Madaket (also Madaquet, Maddaket, Maddequet, Madeket, or Mattaket) is a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) in Nantucket,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, United States. The population was 236 at the 2010 census. Its elevation is 26 feet (8 m) on the western end of the island. The various spellings of its name led the

Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...

to designate its official spelling in 1966. It is also home to the Madaket Ditch, one of the earliest

public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...

projects in America. It was also home to a famous islander by the name of Mildred Carpenter Jewett or more commonly known as "Madaket Millie".

History

Madaket was home to Mildred Carpenter Jewett, a Nantucket native commonly referred to as "Madaket Millie" who spent much of her life in the area as a volunteer for the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

. Born in 1907, she served as a Coastal Defense Specialist during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, patrolling the shores for German submarines as well as training dogs to accompany military personnel during patrols. At one point, she discovered a live mine and towed it away from the shore, where it was disposed of by a Navy minesweeper. On January 3, 1947, the same day that the Madaket Coast Guard Station was shut down, a Panamanian steamer called the ''Kotor'' ran aground near Madaket. Millie noticed the steamer, and her quick actions in alerting the Coast Guard and organizing a rescue mission were credited with the saving of the ship and crew. Millie continued to serve the Coast Guard on the island in various roles until her death in 1990. She was promoted to the rank of honorary officer in 1965, and she received the agency's Meritorious Public Service Commendation in 1975.

Geography

Madaket is located at the western end of Nantucket island. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 mi² (6.2 km). 2.0 mi² (5.1 km) of it is land and 0.39 mi² (1.0 km) of it (17%) is water.

Demographics

References

Villages in Nantucket, Massachusetts Villages in Massachusetts Populated coastal places in Massachusetts {{NantucketCountyMA-geo-stub