The Martha s Vineyard Times
This Was Then: Chief King
Very slow cows and blue light bulbs.
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Dixon Renear, William Carroll, and Chief William King, about 1958, on Union Street, Vineyard Haven. Ford dealer Dixon Renear hands over the keys to the town s first cruiser. Prior to this, patrolmen were paid $1 per day for the use of their cars. The Union Street police station (existing from about 1944 until 1965) is visible on the right. Courtesy Barbara Baldwin
Chief King inside the Union Street station. Courtesy Barbara Baldwin
Before 911, before police radios and walkie-talkies, there were blue light bulbs over Main Street, Vineyard Haven. When a call for help came in, the telephone company switched on the light to signal the Tisbury police, like a Vineyard Haven Bat-Signal.