b"Names on the Land:Maps, Signs, and the Hidden History of Martha's VineyardT WDOIN VAN RIPER of what once was. This article is a brief tour of places where names BY A. BOhe physical traces of the past are fragile: paper crum-bles, wood rots, fiber disintegrates, and leather is nib- on the map shed light on Marthas Vineyards now-hidden history.bled away. Buildings seem to effortlessly outlast their builders, but they too are vulnerable to fire, earth- THE ONLY EDGARTOWNquake, war, and simple neglect. We admire iconic build- Imagine that yourself walking, from north to south, the length ings from a distance, but forget that they are iconic, in part,of the beach that fringes Edgartown (youll have to use your imag-because they survived. Buildings fall down or are torn down, vil- ination: Massachusetts and Maine, alone among the states, do not lages and ways of life fade out of existence. Yet, their names linger,grant unrestricted public access to the tidal zones of beaches). You hidden in plain sight on maps and road signs, quietly reminding usbegin at the end of Fuller Street. Eel Pond lies behind you, with Sheriffs Pond and Weeks Neck further in the distance. Ahead is Starbucks Neck (where the Harbor View Hotel stands), Peases Point (now remembered mostly in the name of the road that leads there), and Lighthouse Beach. South of Commercial Wharf, you Figure 122 This is Hy-Line"