Nantucket Island probably takes its name from a Wampanoag word, transliterated variously as natocke, nantaticu, nantican, nautica or natockete, which is part of Wampanoag lore about the creation of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island.
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The original purchasers needed the assistance of tradesmen who were skilled in the arts of weaving, milling, building and other pursuits and selected men who were given half a share provided that they lived on Nantucket Island and carried on their trade for at least three years.
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Nantucket Island suffered great economic hardships, worsened by the "Great Fire" of July 13,1846, that, fueled by whale oil and lumber, devastated the main town, burning some 40 acres .
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Nantucket Island was formed by the outermost reach of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the recent Wisconsin Glaciation, shaped by the subsequent rise in sea level.
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Nantucket Island's climate is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which helps moderate temperatures in the town throughout the course of the year.
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Nantucket Island receives on average 41 inches of precipitation annually, spread relatively evenly throughout the year.
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Nantucket Island's elected executive body is its Select Board, which is responsible for the town government's goals and policies.
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Nantucket Island is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Dylan Fernandes, Democrat, of Woods Hole, who represents Precincts 1,2,5 and 6, of Falmouth, in Barnstable County; Chilmark, Edgartown, Aquinnah, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury, all in Dukes County; and Nantucket Island.
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Nantucket Island is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Julian Cyr, Democrat, of Truro, who has served since January 4,2017.
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Nantucket Island is in Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, which has existed since 2013.
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Nantucket Island has several noted museums and galleries, including the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Island Whaling Museum.
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Nantucket Island is the site of a number of festivals, including a book festival, wine and food festival, comedy festival, daffodil festival, and a cranberry festival.
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From 1900 to 1918, Nantucket Island was one of few jurisdictions in the United States that banned automobiles.
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Nantucket Island can be reached by sea from the mainland by SeaStreak, The Steamship Authority, Hy-Line Cruises, or Freedom Cruise Line, or by private boat.
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Nantucket Island waters were the site of several noted transportation disasters:.
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