From the July 8, 1958 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

What Edgartown police estimated to be “in the neighborhood of 15,000 people” swarmed through Edgartown on the night of the Fourth of July, a veritable deluge of humanity descending on the town in ever-increasing numbers until the hour of darkness, when the traditional fireworks display started on Chappaquiddick Point.

The estimate was made by Chief F. Hudson Worden of the town police, who judged that there were an average of four people arriving in every vehicle, and he is quite sure that there were “more than 3,750 cars” parked in every conceivable spot from lower Main street back to the Memorial Park. An officer stationed at the Methodist church corner ticked off “2,188 cars” passing by between 7 and 9:30 p.m., and a large number had already entered town before that period.

“If anything, there were more this year than last year,” the chief said, adding that he was quite proud of the fact that he and his men were able to get the town “back to normal” after the fireworks were over in less than half the time it took last year. (Allowing 18 feet per car, this would mean that eleven miles of cars were parked somewhere in the astonished town.)

The festivities began with the parade, led by the town police force, and including contingents from both Edgartown and Vineyard Haven American Legion posts, the auxiliary of the Edgartown post, and representatives of the three down-Island fire departments.

The chief attraction in the portion of the parade devoted to fire apparatus was of course the old horse-drawn fire wagon (in this case drawn by a jeep), on top of which perched Edgartown’s genial fire chief, William P. Silva, resplendent in his dress uniform.

All was made jubilant by the spirited music of the Drum and Bugle Corps of the Gen. George W. Goethals Post, American Legion, which later performed in a program of march music at the town dock after the parade had made its double circuit around town. Street dancing followed in the parking lot at the foot of Main street after the fireworks.

Opinions were divided as to whether the fog that lay over the harbor enhanced or detracted from the pyrotechnics, but there could be no question that the heavy atmosphere made the “bomb” that terminated each display sound more deafening than usual.

Chief Worden said that he was amazed that there were no serious accidents in the crush of traffic that followed the demonstration. There was only one mishap, a report that a woman had been struck by a car in the vicinity of the public library on North Water street, but by the time the police could get through the bumper-to-bumper traffic on Main street, there was no sign of any trouble, and there has been no report since then.

Another report of a fist-fight at the street dance also seems to have been unfounded, at least as far as the Edgartown police are concerned.

Again it occurred — that semi-mysterious absorption by the magic Island of summer visitors, their cars, dogs and children. For the Thursday traffic, on the day before the holiday, was something that drove the police mad and the majority of drivers as well. “Terrific!” was the way a couple of police officers described it, throughout Thursday, yet when Friday, the holiday dawned, the streets so jammed on the day before looked “just like Sunday,” as the same officers said. The safe bet is that everyone went beaching.

Of disorderly activities, crime and the rest, two celebrants of the anniversary of the nation’s independence were rounded up by the police and arraigned in court on Saturday, charged with drunkenness. And this accounts for the crime.

All in all, the Island record, always good, was even better than average.

One of the inspiring aspects of the new season — of every new season on the Vineyard, in fact — is the return of so many old friends to the scenes of former visits. Many of today’s vacationers have been coming since childhood.

It is safe to say that practically every one of these longtime visitors is sure that no newcomer of today can ever have the same golden experience. The chapters of the past have been written in times that cannot come again, and the pages cannot be re-opened.

Yet there are a great many newcomers to the Island, young people mostly, who have the eagerness of discoverers — and of course they really are discoverers. These arriving sojourners of the present and future are perfectly sure, if so absurd a question ever came up, that they will have better times here than anyone ever had before. Why not? What era ever came with so clean an edge, with so many opportunities for zestful enjoyment ashore and afloat, with imaginations so kindled and the means of translating imagination into reality?

The odd thing is that both these viewpoints, old and new, may be perfectly sound. The veterans and the newcomers may both be right. We hope so.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

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