Apparently they paused on the Island long enough to name it. Those of the opinion favoring Gosnold's daughter, Martha, also agreed that the abundance of grapevines seen growing everywhere made the syntax complete - hence we have Martha's Vineyard.

The Indians the explorers encountered were friendly, and shared their food and tobacco with them. Later, they shared their knowledge of the land and the sea. The skills the Indians had learned from the generations before them were generously passed on to the emissaries of the New World.

By 1642, the first settlers had arrived to lay claim to their new home. As the years went by, the local natives were slowly but steadily bought out by the wealthier English settlers. Eventually, all the richer farming land in the Edgartown area was no longer owned by any of the natives. The Indians drifted to other areas of the Island, or off the Island completely.

Today, only Gay Head remains an Indian township, one of two such townships in the State. Unlike most other areas in the country, the Indians were not harshly dispossessed. They were paid for their land, and no hostile confrontation erupted between them and the settlers.

Down through the years, the Island's economy prospered, eventually becoming a major anchorage for the ebb and flow of commerce along the eastern coast. In the 19th century the Island emerged strong and healthy. Its vision of economic growth seemed destined to succeed. Unfortunately, things changed - perhaps it was the discovery of the fossil fuels, or the decline of the use of the 'tall ships' to carry cargo or the emergence of the locomotive. But most likely it was a combination of many uncontrollable and unforeseen occurrences which resulted in the decline of the Island's economic stability - the Island failed to prosper. However, the people of the Island, their roots deeply set in the soil, fought back. Slowly, patiently, the Island's economy passed from one depending on fishing, whaling and farming into one of the finest tourist economies in the East. Unlike years ago, when whale bones literally covered the beach, today the only sun-bleached whale bones to be found adorn a space in a quaint Island gift-shop.

Martha's Vineyard has survived, retaining all its charm and beauty. The handsome houses, with their shining clapboard shutters, its shaded streets, green rolling hills, pounding surf and jagged cliffs, quiet lagoons and solemn ponds, all remain to be visited again, or discovered for the first time. It is a place where a sense of the past and feeling of rich history combine with all its natural beauty for an experience that will bring you back year after year! 

History of Vineyard Haven
Known in earlier days as "Nobnocket" to the Natives and "homes Hole" to the Plymouth colonists, Vineyard Haven is actually incorporated as the Town of Tisbury. Her bustling business district lies nestled against the Island's only year-round port of entry, and thus serves as the center of daily island activates.

Tisbury has historically epitomized Yankee independence and resilience: In Colonial times, her residents demanded freedom of worship long before the rest of the colonies and supported the American Independence movement in it's early stages. As a result, a British naval force occupied and pillaged Tisbury in 1778. A century later, the Great Fire of 1883 destroyed 73 buildings on both sides of Main Street, Nevertheless, Tisbury continues to thrive and serve as the Island's hub, and is home to almost one-third of the Island's residents.

History of Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs, Know as "Cottage City" until 1907, celebrates it's seaside Victorian heritage throughout the year. It's busy harbor serves pleasure boaters, serious tournament fishermen, and summer ferries from five ports. Compact and lively, Oak Bluffs has long served as a family vacation mecca. Special events are scheduled from May to October, most within easy walking distance of the ferries and town center.

History of Edgartown:
In 1642, Thomas Mayhew and other settlers set foot on the shores of "Great Harbour" which, until then, had been called "Nunnepog" (Freshwater Place) by the Native Americans. In 1671 the area was incorporated as Edgar Towne, after Edgar, son of the Duke of York. Today, Edgartown's downtown reflects the elegance of the prosperous 19th Century. In 1816, captain Jethro Daggel's "Apollo," became the first ship from Edgartown to engage in whaling. The Old Whaling Church, brick sidewalks and acres of Federal style homes carefully preserve a sense of the whaling era of old New England.

South of the town center, the Katama Plains, a globally threatened prairie eco-system, has been permanently preserved. The plains extend to South Beach.

Chappaquiddick Island, accessible by a short ferry ride, maintains a purely rural character and is home to a number of nature preserves and miles of barrier beach.