Barnstable is the largest town, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. It is named for Barnstaple, Devon, England. The town was first explored by Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602. It was one of the first towns to be settled, in 1636, and was incorporated in 1639, as were the other Cape towns of Sandwich and Yarmouth. The early settlers were farmers, but soon fishing and salt works became major industries in town. By the end of the nineteenth century, there were some 800 ships harbored in the town. But this came to a decline with the rise of the railroad, which had arrived in 1854, and by steam ships.
By the late nineteenth century, however, Barnstable was becoming world-renowned as the tourist destination it is to this day. Many prominent Bostonians spent their summers on the Cape shores, as did Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Grover Cleveland. However, the most famous family to summer in the town was, and still is, the Kennedy family, who can still be found living in their compound in Hyannis Port. It was the summer home of President John F. Kennedy during his administration, and, in fact, Senator Ted Kennedy's home address is still listed as being in the town.
Today, tourists come in droves to the town during the summer months. There is abundant shopping in the quaint shops of Hyannis, as well as the John F. Kennedy Museum and several other museums. The town's many beaches are popular as well.
