Skip Finley's Town of Oak Bluffs columns in the Vineyard Gazette were widely popular thanks to his breezy style and historical content. In this curated collection, he presents a chronological telling of how the community became the welcoming seaside resort for a uniquely diverse group of residents and visitors, including five American presidents. Discover how islanders like Ichabod Norton, Old Harry and Lucy Vincent Smith helped to define the island we know today. From the Panic of 1873 to the Inkwell and beyond, these witty and whimsical tales prove why this particular spot is featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Oak Bluffs, originally incorporated in 1880 as Cottage City, is located on the northeast shore of Martha's Vineyard. Oak Bluffs: The Cottage City Years on Martha's Vineyard traces this historically significant town from its early years as the site of a renowned religious camp meeting to its incorporation as Cottage City and later as Oak Bluffs. Using historic images, it captures the religious and social spirit of the community and the fun times of promenading on the bluffs, bathing at the beach, playing croquet, and celebrating with parades and illuminations. This book evokes memories of a bygone era: the canvas Tabernacle and tents in Wesleyan Grove, the Sea View House and Martha's Vineyard Railroad in Oak Bluffs, the horse-drawn trolley, and the Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute in the Vineyard Highlands. Also captured is the remarkable preservation of Oak Bluffs, as seen in early photographs of its parks, cottages, and buildings, such as the Tabernacle, Union Chapel, and Arcade.

Martha's Vineyard has always been known as a charming seaside destination. But on this island, a cautious tour reveals darker tales that lie beneath its familiar exterior. Walk by the House of Correction, where Old Joe patrols the cells in the afterlife. Savor spirits at the Kelley House, where the ghost of the widow of a whaleman rolls Christmas ornaments across the floor and appears by the fireplace. Meander into the Victorian Inn, now The Christopher, where a honeymooning couple was spooked by towels flung on the floor and a rug that wiggled from beneath their four-poster. Local author and historian Thomas Dresser explores haunted happenings from all six island towns, as well as tales of pirates, murder and the afterlife.

African Americans of Martha's Vineyard have an epic history. From the days when slaves toiled away in the fresh New England air, through abolition and Reconstruction and continuing into recent years, African Americans have fought arduously to preserve a vibrant culture here. Discover how the Vineyard became a sanctuary for slaves during the Civil War and how many blacks first came to the island as indentured servants. Read tales of the Shearer Cottage, a popular vacation destination for prominent blacks from Harry T. Burleigh to Scott Joplin, and how Martin Luther King Jr. vacationed here as well. Venture through the Vineyard with local tour guide Thomas Dresser and learn about people such as Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and President Barack Obama, who return to the Vineyard for respite from a demanding world.

Year round on Martha’s Vineyard Island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, residents and vacationers have played basketball—almost since the game was invented. The Oak Bluffs summer league on the Island was innovative, ethnically diverse, welcomed female players, and fostered thousands of friendships. President Obama, NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving, and Family Matters sitcom star Jaleel White have all played basketball on Martha’s Vineyard, as did future college stars, authors, war heroes, and entrepreneurs. Their stories touch current events from World War I through the Civil Rights Movement—and even include the filming of the blockbuster Jaws. Martha’s Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class follows the rich history of basketball on the Island and tells the stories of the players and coaches themselves. During the heyday of Martha’s Vineyard basketball in the 1970s and ‘80s, the courts provided a place for friendships that looked past social class and race—a unique situation given that nearby cities such as Boston were sites of violent demonstrations against integration. Original interviews with those who were there not only reveal the racial dynamics on Martha’s Vineyard, but also relate amusing anecdotes of encounters with celebrities that include Charles Lindbergh, James Cagney, Frank Sinatra, and future star James Taylor. Martha’s Vineyard Basketball reveals little-known aspects of the Island, shares the realities and triumphs of residents and vacationers alike, and demonstrates the unifying power of basketball. New Englanders, basketball fans, and those interested in race and class relations will all find this book a noteworthy account of a singular place.

Step back in island time into a time-capsule of Martha's Vineyard history--the quirky, the gritty, the whimsical, and the hard-to-believe. This collection of stories and unique historical photographs paints a picture of the Vineyard through time. There's more to this New England treasure than postcard perfection Pick up Martha's Vineyard Tales: From Pirates on Lake Tashmoo to Baxter's Saloon and discover the real stories that make up the island's past. Full of little-known tales and tidbits, surprises await for visitors and Vineyard history enthusiasts alike.