Bourne

Many tourists rush over Bourne’s bridges each year to hit beaches in other Cape Cod towns. Those who stop soon discover Bourne’s charm, soft sand and sweeping views, the same former U.S. President Grover Cleveland and his family so enjoyed. 

Originally part of Sandwich, Bourne became its own town in 1884, just before summer resident Cleveland’s first presidential term. Residents named their community after Jonathan Bourne, a native who found riches in New Bedford’s whaling boom and pushed the incorporation through while serving as a state legislator. 

But the bigger change for Bourne, Sandwich and all Cape Cod was still ahead. People dating back to Capt. Miles Standish of Plymouth Colony had talked about building a canal to shorten boat trips and stop the deadly, all-too-common shipwrecks, but it wasn’t until 1909 that New York financier August Perry Belmont Jr. began the bold construction.                                                                                                      

Belmont’s canal opened in 1914, only to face financial and safety challenges. The federal government bought him out in 1928 for $11.5 million, then revamped the bridges and expanded the canal. Today, each side is lined with paved pathways, making the canal both a vital aid to ships on the eastern seaboard and a beloved recreational pastime.