Why did they name it Horseneck Beach and whose idea was it anyway? I don't know for sure, but I found a theory.

Since moving to Dartmouth in 2020, my wife and I have become quite fond of exploring the many backroads of our adopted town and next-door Westport. Having traveled our country extensively in recent years, I can say with certainty that the beauty of this region measures up nicely with what's out there.

How Did Westport's Horseneck Beach Get It's Name Anyway?
Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
loading...

Horseneck Beach, or Horseneck State Reservation, is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Before becoming everyone's favorite place to cool off on a hot summer's day, farmers would graze animals at Horseneck, according to the Westport Historical Society's publication Westport.

"There are actually two Horseneck beaches, East Beach and West Beach, and they developed quite differently," the society wrote. In the early 1800s "many acres of Horseneck Beach were devoted to the cranberry industry."

How Did Westport's Horseneck Beach Get It's Name Anyway?
Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
loading...

Construction of the Westport Bridge wasn't complete until 1894, connecting the mainland to the beaches, but the area had already begun to attract summer tourists and some permanent residents. By the early 1900s, there was talk of running a rail line between Horseneck Beach and Dartmouth's Lincoln Park. It never happened.

Get our free mobile app
How Did Westport's Horseneck Beach Get It's Name Anyway?
Suzanne Richard used with permission
loading...

So how did Horseneck Beach get its name? The Westport Historical Society stated that "Horseneck Beach is thought to derive its name from the Algonquian word hassanegk, meaning cellar dweller or a house made of stone."

Native Americans occupied the area in Westport known as Acoaxet in the 17th century.

How Did Westport's Horseneck Beach Get It's Name Anyway?
Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
loading...

It could also be because someone thought the area was shaped like a horse's neck.

Horseneck Beach is a beautiful place with a rich history. I hope you get to enjoy it.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420