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.