From the June 13, 1930 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

Vineyard Haven and Edgartown of nearly a century ago and little-known details of life and village industries of that time are recalled by Mrs. Mehitable S. Norton of Vineyard Haven, one of the oldest of Island residents.

Mrs. Norton was born on the west side of Lake Tashmoo. Looking down the length of the pond shore today, an almost unbroken line of heavy timber is presented to view. But in the days of her childhood, there was little wood there, the land was clear and the greater part of it was under cultivation.

Mrs. Norton’s father was Thomas Smith, a whaler of adventurous spirit, as most of the whalers of his time had to be. The ocean was filled with many perils, which have since vanished and have been well-nigh forgotten.

When Mrs. Norton reached school age, her family moved into the village of Holmes Hole, as it was rather too far for her to walk from the farm, even in those hardy times.

Holmes Hole, as it was in those days, bore little resemblance to the present village of Vineyard Haven. It was a small village, very busy, indeed, where everyone knew every one else and knew also all about the affairs of his neighbors. The entire village met and sympathized with the unfortunate person or rejoiced with him if he met with good fortune. If one left the village, everyone knew it and the reason therefore, and on his return everyone made it a point to meet and greet him.

Ship railways, spar yards and other marine establishments were working every day in the year, fitting out the Vineyard whale ships, those of Nantucket and the many coasters and packets that were owned on the Island. Small vessels were being built also and the harbor was always filled with shipping.

There was not a foot of paved street or sidewalk in the town and walking was not comfortable in the loose sandy soil. Houses were located farther apart than at present, and there were few stores.

Upon completing her schooling Mrs. Norton learned a trade, common enough in her youth, but one that seems very strange indeed to young women of today. She became a gentleman’s tailor, and went to work in a large establishment employing a number of girls, located in the center of the village.

There were no ready-made clothes to be had, and no sewing machines. The girls were employed at stitching the garments, and the work was extremely exacting.

Whaling captains were arriving almost weekly, from successful voyages, and coming into the tailor shop to order new suits and overcoats.

This was before the era of strapped-down trousers, and no creases were pressed into the garments. But trouser-making was a very particular job, nevertheless, and all work in the tailor shop had to pass the most rigid inspection.

“But we had plenty of fun there, just the same,” says Mrs. Norton. “The hours were from 7 till 12, and 1 to 6, but the proprietor left the shop at 5 each day and after that there were some lively goings on.”

After seven years of tailoring Mrs. Norton married and removed to Edgartown, where she lived for four years. The Civil War occurred while she lived there and she has a most vivid recollection of the home-coming of the crew of the ship Ocmulgee, and others, sunk by the privateer Alabama while whaling. After the war she returned to Vineyard Haven where she has lived ever since.

Having lived so many years in Vineyard Haven Mrs. Norton has been able to watch the growth and development of the Island from a vantage point. She has seen the passing of the whalers, the growth of the coastwise trade in sailing ships and the gradual disappearance of these as steamers have taken their places. She clearly recalls the time when transportation between the Island and mainland was solely by sailing packets, and she has seen these little, uncomfortable sloops replaced by steamers, which in turn have been replaced by still larger and more sumptuous craft, until now the Island steamboat service is second to none.

She can recall the clumsy semaphore signal system, worked between West Chop and Falmouth, the increase in the popularity of the telegraph, and lastly, the introduction of the telephone, which, wonder of wonders, actually worked, despite the dour predictions of many who regarded it as a flimsy fake.

These and scores of other inventions have come into practical everyday use since she reached maturity, and while she marvels at them all, she is not awed by their advent. And comfortable and city-like as her town is today, she sometimes heaves a little sigh for the quaint villages of her youth, where people may not have been quite as comfortable, but where life was more leisurely and the villagers had more time to think of their neighbors’ welfare. Not that she regards the world in general as being a poorer place to live in formerly, but simply that the present pace of life prohibits the full enjoyment of many things that were put on earth to gladden the heart of mankind.

Compiled by Hilary Wall
library@mvgazette.com