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2010 NICKERSON FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION September 10-13, 2010 Just over 100 years ago, after multiple starts and delays, the Cape Cod Canal project finally broke ground. Five years later, with much hoopla, the Canal opened for traffic. It was 8 miles long, 100 feet wide and 15 feet deep.
Our Welcome Party will be aboard the Viking, a tour boat that will take us for a cruise on the Canal with a guide pointing out the sights and telling us about its history. We board in the little village of Onset, a charming waterfront community. Plan to arrive early for a stroll through the town. We can board at 4:30 and depart promptly at 5PM. Refreshments will be provided with a cash bar available. There is a small parking fee to park by the boat but if you don't mind a little walk, parking is free in the village. Saturday morning we'll have our registration and Annual Meeting at the Canal Club in Bourne. The Canal Club is on the ground floor of the Quality Inn. We will have coffee and refreshments as we get acquainted and reacquainted with our Nickerson cousins. President Brian Nickerson will welcome us, and Laura Prescott will tell us about the progress of Book V of the Nickerson Genealogy. Park Ranger, Samantha Gray, will give an interesting presentation about the Cape Cod Canal. Lunch will be served on the premises. Saturday afternoon we will explore on our own. There is so much to do in this area that you can choose afternoon activities to suit your own interests. Your welcome bag will have information and maps of recommended sights in the local area including the Canal Visitor's Center, the National Maritime Life Center, Herring Run Visitors Center, Pairpoint Glass Works, Heritage Museum and Gardens, the Thornton Burgess Museum, and the Sandwich Glass Museum. For those wanting to explore a little further, Brian Nickerson will lead a caravan along Route 28 south to Saturday evening we will meet at the historic Daniel Webster Inn in Sandwich for cocktails and dinner. Our speaker will be Kathy Zagzebski, Executive Director of the National Maritime Life Center. She will tell us about efforts to save endangered species and rescue stranded marine animals.
Please make your reservations early so our volunteers can prepare for your visit. Once we have your reservation, we will send maps and directions to the various venues. This Reunion is one you don't want to miss. See you in September! SCHEDULE OF EVENTS| Friday, September 10 10 AM to 4 PM - Research Center Open 1 PM - Tour of National Marine Life Center 5 PM to 7 PM - Togethering Welcome Party aboard
Saturday, September 11 9 AM - Registration and Coffee, Canal Club, Bourne 10 AM - Annual Meeting 11 AM - Laura Prescott, Genealogist, will report on the progress of Book V of the Nickerson Genealogy. Samantha Gray, Park Ranger, will give us a history of The Cape Cod Canal 12 NOON - Lunch 1 PM to 4 PM - Self guided tour of the Canal area 5:30 to 6:30 PM - Social Hour at the Daniel Webster Inn(cash bar) 6:30 PM - Dinner followed by a program by Kathy Zagzebski of the National Marine Life Center Sunday, September 12 10 AM to 4 PM - Research Center Open 10 AM - Church Service, First Congregational Church, Chatham 12:30 PM - Nickerson Family Picnic and Caleb House Open Hearth Cooking Monday, September 13 10 AM to 4 PM - Research Center Open
When looking for lodging on Cape Cod, go to your computer for help. There are lots of sites with just the information you need. For general info go to: www.tripadvisor.com, for hotel, motel and B&B lodging www.weneedavacation.com, for house and cottage rentals Request information for Bourne, Buzzards Bay, Sagamore, Onset, and Sandwich In Bourne, the Quality Inn (1 509 759 0800), has moderate accommodations plus a nice restaurant. We will have our annual meeting here on Saturday. A 10% discount is offered for AARP and AAA members. In Sandwich, the Dan'l Webster Inn, (www.danlwebsterinn.com), has lovely rooms and suites. There is a 10% discount for Reunion members. We will have our Saturday evening banquet here. Also in Sandwich, check out www.sandwichma.com for lots of B&B's, inns, and motels. On the mainland side of the Canal, you can choose from several guest houses and inns in Onset Village plus the Buttermilk Bay Inn and the Bay Motor Inn in Buzzards Bay. ACTIVITIES You will receive lots of information including brochures, maps and a list of any entrance fees for museums in the Canal area as well as Falmouth and Woods Hole. Some of the highlights include The Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich which has several museums; one of the museums is housed in a round shaker barn reproduction with two levels of vintage cars. You could easily spend 3 hours at this site alone. Also in Sandwich, the Thornton Burgess Museum is a small delight right in the middle of the village. The Sandwich Glass Museum is worth a visit; if you are pressed for time, you can visit the gift shop without paying the entrance fee for the tour! In Bourne, the Aptuxet Trading Post is a fascinating bit of history. The Herring Run Visitor's Center has some lovely hiking trails. At the Pairpoint Glass Blowing Shop you can watch the glassblowers at work. If you stay on the Cape before and after the reunion, you might have time to see all of these places! There are lots of things to see and do around the reunion but the most important thing to do is make your reservations early. Mark your calendar now for this special time "togethering" with your cousins in the Nickerson Family Association. Please direct any questions to: Pam Bailey, Reunion Coordinator: pambailey1452@comcast.net
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Nickerson Family Association, Inc., P.O. Box 296, North Chatham, MA, 02650-0296 |
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It was so treacherous that many ocean going ships chose to go the old way around the Cape. The Canal of today, rebuilt by the Army Corps of Engineers as a WPA project during the Depression, is 500 feet wide and much straighter than the zigzagging original. They also built two bridges that we still use today as well as a railroad bridge. 
The Nickerson Family Association Reunion begins on Friday, September 10th. The Nickerson House in Chatham will be open all day for visiting and doing research. At 1PM we will meet with Pam Bailey, Reunion Coordinator, at Buzzards Bay Park adjacent to the National Marine Life Center. It is a short walk to the Center where we will be guided through the exhibits. After our tour we can walk along the Canal to enjoy the beautiful view. 
Falmouth and Woods Hole. 
Sunday we are invited to attend the 10AM service at the First Congregational Church in Chatham, founded by William Nickerson. At 12:30PM, we will gather at the Nickerson House in North Chatham for our annual picnic. .Maureen Leavenworth will be preparing delicious foods on the open hearth for us to sample followed by a catered barbecue lunch. Volunteers will be available to help with research.