Truro Treasures – Opening Night Speaker Event

Nursery of seamen and fishermen – Pamet Harbor from 1830 to 1860  Tim Richards

Between 1830 and 1860, the seas were extraordinarily bountiful for Truro mariners. The town
was home to some of the most productive fishermen and respected sea captains in the country.
Dozens of businesses on and around the busy wharves of Pamet Harbor supported the fishing
and trading fleet. In 1836, 500 Truro men fished for mackerel and cod aboard 63 vessels,
making the Pamet the fifth largest fishing harbor in Massachusetts.
What was Pamet Harbor like in those years? What do we know about the business of fishing
aboard Truro schooners? How did the town become such an important maritime center?
What brought its era of seafaring leadership to an abrupt end? Tim Richards, who conducted
the research and prepared the panels for the current Highland House exhibit on Pamet Harbor
in the mid-19 th century, will answer those questions and more in this opening talk of Truro
Treasures 2023.