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Nomans Land Island (aka Nomansland Island)
This little mentioned 628 acre island a few miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard was discovered in 1602 by the explorer Gosnold after whom the Town of Gosnold (aka the Elizabeth Islands) was named.
Prior to its colonial discovery, the island is likely to have been a seasonal camp for the local tribe of Wampanoags and is referred to by the name of Cappoaquit in deed documents of 1666 or as (Teque)nomans Land in some historical records. Recorded deeds can be traced as far back as 1666, but the municipal status of the island was in question until 1714, when the island was annexed as part of the Chilmark Township of Martha’s Vineyard.
Nomans Land Island was well forested in the 17th century, but was cleared almost completely during the 1800s for farming and sheep raising.
According to public documents, in the early 1940s the U.S. Navy entered into a lease agreement with the Crane family, owners of the island at the time. The lease stipulated that Nomans Land Island was to be used “as a radar triangulation point for Buzzards Bay and Newport,” with exclusive military access. The Cranes received a stipend in exchange for the military’s use of the island for the duration of the war. The Navy’s lease indicated that Nomans Land Island was to be returned to the Cranes in the condition that it was found when the lease was signed. The military continued to use the island for weapons training for an additional 5 years after WWII. During this time a U.S. Navy Construction Battalion unit (Seabees) was stationed on the island to improve an airstrip, to erect a radio tower and other structures, and to maintain the bombing range. In 1952 the Navy acquired the island through a declaration of Eminent Domain and settled the property transaction for a reported $33,000.—source
Nomans Land Island served as a military aerial bombardment and gunnery range from 1943 through 1996. In April 1975, 1/3 of the island on its eastern and northeastern side was designated a “No Fire Zone” managed under joint agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Navy. This area was restricted from bombardment after 1975.
Nomans Land also holds a Viking mystery. In the 1920’s the former owner of the island, Joshua Crane, spotted some strange lettering on a large black rock by the water’s edge. The rock (Leif Eriksson Runestone) is apparently only visible at low tide.
The letters were about four inches high, the top two lines being fairly evenly-spaced. The lower two were either incomplete or had been worn smooth in spots by the action of wind and waves.—source
There is also theory on Leifur Eiricksson landing on this sometimes referred to “Nomansland Island”:
The distance between outer Cape Cod and Narragansett bay is about 75 miles and could well be sailed in a single day, but it is not necessary to insist that it always was and was in this instance. At night the ship must travel well off shore and wait or land at some convenient spot. It is possible that a landing might have been made on an island along here somewhere,; possibly “NoMansLand Island”.—source
There are also stories of the Captain Kidd pirate treasure possibly being buried at Nomans:
One local legend relates the tale of a mysterious stranger who arrived in the Elizabeth Islands about seventy years after Kidd’s death. He was an old sailor, and he said that he had sailed with Captain Kidd as a young lad, and that he had personally assisted in burying the treasure on Nomansland Island, just south of Gay Head. The rickety old sailor attempted to draw out a map - but died before he finished the document. Residents of Robinson’s Hole, where the man died, set out to find the treasure. But it never turned up.—source
In June 1998, under the provisions the land transfer component of the Base Reallocation and Closure Act (BRAC), the entire island was transferred from the U.S. Department of Defense to the Department of the Interior. The U.S. Department of Interior conveyed to USFWS the management responsibility for the island. USFWS now operates Nomans Land Island as an unstaffed National Wildlife Refuge. Signs posted on the island by USFWS make known that the refuge is “Closed to Public Access”. Uses of the island and surrounding marine resources are not authorized. Due to the potential safety risks associated with unexploded ordnance, and the value of this Island as a relatively natural Island habitat, the Refuge is closed to all public uses.
The island remains officially closed to public entry due to unexploded ordnance (UXO) dangers. However, the Navy and USFWS acknowledge first hand accounts from residents of Martha’s Vineyard and local fishermen, that trespassing has been extensive for years.
(4 comments) What do you think about Nomans Land Island (aka Nomansland Island)? Leave a comment
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Categories: Interesting, Martha's Vineyard, Places
Keywords: interesting, legends, marthas vineyard, military, pirates, places, treasure, vikings, Leif Eriksson Runestone, Captain Kidd pirate treasure
Comments:
Unexploded Ordnance is not spelled with an “i” as in city ordinance.
Posted by George Bridgeman from Nomans Island on 08/24/08 at 07:56 AM | #
Hi,
I was in the U.s. Navy in 1944-1946 and was stationed on Martha’s Vineyard N.A.S but assigned to Noman’s Land Island during part of 1945. At that time there were only 3 of us Navy personnel out there and our duty was to protect the Navy property from theft or harm.
As I remember, we were out there about 6 months, lived in a quonset hut and spent our time doing routine maintenance work, but mostly we just explored the island. I remember many rabbits we hunted and a couple of sheep, left behind by the former owner.
It was a great experience. I loved it.
Fred Shetler
Posted by Fred Shetler from Peoria, Arizona on 07/14/09 at 07:19 PM | #
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Did Joshua Slocum ever live in or visit Nomansland?