Long before the Pilgrims stumbled upon Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold "discovered" the place – or so he thought. The Nauset tribe was already there.

Gosnold shuffled off to discover other places already occupied by the Wampanoag: Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and New Bedford, as we now know them.

Since Gosnold's 1602 discovery, Provincetown has come into its own, first as a fishing and whaling community, then as a center for culture and tourism.

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Karen Christel Krahulik wrote in her 2007 book, Provincetown: From Pilgrim Landing to Gay Resort that Portuguese sailors, mainly from the Azores settled into Provincetown after the American Revolution to work in the fishing industry.

A severe ocean storm in 1898 destroyed the fishing industry giving rise to the arts community.

In the early 20th century, the experimental theatrical company Provincetown Players linked Provincetown to Greenwich Village, New York. The Cape Cod School of Art was founded during this period.

Visit Provincetown says, "The town started to promote itself as a tourist destination to aid the economy after the storm of 1898, which adversely affected the fishing community."

"Artists, with their bohemian style, were some of the first visitors of Provincetown," the site says.

How Provincetown Came To Be So Gay
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The site says, "The 1920s and '30s were when the presence of gays and lesbians increased over that of artists, writers, dramatists, poets, romantics, and journalists. These new arrivers found inspiration in the beauty of this town with its avant-garde freedom."

"They played a role in the development of the artistic colony here, and they participated in the development of modern American theater," the site reports.

Gradually the habitants became "year-rounders," investing in the community by purchasing inns and creating local businesses.

The Provincetown Business Guild says, "Starting in the 1950s, various businesses and entertainers began to tiptoe out of the closet. By the historic Stonewall Riots of 1969, the town exploded with activism and visual queer expressions of art, culture, and politics."

"Provincetown had finally earned a worldwide reputation as a LGBTQ safe haven," it says.

Provincetown has some of the most beautiful beaches in Massachusetts, great restaurants and shops, and a chill atmosphere for all to enjoy.

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