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1889 Map of Gay Head

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Gay Head
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1889
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1889

About this map

Gay Head and the Elizabeth Islands define this late nineteenth-century maritime landscape, where the waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay meet. The map reveals a coastal region heavily shaped by seafaring and small-scale agriculture, with the town of Chilmark and the settlement of Squibnocket anchoring the western tip of Martha's Vineyard. Navigation remains the primary concern for the era, as evidenced by the strategic placement of the Gay Head Light, Cuttyhunk Light, and Tarpaulin Cove Light.

The topography transitions from the dramatic Gay Head Cliffs and Nashaquitsa Cliffs to the low-lying interior ponds such as Menemsha Pond and Squibnocket Pond. To the north, the chain of islands including Naushon Island, Pasque Island, and Nashawena Island creates a series of tidal passages known as holes, such as Robinsons Hole and Quicks Hole. Further south, the isolated island of No Mans Land stands alone in the Atlantic Ocean.