main road runs to the Sandwich line and the central and lower Cape.

Southerly the town extends toward Falmouth and along the line of the
Woods Hole branch railroad lie the summer resort villages of
Monument Beach, Pocasset and Cataumet. These resorts are popular
from their sightly location along the shores of Buzzards Bay. The
views are entrancing, the waters of the bay are suitable for warm
sea bathing and boating is here a sport that is at its best. Back of
these villages lie woodlands extending easterly to Sandwich and
Mashpee.

Among the pioneers of Bourne are recognized Ebenezer Nye, John Smith,
Elisha Bourne, John Gibbs, Jr., Benjamin Gibbs and others who
followed them. The land was purchased from the Indians and permanent
homes were early established there.

In 1717 a unique proposal was made in the General Court for the
assessment of the towns on the Cape for the building and maintenance
of a fence from Peaked Hill cliffs on the Massachusetts bay side to
the head waters of Buzzards bay on the other side, to keep the
wolves of Plymouth county from invading Barnstable county where they
destroyed sheep and caused other destruction. Had the project gone
through it would have been a practical fencing off of the entire
Cape from the rest of the continent.

Probably the thing of greatest interest to tourists today in the
town of Bourne is the Cape Cod canal. It completely bisects the town
along its eight mile course through the land and is of never failing
interest to all strangers. Traffic passing through, consisting of
tugs towing barges, colliers, of large and small tonnage, freight