The seaport village of Edgartown was the first colonial settlement on Martha's Vineyard and has been the county seat since 1642. In the late 1700s, Martha's Vineyard developed a booming whaling industry and by the 1800s, more than 100 Edgartown men were captains of whaling ships. Between Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard together, they owned one-quarter of America's whaling fleet. By the beginning of the 20th century, the influence of Edgartown in the whaling industry began to decline. Today, Edgartown is known more for summer tourism.