The peninsula was forested until at least 1624, when the first European settlers are known to have begun agriculture on what was then a tidal island, with a land bridge connecting what is today Nantasket Beach to the mainland. Plymouth colonists kept a structure in the area to serve as storehouse for trading with the Massachusett tribe, implying that Indigenous people used the site routinely. Settlements grew in subsequent years, supporting a fishing community as well as limited farming.
Until at least 1624, the peninsula was covered in trees; then, European settlers began agriculture on what was a tidal island connected by a land bridge to Nantasket Beach today. Plymouth colonists maintained a structure nearby as a trading post for the Massachusett tribe, indicating that Indigenous people used the site regularly. Over time, settlements grew, supporting both fishing and limited farming.