83-573: The Boston Repertory Theatre was founded in Hyannis , on Cape Cod , in the summer of 1971 by Esquire Jauchem ; the company was dissolved in 1978. Jauchem recruited a group of local theater artists to form a true repertory acting company (performing several plays each week with the same actors). Their first season was presented as a summer stock company in Hyannis , Massachusetts performing William Saroyan 's The Beautiful People , Edmond Rostand 's The Romantics , and Jean Cocteau 's The Knights of
166-519: A Soviet fishing trawler and asking for asylum. The Coast Guard allowed a detachment of four seamen from the Soviet ship to board the cutter and "drag the kicking, screaming Kudirka back to their vessel." He was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in the Soviet Union. In 1974, Steven Spielberg filmed the movie Jaws on Martha's Vineyard, most notably in the fishing village of Menemsha and
249-657: A grant to the Duke of York . In 1671, a settlement was arranged which allowed Mayhew to continue in his position while placing his territory under the jurisdiction of the Province of New York . In 1682, Matthew Mayhew succeeded his grandfather as Governor and Chief Magistrate, and occasionally preached to the Native Americans. He was also appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Dukes county in 1697, and remained on
332-505: A home in Aquinnah (formerly "Gay Head") until her death in 1994. In the summer of 2000, an outbreak of tularemia , also known as rabbit fever, resulted in one death and piqued the interest of the CDC , which wanted to test the island as a potential investigative ground for aerosolized Francisella tularensis . Over the following summers, Martha's Vineyard was identified as the only place in
415-429: A law abolishing slavery and ordering that Africans be freed after a term of 10 years, just like indentured servants. In addition to that, "at no time during its history did people of color lose the right to use the courts to challenge their status. Nor did they lose the right to inherit property in certain circumstances." On October 15, 2020, Edgartown Harbor was officially recognized as an Underground Railroad Site by
498-596: A substantial Wampanoag population on the Vineyard, mainly located in the town of Aquinnah . Aquinnah means "land under the hill" in the Wampanoag language. The island was the last refuge of the heath hen , an extinct subspecies of the greater prairie chicken , which was a once common game bird throughout the Northeastern United States . Despite 19th century efforts to protect the hen, by 1927,
581-458: A testimony to the good relations cultivated by the Mayhews as the leaders of the colony. In 1657, the younger Thomas Mayhew was drowned when a ship he was travelling in was lost at sea on a voyage to England. Mayhew's grandsons Matthew Mayhew (1648–), John Mayhew (1652–), and other members of his family assisted him in running his business and government. In 1665, Mayhew's lands were included in
664-416: A very activist citizenry who are highly involved in the island's day-to-day activities. Tourism, overdevelopment, politics, and environmentalism are of keen interest to the community. Keeping the balance between the much needed tourist economy and the ecology and wildlife of the island is of paramount importance to residents. In contrast to the seasonal influx of wealthy visitors, Dukes County remains one of
747-586: A weekend-long Jawsfest. In 1977, distressed over losing their guaranteed seat in the Massachusetts General Court, inhabitants of Martha's Vineyard considered the possibility of secession from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, either to become part of another state (having received offers from both Vermont and Hawaii ), reincorporating as a separate U.S. territory, or as the nation's 51st state . The separatist flag, consisting of
830-621: A weekly basis. It was the only American theater company in a major city carrying on the British tradition of true rotating repertory with a company of actors on a year-round basis. The company toured across America as far east as Nantucket, west to San Francisco, North to Maine and south to Florida. The entire company was featured in the Opera Company of Boston 's American premiere of Prokofiev 's epic War and Peace conducted and directed by Sarah Caldwell . The original founders of
913-599: A white seagull over an orange disk on a sky-blue background, is still seen on the island today. Although the idea of separation from Massachusetts eventually proved impracticable, it did receive attention in the local, regional, and even national media. On March 5, 1982, John Belushi died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California, and was buried four days later in Abel's Hill Cemetery in Chilmark. Belushi often visited
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#1732794102139996-526: Is Dead . At times, the company had productions running in three theaters and The Rep (as it was locally known) converted the Ace Recording Studio into the first new theater in the historic Boston Theater District in over 25 years. The Rep eventually became the only resident Actor's Equity company in Boston with as many as four different plays being performed by the same group of actors on
1079-705: Is a "dry" town. 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 , Quonset Point, Rhode Island , and the East 35th Street ferry terminal in Manhattan . The Steamship Authority operates most of the shorter routes, while Martha's Vineyard Fast Ferry and Hy-Line Cruises run faster, longer distance ferries to Rhode Island and Hyannis. There are direct ferries to each place. SeaStreak operates
1162-467: Is associated primarily with the number of apartment properties in the village. A decline in younger, family formation households was attributed to the lack of suitable employment opportunities and "affordable" housing. The median value of owner-occupied housing units in Hyannis in 2000 was $ 149,720. The gross median rent in Hyannis was $ 718/month. In 2002, the median price for a single family home in Hyannis
1245-592: Is evenly distributed throughout the year. The hardiness zone is 7a in the central and most of the western areas of the main island and 7b on the east end including Chappaquiddick and the southwest end. Martha's Vineyard is divided into six towns. Each town is governed by a select board elected by town voters, along with annual and periodic town meetings . Each town is also a member of the Martha's Vineyard Commission, which regulates island-wide building, environmental, and aesthetic concerns. Some government programs on
1328-543: Is popular with private pilots; it is located near South Beach. . Bus service is provided on the island year-round by the Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA). Martha's Vineyard is served by Martha's Vineyard Public Schools: Five of the six towns have their own elementary schools, while Aquinnah residents usually attend nearby Chilmark's elementary school. The Chilmark school serves only grades pre-K to 5, so students in grades 6–8 must attend another middle school—usually
1411-509: Is possible that Coddington only wanted to annex Martha's Vineyard due to its proximity to Rhode Island and the fact that it would have taken more labor for colonists in Massachusetts to reach Martha's Vineyard before Rhode Island could obtain full control of the island. The plan flopped: on the week that was taken to go to the island, Rhode Island militiamen were deployed in a group of three boats and "upon seeing men on Martha's Vineyard,
1494-807: Is provided by the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad . Hyannis is home to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks , an amateur collegiate summer baseball team in the Cape Cod Baseball League . The team plays at McKeon Park , and has featured dozens of players who went on to careers in Major League Baseball , such as Robin Ventura , Jackie Bradley Jr. , and Jason Varitek . Hyannis Port features in the song "Walcott" by Vampire Weekend , as part of
1577-519: Is referred to in the 1691 Massachusetts Charter (which transferred the island from the Province of New York during the breakup of the Dominion of New England ) as Cappawock . The island was originally inhabited by Wampanoag people , when Martha's Vineyard was known in the Massachusett language as Noepe , or "land amid the streams". In 1642, the Wampanoag numbered somewhere around 3,000 on
1660-579: Is the largest of the seven villages in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts , United States. It is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area at the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape". It contains a majority of the Barnstable Town offices and two important shopping districts: the historic downtown Main Street and
1743-699: Is the main bus and rail terminal on Cape Cod. The HTC services is a terminal station for Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority , the operator of the Cape-wide public bus network on Cape Cod, intercity buses operated by the Plymouth & Brockton and Peter Pan bus lines , and the seasonal CapeFlyer passenger rail service which operates between Boston and Hyannis Friday-Sunday in-season. The Cape Cod Central Railroad operates seasonal tourist excursions from Hyannis to Sandwich and Sagamore , with some scheduled weekend stops at West Barnstable . Freight rail service
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#17327941021391826-506: Is the main point of origin for ferry service to Nantucket . The Steamship Authority runs a year-round two and a half hour auto ferry service to Nantucket. The island can also be reached by a passenger-only, one-hour catamaran trip run by the Steamship Authority (seasonal) and Hy-Line Cruises (year-round). Hy-Line also runs a catamaran to Martha's Vineyard in season. One of the world's first Roll-On and Roll-Off ferries,
1909-740: Is thought to have originated in the Weald , a region that overlaps the borders of the English counties of Kent and Sussex , prior to immigration. Researcher Nora Groce estimates that by the late 19th century, one in 155 people on the Vineyard was born deaf (0.7 percent) — about 37 times the estimate for the nation at large (1 in 5,728, or 0.02 percent) — because of a "recessive pattern" of genetic deafness, circulated through endogamous marriage patterns. Deaf Vineyarders generally earned an average or above-average income (proved by tax records) and they participated in church affairs with passion. The deafness on
1992-503: Is widely recognized as a seminal work in the foundation of sociolinguistics . The island received international notoriety after the " Chappaquiddick incident " of July 18, 1969, in which Mary Jo Kopechne was killed in a car driven off the Dike Bridge by U.S. Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy . The bridge crossed Poucha Pond on Chappaquiddick Island (a smaller island formerly connected to the Vineyard and part of Edgartown). The bridge
2075-562: The National Park Service . This recognition was given after a submission from a nonprofit corporation, the African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard. The corporation was founded in 1998 by Martha's Vineyard NAACP vice president Carrie Camillo Tankard and teacher Elaine Cawley Weintraub. Their mission is to "continue to research and publish previously undocumented history and to involve
2158-519: The Searoad of Hyannis operated in 1956 from Hyannis to Nantucket, with the capability to transport three loaded semi-trailers in any weather. Barnstable Municipal Airport (Airport code HYA) is the main air transportation hub for Cape Cod, with daily flights to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Boston , Provincetown , and New York City . The airport is served by Cape Air (year-round) and JetBlue (in-season). The Hyannis Transportation Center (HTC)
2241-598: The ferries during the summer season. The most crowded weekend is July 4, followed by the late-August weekend of the Agricultural Fair. In general, the summer season runs from June through Labor Day weekend, coinciding with the months most American children are not in school. In 1985, the two islands of Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island were included in a new American Viticultural Area designation for wine appellation of origin specification: Martha's Vineyard AVA . Wines produced from grapes grown on
2324-740: The Atlantic ( Porto , Portugal ) or the Pacific coast of the United States ( Crescent City ) at similar latitudes. As a result, winter temperatures tend to be a few degrees warmer while summer temperatures tend to be cooler than inland locations. Winters are cool to cold with a January average of just slightly below 32 °F (0.0 °C). Owing to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, temperatures below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) are rare, occurring at one day per year, with most days during
2407-857: The Boston Rep were Esquire Jauchem, Pierre Vuilleumier, Wendy Krauss, Judy Truncer, David Zucker, Virginia Feingold, David Morse , Tom Bower , George Winn-Abbott, and Minerva Grey (the actress cat). The first four who were considered the core people, were in school together at Defiance College in Ohio. The company later grew to include Gerald Bernstein, Martha Burtt, Joe Wilkins, Dorothy Meyer, Robin Brecker, Greg Meeh, Susan Palmer-Person, and scores of local actors. Guest artists included Tommy Tune , Viveca Lindfors , Dick Shawn , Kris Tabori , Ted Davis, Mary-Ann Plunkett, and Elizabeth Swados . Hyannis, Massachusetts Hyannis / ˌ h aɪ ˈ æ n ɪ s /
2490-794: The Farm Institute at Katama Farm in Edgartown; and the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs, the oldest operating platform carousel in the United States. Across the Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road from the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School in the town of Oak Bluffs, the Martha's Vineyard Skatepark is a concrete skatepark open to the public, offering a range of ramps and obstacles. Its relatively small year-round population has led to
2573-742: The Indians." After living in Northampton , Thaxter, a lawyer, returned home to Edgartown, where he took over the school founded by his father, Rev. Joseph Thaxter, and served in the State House and the Senate , was a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council , and later served as U. S. Customs Collector for Martha's Vineyard. Having rechristened his father's Edgartown school Thaxter Academy, on February 15, 1845, Thaxter
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2656-529: The Island community in the identification and celebration of the contributions made by people of color to the island of Martha's Vineyard." The trail consists of 31 sites all marked by a descriptive plaque. Martha's Vineyard became known as an "everyone signs" community after three centuries of an unusually high level of hereditary deafness caused Martha's Vineyard to be labeled a "deaf utopia". The island's deaf heritage cannot be traced to one common ancestor and
2739-514: The Round Table in weekly performances that summer. The company then moved to Boston where they performed for the next decade becoming the most popular local theater ensemble, presenting over 40 productions varying from classics to world premieres of new works including highly successful productions of St. Exupery 's The Little Prince , Harry Nilsson 's The Point! , Kurt Vonnegut 's Player Piano , and James Kirkwood 's P.S. Your Cat
2822-477: The Route 132 Commercial District, including Cape Cod Mall and Independence Park, headquarters of Cape Cod Potato Chips . Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis is the largest on Cape Cod. Hyannis is a major tourist destination and the primary ferry boat and general aviation link for passengers and freight to Nantucket Island . Hyannis also provides secondary passenger access to the island of Martha's Vineyard , with
2905-501: The Vineyard , is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts , lying just south of Cape Cod . It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony , and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Island . It is the 58th largest island in the U.S., with a land area of about 96 square miles (250 km ), and the third-largest on the East Coast , after Long Island and Mount Desert Island . Martha's Vineyard constitutes
2988-452: The Vineyard and his family felt it fitting to bury him there. On his gravestone is the quote: "Though I may be gone, Rock 'N' Roll lives on." Because of the many visitors to his grave and the threat of vandalism, his body was moved somewhere near the grave site. His grave remains a popular site for visitors to Chilmark and they often leave tokens in memory of the late comedian. Since the 1990s, Bill Clinton has spent regular vacation time on
3071-461: The Vineyard's 14,621 homes are seasonally occupied. A study by the Martha's Vineyard Commission in 2006 found that the cost of living on the island is 60 percent higher than the national average, and housing prices are 96 percent higher. A study of housing needs by the Commission found that the average weekly wage on Martha's Vineyard was "71 percent of the state average, the median home price
3154-519: The West Tisbury school. The Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School, located in West Tisbury, provides grades K–12 and serves the entire island; it also welcomes off-island students. Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, which is located in Oak Bluffs , serves the entire island. The Vineyard grew as a tourist destination primarily because of its very pleasant summer weather (during summers,
3237-512: The band's pleading with the eponymous Walcott to get out of Cape Cod: "Hyannis Port is a ghetto, out of Cape Cod tonight". Hyannis is mentioned in the song " Rock and Roll Band " by Boston : "Dancin' in the streets of Hyannis, we were getting pretty good at the game..." Hyannis Port is the setting for the short story Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Martha%27s Vineyard Martha's Vineyard , often simply called
3320-438: The bench until 1700. He was judge of probate from 1696 to 1710. In 1683, Dukes County, New York was incorporated, including Martha's Vineyard. In 1691, at the collapse of rule by Sir Edmund Andros and the reorganization of Massachusetts as a royal colony, Dukes County was transferred to the Province of Massachusetts Bay , and split into the county of Dukes County, Massachusetts and Nantucket County, Massachusetts . Following
3403-466: The bulk of Dukes County, Massachusetts , which also includes the Elizabeth Islands and the island of Nomans Land . The island's year-round population has considerably increased since the 1960s. In the 2023 Martha's Vineyard Commission report, the year-round population was 20,530, an increase from 16,460 in 2010. The summer population swells to more than 200,000 people. About 56 percent of
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3486-555: The early Native American graduates died shortly after completing their course of study. Many native preachers on the island, however, also preached in the Christian churches from time to time. Mayhew's successor as leader of the community was the Hon. Leavitt Thaxter, who married Martha Mayhew, a descendant of Thomas Mayhew, and was an Edgartown educator described by Indian Commissioner John Milton Earle as "a long and steadfast friend to
3569-619: The fire academy cease their operations. In 2010, Well MD2 had been shut down "until contamination issues caused by the Fire Training Academy [were] addressed". In April 2015, the town's Mary Dunn wellfield near a fire training academy was found to be contaminated with perfluorooctane sulfonate , and well use was suspended until costly emergency filtration with two carbon treatment units could be started. Two wells, at Hyannisport and West Hyannisport, were closed. A six-month overland interconnection with Yarmouth's water system
3652-495: The first and only college preparatory Catholic high school on Cape Cod. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River . Trinity Christian Academy, which recently opened a high school, is also located in Hyannis. Saint Francis Xavier Preparatory School is a prep middle school. Cape Cod Community College , in nearby West Barnstable , is a two-year community college, known locally as "4-C's". Hyannis
3735-406: The first settlement on the island in 1642 at Great Harbor (later Edgartown, Massachusetts ). The younger Mayhew began a relationship with Hiacoomes , a Native American neighbor, which eventually led to Hiacoomes' family converting to Christianity . During King Philip's War later in the century, the Martha's Vineyard band did not join their tribal relatives in the uprising and remained armed,
3818-599: The geographical, time, and population proximities state that MVSL and ASL are impossible to develop in complete isolation from each other. MVSL was commonly used by hearing residents as well as deaf ones until the middle of the 20th century. No language barrier created a smooth communication environment for all the residents of the island. In the 20th century, tourism became a mainstay in the island economy, and new tourism-related jobs appeared. However, jobs in tourism were not as deaf-friendly as fishing and farming had been. Consequently, as intermarriage and further migration joined
3901-676: The historic Capawock and Strand theatres, also run by the Martha's Vineyard Film Society, the Martha's Vineyard Film Festival, which runs a winter film festival in March, a Summer Film Series and Cinema Circus every Wednesday in July and August, the Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival, which showcases the works of independent and established African-American filmmakers in August, and Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival in September;
3984-451: The island affected both females and males in approximately the same percentage. In the late 19th century, the mixed marriages between deaf and hearing spouses comprised 65 percent of all deaf marriages on the island, as compared to the rate of 20 percent deaf-hearing marriage in the mainland. The sign language used by Vineyarders is called Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) , and it is different from American Sign Language (ASL). However,
4067-431: The island borders between a humid continental climate ( Dfa / Dfb ), a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), and an oceanic climate ( Cfb ), the latter a climate type rarely found on the east coast of North America. Martha's Vineyard's climate is highly influenced by the surrounding Atlantic Ocean , which moderates temperatures throughout the year, although this moderation is nowhere near as strong as on opposite sides of
4150-415: The island during and after his presidency, along with his wife, Hillary Clinton , and their daughter, Chelsea . Clinton was not the first president to visit the islands; Ulysses S. Grant visited the vacation residence of his friend, Bishop Gilbert Haven on August 24, 1874. As a coincidental footnote in history, Bishop Haven's gingerbread cottage was located in Oak Bluffs at 10 Clinton Avenue. The avenue
4233-423: The island out of New York's Kennedy Airport , Boston , Newark , New York–LaGuardia , and Washington–National . Delta Connection also operates seasonal service to New York-LaGuardia and New York-JFK . Seasonal service flights are also available out of White Plains, New York once a day on Elite Airways to and from MVY. The airport also handles much general aviation traffic. Katama airpark, with grass runways,
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#17327941021394316-525: The island, such as the community of Harthaven established by William H. Hart, and later, the community of Ocean Heights, developed near Sengekontacket Pond in Edgartown by the prominent island businessman, Robert Marsden Laidlaw. Although the island struggled financially through the Great Depression , its reputation as a resort for tourists and the wealthy continued to grow. There is still
4399-418: The island. Commuter airline Cape Air offers frequent service to the island via the Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY). It provides year-round service to and from Boston , Hyannis , New Bedford , and Nantucket , and seasonal service to White Plains, New York. American Airlines operates seasonal service to Washington-Reagan , New York-LaGuardia , Philadelphia and as well Charlotte . JetBlue serves
4482-537: The island. By 1764, that number had dropped to 313. European settlement began with the purchase of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket , and the Elizabeth Islands by Thomas Mayhew of Watertown, Massachusetts , from two New England settlers. He had friendly relations with the Wampanoags on the island, in part because he was careful to honor their land rights. His son, also named Thomas Mayhew, established
4565-530: The island—such as the public school system, emergency management, and waste management—have been regionalized. There is a growing push for further regionalization areas of law enforcement, water treatment, and possible government regionalization. Each town also follows certain regulations from Dukes County. The towns are: The three "Down-Island" towns of Edgartown , Tisbury , and Oak Bluffs are "wet" towns—serving alcohol. West Tisbury and Aquinnah are "soggy" towns that serve only beer and wine, and Chilmark
4648-525: The late 19th century, apostrophes were dropped. Thus for a time Martha's Vineyard was officially named Marthas Vineyard , but the Board reversed its decision in the early 20th century, making Martha's Vineyard one of the five placenames in the United States that takes a possessive apostrophe . According to historian Henry Franklin Norton, the island was known by Native Americans as Noepe or Capawock . It
4731-466: The men immediately fled the vicinity of the island and returned home after The Governor dispatched them from their duties and made the plan defunct". There is still wide debate as to who told leaders from Massachusetts about the plan. One story has prevailed, that a traveler going to and from Rhode Island and Massachusetts for business purposes heard the claim and reported it back to officials in Massachusetts. Massachusetts, specifically Martha's Vineyard,
4814-659: The migrants were flown there unannounced. For nearly two days, island residents provided clothing, food, toys, toiletries, and temporary shelter, before removing the migrants from the island. People were bought, sold, and probated as property on Martha's Vineyard. In 1700, Reverend Samuel Sewall , a seasonal resident of Martha's Vineyard, was one of the first to publicly oppose slavery in the New England Colonies. In 1646, magistrates in Massachusetts ruled that two Africans who had been enslaved and imported be returned to their native country. In 1652, Rhode Island passed
4897-596: The nearby island of Nantucket , Martha's Vineyard was brought to prominence in the 19th century by the whaling industry, during which ships were sent around the world to hunt whales for their oil and blubber . The discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania gave rise to a cheaper source of oil for lamps and led to an almost complete collapse of the industry by 1870. After the Old Colony railroad came to mainland Woods Hole in 1872, summer residences began to develop on
4980-550: The number of households earning $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 and an increase in the number of persons and families below the poverty level. Hyannis is home to Barnstable High School , the largest high school on Cape Cod. The school serves students in grades 8-12 and has an approximate enrollment of 2,400. Other high schools include Sturgis Charter Public School , a charter school featuring the International Baccalaureate program, and Pope John Paul II High School ,
5063-460: The people of Martha's Vineyard to the mainland, the island community more and more resembled the oral community there. The last deaf person born into the island's sign-language tradition, Katie West, died in 1952, but a few elderly residents were able to recall MVSL as recently as the 1980s when research into the language began. According to the Köppen climate classification system, the climate of
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#17327941021395146-496: The population of birds had dropped to 13. The last known heath hen, named "Booming Ben", perished on Martha's Vineyard in 1932. Martha's Vineyard was used by the Army, Navy and Air Force from 1941 through 1945 for training missions that ranged from landings on beaches to climbing cliffs and bombing practice. The linguist William Labov wrote his master's thesis on changes in the Martha's Vineyard dialect of English. The 1963 study
5229-471: The primary passenger access to Martha's Vineyard being located in Woods Hole , a village in the nearby town of Falmouth . Due to its large natural harbor , Hyannis is the largest recreational boating and second largest commercial fishing port on Cape Cod, behind only Provincetown . The village is the namesake of the former United States Naval ship USS Hyannis (YTB-817) . The village
5312-582: The revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter in 1684, William Coddington Jr. , who was governor of Rhode Island at the time, attempted to seize Martha's Vineyard through a group of militia as "reparations for former damages of past leaders made by the settlers," most likely referring to the Puritan actions on Rhode Island leaders Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson , as well as annex threats made by Massachusetts. It
5395-502: The seasonal, weekend New York City to Martha's Vineyard route. One ferry departs New York City on Friday afternoon and returns on Sunday night. The trip through Long Island Sound and along the shoreline of Rhode Island and Massachusetts takes about five and a quarter hours. In the era before modern highways and jet planes, travelers took New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad trains from New York City or Boston to Woods Hole or Hyannis, at which point they would embark on ferries to
5478-608: The son of Hiacoomes, Joel Hiacoomes . "The ship Joel Hiacoomes was sailing on, as he was returning to Boston from a trip home shortly before the graduation ceremonies, was found wrecked on the shores of Nantucket Island. Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk , the son of a sachem of Homes Hole, did graduate from Harvard in the class of 1665." Cheeshahteaumauk's Latin address to the corporation (New England Corporation), which begins "Honoratissimi benefactores" (most honored benefactors), has been preserved. In addition to speaking Wampanoag and English , they studied Hebrew, classical Greek, and Latin. All of
5561-538: The south was first to be named "Martha's Vineyard" but this later became associated with this island. It is the eighth-oldest surviving English place-name in the United States. The island was subsequently known as Martin's Vineyard (possibly after a captain in the exploratory party, John Martin); many people and maps up to the 18th century called it by this name. When the United States Board on Geographic Names worked to standardize placename spellings in
5644-664: The temperature rarely breaks 90 °F (32 °C)) and many beautiful beaches. It is primarily a place where people go to relax, and the island offers a range of tourist accommodations including large hotels such as the Harbor View Hotel, Mansion House Hotel and Winnetu Resort, modern boutique hotels like the Nobnocket Boutique Inn, as well as traditional inns and bed and breakfasts such as Outermost Inn, Beach Plum Inn, Ashley Inn, Pequot House and Oak Bluffs Inn. Many visitors also rent private homes. During
5727-425: The town of Chilmark . Spielberg selected island natives Christopher Rebello as Chief Brody's oldest son, Michael Brody; Jay Mello as the younger son, Sean Brody; and Lee Fierro as Mrs. Kintner. Scores of other island natives appeared in the film as extras . Later, scenes from Jaws 2 and Jaws: The Revenge were filmed on the island, as well. In June 2005 the island celebrated the 30th anniversary of Jaws with
5810-488: The two islands can be sold with labels that carry the Martha's Vineyard AVA designation. Martha's Vineyard was the home to the winemaker Chicama Vineyards in West Tisbury, though it closed after 37 years on August 10, 2008. Other popular attractions include the annual Grand Illumination in Oak Bluffs; the Martha's Vineyard Film Center, an arthouse cinema which is run by the non-profit Martha's Vineyard Film Society, and which screens independent and world cinema all year long;
5893-504: The whaling era, wealthy Boston sea captains and merchant traders often created estates on Martha's Vineyard with their trading profits. Today, the Vineyard has become one of the Northeastern United States ' most prominent summering havens, having attracted numerous celebrity regulars. The island now has a year-round population of about 20,530 people in six towns; in summer, the population increases to 200,000 residents, with more than 25,000 additional short-term visitors coming and going on
5976-470: The winter months rising above freezing. The average annual snowfall is 25.3 inches (643 mm). Summers are warm and mild with temperatures rarely exceeding 90 °F (32.2 °C), with only one or two days reaching or exceeding it. During the summer months, the island's warmest months (July and August) average around 71.5 °F (21.9 °C) Spring and fall are transition seasons with spring being cooler than fall. The highest daily maximum temperature
6059-635: The world where documented cases of tularemia resulted from lawn mowing . The research could prove valuable in preventing bioterrorism . In the television show The X-Files , Fox Mulder 's parents live on the island, and it was also the setting for Robert Harris' 2007 novel The Ghost . In September 2022, Florida governor Ron DeSantis flew two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard in an effort to draw attention to what Republican governors consider "the Biden administration's failed border policies". Some observers criticized DeSantis because
6142-491: Was $ 196,000. Median head of household income was $ 38,467. 15.9% of households earned more than $ 75,000. 14.6% of Hyannis population lived below the poverty line. 18.74% were over 65 years old. Unemployment in Hyannis was 3.8% of the labor force. Hyannis is growing at the upper end and the lower end of the age cohorts, and although there has been an increase in persons 25 to 44 years of age, this has not necessarily been reflected in income change, as Hyannis witnessed an increase in
6225-593: Was 54 percent above the state's and the median rent exceeded the state's by 17 percent," all leading to a stark example of severe income inequalities between year-round residents and their seasonal counterparts. Though many have suggested that the island was renamed after English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold 's daughter Martha, it is more likely that both the island and his daughter were namesakes of his wealthy mother-in-law, Martha (Judde) Golding, who partly funded his expedition in 1602 – the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod . A smaller island to
6308-423: Was 99 °F (37.2 °C) on August 27, 1948, and the highest daily minimum temperature was 76 °F (24.4 °C) on September 4, 2010. The lowest daily maximum temperature was 7 °F (−13.9 °C) on December 26, 1980, and the lowest daily minimum temperature was −9 °F (−22.8 °C) on February 2 and 3, 1961. Martha's Vineyard receives 46.94 inches (1,192 mm) of precipitation per year, which
6391-678: Was granted the sum of $ 50 per year for "the support of William Johnson, an Indian of the Chappequiddic tribe." By this time, Leavitt Thaxter had taken on the role, described in an act passed by the General Court of Massachusetts , as "guardian of the Indians and people of color resident at Chappequiddic and Indiantown in the County of Dukes County." Thaxter Academy, founded by Leavitt Thaxter as first principal in 1825, became known for educating both white and Native American youth. Like
6474-436: Was intended for people on foot and bicycles , as well as the occasional emergency vehicle when conditions warranted. Currently, 4×4 vehicles with passes are allowed to cross the reconstructed bridge. On November 23, 1970, in the Atlantic Ocean just west of Aquinnah, Simas Kudirka , a Soviet seaman of Lithuanian nationality, attempted to defect to the United States by leaping onto a United States Coast Guard cutter from
6557-470: Was named after Iyannough , a sachem of the Cummaquid tribe. Hyannis has an ocean-moderated humid continental climate ( Dfb under Köppen ), which is close to an oceanic climate ( Cfb). Summers are even closer to Dfa , or Cfa , a humid subtropical climate, under 1991 to 2020 normals. In 2007, the city water was found to contain perchlorate . In 2009, Barnstable public works requested that
6640-602: Was named in 1851 and was designated as the main promenade of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association campgrounds . In December 2019, President Barack Obama completed the purchase of a 30-acre (12 ha) homestead on the Edgartown Great Pond. On July 16, 1999, a small plane crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, claiming the lives of pilot John F. Kennedy Jr. , his wife Carolyn Bessette , and her sister Lauren Bessette. Kennedy's mother, former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis , maintained
6723-462: Was not intimidated by this attempt and thought Rhode Island to be weaker because of their immediate retreat. As for the history following the attempted annexation, Native American literacy in the schools founded by Thomas Mayhew Jr. and taught by Peter Folger (the grandfather of Benjamin Franklin ) was such that the first Native American graduates of Harvard were from Martha's Vineyard, including
6806-749: Was suggested in May and constructed in June 2015. In November 2015, the county suspended the Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training Academy which is up gradient of the wells. but in February 2016, it still remained open. In May 2016, the City of Barnstable issued a drinking water health advisory, for PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of 0.18 parts per billion in the Mary Dunn #3 well, which
6889-399: Was taken offline. In 2010, Hyannis had a total population of 14,089, living in 8,406 households. 19.80% of Hyannis' total 10,922 housing units were seasonally vacant. Hyannis had relatively more multi-family properties in comparison to the town and the county. Hyannis had an owner-occupancy rate of 58.3%, which was nearly 20 percentage points lower than the town or the county. This difference
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