Between the town's bicentennial celebration in 1912 and the start of the Second World War, Chatham was transformed from an undiscovered fishing village into a popular tourist destination. As hemlines rose and an old way of life began to collapse, a curious cast of characters put Chatham on the national map. Local author Debra Lawless investigates five prominent residents--Harold C. Dunbar, Alice Walker Guild, Heman Andrew Harding, Joseph C. Lincoln and Alice Stallknecht Wight--whose lives changed Chatham's landscape forever. From the Twin Lights to the dark side of town, discover the hidden truth--theft, racial tension, even murder--of this supposed Eden.
Debra Lawless is a freelance writer living in Chatham. She earned a BA in history and classics at Stanford University and an MS in journalism at Boston University. A native of Providence, Rhode Island, she has worked for several newspapers and as a political press secretary. Currently, she writes for the Cape Cod Chronicle, specializing in books and authors. She is interested in historic preservation and the visual arts and is a member of the Chatham Historical Society, where Alice Stallknecht's murals are now on display.