Bourne

Overview - Beaches - Points of Interest - Schools - Chamber of Commerce - Bourne Lodging

Overview

In 1627, Pilgrim leaders from Plimoth Plantation established a trading post along the Manomet River between the English colonists on Cape Cod Bay, Dutch colonists to the south beyond Buzzards Bay and Indians three miles to the north at Great Herring Pond.

Using wampum, the Pilgrims traded wool cloth, clay beads, sassafras and tobacco imported from Virginia; the Dutch traded linen cloth, metal tools, glass beads, sugar and other staples; and the Indians traded furs. As the area developed, it was named Bourne, after either Jonathan Bourne or the Rev. Richard Bourne (who donated to the Wampanoag Indians the land that eventually became the town of Mashpee).

With the construction of the Cape Cod Canal, Bourne was split in half. It remains the only town to occupy land on both sides of the canal. Aptucxet Trading Post, the first recorded commercial trading site in America, is on the Cape side and has been converted into a museum. showcasing 17^th Century firearms, furniture and cooking utensils. The Victorian train station built for President Grover Cleveland is also exhibited. The nearby Jonathan Bourne Historical Center overlooks the canal, as well.

Much of the Cape side of Bourne is occupied by the Massachusetts Military Reservation, consisting of Otis Air National Guard Base, Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, and Camp Edwards Army National Guard and Reserve Training Site. Every first weekend of August, Otis air base puts on a two-day open house and air show. The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is located on the other side of the canal.

Beaches

Monument Beach

Points of Interest

• Cape Cod Canal - The first major Cape Cod landmark tens of thousands of visitors lay eyes on annually. This Natural Historic Civil Engineering Landmark measures 480 feet across, is the widest sea-level canal in the world. Lined with scenic overlooks and multi-use trails on both sides, it is a popular tourist destination. The channel was opened in 1914 and stretches 17.4 miles up the coast. With a shifting tide every 6 hours, it is the only known waterway experiencing 4 daily high tides.
• Indian Burial Hill - One of the oldest burial grounds in the region, this hill rises on the mainland side of Bourne. It was the final resting place for many Wampanoag Indians. The area was closed to burials in 1810 after King Saul was put to rest. Christian Missionaries also dedicated a bronze plaque here in the 1800s to the Cape's Native American population. Located on Bournedale Road off Route 6.
• Bourne Scenic Park - This is one of the largest camping areas in the region. Located on the Route 6 scenic drive, this park is nestled between the Cape Cod Canal and local forest lands. It consists of 422 campsites and picnic facilities. It hosts many seasonal activities, as well.
• Aptucxet Trading Post and Village - Villagers traveled to this rustic homestead to trade goods and supplies as early as the 17th century. The building, completely reconstructed in the 1920s, still operates as it originally did some 250 years ago. It also features a relic salt operation, Indian artifacts and other exhibits.
• Bourne Railroad Bridge - Before this bridge was built in 1934, goods traveling off-Cape were unloaded and stacked on small rafts to cross the canal. The bridge is a single train track and runs 545 feet across the waterway. When raised for boats traveling through the canal, it stands 135 feet high.
• Herring Run - This brook fills every spring with alewives splashing their way upstream to spawn in inland fresh water. Years ago, town residents would catch their cache of fish here. The site is now a recreation area with picnic facilities. Located on the scenic drive off Route 6 on Bourne’s mainland side.

Schools

• Bourne High School 
  75 Waterhouse Drive, Bourne
  
• Ella F. Hoxie Elementary School
  30 Williston Rd., Bourne 
  
• James F. Peebles Elementary School 
  70 Trowbridge Road, Bourne 
  
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy
  101 Academy Drive, Bourne 
  
• Upper Cape Regional Vocational Technical School 
  220 Sandwich Road, Bourne 
  
• Waldorf School of Cape Cod 
  85 Cotuit Road, Bourne

<< Return to previous page