PILGRIM MONUMENT CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

QUICK, NAME THE LANDMARK IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT MARKS THE SPOT WHERE THE PILGRIMS FIRST LANDED IN THE NEW WORLD. PLYMOUTH ROCK? TRY AGAIN. SOARING MORE THAN 250 FEET ABOVE PICTURESQUE PROVINCETOWN HARBOR AT THE VERY TIP OF CAPE COD IS THE NATION'S TALLEST ALL-GRANITE STRUCTURE, A 100 YEAR OLD MONUMENT AT THE PLACE WHERE THE MAYFLOWER INITIALLY DROPPED ANCHOR AFTER ITS PERILOUS JOURNEY FROM ENGLAND. IMPRESSIVE AS THE TOWER MAY BE, ITS STORY SURPRISES MANY VISITORS WHO SINCE CHILDHOOD HAVE LEARNED ONLY THE ICONIC TALE OF PILGRIMS, PLYMOUTH ROCK AND THE FIRST THANKSGIVING, AND LITTLE IF ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED FIRST. 'THEY'RE SHOCKED', SAID LAUREL GUADAZNO, EDUCATION AND PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE PILGRIM MONUMENT AND PROVINCETOWN MUSEUM. OFTEN TOURISTS ASK: 'REALLY? HOW COME WE WEREN'T TOLD THAT?' GUADAZNO SAID. PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE THE MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS SPENT ONLY ABOUT FIVE EVENTFUL BUT DIFFICULT WEEKS IN THEIR FIRST LANDING SPOT BEFORE A SEARCH PARTY SCOUTED OUT PLYMOUTH HARBOR, ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST ACROSS CAPE COD BAY, AND DETERMINED IT TO BE A MORE SUITABLE LOCATION FOR A PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. ON THURSDAY, THE MONUMENT WILL CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF ITS DEDICATION ON 5.AUGUST.1910. A PARADE, CONCERT AND FIREWORKS ARE PLANNED. CARRYING ENGLISH SEPARATISTS AND OTHER SETTLERS, THE MAYFLOWER'S ORIGINAL DESTINATION WASN'T MASSACHUSETTS AT ALL BUT THE HUDSON RIVER IN WHAT WAS THEN PART OF VIRGINIA COLONY. THE SHIP WAS BLOWN OFF COURSE, AND THE PILGRIMS ARRIVED AT WHAT IN NOW PROVINCETOWN ON 21.NOVEMBER.1620. THE CAPE COD PILGRIM MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION, FOUNDED IN 1892, COMMISSIONED THE PROVINCETOWN MONUMENT IN AN EFFORT TO SET THE HISTORICAL RECORD STRAIGHT. MODELED BY ITS ARCHITECT AFTER THE TORRE DEL MANGIA IN SIENNA, ITALY, THE TOWER WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR THE MODEST SUM OF $92,000, WITH $40,000 PAID BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REST RAISED THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS. THE EFFORT CERTAINLY GOT ATTENTION AT THE TIME. PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT LAID THE CORNER STONE FOR THE MONUMENT IN 1907 AND PRESIDENT WILLIAM TAFT WAS ON HAND FOR THE DEDICATION CEREMONY IN 1910. JAMES BAKKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MONUMENT, CONCEDES THAT PLYMOUTH PROBABLY HAS DONE A BETTER JOB OF SELLING ITS STORY, BUT THE TOWER IS MORE IMPRESSIVE.