Washburn Island is a island off the coast of
East Falmouth, Massachusetts
East Falmouth is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located at the base of Massachusetts' "fishhook" peninsula (''see map at right''). The population was 6,038 at th ...
within
Waquoit Bay
Waquoit Bay is a public national estuary, which is typically used as a research reserve. It is a part of Nantucket Sound and is located on the southern shore of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA. This bay forms the border of the towns of Falmouth a ...
. It is home to some primitive campsites and is part of the
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. It is part of the Town of
Falmouth, in
Barnstable County in the village of Waquoit.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the island was home to
Camp Washburn.
Ecosystem
Washburn Island contains marshes, sand dunes, and small ponds, and pine and oak trees make up the woods of the island.
History
Washburn Island was originally named Menauhant by the native people. At some points in time the island was owned as land by people. The island at one point had three farms on the island in the mid-nineteenth century, and parts of the island were cleared of trees in order to fit the farms as well as space for cattle to graze. Two of the three farms didn't last to see the end of the century.
The island was one of the last undeveloped coastal properties on Cape Cod. Washburn Island is bordered by the Seapit River and Eel Pond.
Various coastal storms caused the island to reconnect and separate from the mainland on and off, but, as of now, it is a true island.
Artifacts dating back 450–1000 years, including hammer flakes and shell middens, have been found on the island.
[ ]
In 1983, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts acquired the island in order to make it a state park of the state park system.
References
External links
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Coastal islands of Massachusetts
Islands of Barnstable County, Massachusetts
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