Celebrated local historian Thomas Dresser unearths the little-known stories that laid the foundations for the community of Martha's Vineyard. Behind the mansions and presidential vacations of Martha's Vineyard hide the lost stories and forgotten events of small-town America. What was the island's role in the Underground Railroad? Why do chickens festoon Nancy Luce's grave? And how did the people of the Vineyard react in 1923 when the rum running ship John Dwight sank with the island's supply of liquor aboard? Delve deep below the surface of history to discover the origin and meaning of local place names and the significance of beloved landmarks.
At the age of eleven, Thomas Dresser started a monthly newspaper and edited the Springdale News, until attending Boston University where he earned a degree in American history and civilization. He taught elementary school at Fort Devens Army Base for ten years, then worked as a nursing home administrator in Massachusetts facilities for twenty years. This is Dresser's ninth book with The History Press, all based on research regarding the intriguing history and unique heritage of Martha's Vineyard.