Bourne Information
Regardless
of what land road you take, Bourne is the "Gateway Town" to
Cape Cod. Bourne is located on both the mainland side of the Cape Cod
Canal and on the peninsula itself. The two highway access bridges to the
Cape are the Bourne and the Sagamore and are located in the town of Bourne.
These two, high-level
highway bridges over the canal and the railroad bridge at Buzzards Bay
were all constructed during the same period, from 1933 to 1935.
Bourne, a primarily
residential community with seven villages, hugs Buzzards Bay on both
sides of the Cape Cod Canal.
President Grover
Clevand was attracted to this community becuase of the trout, he decided
to set up his summer White house at Monument Beach in the 1890's. That
house is long gone, but one vestige - his personal train station - is
on view at the Aptucxet Trading Post Museum, a reconstructed version
of this country's first plance of commerce, where Piligrams traded with
Native Americans and the Dutch. Also visible from here - and from the
Cape Cod Canal bike path, which runs right past the post - is the intriguing
Vertical Lift Railroad Bridge, which was built in 1935; its track moves
up or down to permit passage, respectively of ships and trains. Cataumet
with its winding roads is the most upscale village in Bourne. Buzzards
Bay with its Main Street paralleling the Canal has most of the shops.
Somewhat introverted
and intent on its own old fashioned pleasures, Bourne is best savored
by those seeking the very, very quiet life.
Bourne has one
public beach: Monument Beach. though the beach is small and pebbly,
it's picturesque.
