Martha's Vineyard, a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamboat, was built by Lawrence & Foulks in Williamsburg, New York, in 1871.

[2] A 1961 Vineyard Gazette article noted the beauty of the vessel: "The Martha's Vineyard...had decorated paddleboxes that made large, rhythmic and beautiful half-circles on the sides.

"[2] as well as how exposed it was: " The Martha's Vineyard at first had no hurricane deck open to passengers, and eventually only a partial one.

[1] In March 1886 the Martha's Vineyard became one of the initial four steamers operating for the newly organized New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamboat Co.[3] (The other three were River Queen, Island Home and the Monohansett.)

In 1928, the steam-powered ferry Islander, which had begun service in 1923, was renamed Martha's Vineyard.