Bourne is considered the gateway to Cape Cod. Whether one travels across the Bourne Bridge or the Sagamore Bridge to gain access to the Cape, the town of Bourne is inevitably en route. In 1884, Bourne was separated from the town of Sandwich and has grown into a community of distinct villages, including Buzzards Bay and Bournedale, Sagamore Beach, Sagamore, Bourne, Monument Beach, Pocasset, and Cataumet. Uniting all these communities is the Cape Cod Canal, which opened in 1914. Over the years, Bourne's economy has been bolstered by the cranberry industry, the iron foundries, and the Holway Axe factory. The Keith Car & Mfg. Co. began a booming business in town, starting by making covered wagons and eventually manufacturing railroad cars. From the dude train that brought men from the cities to join their families on weekends to the hotels, beaches, and seafood restaurants that catered to them, Bourne shares photographs of what life was like for visitors and residents of this tight-knit community.
