The caption on this postcard says, “Fresh Water Pond near Bathing Beach — Turks Head Inn — Rockport Mass.” Although it’s not labeled as such, this appears to me to be Henry’s Pond, just across the street from Pebble Beach. Google Maps calls this Camborne Pond, but I’ve never heard that name before.

A Purple Gallinule

In 1875, Henry’s Pond gained widespread notoriety among birdwatchers and naturalists when a man named Robert Wendel shot a Purple Gallinule there. The bird is found in Florida, the Caribbean and South America, but rarely this far north. The shooting was reported in a number of journals and books. To this day, Henry’s Pond is a popular location for birdwatchers — and most Rockporters know the swans that live there.

The Turk’s Head Inn, mentioned in this postcard, was farther up South Street, at the location where the Cape Hedge Inn now stands.