Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard, along with Chappaquiddick Island, off the south of Cape Cod in New England form a part of the Outer Lands region. Often called just “The Vineyard,” the island has a land area of eighty-seven square miles and is the 58th largest island in the United States, and the third largest on the East Coast of the United States. It is the largest true island of the East Coast of the U.S. not connected to mainland by a bridge or tunnel. The island is primarily known as a summer colony, and is accessible only by boat and by air. The isolation is complete; when the locals travel to the mainland, they speak of “going to America.”
Originally inhabited by the native American Wampanoag, Martha’s Vineyard was known in their language as Noepe, or “land amid the streams.” A smaller island to the south was named “Martha’s Vineyard” by the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who sailed to the island in 1602. The name was soon transferred to the big island. It is thus the eighth-oldest surviving English place-name in the United States. Gosnold’s second child, a daughter who died in infancy, was named Martha, so perhaps he named Martha’s Vineyard after her. The United States Board on Geographic Names worked to standardize placename spellings in the late 19th century, including the dropping of apostrophes. Thus for a time Martha’s Vineyard was officially named Marthas Vineyard, but the Board reversed its decision in the early 20th century, thus allowing Martha’s Vineyard to retain its possessive apostrophe.
That’s the quick history. Today Martha’s Vineyard is made up of six towns: Tilsbury, the island’s primary port of entry; Edgartown, noted for its rich whaling tradition, and the island’s largest town by population and area, and more recently, home of mystery novelist, Philip Craig. And that’s my introduction to Martha’s Vineyard, my meeting and becoming friends with Phil, crossing paths with him on our world travels and hitting it off, I suppose, because we’re both mystery writers; Oak Bluffs is most well known for its gingerbread cottages, and its reputation as one of the more active night-life towns on the island for both residents and tourists; West Tilsbury, the island’s agricultural center; Chilmark, characterized by the island’s hilliest terrain; and Aquinnah, formerly known as Gay Head. Aquinnah is home to the Wampanoag Indian tribe and the famous Gay Head cliffs.
Martha’s Vineyard is located approximately seven miles off the southern coast of Cape Cod. It is reached by a ferry that departs from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and by several other ferries departing from Falmouth, New Bedford, Hyannis, and Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The Steamship Authority operates most of the shorter routes, while other, smaller ferry services run faster, longer distance ferries to Rhode Island and Hyannis. The commuter airline, Cape Air, offers frequent service to Martha’s Vineyard from Boston, Hyannis, New bedford , Providence and Nantucket. Once on the island, you will get around by public bus, rental car, or quite possibly, bicycle.
The Island is noted for endless beaches, historic lighthouses, gingerbread cottages, a transplanted Coney Island carousel, the arboreteum, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum at Edgartown, and the scenic open spaces. As the locals like to quote, “It’s only an Island when you view it from the water.”
by Jamel DuBois
Author of Twilight and Darkness
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