Fun Facts About Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is known all over the world for its rich history.
• Martha's Vineyard is an island just off the coast of Massachusetts near Cape Cod. Discovered in 1602 and officially founded in 1642, Martha's Vineyard is now one of the most popular vacation spots in the world. Until 1692, this locality was considered part of New York. In the 1700s and 1800s, the island was noted for its fishing and whaling industries but is now considered a major American resort.

Martha's Vineyard is renowned for having a unique geography when compared to most other tourist spots in the United States.
• The island is 20 miles long and about five miles wide. Martha's Vineyard was named for its wild grapevines. The Vineyard and Nantucket sounds border the island, which is also near the Elizabeth Islands. Martha's Vineyard has six major towns, and most of its inland spaces compose a Massachusetts state forest. The southern part of this tourist destination is comprised of sandy planes, while the northern portion features hills made out of boulders.

Martha's Vineyard offers both modern convenience and seclusion for those seeking either a vacation or a long-term residence.
• This vacation mecca is primarily enjoyed by the summer crowd, though it is home to a number of year-round residents. Martha's Vineyard is only accessible by boat or airplane. In addition, the cost of living is 60-percent higher than that of most of the United States, and real estate prices are typically about 95-percent higher than in the rest of the country.

Martha's Vineyard has attracted many famous temporary and long-term residents.
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and the mother of John F. Kennedy Jr., owned a home on Martha's Vineyard in the town of Aquinnah until she died in 1994.
• Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with their daughter, Chelsea, are known for their many trips to the island.
• In the 1800s, President Ulysses S. Grant also took vacations to Martha's Vineyard.

Martha's Vineyard also has attracted visitors for other pieces of celebrity history.
• Director Steven Spielberg filmed his movie "Jaws" on the island in 1974.
• In addition, famous comedic actor John Belushi, who died in 1982, is buried in the Martha's Vineyard town of Chilmark. Visitors still flock to his grave to pay respects and leave mementos.

Sources:

http://www.cuttyhunkhistoricalsociety.org/gosnold16021607.html

http://history.vineyard.net/dukes/gaz49.htm

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F4061FFB3B591B7B93C0A91782D85F428585F9

http://tedkennedy.us/chappaquiddick.html

http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=36

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha%27s_Vineyard

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/trivia

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000004/bio