History

New Bedford had a rich history in theater that went as far back as the 1820s. The theatrical world during the 19th century revolved around melodrama and romanticism and since New Bedford was growing economically and in population, it was natural that people would need to be entertained. Before television …

The James Arnold House built in 1821 by Dudley Davenport (New Bedford Whaling Museum Photo) Welcome to the third installment of the series “Historical Personages of New Bedford.” The first being pharmacist Robert H. Carter III and the second being photographer James E. Reed. My intention with this series is …

The earliest forms of land transportation in the region were Amerindian foot trails. The Amerindians originally used these footpaths not only as ways to travel to and from settlements, but many were game trails or direct routes to water for fishing, sustenance, and travel. Rivers were the original highways of …

The history of the Acushnet River, of course, goes back to the time there wasn’t a sole strand of European DNA on the continent. Wampanoags were said to number approximately 12,000 individuals just prior to Bartholomew Gosnold’s arrival to the Smoking Rocks in 1602. Within the Wampanoag tribe there was …

Though Rhode Island architect Russell Warren (1783-1860) lived in Tiverton, he didn’t limit his designs to Rhode Island. He designed a fair amount of buildings throughout New Bedford. His majestic, and grand designs gave New Bedford a certain character that made her unique. Whether commercial buildings, grand church or stately …

New Bedford, the village. The two don’t seem to go together, but as hard as it is to believe, there was a time when New Bedford was a small village. The entire region had hamlets, villages and towns and New Bedford was one of many. I have personally come across …

Textile Strike Picket Choked into Submission – Courtesy of Spinner Publications. Strikes in History of Mankind Labor strikes are nothing new in the nation’s history or the world’s history for that matter. Biblical accounts in Genesis mention how the workers building the Tower of Babylon had had enough, threw down …

Mayor Charles Ashley Speaking, William Crapo Seated at Unveiling June 20, 1913 – Courtesy of N.B. Whaling Museum Forging of an Industry A hundred years ago the city of New Bedford was a whale of a difference apart from the city it is today. I won’t make the case for …

In the modern age, there are a dizzying variety of occupations. While modern technology and progress have either taking over many of the menial jobs or made them obsolete, there are always new occupations being created. One job dies, another crops up. The unfortunate aspect of modernity is that many …

Once upon a time -in the early 19th century- there was a section of New Bedford that was the premiere shopping destination in the region.