The village of Hatchville on Cape Cod boasts a rich history that began in 1740 with the first Hatch settler. Join author Les Garrick on a journey from the founding of Hatchville to the rise of the cranberry, poultry and dairy industries. Against all odds, the village has preserved this heritage, and today Hatchville remains horse and farm country. In 1915, Charles R. Crane purchased fourteen thousand acres of land, which his family turned into the Coonamessett Ranch Company, a model farm for locals that later turned into a resort. In 1986, dedicated individuals formed a land trust to preserve the remaining wildness of historic Hatchville, while local neighbors held the line against development. Uncover the stories of the land and the local heroes of historic Hatchville.

The seven-mile Falmouth Road Race catapulted Cape Cod onto the running radar. Frank Shorter winning gold in the 1972 Olympic marathon inspired local barkeep Tommy Leonard to start a race in his own town. That inaugural race in 1973 garnered fewer than one hundred runners. Participation soon swelled to the thousands, thanks to the success of organizers, volunteers, and talented fields, including running legends like Bill Rodgers and Catherine Ndereba, as well as wheelchair champions Bob Hall and Tatyana McFadden. Follow author Paul C. Clerici along every bend and uphill battle of the race's history from the early stages of the running boom to resetting the road-racing calendar.

Falmouth began as a farming and fishing town with an active wooden ship-building industry along the Presumpscot River Estuary. The town later developed a number of small villages, each with a post office, stores, and its own school. Following the Civil War, the population dropped and did not begin to increase until the beginning of World War II. Wealthy Portland residents and out-of-state visitors established summer estates in Falmouth Foreside. With the introduction of the automobile and the electric trolley in the early 1900s, the Falmouth Foreside and West Falmouth areas enjoyed an influx of people who could live in Falmouth and work in Portland. After World War II, Falmouth continued to increase in size as roads were improved and more houses were built. Today Falmouth remains a growing community with extensive retail, health, retirement, and service facilities.

The settling of Falmouth is a proud and powerful story with unexpected heroes, remarkable achievers, and unforgettable characters. The faces and stories of Falmouth range from the town's rebellious founding father, Jonathan Hatch, to the much-loved journalist Kitty Baker. Falmouth's past and present have always been marked by exceptional creativity and genius in the arts, sciences, and business. Falmouth, it can be said, is a town with a talent for allowing individuals to follow their unique paths. Witness Rachel Carson pursuing her lost birds and marine life at Woods Hole, Gus Canty pursuing his dreams through town sports, and James Miskell Sr. beginning the 100-year family legacy of Wood Lumber Company. This cavalcade of residents is presented in chapters on Falmouth founders, maritime folk, newcomers, and creative entrepreneurs, and it appeals to all who ever wished to be a part of small-town living.

In her critically acclaimed, ingenious memoir, Sarah Messer explores America’s fascination with history, family, and Great Houses. Her Massachusetts childhood home had sheltered the Hatch family for 325 years when her parents bought it in 1965. The will of the house’s original owner, Walter Hatch—which stipulated Red House was to be passed down, "never to be sold or mortgaged from my children and grandchildren forever"—still hung in the living room. In Red House, Messer explores the strange and enriching consequences of growing up with another family’s birthright. Answering the riddle of when shelter becomes first a home and then an identity, Messer has created a classic exploration of heritage, community, and the role architecture plays in our national identity.

"A history of the Cape Cod village of Hatchville"--

The Virginia Landmarks Register, fourth edition, will create for the reader a deeper awareness of a unique legacy and will serve to enhance the stewardship of Virginia's irreplaceable heritage.