Great changed came to Hyannis port and the surrounding area when three men from Framingham, Worcester, and Boston arrived in Hyannis and began buying up land from Craigville beach to Hyannis, including most of Hyannis Port, to form the Hyannis Land Company. The Town of Barnstable sold Squaw for $300.00

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The Land Company laid out roads and house lots, built spec houses for summer cottages, and aggressively advertised and promoted their venture from headquarters in Hyannis. They started a water system, but it was never fully functional. Houses had hand pumps in the kitchen and outhouses/ The roads were not paved; bicycles were popular or one rented a carriage. There was no gas or electricity.

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A number of houses in the village, including the Swiss cottages on Washington, the two Fiske Cottages On Dale Ave, with the Gothic style windows) were flaked and built,

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Hallett House was built in 1873 for summer visitors not ( yet) owning a cottage. It became the social center with theatricals, weekly dances, minstrel shows, a billiard room and a bowling alley!

 

The Port View Hotel was Built near the Pier. (1895)

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The Marchant Freeman's house on Dale avenue became the Bella Vista Hotel with a lovely veranda.

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In 1873 a Post office was reopened on Wachusetts Ave (current Ludtke house, across from Union Chapel )

Besides picking up the mail, one could buy penny candy and ice cream,. George Makepeace was the postmaster, assisted by his wife. According to Paul Herrick, she was fond of reading everyone's post cards.   

 

There was no real grocery store Meat and bread was deliver by cart from Hyannis bi- weekly. However, many people didn't bother with cooking and took their meals at various boarding houses. Some things never change.

By the late 1870s, cracks were showing in the Land Company: mortgages, ownerships being switched back and forth between the three principle developers and their wives, non payment of taxes resulting in distress auctions. By 1879, the Land Company went under. however, Hyannis Port properties were still being bought up, more houses built and more families coming permanently for the summer.

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