Cape Cod: Articles: General, Getting Around -- post an article

Names That Fascinate

From the Cape Cod Canal all down the Cape to the tip where Provincetown clusters its old houses and people, there are only fifteen towns. Yet many of these towns have “villages,” and many of these villages have their own post offices. Nothing remarkable in that, but their number and their quaint Indian names do confuse visitors.

The towns are Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Orleans, Brewster, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, Chatham, Harwich, Dennis, Mashpee, Falmouth, Bourne and Provincetown.

In those fifteen towns are more or less tucked away such places as Quashnet, Coonamessett, Quissett, Cummaquid, Sippewissett, Popponesset, and Teaticket! Only the experienced visitor or the familiar resident can easily tell where in the world these villages â€” there are one hundred forty-three of them! â€” begin and leave off. Each fascinating name has its own interesting origin.

• tell-a-friend • link to this post •