Vineyard Claims 20 Year Advantage in Bathtub Race

When was the first bath tub brought to Martha’s Vineyard? Nantucket had a bath tub, weighing more than 800 pounds, in 1881. A Nantucketer reports having seen another as early as 1861 on that island. Commenting editorially on the question of bath tub priority, the Boston Herald on Wednesday morning challenged Vineyarders to adduce proof of the earlier existence on this Island of a receptacle designed solely for bathing the human form.

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The Chappy Bridge - Secession Was a Question 51 Years Ago

When Edgartown residents voted on secession 51 years ago, they were 100 to one against it.

They even voted $1,000 to stop it.

They were on the other side of the stick then. Pending in the General Court at the time was a bill which would have allowed Chappaquiddick to secede from Edgartown and become an independent municipality.

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Organization of the “Katama Land Company”
Vineyard Gazette

It affords us sincere pleasure to announce that the question whether Katama was “to be or not to be” the scene of a new settlement and a resort for summer visitors, is certainly “to be.”

We were morally certain of this fact several weeks ago, but refrained from stating it at the request of the parties concerned in working up the enterprise, until all possibility of a failure from any human cause, was removed. It is now a fixed fact, and we but give voice to the expression of our citizens when we propose three times three cheers for the cheering inevitable.

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The Edgartown Golf and Tennis Club
Vineyard Gazette

The Edgartown Golf and Tennis Club was organized this week, and starts off with a good list of members, which it is hoped will be much increased with the next month. Good grounds are to be secured, and it is going to be quite the correct thing to become a member and play golf this summer. The officers chosen temporarily are J. R. Hanmer, president, and John E. White, treasurer.

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The Golf and Tennis Club
Vineyard Gazette

The Edgartown Golf and Tennis Club has opened its links at “Pineside,” a little to the north of upper Main street. The course is 2,540 yards long, and is, in the opinion of experts, an unusually successful reproduction of golfing condition on the downs of Scotland, where the game originated. A tennis court is projected for the near future. Membership in the Club, entitling one to all privileges, costs, for men $4.00, for women $2.00 and for children under fifteen $1.50 per year. Guests’ tickets may be had at 25c each. The treasurer is Mr. John E. White.

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Escape of a Fugitive Slave from a vessel in Edgartown Harbor
Vineyard Gazette

The public mind has been greatly occupied recently with several cases of reclamation of fugitive slaves. We give, in another column, some account of the capture and return to bondage of a brother and two nephews of the Rev. Dr. Pennington, a well known and highly esteemed colored minister of New York; also of the case of Burns, in Boston.

Below will be found the particulars of the escape of a fugitive from a vessel in our own harbor.

July the 28th A. D. 1743.

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Edgartown Harbor Named as Historical Underground Railroad Site

Edgartown Harbor was recently named a site on the Underground Railroad as part of 12 new listings made this year.

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Edgartown
Vineyard Gazette

The R. W. Watsons have closed their summer home at Edgartown and are at the Wolcott, New York city, for several weeks before re-opening their town house.

At the Methodist Episcopal Church next Sunday morning the Rev. E. E. Craig will preach. There will be a Union Temperance Meeting in the Congregational church in the evening.

Mrs. Edward Burchell and Mrs. Samuel Burchell of Nantucket have been visiting Mrs. William H. Luce the past week.

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Following the Path of History at the Thomas Cooke House
Maia Coleman

For three years now, the museum has been hard at work restoring the historic Thomas Cooke house property, the site of its original campus, as a public green-space and satellite campus.

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The New York Yacht Squadron in the Harbor of Edgartown
Vineyard Gazette
A Newport correspondent of the New York Post says: -
 
“The members of the yacht squadron which arrived here on Monday night from the East gave a funny account of their adventures,” and he goes on to state the particulars of their forming an acquaintance with the ladies of Edgartown, the ball, &c. Being detained by the weather from proceeding to Nahant, and feeling ennui in their protracted stay, they hoped to obtain some relief by reception on shore. We quote as follows: -
 
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