Dive into 180 years of Island history
The Journal of Island Life since 1846, the Vineyard Gazette is an unmatched resource for anyone interested in the history of Martha’s Vineyard. Over the years, the Vineyard Gazette has assembled a unique collection of newspaper clippings, town and state reports, manuscripts, scrapbooks and photographs that document the history of the Vineyard and its people.
The Time Machine, created in 2016, is the first public showcase of a multi-year effort to digitize the Vineyard Gazette’s extensive archive of Vineyard history. The collections shown here represent some of the Gazette’s most popular historical content. Each collection will be expanded, and new collections will be added over time.
Explore the Archive
Recently Digitized Articles
Oak Bluff It Was, That Lofty Mass of Hills
Time passes and men come and go, the glory of yesteryear vanishes in the dust disturbed by the wheels of progress. To many this process is applicable only to eras, very lengthy periods of time,…
Islanders Debate Safety In Forum on Deer Hunt
The State Division of Fisheries and Wildlife held a public informational hearing at the West Tisbury Agricultural Hall Wednesday afternoon that attracted close to a hundred Vineyarders. Opponents and proponents, about equally matched in numbers,…
Fly Over Andrea Doria’s Grave, View Scene at Nantucket
We went out looking yesterday morning for the Andrea Doria, heaving pitilessly in the Atlantic about sixty-five miles southeast of the Vineyard. But we missed her by barely a quarter of an hour, for she…
Featured Collections
Historic Movies of Martha’s Vineyard
One Way Home: Chappy Ferry Through the Years
From a rowboat to the barges that have had more than one iteration through the years, the Chappaquiddick ferry is an Island institution all its own.
Historic Movie Shows Oak Bluffs Through the Years
A two-minute clip of historic scenes were shot in and around Oak Bluffs by three different families between the early 1930s and early 1970s.
Historic Movie: Zeb Tilton, Last of the Schooner Men
A new short film shows rare scenes of Capt. Zeb Tilton in top hat and tails aboard his beloved cargo schooner Alice S. Wentworth.
Research and Collections Use
Our librarian is able to assist in research projects, student papers and reports, and other historical research by phone, email or by appointment. Researchers who require assistance may be charged a $35/hr fee.
Contact Hilary Wallcox at library@vineyardgazette.com or 774-549-5831.
Fortunate is he who ventures upon any historical research on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard, for he is certain of the most helpful and loyal support.
Henry Beetle Hough