Sagamore Beach

Book excerpt: Framed by a two-mile pristine beach with Victorian homes on an overlooking bluff, the Sagamore Beach area has a long history, beginning with the Native American trail that was the forerunner of today's Route 6A. Settlement began when the internationally known Christian Endeavor Society chose the area for a summer colony in 1905. Soon, it was a combined vacation, recreation, and religious community, as well as a haven for families, that hosted numerous activities, including speakers of national fame, conferences, and a traditional swim at eleven every morning. Among stories of colony life in Sagamore Beach are several early attempts to create the Cape Cod Canal. Sagamore Beach became a prime site for viewing the construction of jetties for the canal's east end, the building of Sagamore Bridge, and the first ships transiting the canal.