The story of the Cobb Trust started as a thoughtful decision made over a hundred years ago, that has enriched the lives of thousands of Barnstable Public School students and which will continue to do so long after students leave Barnstable High School for the world outside its doors.

In the late 1870's, Enoch Cobb, a farmer and merchant from Marstons Mills, having outlived his two wives and four children, bequeathed a gift of over 100 acres of woodlots to the Town of Barnstable and directed that all profits from the sale of the land and the wood be used for one purpose only: to purchase schoolbooks for the children of Barnstable.

In the 1930's, a state law was passed requiring towns to purchase schoolbooks for thier students.  As a result, the Cobb Trust lay unused for decades.  In the early 1970's, David Cole, an Osterville attorney, made it his life's work to resurrect Cobb's legacy so that it could, once again, enhance the education of every student in the Town of Barnstable.

David Cole's passion and dedication as the steward of Cobb's legacy allowed the Cobb Trust to flourish in ways that Enoch Cobb could never have imagined.  The same passion and dedication are exemplified in the commitment of the current trustee, former Barnstable High School Teacher Steve Heslinga.  Because of Heslinga's guidance and investment expertise, the Cobb Trust has grown exponentially, and thus has provided many of the unforgettable moments on each students educational journal.