U.S. Opposes Apostrophes on Maps

If our Island had been discovered and named a few hundred years later than 1602, official maps would call it Marthas Vineyard — not Martha's Vineyard.

That's because federal rules on U.S. place names prohibit the use of possessive apostrophes, according to the Department of the Interior's U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

The government board spells it out for us in a publication called Principles, Policies, and Procedures for Domestic Geographic Names: "Apostrophes suggesting possession or association are not to be used within the body of a proper geographic name (Henrys Fork: not Henry’s Fork)." 

(Or, to give an example closer to the Island: Robinsons Hole, not Robinson's Hole.)

Does this mean the feds want to take the apostrophe out of Martha's Vineyard on future maps?

They may wish they could, but according to the Wall Street Journal, Martha's Vineyard is one of just five place names with apostrophes that have been okayed by the board since it was founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

That's probably because the Island had already been going by its possessive moniker for about 300 years by then — though, as the 1871 map accompanying this column suggests, not every map-maker cared to include the apostrophe.

But landscape features known by possessive names that never made it onto official maps are out of luck, according to WSJ writer Barry Newman, who interviewed a group of Adirondacks residents seeking to get a mountain long known as Jimmy's Peak onto the map.

The government gave their apostrophe a thumbs-down, Newman wrote.

Thanks to WSJ reader and MV Patch pal Tot Balay for the news tip.

Would you mind if the government took the apostrophe out of Martha's Vineyard on maps and made it Marthas Vineyard? Tell us in the comments.

Stay Patched in! Follow Martha's Vineyard Patch on Twitter | Like Martha's Vineyard Patch on Facebook | Sign up for the daily email with links to the latest news | Got something to say? Start a blog and share your views.