Ten Historic Sites Worth Visiting In The United States
6. Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Martha’s Vineyard (Wampanoag: Noepe) is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony. It includes the smaller Chappaquiddick Island, which is usually connected to the larger island, though storms and hurricanes have been known to separate the two islands.
Originally inhabited by the Wampanoag, Martha’s Vineyard was known in their language as Noepe, or “land amid the streams”. A smaller island to the south was named “Martha’s Vineyard” by the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who sailed to the island in 1602. The name was later transferred to the main island. It is thus the eighth-oldest surviving English place-name in the United States.
English settlement began with the purchase of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands by Thomas Mayhew of Watertown, Massachusetts from two English “owners”. He 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 named Thomas Mayhew, began the first English settlement in 1642 at Great Harbor.
Martha’s Vineyard was brought to prominence in the 19th century by the whaling industry, when ships were sent around the world to hunt whales for their oil and blubber. The Vineyard grew as a tourist destination primarily because of its very pleasant summer weather, many beautiful beaches, culture as well as colonial and 19th century architecture.
