b'16721682, Nickerson purchases at Monomoit, A Rough Sketch Courtesy, The Chatham (MA) Historical SocietyW illiam Nickerson purchased land in Monomoit from the Monomoyick natives in 1656 without permission of the Colonial Court at Plymouth.At the same time eight other Europeans purchased lands here with such permission.A dispute arose and was settled when Nickerson paid 90 pounds to the others for conveyance of rights to him.Between 1672 and 1682 Nickerson acquired about 4000 acres by multiple purchases depicted at right.In the sketch Monomesset Island is now known as Strong Island and Quitnesset Island is now Morris Island.The breakthrough of the barrier beach is east of our Strong Island, like our 2007 inlet but 320 years before.Cotchpinicut Island rises between Ministers Point and Nauset Beach.There is a cut between mainland and now Morris Island, and that passage recurred in the 1830s.Our several south coastal estuaries (Sulphur Springs, Bucks Creek, Cockle Cove, Mill Creek, Red River) are shown as they were many years ago. 1795, A Map of Chatham TownCourtesy, Maps of AntiquityS ince Monomoit had been incorporated as the Town of Chatham on June 11, 1712, a Committee comprised of Joseph Howes, Benjamin Godfrey and Richard Sears, was chosen to compleat a map of Chatham.Their 1795 sketch shows roads, freshwater ponds and salt-water estuaries.Monomoy is shown as Monomoy Sanday Point.Note the many name changes: 1795 2012Monomoyick BayPleasant Bay Eldredge CoveRyders CoveCrowell Bay Crows PondLords PondLovers LakeHerring PondStillwater PondCrowells RiverFrost Fish CreekMill CoveMill PondTumblers CoveMill Creek(Their map shows no compass rose; north is at the bottom.The viewer needs to invert the map to relate it to todays maps and charts.)During Chathams early years, the economy was N based on agriculture (rye, corn, flax, sheep, hogs, cattle).There were several grist windmills.Later, cod and mackerel fishing and some whaling and shipbuilding created a maritime segment of the economy. 3'