SKIP FINLEY
508-696-3742
Farm Neck was the name most often used for Oak Bluffs by 1642 when Joseph Daggett was first granted land for his farm. In 1646, Thomas Mayhew called our part of Martha’s Vineyard the Easternmost Chop of Holmes Hole, the word chop being a variation of chap, the jaw of a vise or a clamp. Eventually both Farm Neck and Eastville came to describe the area that is now known as Oak Bluffs, but was then still part of Edgartown.
By 1872, Farm Neck and Eastville were booming, and resentment in the town was brewing. From 1835 to 1866 the Methodists had constructed the Camp Ground, and from 1866 until the late 1870s the Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Company had built and promoted a new community by the sea. The July 5, 1867 Vineyard Gazette featured an ad announcing 1,000 lots for sale in the new development of Cottage City called Oak Bluffs. An 1871 article in the Whaleman’s Shipping List, a New Bedford marine newspaper, heralded “Ho For The Vineyard! A large stream of travel is now rushing through this city [New Bedford] to the Vineyard. Every conceivable kind of vehicle groans with its freight of humanity; men and women of all nations and all natures, of all sections and complexions — the Portuguese, the Englishman, the Frenchman, the Southerner, the Easterner — all going to the Eden-like city by the sea. What a wonderful transformation! Forty years ago, it was a barren waste, and now it is one of the most fashionable watering places on the Atlantic coast.”
In a scant 40-year period an entire area of thousands of homes in over 18 subdivisions had been built from a damp thicket of trees at the northeastern end of the Island, which was managed by the southernmost established town of Edgartown. The irony of such rampant growth ultimately causing contention probably couldn’t have been predicted. The new community wound up paying the majority of the taxes but received slow and second-class service, since the majority of taxpayers were not voters but seasonal visitors. The costs of growth in Cottage City included police and fire, clean water and sewage, road construction and maintenance, health and schools — all signs of a town, from Edgartown’s perspective, “getting too big for its britches” as historian Arthur Railton says in his book The History of Martha’s Vineyard.
The unfortunate timing of the end of the whaling industry contributed to growing ill will, and almost 100 years after the revolution, the term “taxation without representation” was being bandied about. Although you know what happened, I’ll provide more details . . . next week.
Shearer Cottage’s celebration of its 100th anniversary last Saturday (besides the obvious longevity) was one of the more amazing groupings of Oak Bluffs’ historical black community ever assembled. It included over 25 of Charles Shearer’s (1854 to 1934) descendants, a family now in its sixth Oak Bluffs generation. Also present was Carrie Tankard, whose family recently joined the African American Heritage Trail; Elaine Weintraub, who with Carrie founded the trail; Martha’s Vineyard Museum oral history curator Linsey Lee; Dr. Robert (Bobby) Tankard, MVTV Tank Talk host and one of the owners of the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks; Oak Bluffs selectman Gail Barmakian; and bunches of Van Allens, Jacksons, Popes, Walkers and other Shearer family members and friends. Oak Bluffs chairman of the board of selectmen Kathleen Burton presented a certificate of appreciation from the town to Lee Van Allen, who operates Shearer Cottage on behalf of the rest of the family.
Trena Morrison’s Martha’s Vineyard Fashion Week fundraiser for Angel Flight NE was a remarkable success. Headlined in Oak Bluffs, the multi-town, week-long event was warmly received and well-attended. Fashion Week allowed Vineyard designers and merchants to show off Vineyard fashion, a theme that has established itself and that may become widely accepted if any of the rumors of New York fashionistas being present were true. Saturday night’s red carpeted It’s a Marvelous Night for a Moondance grand finale at Dreamland was accentuated by professional models from Boston’s Newbury street-based Dynasty Models. DJ Pretty Ninja is a Vineyard native (Erika Davies) whose international beats rocked the show. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear her at Tao in Las Vegas someday. I was told the helicopter noisily flying around Oak Bluffs Saturday was filming scenes for Larry David’s next flick, portions of which take place on the Vineyard.
Farm Neck’s lovely Mia Rebello had a wonderful idea she shared at Mimi Robinson’s celebration of Julian Robinson’s life this summer — a plan to sell Julian’s photographs to raise money for a Julian Robinson Photography Scholarship at the high school. I am hopeful some will join in bringing that to fruition and I will provide progress updates on the project.
We’re halfway through the derby and the big bass seem reluctant to do their part. The awards ceremony is on Oct. 14 at Farm Neck.
Tomorrow is Electronics Disposal Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, across the street from the high school. Electronics can be described as anything that has an electronic display, from computers to copiers to refrigerators and TVs. Take and leave them for modest fees ranging from $1 to $30 with all proceeds benefiting MVCS.
Led Zeppelin tribute band Kashmir appears tomorrow night at 9 p.m. up Dreamland’s “stairway to heaven.”
The yard and flower garden at 79 Ocean Park, a home owned by the Lehr family opposite the Norton-Corbin House, is simply amazing. Thank you.
Construction of a bank at the former location of what was The Oyster Bar Grill, Balance, Nick’s Lighthouse, and/or The Unicorn will result in closing a good portion of the block by 5 p.m. I’m not sure I would like that if I were a nearby merchant hoping for traffic from shoppers.
Keep your foot on a rock.
Comments
Comment policy »