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1894 Map of Marthas Vineyard

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Marthas Vineyard
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1904
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1904

About this map

Cottage City and the expanding coastal enclaves of the late 19th century anchor this detailed survey of the island. The topography reveals a landscape defined by its complex shoreline, where the Vineyard Sound meets a network of interior waters like Lagoon Pond and Sengekontacket Pond. The presence of the M. V. R. R. railroad running south from Edgartown to Katama illustrates the era's growing tourist economy and the infrastructure supporting early seasonal residents.

Navigational landmarks including West Chop Light, East Chop Light, and Edgartown Light define the maritime approaches to busy harbors. Inland, the map captures the rural character of West Tisbury and North Tisbury before the 20th-century shift toward a more purely recreational identity. The jagged southern coast is dominated by unique glacial features like Tisbury Great Pond and Edgartown Great Pond, separated from the Atlantic by narrow barrier beaches.