Gardner Memorial Park was the brainchild of Newport’s second mayor, James T. Gardner who held office from 1919-1921. Gardner’s greatest ambition or “Jim’s Folly” as the townspeople called it, was to transform the swampy tract of land along the Causeway into a beautiful park. By the 1930’s, the swamp was being cleared and filled through the WPA (Works Progress Administration), a program established by the United States government to address unemployment during the Great Depression. It took five years and thousands of loads of material beforeelevation could support recreational development. In 1941, four years after James Gardner’s death, the new park complete with tennis courts, baseball field and restrooms, was dedicated and named in his memory as Gardner Memorial Park. Since then, Gardner Memorial Park has been enjoyed by generations of families.
To find this cache, you'll be visiting the bandstand area of Gardner Park. You'll find it hidden in the foliage near a small inlet to the passing Clyde River. Lots of visitors to this public park, so stealth is a must to keep the cache safe from muggles.