In 1863, while recuperating from injuries in a runaway stagecoach accident, Henry Howard, later Rhode Island's governor, recognized the town's potential as a summer resort. In 1870, he launched the tourist industry here by building the first Howard House, which had 80 guest rooms. That hotel burned down in 1874. Cyrus Bunker built the second Howard House in 1878, and it was enlarged to hold 250 guests. The hotel was torn down in 1958.