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Not to be confused with Martha's Vineyard AVA. The Martha's Vineyard AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, including all of the land on the islands named
Map of Martha's Vineyard. The island is roughly triangular in shape and is approximately 20.5 miles (33 kilometers) in length.
Map of Martha's Vineyard. The island is roughly triangular in shape and is approximately 20. 5 miles (33 kilometers) in length.
Gay Head Cliffs in Martha's Vineyard
Gay Head Cliffs in Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard (adjoining the smaller Chappaquiddick Island) is an island off the US east coast, to the south of Cape Cod, both forming a part of the Outer Lands region. Chappaquiddick Island is a small island off the eastern end of the larger island of Martha's Vineyard and is part of the town of Edgartown Massachusetts An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cape Cod (or simply the Cape to most New Englanders is a Peninsula nearly coextensive with Barnstable County Massachusetts and forming the easternmost The Outer Lands is a term denoting the prominent Terminal moraine archipelagic region off the southern coast of New England in the United States It is often called just "the Vineyard". With a land area of 87. 48 square miles (231. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 75 km²), Martha's Vineyard is the 57th largest island in the United States. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of This is a list of Islands of the United States, as ordered by area. It is located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in Dukes County, which also includes Cuttyhunk and the other Elizabeth Islands, as well as the island of Nomans Land). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The County of Dukes County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts, located between Buzzards Bay to the north and Vineyard Sound The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small Islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States Nomans Land (also mapped " No Man's Land "or " No Mans Land " or "No Man's island "is an uninhabited island 612 acres (2 It was home to one of the earliest known deaf communities in the United States; consequently, a special dialect of sign language, Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, developed on the island. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of A sign language (also signed language) is a Language which instead of acoustically conveyed Sound patterns uses visually transmitted sign patterns Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL is a Sign language (now extinct) once widely used on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts The island is primarily known as a summer colony, and is accessible only by boat and by air. Nevertheless, its year-round population has grown considerably since the 1960s. A study by the Martha's Vineyard Commission found that the cost of living on the island is 60 percent higher than the national average and housing prices are 96 percent higher. Full Article.

Contents

History

Exploration

Originally (and still) inhabited by the Wampanoag Indians, Martha's Vineyard was known in their language as Noepe, or "land amid the streams". A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them It was named Martha's Vineyard by the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who sailed to the island in 1602. Bartholomew Gosnold (1572&ndash August 22, 1607) was an English lawyer explorer and Privateer, instrumental in founding the Virginia Gosnold's mother-in-law and his second child, who died in infancy, were both named Martha. Saint Martha ( Judæo-Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ "The lady" was the sister of Lazarus Gosnold perhaps named Martha's Vineyard after his daughter, who was christened in St James' Church (now St Edmundsbury Cathedral), Bury St Edmunds in the English county of Suffolk. St Edmundsbury Cathedral is the Cathedral for the Church of England 's Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. Bury St Edmunds is a town in the county of Suffolk, England and formerly the County town of West Suffolk. Suffolk (ˈsʌfək is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. Martha is buried in the Great Churchyard[1] which lies in front of the Abbey ruins between St Mary's Church and the Cathedral. Bury St Edmunds Abbey was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England

The original name of the island was Martin's Vineyard (after the captain of Gosnold's ship, John Martin); many islanders up to the 1700s called it by this name[2]. The United States Board on Geographic Names worked to standardize placename spellings in the late 19th century, including the dropping of apostrophes. The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic 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 few placenames in the United States today with a possessive apostrophe[3].

Colonial Era

English settlement had its origins in the purchase of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands by Thomas Mayhew of Watertown, Massachusetts. Thomas Mayhew Sr ( March 31, 1593 – March 25, 1682) established the first settlement of Martha's Vineyard in 1642 The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Mayhew worked through the claims of two English "owners" of the islands and during his lifetime had friendly relations with the Wampanoags on the island in part because he was careful to honor their land rights as well. His son, also Thomas Mayhew, began the first English settlement in 1642 at Great Harbor (later Edgartown, Massachusetts). Edgartown is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States.

The younger Mayhew began a relationship with Hiacoomes, an Indian neighbor, which eventually led to Hiacoomes' family converting to Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Ultimately, many of the tribe became Christian, including the paw-waws (spiritual leaders) and sachems (political leaders). It became arguably the first successful cross-cultural church planting mission in the history of Protestantism (Eliot's work on the mainland began a few years later). By most evidence the Mayhew approach was remarkably free of the cultural imperialism so often a part of other missions of that and later eras. During King Phillip'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 English colony. King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom 's War or Metacom's Rebellion was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of

The younger Thomas Mayhew was lost at sea on a trip to England in 1657. The site of his farewell address became a memorial stone pile created by the Wampanoags and is preserved today. The elder Mayhew took over leadership of the English component of the Indian mission, and the Mayhew involvement continued for another three generations.

Indian literacy in the schools founded by Mayhew 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. Benjamin Franklin ( April 17 1790 was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. "The ship Joel Hiacoomes was sailing on, as he was returning to Boston from a trip home shortly before the graduation cermonies 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 (Moneghan, E. J. , 2005, p. 59). " Cheeshahteaumauk's Latin address to the corporation (New England Corporation), which begins "Honoratissimi benefactores" (most honored benefactors), has been preserved. (Gookin, as quoted in Monaghan, 2005, p. 60. ) They were literate in Wampanoag, English, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Sadly, all of the early Indian graduates died shortly after completing their course of study. However, there were many native preachers on the island who also preached in the English churches from time to time.

In 1683, Dukes County, New York was incorporated, including Martha's Vineyard. Dukes County New York was formed on November 1, 1683 by New York from the Elizabeth Islands, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket In 1691, the entire county was transferred to the newly formed Province of Massachusetts Bay, being split into Dukes County, Massachusetts and Nantucket County, Massachusetts. The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony chartered October 7, 1691 in North America by William and Mary, the joint The County of Dukes County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts.

Nineteenth Century

Like 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 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Whaling is the hunting of Whales and dates back to at least 6000 BC Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized Fat found under the skin of all Cetaceans Pinnipeds and Sirenians Description 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. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common After the Old Colony railroad came to mainland Woods Hole in 1872, summer residences began to develop on the island. Although the island struggled financially through the Great Depression, its reputation as a resort for tourists and the wealthy continued to grow. A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel There is still a substantial Wampanoag population on the Vineyard, mainly located in the town of Aquinnah. Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Aquinnah was formerly known as Gay Head, but was recently renamed its original Indian name, which means "land under the hill" in the Wampanoag language.

Modern Era

The linguist William Labov wrote his MA essay on changes in the Martha's Vineyard dialect of English. William Labov (ləˈboʊv born December 4, 1927) is an American linguist widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist Sociolinguistics [4] The 1963 study is widely recognized as a seminal work in the foundation of sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of Society, including cultural norms expectations and context on the way Language is used

The island received international notoriety on July 18, 1969, when Mary Jo Kopechne was killed when a car driven by U. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mary Jo Kopechne ( July 26 1940 &ndash July 18 1969) was an American Teacher, Secretary and Administrator S. Senator Edward Kennedy drove off the Dike Bridge. Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic The bridge crossed Pocha Pond on Chappaquiddick Island (a smaller island connected to the Vineyard and part of Edgartown). Chappaquiddick Island is a small island off the eastern end of the larger island of Martha's Vineyard and is part of the town of Edgartown Massachusetts As a foot bridge, it was intended for people on foot and bicycles, as well as the occasional emergency vehicle when conditions warranted. The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind Currently, 4x4 vehicles with passes are allowed to cross the reconstructed bridge. Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to

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 a Soviet ship. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the In Politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another In an embarrassing incident in modern American history, the Coast Guard allowed a detachment of KGB agents to board the cutter, and subsequently arrest Kudirka, taking him back to the then-Communist Soviet Union. KGB ( Transliteration of "КГБ" is the Russian abbreviation of Committee for State Security ( Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

In 1974, Steven Spielberg filmed the movie Jaws on Martha's Vineyard. Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer. Jaws is a 1975 thriller / horror Film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley 's best-selling 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". [5] 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. Jaws 2 is a 1978 horror &ndash Thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc. Jaws The Revenge (aka Jaws 4 is a 1987 horror &ndash Thriller film directed by Joseph Sargent. In June, 2005 the island celebrated the 30th anniversary of Jaws with a weekend long "JawsFest".

Distressed over redistricting, in 1977, Martha's Vineyard tried to secede from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts along with the island of Nantucket to become the nation's 51st state. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity 51st state, in American political discourse, is a phrase that refers to territories considered candidates for addition to the fifty states [6]

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. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) John Adam Belushi ( January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American Comedian, Actor and Musician 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 elsewhere within the cemetery. Many people visit his grave and in the summer it is often littered with beer cans, joints and other "tokens" for Belushi.

Martha's Vineyard received more world-wide attention when U. S. President William J. Clinton spent vacation time on the island during his presidency, along with his wife, US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and their daughter Chelsea. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27 1980 is the daughter and only child of former U While the Clintons have made the island famous in recent years, during the 1800s another famous President Ulysses S. Grant was also a summer visitor, staying in a Gingerbread cottage in the Methodist campground in Oak Bluffs. Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of Architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era.

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. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr (November 25 1960 – July 16 1999 often referred to as John F Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy ( January 7 1966 &ndash July 16 1999) née Carolyn Jeanne Bessette, was the wife of John F Lauren Gail Bessette ( November 5, 1964 &ndash July 16, 1999) was an American Investment banker and the sister of Kennedy's mother, former U. S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, maintained a home in Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head) until her death in 1994. Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

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. Tularemia (also known as "rabbit fever" "deer-fly fever" "Ohara fever" and "Francis disease" is a serious Infectious disease The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services based in unincorporated Francisella is a Genus of Pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. They are small coccobacillary or rod-shaped Over the following summers, Martha's Vineyard was identified as the only place in the world where documented cases of tularemia resulted from lawn mowing. A lawn mower or lawnmower is a machine that has one or more revolving blades to cut a Lawn at an even length The research may prove valuable in preventing bioterrorism. For the use of biological agents in warfare see Biological warfare.

Political geography

Martha's Vineyard is made up of six towns:

Access

Martha's Vineyard is located approximately 3 1/2 miles off the southern coast of Cape Cod. Cape Cod (or simply the Cape to most New Englanders is a Peninsula nearly coextensive with Barnstable County Massachusetts and forming the easternmost 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. Woods Hole is a Census-designated place (CDP in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in the town of Barnstable Massachusetts, on Cape Cod Quonset Point is a small Peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U There is regularly scheduled air travel (in season from June-October) from Boston, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC to the Martha's Vineyard Airport. T F Green International Airport, also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public Airport located in Warwick, six miles (10 LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district of Washington Martha's Vineyard Airport is a public Airport located in the middle of the island of Martha's Vineyard, three miles (5 km south of the Central business Regular shuttle services operate between most of the ferry piers and the Amtrak station in Providence. Amtrak has connections to the ferries all year.

Residents

Locals refer to Martha's Vineyard as "The Vineyard" and its residents as "Islanders" or "Vineyarders. "

Its relatively small year-round population has led to a very activist citizenry who are highly involved in the island's day-to-day activities. Tourism, over-development, politics and many other subjects are of keen interest to the community. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Keeping the balance between the much needed tourist economy and the ecology and wildlife of the island is of paramount importance. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants animals and other organisms In contrast to the seasonal influx of wealthy visitors, Dukes County remains one of the poorest in the state. Residents have established resources to balance the contradictions and stresses that can arise in these circumstances, notably the Martha's Vineyard Commission and Martha's Vineyard Community Services, founded by the late Dr. Milton Mazer, whose book People and Predicaments remains a valuable source of insight. [7]

The majority of the Vineyard's residents are well-established, yearly summer visitors from up and down the northeast coast of the United States. While many "Vineyarders" come from all over the United States and abroad, the island tends to be a destination for those within close proximity. Many communities around the island tend to have deep family roots in the island that have matured over the years to create hamlets of good friends and neighbors. Nevertheless, many Island visitors are summer "renters" and simply "weekenders" for whom the island is a "home away from home. "

Because of its many high-profile residents, movie stars, politicians, writers and artists also band together with residents in fundraisers and benefits to raise awareness for the fragile ecosystem of the Vineyard and to support community organizations and services. The largest of these is the annual Possible Dreams Auction.

The best known celebrities who live on or frequently visit the island are president Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, comedian and talk show host David Letterman, and musician Carly Simon. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American late-night Talk show host and Comedian and the host since 1993 Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25 1945 is an Oscar, Golden Globe and two time Grammy Award -winning American Singer-songwriter, Also, retired anchorman Walter Cronkite and Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes are summer residents of Martha's Vineyard. Walter Leland Cronkite Jr (born November 4 1916) is a retired American broadcast journalist, best known as Anchorman for the Mike Wallace (born Myron Leon Wallace on May 9, 1918) is an American journalist. Not to be confused with the BBC news magazine program Sixty Minutes (TV series. Other regularly appearing celebrities include film writer/director Spike Lee, attorney Alan Dershowitz, comedians Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi, politico Vernon Jordan, and television news reporters Diane Sawyer and Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20 1957 is an Emmy Award -winning and Academy Award -nominated American Film director, Alan Morton Dershowitz (born September 1, 1938) is an American Lawyer, Jurist, and political commentator. Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning Canadian-American James Adam "Jim" Belushi (born June 15, 1954) is an American Actor, Comedian and Musician, the younger brother Vernon Eulion Jordan Jr (born August 15, 1935) is a Lawyer and business executive in the United States. Lily Diane Sawyer (born December 19, 1945) is a Television Reporter for ABC and co-anchor of its morning news show Charlayne Hunter-Gault (born 27 February, 1942) is an American journalist and foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, and the Public A slew of celebrity visitors have been spotted in recent years, including Bill Murray, Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, and "Charlie's Angel" Kate Jackson. For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22 1976 is an Academy Award winning American actress and Film producer, who has established herself as Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal ( born December 19 1980 is an American actor Kate Jackson (born October 29 1948) is an American actress director and producer

In addition to the national celebrities who have homes on Martha's Vineyard, the island has also become a summer retreat for many of the nation's most prominent Jewish families. The first Jewish families to build summer estates on the island did so in the mid 20th century when they were implicitly discouraged from settling on the equally exclusive island of Nantucket. Today the island is famous as a summer hideaway for wealthy Jewish families, like the Rosenwald, Pillsbury, Fleishman, Tishman, Sulzberger and Scheuer families. Sulzberger is a surname and may refer to Arthur Hays Sulzberger (1891-1968 publisher of The New York Times from 1935 to 1961

Similarly, many of the country's most affluent Black families have enjoyed a century-old tradition of summering on the island. Concentrated primarily in and around the town of Oak Bluffs, and the East Chop area, these families have historically represented the black elite from Boston, Washington, D. C. , and New York City. Today affluent Black families from around the country have taken to the Vineyard and the community is known as a popular summer destination for judges, physicians, business executives, surgeons, attorneys, writers, politicians, and professors. The historic presence of black residents on the island resulted in the nickname of one of Oak Bluff's most popular beaches. Dubbed "The Inkwell," this small beach is central to Oak Bluffs and within short walking distance to many of the homes of the more notable Black families.

Martha's Vineyard has also been or is home to a number of artists and musicians, including Evan Dando, Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, James Taylor, Willy Mason, Unbusted, Mike Nichols, Gordon Healy and Kahoots. Evan Griffith Dando (born March 4 1967) is an American Musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton (born John Timothy Burton) is a Saxophonist for the band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are a Ska-core band from Boston, Massachusetts. James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts Willy Mason (born 21 November 1984) is an American singer-songwriter Unbusted is a three-piece rock band from Martha's Vineyard MA. Mike Nichols (born November 6 1931) is an American television stage and Film director, writer and producer Historian and author David McCullough is also an island resident, as is the young-adult books author Judy Blume. David Gaub McCullough (mə-kŭl'ə (born July 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Born and raised in Pittsburgh McCullough later attended Judy Blume (born Judy Sussman on February 12, 1938) is a popular American Author. The late author William Styron also lived on the Vineyard. William Clark Styron Jr ( June 11 1925 &ndash November 1 2006) was an American Novelist and Essayist. The Academy Award winning Patricia Neal owns a home on the island. Patricia Neal (born January 20 1926) is an American award-winning Actress of stage and screen Paul McCartney owns a house in Edgartown. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer,

The year-round working population of Martha's Vineyard earns 30% less on average than other residents of the state while keeping up with a cost of living that is 60% higher than average. Many people are moving to more affordable areas. Schools have seen a successive drop in enrollment over the past few years. Typically home to artists, musicians and other creative types, many of the island's residents manage by working several jobs in the summer and taking some time off in the winter. The lack of affordable housing on the island has forced many families to move off-island. A growing number of workers live on Cape Cod and take a ferry over to the island for day labor.

Points of Interest

Vineyard Haven (Tisbury) (formerly "Holmes Hole")

Oak Bluffs (formerly "Cottage City")

A gingerbread cottage at Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard.
A gingerbread cottage at Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. Vineyard Haven is a Census-designated place (CDP in the town of Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, The Woods Hole Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, referred to coloquially as The Steamship Authority or simply the SSA, is the statutory regulatory Woods Hole is a Census-designated place (CDP in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The Black Dog was originally a restaurant and tavern in Vineyard Haven on the island of Martha's Vineyard. West Chop is a residential area located in the town of Tisbury Massachusetts on the north end of the island of Martha's Vineyard. Oak Bluffs is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States.

Edgartown

Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard at dawn, one of five lighthouses on the island. It is located at the opening of Edgartown harbor. It can be viewed by walking north on North Water Street to an area adjacent to the Harborview Hotel.
Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard at dawn, one of five lighthouses on the island. Manuel F Correllus State Forest is a Massachusetts State forest located on Martha's Vineyard. East Chop, also known as the Vineyard Highlands is a residential area located in the town of Oak Bluffs Massachusetts on the north end of the island of Martha's Vineyard Edgartown is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located at the opening of Edgartown harbor. It can be viewed by walking north on North Water Street to an area adjacent to the Harborview Hotel.
The On Time (also known as the Chappy Ferry) is so named not because there is no schedule but because the boats running the route were built "on time" without delays in construction. The trip between Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick takes 2-3 minutes.
The On Time (also known as the Chappy Ferry) is so named not because there is no schedule but because the boats running the route were built "on time" without delays in construction. The trip between Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick takes 2-3 minutes.

Edgartown is an old whaling town that re-emerged in the 20th century as a summer sailing and beach town. It is characterized by 18th and 19th century homes, including well-preserved whaling captains' homes and historic churches.

West Tisbury

Chilmark

Aquinnah (Formerly "Gay Head")

Well-Known Beaches

Education

Martha's Vineyard is served by Martha's Vineyard Public Schools:

Five of the six towns have their own elementary schools, while Aquinnah residents are closest to Chilmark's elementary school. The Tiasquam River is a small river (35 miles long on the southwest of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Menemsha Hills is a Nature reserve located on Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts. Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Lambert's Cove Beach is a well known beach in the town of West Tisbury on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Katama is a residential area in the town of Edgartown Massachusetts, on the south shore of the island of Martha's Vineyard. The Edgartown School is located on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Martha's Vineyard Regional High School is the one of the two public high schools in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United The Chilmark school only serves grades pre-K to 5, so students in grades 6 - 8 must attend another middle school, usually the Tisbury school. [8] Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, which is located in Oak Bluffs, serves the entire island. Martha's Vineyard Regional High School is the one of the two public high schools in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United Oak Bluffs is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States.

Annual events

All Towns

Chilmark

Edgartown

Tisbury

Oak Bluffs

West Tisbury

Tourism

The Vineyard grew as a tourist destination primarily because of its very pleasant summer weather (during summers, the temperature rarely breaks 90°F) and many beautiful beaches.

Wealthy Boston sea captains and merchant traders formerly created estates on Martha's Vineyard with their trading profits. Today, the Vineyard has become one of the Northeast's most prominent summering havens, having attracted numerous celebrity regulars. The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U

Martha's Vineyard is one of the traditional resorts of U. S. 's African-American upper class. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Due to a long history of racial harmony on the island, many black families started vacationing there a century ago. The center of black culture on Martha's Vineyard is the town of Oak Bluffs, where many affluent African American families own houses. Oak Bluffs is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Its main beach has been dubbed "The Inkwell" by African-American residents. The Inkwell is a 1994 romantic comedy / drama Film, directed by Matty Rich.

The island now boasts a year-round population of about 15,000 people in six towns; in summer, the population swells to 100,000 residents, with more than 25,000 additional short-term visitors coming and going on the ferries during the summer season. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The most crowded weekend is July 4. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples In general, the summer season runs from June to the end of August, correlating with the months most American children are not in school. Martha's Vineyard Airport links the island to the mainland with scheduled air carrier service. Martha's Vineyard Airport is a public Airport located in the middle of the island of Martha's Vineyard, three miles (5 km south of the Central business

The Vineyard is home to Troubled Shores, a theater company that teaches and performs comedy improv along with other types of theater. Troubled Shores Inc is a not-for-profit theater organization dedicated to improving the cultural and educational environment of the Cape and Islands Its improv troupe, WIMP, held their last show on July 6, 2005. The IMPers, a teenage improv troup, also perform regularly. Troubled Shores also runs a summer theater camp, known as IMP All Things Theater Camp. The Vineyard's only Equity theatre is The Vineyard Playhouse located in Vineyard Haven. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Actors' Equity Association (AEA commonly referred to as Actors' Equity The '''Vineyard Playhouse''' is a professional Community theatre company on the Island of Martha's Vineyard. Vineyard Haven is a Census-designated place (CDP in the town of Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, [10] During the summers the theatre converts from community-based productions to an SPT (Small Professional Theatre) approved space featuring equity actors from around the country.

In 1985, the two island of Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquidick Island were included in a new American Viticultural Area designation for wine appellation of origin specification: Martha's Vineyard AVA. An American Viticultural Area is a designated Wine Grape -growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice An appellation is a Geographical indication used to identify where the Grapes for a Wine were grown The Martha's Vineyard AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, including all of the land on the islands named Wines produced from grapes grown on the two islands can be sold with labels that carry the Martha's Vineyard AVA designation. For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is Martha's Vineyard is home to the winemaker Chicama Vineyards in West Tisbury.

Other popular attractions include the annual Illumination festival in Oak Bluffs; Katama Farm in Edgartown; and the Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs, the oldest carousel in the United States.

More information about visiting Martha's Vineyard including planning guides may be found at the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce.

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Hereditary deafness and sign language

A high rate of hereditary deafness was documented in Martha's Vineyard for almost two centuries. The island's deaf heritage cannot be traced to one common ancestor and is thought to have originated in the Weald, a region in the English county of Kent, prior to immigration. The Weald (wɪəld is the name given to a physiographic area in south-east England situated between the parallel Chalk Escarpments of the North KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format Researcher Nora Groce estimates that by the late 1800s, 1 in 155 people on the Vineyard was born deaf (0. 7 percent), almost 20 times the estimate for the nation at large (1 in 2,730, or 0. 04 percent). [11]

Mixed marriages between deaf and hearing spouses comprised 65% of all deaf marriages in the late nineteenth century, (higher than the US average of 20%)[12] and Martha's Vineyard Sign Language was commonly used by hearing residents as well as deaf ones until the middle of the twentieth century. Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL is a Sign language (now extinct) once widely used on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts [13] This allowed deaf residents to smoothly integrate into society.

In the twentieth century, tourism became a mainstay in the island economy. However, jobs in tourism were not as deaf-friendly as fishing and farming had been. Consequently, as intermarriage and further migration joined the people of Martha's Vineyard to the mainland, the island community more and more resembled the wider 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. Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL is a Sign language (now extinct) once widely used on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts

Trivia

See also

References

  1. ^ Unique signature found by town researcher, Bury Free Press: Bury St Edmunds (26 April 2007). The County of Dukes County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City. The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small Islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts, located between Buzzards Bay to the north and Vineyard Sound Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands, is seven miles (11 km long just off (SW of Cape Cod, and four Statute miles (6 km NW of Martha's Nomans Land (also mapped " No Man's Land "or " No Mans Land " or "No Man's island "is an uninhabited island 612 acres (2 Martha's Vineyard Regional High School is the one of the two public high schools in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL is a Sign language (now extinct) once widely used on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts Plum TV is a lifestyle Television channel launched in 2002 by Nantucket Nectars founder Tom Scott, along with producer Cary Woods The Woods Hole Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, referred to coloquially as The Steamship Authority or simply the SSA, is the statutory regulatory
  2. ^ Charles Edward Banks, M. D. . The History of Martha's Vineyard. Published by George H. Dean: Boston (1911), Volume I, pg. 73
  3. ^ George R. Stewart. George Rippey Stewart ( May 31, 1895 – August 22, 1980) was an American Toponymist, a novelist and a professor of English Names on the Land. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston (1967), pg. 345
  4. ^ [http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/hsl_shl/tristan.htm Bas van Elburg, Possible Origins of Certain Nonstandard Verb Forms in the Dialect of Tristan Da Cunha. 21 December 2000.
  5. ^ Internet Movie DataBase: Jaws cast list
  6. ^ Vineyard Gazette article on the secession attempt
  7. ^ Milton Mazer, M. D. People and Predicaments: Of Life and Distress on Martha’s Vineyard. Published by Harvard University Press (1976), Cambridge, MA.
  8. ^ City Data on Chilmark, Ma
  9. ^ Vineyard Gazette article on Vineyard Playhouse's 25th anniversary
  10. ^ Vineyard Gazette article on The Vineyard Playhouse's 25th Anniversary
  11. ^ Groce, Nora Ellen (1985). Everyone here spoke sign language: Hereditary deafness on Martha's Vineyard, Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-27040-1
  12. ^ Lane, Harlan L. , Richard C. Pillard and Mary French. Origins of the American Deaf-World: Assimilating and Differentiating Societies and Their Relation to Genetic Patterning. Sign Language Studies 1. 1 (2000) 17-44. Online. Accessed via Project Muse on April 23, 2006
  13. ^ Bahan, B. , and J. Poole-Nash. "The Signing Community on Martha's Vineyard". Unpublished address to the Conference on Deaf Studies IV. Haverhill, Mass. 1995. Quoted in Lane 28

Gookin,Historical Collections, 53; Railton, "Vineyard's First Harvard men," 91-112.

Monaghan, E. J. (2005). Learning to Read and Write in Colonial America University of Massachusetts Press. Boston: MA

Dictionary

Martha's Vineyard

-proper noun

  1. An island off the southern coast of Cape Cod famous for once being home to one of the earliest known deaf communities.
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