Delving Into the History of the Cape Cod Canal

With the summer fast approaching, some of us will again create fond memories of our time on Cape Cod. The beaches, the waves, and the cool breezes remind us why we love the Cape. However, we do not have fond memories of the times spent waiting to cross the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges over the Cape Cod Canal to reach our destinations. The waiting can be an hour or more, especially on the weekends, and you may ask yourself, “Why do we have those bridges?” The history of those bridges is intrinsically linked to the Cape Cod Canal whose initial conception goes back to the 1800s. The State Library of Massachusetts has primary and secondary sources for both research and personal curiosity.

The concept of building the Cape Cod Canal started back to the late 1700s as described in an article from Cape Cod Magazine. The Massachusetts legislature began considering a canal as early as 1860 through House legislation prompted by the suggestion of Governor Nathaniel P. Banks. The author Clemens Herschel describes the early proposal and how it would affect the people living in the Canal area. The General Court’s Committee on Harbors and Public Lands had many sessions regarding the Canal as outlined in the book titled Hearing as to Incorporating the Bass River Canal Company from 1893 that provides an excellent history of what happened during those sessions.

The impetus for a Canal continued for decades with frustration mounting as discussed in the pamphlet  titled Cape Cod Canal. There were different proposals regarding the exact location of the Canal from Cape Cod Bay to Buzzards Bay. Hand drawn maps in the Special Collections Department illustrate those different approaches with examples including one map by the Massachusetts Commission on Waterways and Public Lands from 1917 showing one approach and the Massachusetts Board of Internal Improvement showing another very early approach.

Sagamore Bridge Construction

Since those times, several books have been written on the subject. One of the earliest was a book by George Everett Burbank in 1916 with more recent books including a book by William James Reid in 1961 and Robert H. Farson in 1993.

The State Library and its Special Collections Department have other resources for those interested in the history, issues, and construction of a major civil engineering project in Massachusetts. Search for materials in our library at www.mass.gov/lib or visit us during our hours of operation to delve into a fascinating and complex story.

Francis Alix

Cataloging Librarian