Chappaquiddick Island Ferry. 1993. View from Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. Paul Goldfinger photo. ©
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @ Blogfinger.net.
Many of you, especially under the age of 40, may have not heard of Chappaquiddick Island.
It was the site of a major scandal, when, on the night of July 18, 1969, the married Senator Edward Kennedy was driving a 28 year old female staffer from a party on the Island to reach the ferry back to Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. She had left her friends behind to return with him.
He chose not to take the ferry and he took a wrong turn, missing a bridge over a pond. His car veered into the water, and the woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, died.
Kennedy was not indicted, but he ruined his chances to gain a subsequent presidential nomination in 1972. He also lost a chance in 1980.
We were visiting Edgartown in 1993 and we went over to where the ferry goes back and forth from the Edgartown side. That is how I was able to obtain this black and white photograph.
That location has been photographed by many others over the years. My image turned up while going through some old photographs, so I am sharing it with you since some of you probably have no idea of what that place looked like.
THE FIVE SATINS: