Town Beach at West Island
Town Beach at West Island
Fairhaven, MA
Fairhaven, MA
A Community Service provided by
Welcome to West Island
Welcome to West Island
SEEN AND NOT HERD
Farm boys working at farms on Sconticut Neck got a good break from the tedious labor, spending the day at West Island. At low tide they could wade cows over to graze at the mostly vacant 700-acre island into the mid 1940's.
"It was a great place to let the bulls go over to graze and blow off steam, running along the beach and wander through the fields, teaming with deer." Said my dad, the late Louis Baron, who recalled his days working at farms on the neck as a kid. (left photo inset 15-years old). Louis, along with his seven brothers, like other teens at the time always had chores or work to do, with little idle time. The Baron family of 7 boys and 2 girls, grew up on Tootle Lane at the Fairhaven-Acushnet town line.
At one time, some brothers also helped lay the blue stone lining along the Cape Cod Canal, with rocks from the Blue Stone Quarry in Acushnet. Most of the brothers served their country during WWI and WW II, one didn't come home. Louis served aboard the Battleship Missouri and later would become North Fairhaven's favorite meat cutter and Polish Chef. His fondness for West Island never left his thoughts.
*ML's Note: During WWII, the island became a military outpost guarded by soldiers on horseback. The tower at town beach remains as a reminder, 80-years later. Someone asked how far back my roots go to West Island, and now they know, and thought I'd share., from this life-long townie. Compiled by MLBaron for westislandweather.com
SEEN AND NOT HERD
Farm boys working at farms on Sconticut Neck got a good break from the tedious labor, spending the day at West Island. At low tide they could wade cows over to graze at the mostly vacant 700-acre island into the mid 1940's.
"It was a great place to let the bulls go over to graze and blow off steam, running along the beach and wander through the fields, teaming with deer." Said my dad, the late Louis Baron, who recalled his days working at farms on the neck as a kid. (left photo inset 15-years old). Louis, along with his seven brothers, like other teens at the time always had chores or work to do, with little idle time. The Baron family of 7 boys and 2 girls, grew up on Tootle Lane at the Fairhaven-Acushnet town line.
At one time, some brothers also helped lay the blue stone lining along the Cape Cod Canal, with rocks from the Blue Stone Quarry in Acushnet. Most of the brothers served their country during WWI and WW II, one didn't come home. Louis served aboard the Battleship Missouri and later would become North Fairhaven's favorite meat cutter and Polish Chef. His fondness for West Island never left his thoughts.
*ML's Note: During WWII, the island became a military outpost guarded by soldiers on horseback. The tower at town beach remains as a reminder, 80-years later. Someone asked how far back my roots go to West Island, and now they know, and thought I'd share., from this life-long townie. Compiled by MLBaron for westislandweather.com
West Island of Fairhaven, Massachusetts is a small 735 acre island about 35 feet above sea-level at its highest point located off the historic seaport town in Buzzards Bay. The island is about 9750 feet long by 2600 feet wide. It is small enough to fit inside New York Central Park.
Activities include boating, swimming, fishing, bicycling, kite surfing, jet skiing, hiking trails, kayaking, recreational shell fishing, and sailing.
West Island also has it's own weather station for real time data and live web cams.
We hope that you can visit us on a regular basis to take advantage of all that WIWS has to offer: Up to the second weather information from 3 sites, great live streaming web cam views, items of personal and community interest, as well as some folksy history of this beautiful spot. We also hope that you can provide us with a donation, however small or large, to help us keep this great site going! Jeff Vercellone-West Island South Point Station
American flags fly from all 6 intersections of West Island's Causeway Rd. A tradition for Memorial Day and The Fourth of July.
One of the first naval engagements by the US Navy against the British in the Revolution took place right off shore. Its role in World War II with the vintage observation tower visible by land ,sea and air is by far one of the most prominent landmarks in Buzzard's Bay.
West Island's connection to The Mayflower, and the changes it has undergone from a simple place to fish and graze cows has evolved into a year round community of about 365 homes.
More than half of the island is a state reservation and park. Complete weather conditions, tides, and other information is provided by the island's own weather station at the Town Beach.
West Island Photo Galleries Enter Here
