Download or read book Steamboats to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket written by William H. Ewen Jr. and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2015-03-23 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, off the Cape Cod coast of Massachusetts, were first inhabited by members of the Wampanoag tribe. English settlements were established in the mid-1600s. As the populations and commerce grew, so did the need for reliable transportation. The islands were first served by privately owned sailing vessels, but things began to change with the introduction of marine steam power. In 1818, the little steamer Eagle was the first to cross Nantucket Sound. Although she only remained in these waters for three months, she began what was to become a tradition of steamboat travel to the islands that lasted for 170 years. The images in this volume include well-known steamers with familiar names like Nobska, Naushon, Gay Head, and Uncatena, as well as many others.