In the Beginning.
Two groups visited Whortleberry Island (also called Huckleberry Island) to put on Clambakes. Several members of the class of 1844, the first class to graduate from the "new" Providence High School, located on Benefit Street between Waterman and Angel Streets, known as the Benefit Street Boys, set sail in a borrowed Cat Boat on a Saturday in the sum of 1843, with some cooking utensils and landed on the island to enjoy some seafood. It was enjoyed so much that the venture was repeated frequently. Among the group were James H. Amrington, Benjamin W. Pearson and Benjamin C. Gladding, all charter members when the club was incorporated.
The second group, known as the Rowseville Boys, were mostly merchants on South Water Street and cotton buyers. Captain Shubael Cady, master of the Brig Rowse, usually arranged outings on the island. The two groups joined forces around 1868.
In 1870, the owner of Huckleberry Island objected to further use of the island for clambakes and a rocky promontory just north of the island was chosen to hold future outings Captain Cady announced that same year that he had bought Squantum Point from Charles Jackson for $2,200. The Squantum Club was organized and on December 12, 1870, the 2.74-acre tract of land was conveyed to Shubael Cady, Trustee.
A Constitution was drawn in 1871 and a Charter "for the purpose of Culture" was granted to the Squantum Association on March 13, 1872. Captain Shubael H. Cady was elected the first President and held that office until 1883.