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112-628: Mayhew was born on March 12, 1774, in Nantucket, Massachusetts , the second child of William Folger and Ruth Coffin. Mayhew was a member of the Folger whaling family of Nantucket , who were prominent Quakers. He was the great-great-great grandson of Peter Foulger and Mary Morrill Foulger and, through them, is the first cousin, three times removed, of Benjamin Franklin . He married his second cousin, Mary Joy, on March 7, 1798, on Nantucket. Mayhew

224-510: 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, 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

336-519: 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

448-811: A Spaniard named Castillo. When he died, his family conveyed it to Captain Herbert of HMS Calliope , who had it conveyed to the British Museum around 1840. The chronometer is now in Greenwich, London. The discovery was reported by Folger to the Royal Navy in 1808, a report of which reached the British Admiralty on May 14, 1809, which was then published in the Quarterly Review in 1810. Captain Folger also related an account of

560-558: A book festival, wine and food festival, comedy festival, daffodil festival, and a cranberry festival. Several historical, literary and dramatic works involve people from, or living on, Nantucket. These include: From 1900 to 1918, Nantucket was one of few jurisdictions in the United States that banned automobiles. Nantucket can be reached by sea from the mainland by Seastreak , The Steamship Authority , Hy-Line Cruises , or Freedom Cruise Line, or by private boat. A task force

672-505: 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

784-429: 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

896-544: A major political party, 25% were registered Democrats, and 10% were registered Republicans. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts allows voters to enroll with a political party or to remain "unenrolled". Throughout the late 19th and most of the 20th century, Nantucket was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. From 1876 to 1984, only two Democrats carried Nantucket: Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson . Since 1988, however, it has trended Democratic. According to Nantucket's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,

1008-596: 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,

1120-492: 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

1232-416: 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

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1344-586: 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

1456-501: A whale of the kind called "scragg" entered the harbor and was pursued and killed by the settlers. This event started the Nantucket whaling industry. A. B. Van Deinse points out that the "scrag whale", described by P. Dudley in 1725 as one of the species hunted by early New England whalers, was almost certainly the gray whale , which has flourished on the west coast of North America in modern times with protection from whaling. At

1568-599: 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

1680-557: Is 47.8 square miles (124 km ). The triangular region of ocean between Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Cape Cod is Nantucket Sound . The highest points on the island include Saul's Hill at 102 feet (31 m), Altar Rock at 100 feet (30 m), and Sankaty Head at 92 feet (28 m). Nantucket was formed by the outermost reach of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the recent Wisconsin Glaciation , shaped by

1792-705: 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

1904-523: Is an island about 30 miles (48 km) south from Cape Cod . Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget , it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket , a combined county/town government in the state of Massachusetts , USA . Nantucket is the southeasternmost town in both Massachusetts and the New England region. The name "Nantucket" is adapted from similar Algonquian names for

2016-539: 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

2128-585: Is fog-bound. The earliest European settlement in the region was established on the neighboring island of Martha's Vineyard by the English-born merchant Thomas Mayhew . In 1641, Mayhew secured Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, the Elizabeth Islands , and other islands in the region as a proprietary colony from Sir Ferdinando Gorges and the Earl of Stirling . Mayhew led several families to settle

2240-532: Is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which helps moderate temperatures in the town throughout the course of the year. Average high temperatures during the town's coldest month (January) are around 40 °F (4 °C), while average high temperatures during the town's warmest months (July and August) hover around 75 °F (24 °C). Nantucket receives on average 41 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation annually, spread relatively evenly throughout

2352-989: Is its Select Board (name changed in 2018 from Board of Selectmen ), which is responsible for the town government's goals and policies. Legislative functions are carried out by an open Town Meeting of the Town's registered voters. It is administered by a town manager, who is responsible for all departments, except for the school, airport and water departments. Nantucket is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Dylan Fernandes , Democrat, of Woods Hole, who represents Precincts 1, 2, 5 and 6, of Falmouth, in Barnstable County ; Chilmark, Edgartown, Aquinnah, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury, all in Dukes County ; and Nantucket. Rep. Fernandes has served since January 4, 2017. Nantucket

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2464-413: 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 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

2576-543: 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

2688-833: Is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Julian Cyr , Democrat, of Truro , who has also served since January 4, 2017. Nantucket is in Massachusetts's 9th congressional district , which has existed since 2013. As of 2013 , it was represented in the United States House of Representatives by Bill Keating , a Democrat of Bourne. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senior senator Elizabeth Warren (Democrat) and junior senator Ed Markey (Democrat). In 2024, 63% of Nantucket residents were unaligned with

2800-468: 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 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

2912-740: 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

3024-503: 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

3136-579: The Encyclopædia Britannica it may have meant "far away island" or "sandy, sterile soil tempting no one". Wampanoag is an Eastern Algonquian language of southern New England. The Nehantucket (known to Europeans as the Niantic) were an Algonquin-speaking people of the area. Nantucket's nickname, "The Little Grey Lady of the Sea", refers to the island as it appears from the ocean when it

3248-527: The 2020 census , the population was 14,255, making it the least populated county in Massachusetts. Part of the town is designated the Nantucket CDP , or census-designated place . The region of Surfside on Nantucket is the southernmost settlement in Massachusetts. Town and county governments are combined in Nantucket (see List of counties in Massachusetts ). Nantucket's elected executive body

3360-619: The Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Whaling Museum . Nantucket is home to both visual and performing arts. The island has been an art colony since the 1920s, whose artists have come to capture the natural beauty of the island's landscapes and seascapes, including its flora and the fauna. Noted artists who have lived on or painted in Nantucket include Frank Swift Chase and Theodore Robinson . Illustrator and puppeteer Tony Sarg moved to

3472-562: 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

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3584-598: 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

3696-429: The "finest surviving architectural and environmental example of a late 18th- and early 19th-century New England seaport town." Nantucket probably takes its name from a Wampanoag word, transliterated variously as natocke , nantaticu , nantican , nautica or natockete , which is part of Wampanoag lore about the creation of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The meaning of the term is uncertain, although according to

3808-481: 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 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

3920-613: 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

4032-572: 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 is referred to in the 1691 Massachusetts Charter (which transferred the island from the Province of New York during

4144-577: The British nor the Patriots. Herman Melville commented on Nantucket's whaling dominance in his novel Moby-Dick , Chapter 14: "Two thirds of this terraqueous globe are the Nantucketer's. For the sea is his; he owns it, as Emperors own empires". The Moby-Dick characters Ahab and Starbuck are both from Nantucket. The tragedy that inspired Melville to write Moby-Dick was the final voyage of

4256-528: The Commission found that the average weekly wage on Martha's Vineyard was "71 percent of the state average, the median home price 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

4368-553: 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 the first settlement on the island in 1642 at Great Harbor (later Edgartown, Massachusetts ). The younger Mayhew began a relationship with Hiacoomes ,

4480-794: 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

4592-742: 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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4704-529: 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

4816-760: The Nantucket Public Schools, as well as the Nantucket Historical Association , though the two are not affiliated. The University of Massachusetts Boston operates a field station on Nantucket. The Massachusetts College of Art & Design is affiliated with the Nantucket Island School of Design & the Arts, which offers summer courses for teens, youth, postgraduate, and undergraduate programs. Nantucket has several noted museums and galleries, including

4928-448: The Nantucket whaler Essex . The island suffered great economic hardships, worsened by the "Great Fire" of July 13, 1846, that, fueled by whale oil and lumber, devastated the main town, burning some 40 acres (16 hectares). The fire left hundreds homeless and poverty-stricken, and many people left the island. By 1850, whaling was in decline, as Nantucket's whaling industry had been surpassed by that of New Bedford . Another contributor to

5040-783: The Proprietors. Anxious to add to their number and to induce tradesmen to come to the island, the total number of shares was increased to twenty-seven. The original purchasers needed the assistance of tradesmen who were skilled in the arts of weaving, milling, building and other pursuits and selected men who were given half a share provided that they lived on Nantucket and carried on their trade for at least three years. By 1667, twenty-seven shares had been divided among 31 owners. Seamen and tradesmen who settled in Nantucket included Richard Gardner (arrived 1667) and Capt. John Gardner (arrived 1672), sons of Thomas Gardner . The first settlers focused on farming and raising sheep, but overgrazing and

5152-507: 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 the late 19th century, apostrophes were dropped. Thus for a time Martha's Vineyard was officially named Marthas Vineyard , but

5264-452: 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

5376-519: 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,

5488-424: The beginning of the 18th century, whaling on Nantucket was usually done from small boats launched from the island's shores, which would tow killed whales to be processed on the beach. These boats were only about seven meters long, with mostly Wampanoag manpower, sourced from a system of debt servitude established by English Nantucketers—a typical boat's crew had five Wampanoag oarsmen and a single white Nantucketer at

5600-582: The bill proposed by Micajah Coffin to change the town's name to the "Town of Nantucket" was endorsed and signed by Governor Samuel Adams to officially change the town name. When the English settlers arrived on Nantucket in 1659, the island was populated by Wampanoag Native Americans , one of the Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands , who had been living there for thousands of years. As many as three thousand people lived on

5712-540: 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 the island. By 1764, that number had dropped to 313. European settlement began with the purchase of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket , and

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5824-433: The charter for the newly formed Province of Massachusetts Bay was signed. Following the arrival of the new Royal Governor on May 14, 1692, to effectuate the new government, Nantucket County was partitioned from Dukes County, Massachusetts in 1695. European settlement of Nantucket did not begin in earnest until 1659, when Thomas Mayhew sold nine-tenths of his interest to a group of investors, led by Tristram Coffin , "for

5936-495: 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 the revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter in 1684, William Coddington Jr. , who was governor of Rhode Island at

6048-417: The death blow to the island's whaling industry, as virtually all of the remaining whaling vessels were destroyed by Confederate commerce raiders . As a result of this depopulation, the island was left under-developed and isolated until the mid-20th century. Isolation from the mainland kept many of the pre-Civil War buildings intact and, by the 1950s, enterprising developers began buying up large sections of

6160-418: The decline was the silting up of the harbor, which prevented large whaling ships from entering and leaving the port, unlike New Bedford, which still owned a deep water port. In addition, the development of railroads made mainland whaling ports, such as New Bedford, more attractive because of the ease of transshipment of whale oil onto trains, an advantage unavailable to an island. The American Civil War dealt

6272-423: The developing money economy, losses at sea, and the detrimental effect of rum on their health. In 1763 the Wampanoag community was struck down by an epidemic of unknown origin, which killed 222 of them while leaving the English community unaffected. Some of the survivors left Nantucket and some married into the small African community on the island. Two children, Abram Quary and Dorcas Esop , who were born after

6384-661: The discovery to a friend, Captain Amasa Delano , who published it in his book, A Narrative of Voyages and Travels in 1817 ; the narrative is also included in the book Pitcairn's Island , written by Charles Nordoff and James Hall. Folger and his family migrated to Kendal, Ohio , in 1813. He became the first postmaster of neighboring Massillon, Ohio , when the post office was created there in 1828. He died September 1, 1828, in Massillon. Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket ( / ˌ n æ n ˈ t ʌ k ɪ t / )

6496-555: 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

6608-556: The epidemic and lived until 1854 and 1855, have been acknowledged as Nantucket's last native Americans. Wampanoags from Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod have since then lived on Nantucket. In 2021, the Nantucket Annual Town Meeting voted to replace the Columbus Day holiday with Indigenous People's Day . In his 1835 history of Nantucket Island, Obed Macy wrote that in the early pre-1672 colony,

6720-468: 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, the men immediately fled the vicinity of the island and returned home after The Governor dispatched them from their duties and made

6832-599: 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

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6944-425: The growing number of farms made these activities untenable, and the islanders soon began turning to the sea for a living. Before 1795, the town on the island was called Sherburne. The original settlement was near Capaum Pond. At that time, the pond was a small harbor whose entrance silted up, forcing the settlers to dismantle their houses and move them northeast by two miles to the present location. On June 8, 1795,

7056-676: 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;

7168-402: 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 the son of Hiacoomes, Joel Hiacoomes . "The ship Joel Hiacoomes was sailing on, as he was returning to Boston from

7280-451: 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,

7392-403: The island and restoring them to create an upmarket destination for wealthy people in the Northeastern United States . Nantucket and towns on Martha's Vineyard contemplated seceding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which they considered at various town meetings in 1977, unsuccessfully. The votes were sparked by a proposed change to the Massachusetts Constitution that would have reduced

7504-431: 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

7616-415: 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

7728-418: The island in 1922, and in 1937 created an inflatable creature which sailed across the harbour as part of the "sea monster" hoax. Artist Rodney Charman was commissioned to create a series of paintings depicting the marine history of Nantucket, which were collected in the book Portrait of Nantucket, 1659–1890: The Paintings of Rodney Charman in 1989. The island is the site of a number of festivals, including

7840-402: The island in groups governed by sachems . Within two years of their arrival, the settlers had persuaded two of the sachems, Wanackmamack and Nickanoose, to relinquish their rights to the island in exchange for 66 pounds sterling , equal to £11,798 today). In 1750 the deeds were upheld by a judge from the General Court of Massachusetts in spite of petitions from the Wampanoags claiming that

7952-423: 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,

8064-525: 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

8176-408: The island. Nantucket is a tourist destination and summer colony . Due to tourists and seasonal residents, the population of the island increases to around 80,000 during the summer months. The average sale price for a single-family home was $ 2.3 million in the first quarter of 2018. The National Park Service cites Nantucket, designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1966, as being

8288-418: 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

8400-458: The island; 5,478 were occupied with most of the rest being for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. 59.7% of the occupied housing units were owner-occupied, 40.3% were renter-occupied. Of the 5,478 households, 52.1% contained married or cohabiting couples. In 19.7% of households a couple were living with their children aged under 18, while a further 6% of households contained a householder living alone with their children under 18. In 2017–2021

8512-530: 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

8624-562: 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 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

8736-529: The lowest daily minimum temperature was −3 °F (−19 °C) on December 31, 1962, January 16, 2004, and February 4, 2023 . The hardiness zone is 7b. [1] As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 14,255 people, up from 10,172 in 2010, residing in the county. The 2020 data for racial makeup of the county was 71.3% white, 7.2% black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 9.3% from other races, and 9.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.2% of

8848-550: The median income for a household in the county was $ 116,571 and the per capita income was $ 52,324. 5.9% of the population were living below the poverty line . As of the fourth quarter of 2021, the median value of homes in Nantucket County was $ 1,370,522, an increase of 22.3% from the prior year, and ranked the highest in the US by median home value. Nantucket is the only such consolidated town-county in Massachusetts. As of

8960-659: 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

9072-596: 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

9184-460: 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

9296-454: 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, was not intimidated by this attempt and thought Rhode Island to be weaker because of their immediate retreat. As for

9408-496: 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

9520-693: The population. The median age of the population was 39.9 years; 22.2% were aged under 21 years, while 15.9% were aged over 65 years. According to the 2020 census data for Nantucket County, the largest groups by origins (alone or in any combination) were Irish Americans (2,612), English (2,492), German (1,229), Italian (901), Jamaican (635), Scottish (632), French (476), Polish (389), Portuguese (285), African Americans (251), Swedish (247) and Bulgarian (201). By Hispanic origins of any race, Salvadoran (1,143), Dominican (501), Mexican (124), Guatemalan (63), Spanish (46), Puerto Rican (41), Spaniard (34) and Colombian (32). There were 12,619 housing units on

9632-586: The region, establishing several treaties with the indigenous inhabitants of Nantucket, the Wampanoag people . These treaties helped prevent the region from becoming embroiled in King Philip's War . The growing population of settlers welcomed seasonal groups of other Native American tribes who traveled to the island to fish and later harvest whales that washed up on shore. Nantucket was officially part of Dukes County , New York , until October 17, 1691, when

9744-414: The sachems had not had the authority to sell the land. The Wampanoags converted to Christianity and took up trades that were useful to the settlers, becoming, for example, carpenters and weavers. When the whaling industry developed on Nantucket in the 18th century, Wampanoag men went to sea and often made up half or more of the crew of the whaling ships. By the 18th century, a system of debt servitude

9856-502: 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

9968-580: The size of the state's House of Representatives from 240 to 160 members and would therefore reduce the islands' representation in the Massachusetts General Court . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 304 square miles (790 km ), of which 45 square miles (120 km ) is land and 259 square miles (670 km ) (85%) is water. It is the smallest county in Massachusetts by land area and second-smallest by total area. The area of Nantucket Island proper

10080-408: The sorting actions and transport of longshore drift . Nantucket became an island when rising sea levels covered the connection with the mainland, about 5,000–6,000 years ago. The island and adjoining islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget comprise the Town and County of Nantucket, which is operated as a consolidated town and county government. The main settlement, also called Nantucket, is located at

10192-502: The steering oar. Author Nathaniel Philbrick notes that "without the native population, which outnumbered the white population well into the 1720s, the island would never have become a successful whaling port." Nantucket's dependence on trade with Britain, derived from its whaling and supporting industries, influenced its leading citizens to remain neutral during the American Revolutionary War , favoring neither

10304-400: The subsequent rise in sea level. The low ridge across the northern section of the island was deposited as glacial moraine during a period of glacial standstill, a period during which till continued to arrive and was deposited as the glacier melted at a stationary front. The southern part of the island is an outwash plain , sloping away from the arc of the moraine and shaped at its margins by

10416-657: The sum of thirty pounds (equal to £5,363 today) also two beaver hats, one for myself, and one for my wife". The nine original purchasers were Tristram Coffin, Peter Coffin, Thomas Macy , Christopher Hussey , Richard Swain, Thomas Barnard, Stephen Greenleaf , John Swain and William Pile. Mayhew and the nine purchasers then each took on partners in the venture. These additional shareholders were Tristram Coffin Junior, James Coffin, John Smith, Robert Pike, Thomas Look, Robert Barnard, Edward Starbuck, Thomas Coleman, John Bishop and Thomas Mayhew Junior. These twenty men and their heirs were

10528-664: 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

10640-476: 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 is possible that Coddington only wanted to annex Martha's Vineyard due to its proximity to Rhode Island and

10752-441: The top employers in the town are: Nantucket's public school district is Nantucket Public Schools . The Nantucket school system had 1,583 students and 137 teachers in 2017. Schools on the island include: Nantucket Public Schools District information and meetings are broadcast on Nantucket Community Television (Channel 18) in Nantucket. A major museum association, the Maria Mitchell Association , offers educational programs to

10864-425: 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

10976-488: 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;

11088-422: The western end of Nantucket Harbor, where it opens into Nantucket Sound. Key localities on the island include Madaket , Surfside , Polpis , Wauwinet , Miacomet, and Siasconset (generally shortened to "'Sconset"). According to the Köppen climate classification system, Nantucket features a climate that is Cfb ( oceanic ), a climate type rarely found on the east coast of North America . Nantucket's climate

11200-504: 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

11312-470: 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

11424-635: 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

11536-428: The year. Similar to many other cities with an oceanic climate, Nantucket features a large number of cloudy or overcast days, particularly outside the summer months. The highest daily maximum temperature was 100 °F (38 °C) on August 2, 1975, and the highest daily minimum temperature was 76 °F (24 °C) on the same day. The lowest daily maximum temperature was 12 °F (−11 °C) on January 8, 1968, and

11648-572: Was John Adams , was still alive. Topaz remained at the island for only ten hours. Captain Folger was given the Bounty' s azimuth compass and Larcum Kendall K2 marine chronometer by Adams. The K2 was the third precision marine chronometer made after the H4, designed by John Harrison . The chronometer was taken by the Spanish governor at Juan Fernandez Island . The chronometer was later purchased by

11760-423: 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

11872-440: Was formed in 2002 to consider limiting the number of vehicles on the island, in an effort to combat heavy traffic during the summer months. Martha%27s Vineyard Martha's Vineyard , often simply called 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

11984-678: 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

12096-436: 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

12208-602: 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

12320-416: Was set in place which provided the English settlers with steady access to a pool of Wampanoag labor. During the century that followed the arrival of the English settlers, the Wampanoag community did not thrive, and by 1763 they numbered only 358 people. Various factors contributed to this decline, including the destruction of the ecosystem that had sustained them, the disadvantages they faced in competing in

12432-585: Was the uncle of Lucretia Coffin Mott , daughter of his sister, Anna Folger, and Thomas Coffin. Folger ' s grandson, William Mayhew Folger (1844-1928), became a United States Navy rear admiral . Mayhew Folger captained the ship Topaz that left Boston on April 5, 1807, hunting for seals. They rediscovered the Pitcairn Islands on February 6, 1808. At that time, only one of the original HMS  Bounty mutineers, Alexander Smith, whose real name

12544-449: 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 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

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