THE POW BOTTLE FOUND AT POINT ISABELLA
In January, landscaper Shane Adams uncovered an old wine bottle while working near the shore in the Point Isabella neighborhood (the site of Camp Candoit during World War II). Much to his amazement, he saw it contained notes, apparently written by German POWs on the blank side of a “Quaker Rice Flakes Serva Carton” cereal box in 1944. Recognizing its probable historical value, he graciously turned his find over to HSSC. In the days that followed, the recently exhumed bottle basked in a flurry of media attention from the likes of the Cape Cod Times, Boston Globe, WBZ-TV News and Boston 25 News (WFXT). I mean, who gets their picture running virtually life-size on Page 1 of the Times? But the bottle did.
The bottle is now in storage at the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover. They’ve already solved one tricky issue: removing the thin cardboard from the bottle without harming either paper or glass. From this we learned the German prisoners behind this time capsule were Lothar Gerner, Andreas Wollny and Johann Huppertz. We’d like to locate their families at some point, because (1) they’d surely be thrilled, and (2) we’d love to learn more about these POWs’ experience on Cape Cod.
Our hope is to raise funds so the NEDCC can proceed with its recommended conservation of the paper fragments as well as some optional work that will allow us to show it to advantage. This would include cleaning, mending, stabilizing and flattening the paper as well as providing photographic documentation. Conservators have suggested they also create facsimiles of the original paper fragments—to be inserted into the bottle to replicate its appearance when Shane Adams first discovered it. This way, visitors will be able to see both the “before” and “after.” This work would total $2,375.
THE WAMPANOAG ARTIFACT PROJECT
In summer 2022, former Cotuit resident Harry Nickerson gave the Historical Society his beloved collection of some two thousand Wampanoag artifacts, including projectile points, pottery shards and stone tools—most of which he found here locally between 1954 and 1984. His impressive donation came just when we’d been discussing ways to give greater emphasis to Cotuit’s original settlers.
Hyannis archeologist Dan Zoto has contracted with us to catalog the Native American artifacts, including dating the objects, identifying materials and photographing a representative selection. He will also interpret the collection, adding to our understanding of Wampanoag life in the Cotuit area; and he’ll assist us in creating a permanent exhibition.
His fee for this massive project, which will take him four to five months, is $6,000. Cotuit residents Pieter and Tommy Burgess generously donated $1,000. (Pieter, who won the money in the 50/50 raffle we held in 2020, always expressed her intent to return it to HSSC in support of a Wampanoag-related program.)