Nantucket Island is located off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and was first famous for whaling. It is said that the first Nantucket Baskets were woven around a barrel used to store whale oil. After the end of whaling, Nantucket Island began to be popular as a place for summer homes. During this time, a Filipino man named Jose Reyes made the first basket with a lid and from then on, Nantucket Baskets began to be carried around as purses. They were the only baskets carried in formal events and because of this, it became popular all around the country. The baskets would be handed down from generation to generation and with time, the baskets would also age as the color of the materials would deepen.