Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is a 100 square mile (259 km²) island off the southern coast of Cape Cod, and is often known simply as "the Vineyard". Located in the state of Massachusetts, the Vineyard makes up most of Dukes County, Massachusetts (the rest of the county consists of Cuttyhunk and the other Elizabeth Islands). It was home to one of the earliest known deaf communities, and consequently a special dialect of sign language, Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, developed on the island. The island is now primarily known as a summer colony.

History

Originally inhabited by the Wampanoag Indians, Martha's Vineyard was known in their language as Noepe, or "land amid the streams." It was named Martha's Vineyard by English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who sailed to the island in 1602. Gosnold's mother-in-law as well as his daughter, who died in infancy, were each named Martha, and even today there are many areas of wild grapes on the island.

Related Topics:
Wampanoag - Language - Bartholomew Gosnold - 1602

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Like the nearby island Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard was brought to prominence in the 19th century by the whaling industry, sending ships around the world to hunt whales for their oil and blubber. The discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania, producing a cheaper source of oil for lamps, led to an almost complete collapse of the industry by 1870. The island struggled financially through the Great Depression, but since then its reputation as a resort for tourists and the wealthy has continued to grow. There is still a substantial Wampanoag population on the Vineyard, mainly located in the town of Aquinnah. Aquinnah (which means "land under the hill" in the Wampanoag language) was formerly known as Gay Head, but was recently renamed its original Indian name.

Related Topics:
Nantucket - 19th century - Whaling - Blubber - Petroleum - Pennsylvania - 1870 - Great Depression - Resort - Tourist - Aquinnah

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The island received international notoriety on July 18, 1969, when Mary Jo Kopechne was killed when a car driven by U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy drove off the Dike Bridge (also spelled Dyke Bridge). The bridge connected Chappaquiddick Island (which is next to the Vineyard and generally thought of as part of it) with an isolated barrier beach. Martha's Vineyard received further notoriety on July 16, 1999, when a plane crash off its coast claimed 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 a home in Aquinnah until her death in 1994.

Related Topics:
July 18 - 1969 - Mary Jo Kopechne - Edward Kennedy - Chappaquiddick Island - 1999 - John F. Kennedy Jr. - Carolyn Bessette - Lauren Bessette - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis - 1994

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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, future US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and their daughter Chelsea.

Related Topics:
William J. Clinton - US Senator - Hillary Rodham Clinton - Chelsea

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1974, Steven Spielberg filmed the movie Jaws on Martha's Vineyard. Spielberg selected island native Jay Mello for the part of Sheriff Brody's son Sean Brody, and used scores of island natives as extras. Later, scenes from Jaws 2 and ' were filmed on the island as well. In June, 2005 the island celebrated the 30th anniversary of Jaws with a weekend long "JawsFest."

Related Topics:
1974 - Steven Spielberg - Jaws - Jaws 2 - June - 2005 - JawsFest

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1977, Martha's Vineyard tried to secede from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (it also tried to secede from the United States and become an independent nation) along with the island of Nantucket.

Related Topics:
1977 - Secede - Nantucket

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the summer of 2000, an outbreak of tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, resulted in one fatality, and brought the interest of the CDC as a potential investigative ground for aerosolized Francisella tularensis. 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. The research may prove valuable in preventing bioterrorism.

Related Topics:
2000 - Tularemia - CDC - Francisella tularensis - Lawn mowing - Bioterrorism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~