Fish trapping, Fisheries--Massachusetts--Provincetown--History, Fishing villages--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Harbors--Provincetown--Mass, Historic Districts--Massachusetts--Provincetown, Historic buildings--Massachusetts-Provincetown, Industries, Provincetown (Mass.)--History--20th century, Weirs, West End (Provincetown, Mass.), and Wharfs
Images:
Items per page:

NOTICE: It appears you do not have Javascript enabled in your Web browser. To access some of the features on the site (including email links) you must enable Javascript and refresh the page.