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On March 28, 1921, the Chairman of the Committee on Chapters of
the AMC Boston sent a letter to all AMC members residing in Rhode
Island requesting their opinion on the desirability of forming a
Rhode Island Chapter. On June 16, 1921, a meeting was called and
presided over by Frederick H. Perkins, Vice President of the AMC, and
a member of the Committee on Chapters. The ten members present voted
to organize a Chapter to be known as the “Narragansett Chapter
of Rhode Island” and to include all members residing in the
State. Herbert W. Rice was elected Chairman.
The first outing was held on October 8, 1921, and autos were taken
to Camp Pynoke on Lake Wawaloam in Exeter, where lunch was served to
26 members. During the following year, several outings were taken –
many of which were by electric trolley cars to various hiking
locations. One trip was by auto to the new Providence Water Supply
System at Scituate. Many hiking events were to follow, as evidenced
in a chronology of local hiking activities,
a pictorial album from a collection by Elizabeth Weeks, and others.
A Trails Committee was formed, and by 1927, the committee reported
the opening up of the Old Indian Trail in South County from Shannock
to the Ocean. This was the beginning of a vital program. The
Narragansett members pioneered the development of much of the present
45 miles of trail system in the southern part of Rhode Island.
Conservation promotion also had its beginning in 1927, when the
Narragansett Chapter contributed $125 to the AMC for purchase of 125
trees in Franconia Notch. The Notch timberland had suffered from
destructive lumbering. Conservation and environmental issues
continue to be one of the prime purposes of the club, as Narragansett
continues its cooperation with other dedicated organizations to
protect and preserve the fragile ecology.
In the early days, the Chapter’s material assets were nearly
nonexistent. An inventory of Chapter property, required by Council
on June 12, 1923, revealed the following: one coffee pot - $.50; one
card index - $1.00; and stamped envelopes - $.16, for a total value
of $1.66.
Members had interest in a clubhouse, and, thus, a Building
Committee was appointed in 1922. The Committee recommended a
campsite on the southerly side of Waterman Reservoir in Glocester.
Again, in 1930, the matter of a Chapter Lodge in South County,
near Wordens Pond was discussed and a committee formed to study and
report. In March 1931, it was voted to accept an offer for the lease
of a building, known as the John Knowles House on Old Kingston Road
in the Town of South Kingstown, RI for a nominal rent. The original
lease for five years was renewed for another five years in 1936. The
building was badly in need of repair, and required many work parties
to restore it. By May 30, the Lodge was “attractive and
comfortable” and was to be known as the “Narragansett
Lodge”.
For ten years the members of the Chapter enjoyed this “ideal
spot”. However, in 1941, according to a history prepared by
Jane Moore Kruger, “through the carelessness and
thoughtlessness of members and guests (we shall never know who was to
blame), a nearly serious fire, and ignorant picking of a large
bouquet of protected Lady Slippers, cost the Narragansett Chapter the
use of the Lodge. It was a bitter lesson.”
In the early 1940s, through the friendship of Paul Matteson, of
Cambridge, MA, and an AMC member, the use of the charming Swiss
Chalet, with its friendly fireplace and beautiful location in North
Kingstown, near the Gilbert Stuart birthplace, was made available to
the Chapter. In 1971 the Chapter was allowed to become a provisional
member and to purchase two shares in the Pausacaco Lodge Association
for $500 each. The Lodge provided the Chapter with many wonderful
outings throughout the years that included hiking,
canoeing and parties.
In 1980, after the passing of the Chapter’s friend, Paul
Matteson, the Association had a change of heart and voted to cancel
the membership of AMC.
In 1960, at the 40th Annual Meeting, Alice Golden summarized
Chapter activities for the first forty years. A quote from her
account follows:
"In 1941 and 1942, one finds mention made at the Annual
Meeting of the New England Trail Conference that 21 miles of new
trail has been built in Rhode Island by the Narragansett Chapter.
This established connections between Dawley State Park and the Beach
Pond area for the first time. Of more importance, however, it saved
this area of State Park Land from reverting to private ownership. It
also provided ready access to recreational areas in Connecticut. The
late George B. Utter, Chapter member and editor of the Westerly Sun,
played an important role in the success of this project."
Both George Utter, better known to us as “Ben” Utter,
and his successor as Trails Committee Chairman, John Hudson, have
passed on, but they are remembered today in trails bearing their
names.
The Rhode Island Division of Forestry, Parks and Parkways, and the
State Planning Board, sought the cooperation and advice of the
Narragansett Chapter in listing existing hiking trails and planning
for future locations.
Activities have been numerous and
varied from one period to another, depending upon the interests of
the membership.
Rock climbing was introduced in the late 1920s, and climbers
explored the Seekonk Ledges, Diamond Hill, Catamint Quarries, and
Fewnners Quarry. Miriam and Robert Underhill were leaders in this
program. Rock climbing is, once again, an active part of our
programs.
In the early 1930s, with the introduction of downhill skiing, the
Chapter organized instruction classes for the public and the
membership, and were active in the development of the Diamond Hill
Ski Area. Snow trains from Providence to Franconia, and other New
Hampshire ski areas were very popular and well attended.
Cross-country skiing also was, and still is, a popular activity for
many members.
In 1958 and 1959 a Canoe Committee was formed. The Chapter
purchased six aluminum canoes, a trailer and necessary equipment, and
maintained an active canoeing program for many years. The chapter
still continues both a flatwater and whitewater program.
Hiking, as a new Chapter activity, has proven very popular with
many members in the last decade. Hiking and backpacking continue to
be popular activities, both at the local level and in the North
Country.
With the changes in membership policies made by the Appalachian
Mountain Club, there has been a dramatic increase in the membership
of both Chapter and the AMC. As of the end of October 1995, there
were approximately 1,477 members in the Narragansett Chapter, and
approximately 67,000 members in the AMC. Today, those numbers have
blossomed to around 2,800 and 93,000 members respectively.
Adapted by Susan DiSimoni from “A Brief History of the Narragansett Chapter – Appalachian Mountain Club on its 75th Anniversary” written in October 1995 by Roger Palmer, former Archivist for the Narragansett Chapter.
