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Click here for a list of New Bedford Museums
Click here for a complete history of New Bedford
Whaling
- Around 1780, William Rotch, Jr., a Nantucket Quaker moved to Bedford Village. Rotch was the owner of the first whale oil ship, the Dartmouth, to be launched in Bedford Village. She was one of the vessels boarded by the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when Francis, son of Joseph Rotch, as managing owner, protested the loss of his cargo.
- In the 19th Century New Bedford gained worldwide reputation as the greatest whaling port in the world.
- Portuguese and Cape Verdean immigrants formed the backbone of the whaling industry, on the wharves and on the high seas.
- In 1841, Herman Melville shipped out aboard the whale ship,
Acushnet. His experiences inspired him to write "Moby-Dick".
- In the mid-ninetieth century, the whaling industry made New Bedford the richest city per capita in the world.
Textiles
- New Bedford's first mill for the manufacture of cotton cloth was opened in 1846.
- After the turn of the century New Bedford became one of the largest producers of cotton yarns and textiles in the country, and led all centers in quality and quantity output of fine goods. Around 1920, at the height of prosperity, there were twenty-eight cotton establishments, operating seventy mills and employing 41,380 workers.
- The mills attracted immigrant populations from countries included but not limited to Poland, French Canada and Portugal.
The Underground Railroad and Frederick Douglass
- In the days of anti-slavery agitation, the people of New Bedford showed a practical sympathy for fugitive slaves. The town was noted as one of the major "stations" of the "Underground Railroad," which was not a railroad at all, but merely an undercover system, to provide refuge for fugitives. The most famous fugitive to settle in New Bedford was Frederick Douglass, noted abolitionist orator and leader, who lived here from 1838 to 1841.
- Another escaped slave, Lewis Temple, opened a blacksmithing shop, which primarily serviced the whaling fleet. In 1848, Temple invented the toggle-head harpoon, which revolutionized the whaling industry.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
33 William Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-996-4095
www.nps.gov/nebe
Congress established this urban national park in 1996 to preserve and interpret the story of America's whale fishery during the 19th Century and New Bedford’s role in the nation’s maritime history. The park consists of a 13-block, 34-acre district in downtown New Bedford, adjacent to its working waterfront. The National Park Visitor Center features displays and exhibits dealing with New Bedford and whaling history. A rear gallery also highlights the works of local artists and photographers with a focus on local cultural and maritime themes.
Some Notable residents of New Bedford:
- James Arnold: Whaling merchant, whose estate is now known as the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford. Donated his fortune to create the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
- Clifford Warren Ashley: Author, sailor, and artist, most famous for "The Ashley Book of Knots", an encyclopedic reference manual, copiously illustrated, on the tying of thousands of knots. He invented Ashley's stopper knot.
- Albert Bierstadt: 19th century German-born artist whose depictions of the American West were well known throughout the country.
- Paul Cuffee: merchant, and philanthropist and civil rights activist.
- William Greenleaf Eliot: Co-founder and benefactor of Washington University of St. Louis. Grandfather of T. S. Eliot.
- Henrietta Howland "Hetty" Green: the "Witch of Wall Street", was the wealthiest woman in the world.
- Henry Grinnell: Successful businessman who financed the outfitting of two vessels, the Advance and the Rescue, to search the Arctic for the lost Franklin Expedition.
- Captain Henry M. Robert: Wrote Robert's Rules of Order in New Bedford, the standard rules for conducting meetings.
- Benjamin Russell: Artist best known for his accurate watercolors of whaling ships.
- Albert Pinkham Ryder: 19th century painter best known for his poetic and moody allegorical works and seascapes, as well as his eccentric personality.
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society
The New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-997-0046
Founded in New Bedford in 1997, the Society works in partnership with the New Bedford Whaling Museum to preserve the contributions of Azoreans to American whaling in the Whaling Museum’s Azorean Whaleman Gallery.
Descendents of Whaling Masters
P.O. Box 3026
New Bedford, MA 02741
www.whalingmasters.org
Based in New Bedford the DWM’s membership includes more than 450 members (in 30 states) who treasure their whaling heritage connections.
Fort Taber Historical Association, Inc.
1000C Rodney French Blvd.
New Bedford, MA 02744
www.forttaber.org
The Fort Taber Historical Association is committed to assisting in the restoration and preservation of Fort Taber as representative of the development of coastal fortifications from the Revolutionary period through the mid-20th Century.
Friends of New Bedford Free Public Library
Main Library
613 Pleasant St.
City Hall Square
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-991-6275
www.newbedford-ma.gov/Library/
Friends of New Bedford Free Public Library endeavor to assist and promote this historic library, the oldest reference center in southeastern Massachusetts, and 150-year old repository for local history, including a large collection of 19th Century art and artifacts, the third largest collection of American Whaling materials, early 19th century Quaker materials, and an extensive genealogy collection.
The Melville Society
791 Purchase St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-997-0046, ext. 134
www.whalingmuseum.org
The Melville Society strives to facilitate and enhance intellectual discourse throughout the world concerning the life, associates, works, reputation, and influence of 19th Century American novelist and poet Herman Melville.
New Bedford Historical Society
Nathan and Polly Johnson House
21 Seventh Street
508-979-8828
www.nbhistoricalsociety.org
Established in 1996 as a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation, the New Bedford Historical Society is dedicated to documenting and celebrating the history, legacy and presence of African Americans, Cape Verdeans, West Indians and other people of color in New Bedford. The Johnson House was a station on the Underground Railroad and was the first free home of Frederick Douglass. Offering guided walking tours of New Bedford's Underground Railroad.
New Bedford Port Society
15 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-992-3295
www.portsociety.org
The New Bedford Port Society, established in 1830 “for the spiritual improvement of seamen,” operates the Seamen’s Bethel and the Mariner’s Home. Built in 1832, the Bethel was made famous as the "Whaleman's Chapel," described in Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick". During summer months, open 10am-4pm Monday-Saturday, 1pm-4pm on Sunday.
New Bedford Preservation Society
508-997-6425
www.nbpreservationsociety.org
Founded in 1974, the New Bedford Preservation Society is a private, non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation and celebration of New Bedford’s remarkable architectural heritage. The Society conducts its very popular house tours semi-annually.
New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library
791 Purchase Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Call 508-997-0046, ext. 134 for appointment
www.whalingmuseum.org
The academic studies and research division of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the library houses the combined research libraries of the Museum and the former Kendall Whaling Museum. Hours: 10am–4pm, Tuesday through Friday.
Spinner Publications, Inc.
164 William Street
New Bedford MA 02740
508-994-4564
www.spinnerpub.com
Spinner is New England’s only independent, non-profit small press that records and promotes the history and culture of the towns of New England.
Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE)
508-997-1776
www.waterfrontleague.org
WHALE promotes the value and reuse of greater New Bedford’s historic structures through preservation, education and advocacy. Nationally recognized for its 45 years of historic preservation, WHALE’s efforts laid the foundation for the establishment of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. |
