Time for a little fun...

[stnoonan]

Map Mystery returns! (again)

A new mystery is available [a href=http://stnphotography.com/mapmystery.html] at the Map Mystery page[/a]. Can you name all seven islands?

[Richard N]

Name the island -

8. (name)

Location:

42° 15' 05" N

70° 53' 04" W

Thanks to Sean and this fun game, we'll learn the name

of this little landmark that's less than 100 yards across.

Richard

Living to learn.

Romany White, Blue trim

[markstephens]

That's Button Island. So, for extra, extra credit, according to the official town histories of Hingham, to what natural attributes or historical significance does this island owe its name?

A. The buttons that were made from the island's clay deposits,

B. It's diminutive size,

C. The button-like concretions formed by clay deposits found along the shoreline, or

D. The Buttonwood trees that historically grew here.

[Guest guest]

Actually, I think the name derives from the feast of thankfulness the Pilgrims had when they landed on said island. They slaughtered an old sheep, but the cook had a headcold, so when asked what they were eating, he replied, "Button".

[Tom Miner]

I like the "button" with the cold! Good one.

This was too easy: "...there is yet another near the shore of the town, and which from its diminutive size received the name of Button Island."

From: 1893 History of Hingham, Vol 1 Part 1 p.3, The Geology of Hingham by Thomas Bouve

Google works!

Tom

[markstephens]

Actually, you must be thinking of Clark Island in Duxbury Bay, where the Pilgrims first landed, and which also was named as a result of a similar mispronunciation. The Pilgrims were impressed with the colony of Black-Crowned Night Herons on the island, who, like themselves, wore black hats and strutted around the marshes with a monk-like attitude, shouting "Quark! Quark!" There was some confusion, however, as the larger Blue Herons insisted the island was called "Frank!", but the Pilgrims trusted the more pious Black-Crowned Night Herons and decided the island truly was named "Clark" after all.

[Richard N]

Talk about a hoot!!!!!

178 History of Hingham

"Towards he bead of the harbor, hardly a mile south, lies BUTTON ISLAND. This little heap of rock and gravel, hearing no trees nor shrubs and but little glass, is not worth visiting."

It's in the book!

That's what is says.

[http://www.usigs.org/library/books/ma/Hingham1893/h1landmarks.html]

Richard

Living to learn.

Romany White, Blue trim