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New Bedford, Massachusetts

April 04, 2023

"New Bedford" redirects here. For other uses, see New Bedford (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Bedford, Massachusetts.

New Bedford (Massachusett: Accushnet[3]) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American people. English colonists bought the land on which New Bedford would later be built from the Wampanoag in 1652, and the original colonial settlement that would later become the city was founded by English Quakers in the late 17th century. The town of New Bedford itself was officially incorporated in 1787.

New Bedford, Massachusetts
Accushnet
City
New Bedford Harbor
Seal
Wordmark
Nickname: 
The Whaling City
Motto(s): 
Lucem Diffundo (Latin)
"I Diffuse Light"[1]
Location in Bristol County, Massachusetts
New Bedford
Location in Massachusetts
New Bedford
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°38′10″N 70°56′05″W / 41.63611°N 70.93472°W / 41.63611; -70.93472Coordinates: 41°38′10″N 70°56′05″W / 41.63611°N 70.93472°W / 41.63611; -70.93472
Country United States
State Massachusetts
CountyBristol
Settled1652
Incorporated (town)1787
Incorporated (city)1847
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorJon Mitchell
 • City CouncilCouncilors-at-Large:
  • Ian Abreu
  • Shane A. Burgo
  • Naomi R.A. Carney
  • Brian K. Gomes
  • Linda M. Morad
Ward Councilors by Ward:
  1. William B. Markey
  2. Maria E. Giesta
  3. Hugh Dunn
  4. Derek Baptiste
  5. Scott J. Lima
  6. Ryan J. Pereira
 • School Committee
  • Jonathan F. Mitchell
  • Melissa M. Costa
  • Christopher A. Cotter
  • Colleen Dawicki
  • Ross M. Grace Jr.
  • Joaquim Livramento
  • Bruce J. Oliveira
Area
[2]
 • Total24.13 sq mi (62.50 km2)
 • Land20.00 sq mi (51.80 km2)
 • Water4.13 sq mi (10.70 km2)
Elevation
50 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total102,882
 • Density5,053.70/sq mi (1,951.25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code
02740, 02744, 02745, 02746
Area code508 / 774
FIPS code25-45000
GNIS feature ID0613714
Websitewww.newbedford-ma.gov

During the first half of the 19th century, New Bedford was one of the world's most important whaling ports.[4] At its economic height during this period, New Bedford was the wealthiest city in North America per capita. New Bedford was also a center of abolitionism at this time. The city attracted many freed or escaped African-American slaves, including Frederick Douglass, who lived there from 1838 until 1841.[5] The city also served as a setting in Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick. From 1876 to 1900, New Bedford served as the initial home port for the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction, the precursor of the United States Coast Guard Academy.[6]

At the 2020 U.S. census,[7] New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-largest city and the largest of the South Coast region. The city is also known for its high concentration of Portuguese Americans. New Bedford remains known for its fishing fleet and accompanying seafood industry, which as of 2019 generated the highest annual value of any fishing port in the United States.[8] The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

History

See also: Timeline of New Bedford, Massachusetts
 
William Allen Wall's depiction of Wampanoag people meeting Bartholomew Gosnold and his crew upon their arrival in New Bedford in 1602[9]

Before the 17th century, the lands along the Acushnet River were inhabited by the Wampanoag Native Americans, who had settlements throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Their population is believed to have been about 12,000.

 
Territories of the Wampanoag people around 1620, between first European explorations of the Acushnet River in 1602 and the establishment of Old Dartmouth in 1652.

On May 15, 1602, English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in the ship Concord[10] landed on Cuttyhunk Island while exploring New England. From there, he explored Cape Cod and the neighboring areas, including the site of present-day New Bedford. Gosnold left and settled in the Jamestown Colony of Virginia.[10]

Old Dartmouth

 
Purchase deed from November 29, 1652, for Old Dartmouth.[11]

In 1652, English colonists purchased Old Dartmouth—a region of 115,000 acres (470 km2) that is now Dartmouth, Acushnet, New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Westport—in a treaty between the Wampanoag, represented by Chief Ousamequin (Massasoit) and his son Wamsutta, and John Winslow, William Bradford, Myles Standish, Thomas Southworth, and John Cooke.[11][10] While the Europeans considered themselves full owners of the land through the transaction, the Wampanoag have disputed this claim because the concept of land ownership—in contrast with hunting, fishing, and farming rights—was a foreign concept to them.[10]

Quakers

Further information: New Bedford Meeting House

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, were among the early European settlers on the South Coast.[12] They had faced persecution in the Puritan communities of Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony; the latter banned the Quakers in 1656–1657.[13] When the Massachusetts Bay Colony annexed the Plymouth Colony in 1691, Quakers already represented a majority of the population of Old Dartmouth.[13] In 1699, with the support of Peleg Slocum, the Quakers built their first meeting house in Old Dartmouth, where the Apponegansett Meeting House is now located.[14][12]

At first, the Old Dartmouth territory was devoid of major town centers, and instead had isolated farms and small, decentralized villages, such as Russells' Mills.[15] One reason for this is that the inhabitants enjoyed their independence from the Plymouth Colony and they did not want the Plymouth court to appoint them a minister.[13]

At this time, the economy primarily ran on agriculture and fishing. The availability of land attracted many Quakers and Baptists from Newport and Portsmouth in Rhode Island, as well as more waves of Puritan migration.[citation needed]

King Philip's War

The rising European population and increasing demand for land led the colonists' relationship with the indigenous inhabitants of New England to deteriorate. European encroachment and disregard for the terms of the Old Dartmouth Purchase led to King Philip's War in 1675.[16] In this conflict, Wampanoag tribesmen, allied with the Narragansett and the Nipmuc, raided Old Dartmouth and other European settlements in the area.[16] Europeans in Old Dartmouth garrisoned in sturdier homes—John Russell's home at Russells Mills, John Cooke's home in Fairhaven, and a third garrison on Palmer Island.[16][17]

New Bedford

A section of Old Dartmouth near the west bank of the Acushnet River, originally called Bedford Village, was officially incorporated as the town of New Bedford on February 23, 1787, after the American Revolutionary War. The name was suggested by the Russell family, who were prominent citizens of the community. The Dukes of Bedford, a leading English aristocratic house, also bore the surname Russell. (Bedford, Massachusetts, had been incorporated in 1729; hence "New" Bedford.)

The late 18th century was a time of growth for the town. A small whale fishery developed, as well as modest international trade. In the 1760s, between the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution, shipwrights, carpenters, mechanics, and blacksmiths, settled around New Bedford harbor, creating a skilled and comprehensive maritime community.

New Bedford's first newspaper, The Medley (also known as the New Bedford Marine Journal), was founded in 1792.[18] On June 12, 1792, the town set up its first post office. William Tobey was its first postmaster. The construction of a bridge (originally a toll bridge) between New Bedford and present-day Fairhaven in 1796 also spurred growth. (Fairhaven separated from New Bedford in 1812, forming an independent town that included both present-day Fairhaven and present-day Acushnet.)

Whaling City

Nantucket had been the dominant whaling port, though the industry was controlled by a cartel of merchants in Boston, Newport, and Providence. In the 1760s, Nantucket's most prominent whaling families moved to New Bedford, refining their own oil and making their own premium candles.

The American Revolutionary War completely paralyzed the whaling industry. British forces blockaded American ports and captured or destroyed American commercial ships; they even marched down King's Street in New Bedford (defiantly renamed Union Street after the Revolution) and set businesses on fire.

 
Lowering Boats by Clifford Warren Ashley, held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum

Nantucket was even more exposed, and the physical destruction, frozen economy, and import taxes imposed after the war obliterated previous fortunes. New Bedford also had a deeper harbor and was located on the mainland. As a result, New Bedford supplanted Nantucket as the nation's preeminent whaling port, and so began the Golden Age of Whaling. William Rotch (owner of the Dartmouth of the Boston Tea Party) and Samuel Rodman were important Quaker businessmen in the whaling industry.[19]

 
The New Bedford waterfront in 1867

After the War of 1812's embargo was lifted, New Bedford started amassing a number of colossal, sturdy, square-rigged whaling ships, many of them built at the shipyard of Mattapoisett. The invention of on-board tryworks, a system of massive iron pots over a brick furnace, allowed the whalers to render high quality oil from the blubber.[20] This allowed the whaling ships to go out to sea for as long as four years, processing their catch while at sea.[20] Ships from New Bedford came back to port with barrels of oil, spermaceti, and occasionally ambergris.[21]

 
Old Colony Railroad Station in New Bedford, as it looked c. 1907–1915. As early as 1840, New Bedford was integrated into the northeastern economy by rail.[22]

Whaling dominated New Bedford's economy for much of the century, and many families of the city were involved with it as crew and officers of ships. The Quakers remained prominent and influential in New Bedford throughout the whaling era. They brought religious values into their business models, promoting stability as well as prosperity, investing in infrastructure projects such as rail, and employing without discrimination.[23] They established solid social and economic relationships with Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, integrating New Bedford into the urban northeastern economy.

Ten thousand men worked in the whaling industry. During this period, New Bedford's population increased from approximately 4,000 in 1820 to about 24,000 in 1860.[24] At the height of the whaling industry in 1857, the harbor hosted 329 vessels worth over $12 million, and New Bedford became the richest city per capita in North America.[25]

On March 18, 1847, the town of New Bedford officially became a city; Abraham Hathaway Howland was elected its first mayor.

Land of Opportunity

Main article: Abolitionism in New Bedford, Massachusetts
 
The New Bedford Meeting House, built in 1822, replaced an earlier Quaker meeting house on Spring Street.

The Quakers of New Bedford applied their principles of egalitarianism and community-building in their businesses.[26] On the boats, at the docks, at the factories, or in the shops—British, Wampanoag, Cape Verdean, Azorean, Irish, and West African hands found work in New Bedford.[24]

New Bedford also became one of the first fermentation centers of abolitionism in North America, and an important stop on the Underground Railroad. Many people were attracted by New Bedford's relatively open-minded atmosphere. For example, Paul Cuffe—an Ashanti-Wampanoag Quaker and self-made tycoon[27]—among several other remarkable achievements earned black property owners in New Bedford the right to vote decades before Abraham Lincoln even signed the Emancipation Proclamation.[27] Lewis Temple, an African-American blacksmith, invented the Temple toggle iron, which was the most successful harpoon design.[28] Frederick Douglass, the famous social reformer and orator, also found amnesty in New Bedford and worked at the wharf for three years.[29]

Whaling decline

The whaling industry went into decline after the 1859 discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania. Each decade since then saw a gradual decrease in whaling work, activity, and revenue. During the Civil War, the Confederacy engaged in commerce raiding with ships such as the Alabama, the Florida, and the Shenandoah, trying to attack the Yankee whaling industry and sabotage the US economy.[30] Additionally, the US federal government bought several inactive whalers, filled them with stones, sand, and dirt, and towed them to Charleston, South Carolina, where the Union Navy sank what became known as the Stone Fleet in an unsuccessful attempt to blockade the Confederate bay.[30] Along with the poor business and low whale populations, this dealt a potent blow to a failing industry.

Textile industry

 
New Bedford in 1876

In the midst of this decline, greater New Bedford's economy became more dependent on the textile industry, which began to eclipse the whaling industry in the late 19th century. The mills grew and expanded constantly, eventually comprising multiple sites along the Acushnet River. In 1875 alone, the Wamsutta Mills processed 19,000 bales of cotton into 20 million yards of cloth, which had a wholesale value comparable to that of the entire whaling catch, and continued to produce over 20 million yards of cloth yearly after 1883.[31] The Wamsutta Mills remained the world's largest weaving plant until 1892.[32]

The textile mills redefined wealth in New Bedford, and gave birth to a prosperity greater than that of the whaling industry.[33] New Bedford, funded by industrial fortunes, developed a thriving art scene. The Mount Washington Glass Company (which later became Pairpoint) crafted works of glass and silver for the newly affluent class, and examples of these works can be seen today on the second floor of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.[citation needed]

In the 1920s, local employers came under competitive pressure from new textile factories in the low-wage South.[34] In April 1928 their demand for a 10 percent across the board cut in wages was met was met with strike action. After considerable controversy control of the large-scale work stoppage passed from the Communist-led Textile Mill Committee (TMC) to sundry craft unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor who agreeing to a 5 percent wage cut ended the strike in October.[34] Wage reductions were not enough to arrest the long-term competitive decline of the local textile industry. However the development of new products has given Wamsutta an extended lease and it remains a household name for fabrics.

Immigration

Until 1800, New Bedford and its surrounding communities were, by and large, populated by Protestants of English, Scottish, Welsh, and Dutch origin. During the first half of the 19th century many Irish people came to Massachusetts. In 1818, Irish immigrants established the Catholic mission that built St. Mary's Church. Later in that century, immigrants from Portugal and its colonial possessions in the Atlantic—Cape Verde, the Azores, and Madeira—began arriving in New Bedford and the surrounding area, attracted by jobs in the whaling industry; many had family members who had worked on whaling ships. As the Portuguese community began to increase in population, it established the first Portuguese parish in the city, St. John the Baptist (1871). French Canadians also secured a foothold in New Bedford at about the same time, and they built the Church of the Sacred Heart in 1877.

 
North Congregational Church, Purchase Street, 1906

Similarly, Polish immigrants began arriving in the late 19th century and established the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1903. A number of Jewish families, arriving in the late 19th century, were active in the whaling industry, selling provisions and outfitting ships. During the years leading up to the First World War, a sizable eastern-European Jewish community joined them in New Bedford. Some became prominent merchants and businessmen, mainly in textiles and manufacturing.

Modern history

 
Monument to Portuguese-American Veterans
 
View of boats docked at New Bedford

Fishing and manufacturing continue to be two of the largest businesses in the area, and healthcare has become a major employer. The three largest single employers based in New Bedford are Southcoast Hospitals Group, one of the top ten employers in Massachusetts (healthcare), Titleist (golf clubs, balls, apparel, manufacturing), and Riverside Manufacturing (apparel manufacturing).

According to a 2001 study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis, the three largest employment sectors in the Greater New Bedford area (the area includes New Bedford and Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Wareham) were as follows: services (26% of total employment); wholesale trade (22%); manufacturing (19%). The largest industries by employment in the area were as follows: health services, eating and drinking places, wholesale trade, food stores, and social services.

In 2002, the city received $61,194,358 in taxation revenue, $44,536,201 in local receipts, and $12,044,152 classified as other available.

In 2005 the unemployment rate was 7.3%, having dropped throughout the 1990s from 12.5% to 5.3% in 2000, and then having risen to 10.4% in 2003. By 2009, in the midst of the economic crisis of the era, the unemployment rate got as high as 12.4%.

In 2005, the city received $104,925,772 for education, and $22,755,439 for general government from the State of Massachusetts.

In 2016, the city hopes its proximity to Massachusetts' southern coastline will allow it to become a center for the growing wind energy market. Three companies, OffshoreMW, Deepwater Wind, and DONG Energy, have leased portions of New Bedford's Marine Commerce Terminal for the staging of turbines and platforms.[35]

Establishments

In 1847, the New Bedford Horticultural Society was begun by James Arnold.[36]

The Ash Street Jail, which houses inmates from Bristol County, is located in New Bedford. It opened in 1829 and is the oldest continuously operating jail in the United States.[37]

Fort Taber and Fort Rodman (also called the "Fort at Clark's Point") were built during the American Civil War and are now in Fort Taber Park. Both forts are often called Fort Taber, including in some references.[38]

Geography

New Bedford is located at 41°39′06″N 70°56′01″W / 41.651803°N 70.933705°W / 41.651803; -70.933705 (41.651803, −70.933705).[39] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.1 square miles (62.5 km2). Of the total area, 20.0 square miles (51.8 km2) is land, and 4.1 square miles (10.7 km2), or 17.13%, is water.[40] New Bedford is a coastal city, a seaport, bordered on the west by Dartmouth, on the north by Freetown, on the east by Acushnet and Fairhaven, and on the south by Buzzards Bay. From New Bedford's northern border with Freetown to the Buzzards Bay coast at Clark's Point the distance is approximately 14 miles (23 km). Across New Bedford east to west is a distance of about 2 miles (3.2 km). The highest point in the city is an unnamed hill crossed by Interstate 195 and Hathaway Road west of downtown, with an elevation greater than 180 feet (55 m) above sea level.[41]

The Port of New Bedford, also known as New Bedford Harbor, a body of water shared with Fairhaven, is actually the estuary of the Acushnet River where it empties into Buzzards Bay. The river empties into the bay beyond Clark's Point, the southernmost point of the city. To the west of Clark's Point is Clark's Cove, which extends landward approximately one and a half mile from the bay. Just south of Palmer's Island, beginning near Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven, lies a two-mile-long hurricane barrier, constructed in the 1960s to protect the inner harbor where the fishing fleet anchors. Along with Palmer's Island, the city also lays claim to Fish Island and Pope's Island. Between these two islands lies one of the three sections, the central section, of the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge. The central span, a swing bridge, connects the two islands as well as allowing boats and ships passage to the upper harbor. Two conventional bridges connect each of the islands to the nearest mainland, Fish Island to New Bedford and Pope's Island to Fairhaven. In addition to the harbor, there are several small brooks and ponds within the city limits.

Parks

 
Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands in the center of Clasky Common Park.

There are several parks and playgrounds, some with splash pads, scattered throughout the city, with the first four being primary parks:[42]

  • Abolition Row Park
  • Acushnet Cedar Swamp State Reservation
  • Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens
  • Ashley Park
  • Baby Kenney Tot Lot
  • Brooklawn Park
  • Buttonwood Park
  • Captain Jack Peterson Dog Park
  • Clasky Common Park
  • Custom House Square
  • Flora B. Pierce Nature Trail
  • Fort Rodman/Taber Park
  • Hazelwood Park
  • Marine Park at Pope's Island
  • New Bedford Covewalk
  • New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
  • Ricketson's Nature Trail
  • River's End Park
  • Riverside Park
  • Roberto Clemente Park
  • Ross C. Mathieu Nature Trail
  • Victory Park Community Gardens

Climate

New Bedford has a cooler than normal version of a humid subtropical climate[43] that in many aspects resembles a humid continental one, but with slightly milder winters. In spite of being influenced by continental winds with large differences between seasons, temperatures are somewhat moderated compared to areas farther inland. There is high precipitation year-round, with winter being split between rainfall and snowfall.[44]

Climate data for New Bedford, Massachusetts (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–2002)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 67
(19) 		69
(21) 		80
(27) 		96
(36) 		98
(37) 		102
(39) 		103
(39) 		107
(42) 		94
(34) 		90
(32) 		79
(26) 		74
(23) 		107
(42)
Average high °F (°C) 38.1
(3.4) 		39.6
(4.2) 		46.8
(8.2) 		56.1
(13.4) 		67.5
(19.7) 		78.1
(25.6) 		84.0
(28.9) 		82.2
(27.9) 		75.3
(24.1) 		64.2
(17.9) 		52.7
(11.5) 		43.2
(6.2) 		60.7
(15.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.1
(−1.1) 		31.2
(−0.4) 		38.0
(3.3) 		47.9
(8.8) 		58.6
(14.8) 		68.9
(20.5) 		75.6
(24.2) 		74.0
(23.3) 		67.1
(19.5) 		56.4
(13.6) 		45.1
(7.3) 		35.7
(2.1) 		52.4
(11.3)
Average low °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5) 		22.8
(−5.1) 		29.1
(−1.6) 		39.6
(4.2) 		49.6
(9.8) 		59.8
(15.4) 		67.2
(19.6) 		65.8
(18.8) 		59.0
(15.0) 		48.5
(9.2) 		37.4
(3.0) 		28.3
(−2.1) 		44.1
(6.7)
Record low °F (°C) −10
(−23) 		−12
(−24) 		4
(−16) 		16
(−9) 		31
(−1) 		39
(4) 		47
(8) 		44
(7) 		30
(−1) 		20
(−7) 		8
(−13) 		−11
(−24) 		−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.82
(97) 		4.07
(103) 		5.34
(136) 		4.57
(116) 		3.73
(95) 		4.15
(105) 		3.58
(91) 		4.07
(103) 		4.22
(107) 		4.88
(124) 		4.59
(117) 		5.19
(132) 		52.21
(1,326)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.9
(28) 		8.5
(22) 		6.6
(17) 		1.7
(4.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.4
(1.0) 		4.4
(11) 		32.5
(83)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.3 10.6 11.8 12.2 11.3 9.6 7.9 9.0 9.7 8.3 10.3 11.6 123.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 4.3 3.7 2.7 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.2 13.8
Source: NOAA[45][46]

Demographics

 
Largest self-reported ancestry groups in New England (2000 U.S. Census). Americans of Portuguese descent plurality shown in grey.
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17903,313—
18004,36131.6%
18105,65129.6%
18203,947−30.2%
18307,59292.3%
184012,08759.2%
185016,44336.0%
186022,30035.6%
187021,320−4.4%
188026,84525.9%
189040,78351.9%
190062,44253.1%
191096,65254.8%
1920121,21725.4%
1930112,597−7.1%
1940110,341−2.0%
1950109,189−1.0%
1960102,477−6.1%
1970101,777−0.7%
198098,478−3.2%
199099,9221.5%
200093,768−6.2%
201095,0721.4%
2020101,0796.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[47]

New Bedford and surrounding communities are a part of the Providence metropolitan area. The Greater Providence-Fall River-New Bedford area is home to the largest Portuguese-American community in the United States.

At the 2020 census,[48] there were 101,079 people. The population density was 4,760 inhabitants per square mile (1,840/km2). There were 42,781 housing units at an average density of 2,063 per square mile (797/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.17% (66.1% Non-Hispanic) White, 9.69% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 13.51% from other races, and 3.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 16.11% of the population. The city is very multi-cultural and diverse. The ethnic makeup of the city is estimated to be 33.8% Portuguese, 10.1% Puerto Rican, 9.1% French, 8.8% Cape Verdean, 6.9% Irish, 5.3% English.

There were 39,208 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.01.

Age distribution was 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median household income was $37,569, and the median family income was $45,708. Males had a median income of $37,388 versus $27,278 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,602. About 17.3% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

Kʼicheʼ community

The city has a community of Kʼicheʼ people who originated from Guatemala and had traveled to the United States to avoid the Guatemalan Civil War.[49] Starting in the end part of the 1980s, Kʼicheʼ adult men in Providence, Rhode Island moved to New Bedford, and other demographics of Kʼicheʼ came afterwards.[50] Many, by 2010, were in low socioeconomic conditions and did not have documentation to be legally in the United States.[49] In 2019 an advocacy group for the Maya people complained to the courts that the New Bedford School District was not providing adequate Kʼicheʼ language services. The U.S. Department of Justice and the school district came to resolution so the school district could provide appropriate Kʼicheʼ language services.[51]

Crime

The city's crime rate, including violent and property crime decreased by 38% from 2011 to 2020 with 4456 incidents in 2011 and 2171 incidents in 2020.[52] The FBI reported a violent crime rate in New Bedford, Massachusetts, of 640 per 100,000 residents in 2019, compared to a national average of 366.7 per 100,000 residents.[53][54] An FBI report in 2020 showed burglary and breaking and entering dropped about 52% from 969 crimes in 2011 to 465 crimes in 2019.[52]

Economy

Early history

 
View of historic New Bedford harbor

The economy of the Pilgrim settlement in the New Bedford area was initially based around a few farming and fishing villages. The early Bedford Village quickly became a commercial zone and from there became a major whaling and foreign trade port. In the early 18th century, the Russell family purchased this area and developed it into a larger village (Joseph Russell III having made the most significant contributions). Age of Sail ships built in New Bedford include the schooner Caroline and whaleship Charles W. Morgan. By the 18th century, entrepreneurs in the area, such as whaling merchants from Nantucket, were attracted to the village and helped make it into one of the top whaling cities in the country. The most significant of these merchants was Joseph Rotch, who bought 10 acres (four hectares) of land in 1765 from Joseph Russell III on which he and his sons ran the family business. Rotch moved his business to New Bedford since it would be better for refining whale oil and manufacturing candles made from whales. As these parts of the whaling industry had been monopolized by a merchant cartel in Boston, Newport, Rhode Island, and Providence, Rhode Island, Rotch felt that it would be better for business to handle these himself by moving to the mainland.

The relationship between New Bedford and Nantucket allowed the two cities to dominate the whaling industry. In 1848 New Bedford resident Lewis Temple invented the toggling harpoon, an invention that would revolutionize the whaling industry. This helped make New Bedford the preeminent city in the U.S. whaling industry. Another factor was the increased draft of whaling ships, in part the result of greater use of steel in their construction, which made them too deep for Nantucket harbor. Syren, the longest lived of the clipper ships, spent over a decade transporting whale oil and whaling products to New Bedford, principally from Honolulu, and was owned for several years by William H. Besse of New Bedford. As a result of its control over whaling products that were used widely throughout the world (most importantly whale oil), New Bedford became one of the richest per capita cities in the world.

Many whalers would quit their jobs in 1849, though, as the Gold Rush attracted many of them to leave New Bedford for California. During this time Herman Melville, who worked in New Bedford as a whaler, wrote the novel Moby-Dick and published it in 1851; the city would be the initial setting of the book, including a scene set in the Seaman's Bethel, which still stands today. Despite the power it gave to New Bedford, the whaling industry began to decline starting in 1859 when petroleum, which would become an alternative to whale oil, was discovered. Another blow came with the Whaling Disaster of 1871, in which twenty-two New Bedford whalers were lost in the ice off the coast of Alaska.[55] The New Bedford firm J. & W. R. Wing Company, the largest whaling company in the United States, sent out its last whaleship in 1914,[56] and whaling in New Bedford came to its final end in 1925, with the last whaling expedition being made by the schooner John R. Manta.

 
Hathaway Mills

In the mid-1840s, New Bedford was the site of the first petroleum fuel refinery in the United States, as newly discovered Pennsylvania crude oil was shipped to New Bedford to be refined for lamp oil and other oil. Standard Oil would ultimately buy this refinery, located on Fish Island.[57] Fish Island was also the site of an early experiment in coal gasification, leading to the explosion of a building.

New Bedford was able to remain wealthy because of its textile industry. Starting in 1881, the textile industry grew large enough to sustain the city's economy. At its height, over 30,000 people were employed by the 32 cotton-manufacturing companies that owned the textile factories of New Bedford (which were worth $100 million in total). The creation of the New Bedford Textile School in 1895–1899 ushered in an era of textile prosperity that began to decline in the great depression and ended with the end of the textile period in the 1940s. The industry garnered national headlines in 1928 when it was hit with a strike of 30,000 workers.[58] The walkout of mostly immigrant workers was given critical support by the Workers (Communist) Party and was the precursor of a more tumultuous textile strike in North Carolina held the following year.

Tool and die operations also left the area steadily, starting in the 1970s.

Tourism

 
2019 New Bedford Folk Festival

While accurate figures are hard to come by, tourism appears to be a growing industry. New Bedford tourism centers on fairs and festivals including the Folk Festival, Whaling City Festival, Fourth of July, Jazzfest, Working Waterfront Festival, Polish Fest, New Bedford Day of Portugal, Senhor Da Pedra feast, Holy Ghost of Pico feast, and the Portuguese Feast of the Blessed Sacrament[59] (the largest Portuguese cultural celebration in the nation). Tourism also focuses on the historic whaling industry, and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is the only national park unit that focuses on the whaling industry's impact on the history of the United States. The Buttonwood Park Zoo features various species, including two Asian Elephants, Emily and Ruth, the only ones in New England.

Driven in part by increased tourism, a Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel opened in New Bedford in late May 2010, on the edge of the city's harbor. This became the first hotel in the city to open in over 40 years, though it is well-supplied with bed and breakfast establishments.[60] A secondary hotel, New Bedford Harbor Hotel, opened during the summer of 2018.

Fishing

Despite the historical decline of fishing and whaling in New England, New Bedford continues to be a leading fishing port. From 1999 to 2019, New Bedford has been the most valuable commercial fishing port in the United States.[8] In 2019 the port’s catch was worth a total of $451 million.[8] Although New Bedford only brought in the 14th largest total volume of fish among American ports in 2019, its catch was still the highest-grossing because scallops accounted for 84% of the port’s annual fishing revenue.[8] Dutch Harbor, Alaska, has the highest volume, at 763 million pounds, worth $182 million.[61]

 
New Bedford Public Library, 1899

Income

See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income

Data is from the 2009–2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.[62][63][64]

Rank ZIP Code (ZCTA) Per capita
income 		Median
household
income 		Median
family
income 		Population Number of
households
Massachusetts $35,763 $66,866 $84,900 6,605,058 2,530,147
Bristol County $28,837 $55,298 $72,018 549,870 210,037
United States $28,155 $53,046 $64,719 311,536,594 115,610,216
1 North (New Bedford) $26,093 $47,536 $57,287 24,830 10,303
New Bedford $21,056 $35,999 $44,607 94,927 39,068
2 02740 $20,649 $34,259 $40,508 43,308 18,028
3 South (New Bedford) $18,190 $31,216 $40,635 11,722 4,685
4 02746 $15,948 $25,623 $32,314 14,835 5,954

Transportation

Water

The Port of New Bedford is a major harbor for freight and passenger services, generating over $9.8 billion in economic value annually.[65] The port serves as a break-bulk handler of perishable items, including fruit, fish,[66] and a variety other cargo. The port is also a frequent stop for cruise ships, expecting an upwards of thirty cruise ship calls in 2006.[67] One public and several private marinas offer limited transient dockage for recreational boats.

A handful of private ferry services also originate from New Bedford. One such company, SeaStreak, offers catamaran fast ferry service to Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, both in Martha's Vineyard,[68] as well as Nantucket.[69] A separate passenger line, the Cuttyhunk Ferry Company, runs scheduled ferry services from New Bedford to Cuttyhunk Island.[70] The neighboring town of Fall River is served by seasonal services to Newport and Block Island, both in the state of Rhode Island. The history of ferry service from New Bedford dates back to May 15, 1818, when a steamboat entitled The Eagle carried six hundred passengers across the Nantucket Sound.

New Bedford has historically been a major city for whaling and commercial fishing, and remains an important site for the latter to this day. As of 2020, the Port of New Bedford is the number one fishing port in the United States, in terms of dollar value of catch. New Bedford fisherman landed 124 million pounds of fish in 2015, valued at $322 million, and the fishing industry accounts for the vast majority of the Port's annual economic value.[65][71]

Air

New Bedford Regional Airport (EWB), a towered Class D airport offering two 5,400-foot (1,600 m) runways and a precision Instrument Landing System, is located in the central portion of the city with easy access to major highways.

Frequent scheduled passenger service is provided to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard by Cape Air and Southern Airways Express. As of 2020, New Bedford Regional Airport serves as the New England Fleet Base for Southern Airways Express, providing maintenance, storage, and offices for the airline.[72]

In addition, the airport provides a wide range of general aviation and corporate jet services, including aircraft maintenance, fuel, and part 61 flight instruction.

Roads

Interstate 195 is the main freeway through central New Bedford, traveling from Providence, Rhode Island, to Wareham. Additionally, U.S. Route 6 runs from east to west through the city as well. US 6 leaves the city toward Cape Cod over the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge, a swing truss bridge, and the Popes Island Bridge. New Bedford also serves as the southern terminus of MA Route 140, which is a freeway that connects to MA Route 24 in Taunton on the road north to Boston. MA Route 18, the extension of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (which travels through downtown), is a freeway for the short stretch connecting I-195 to US 6 and the port area.

Bus

The city bus terminal offers local and long-distance bus connections. A free shuttle bus connects the bus terminal and the ferries. The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) provides bus service between the city, Fall River, and the surrounding regions.[73]

Peter Pan Bus Lines makes a New Bedford stop on a New York City to Hyannis (Cape Cod) route. As of October 2006, private carrier DATTCO provides daily commuter bus service to Boston via Taunton.[74]

Rail

The MBTA has proposed renewing commuter rail service to the city.[75] As of May 14, 2006, total capital costs for commuter rail service to New Bedford were projected to be $800 million, and the project has not yet been funded by the state; which is still reeling financially from the financial excesses of the Big Dig project in Boston.[76] CSX Transportation (formerly Conrail) provides freight rail service to New Bedford, terminating at the New Bedford Rail Yard in the port area.[66] Until 1959, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad provided train service to New Bedford from Boston and Providence via Taunton.

On March 15, 2017, MassDOT filed a notice of project change in order to advance South Coast Rail service serving both New Bedford and Fall River using the existing Middleborough/Lakeville Commuter Rail Line.[77]

Government

City

 
New Bedford City Hall

New Bedford is governed by a Mayor-Council form of government. City Council members serve two-year terms.[78] In 2019, following a change in the city charter, the mayoral term was doubled from two years to four years.[79] The council [78] and mayoral positions do not have term limits.[80]

Former assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, defeated State Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral in the 2011 mayoral election.[81] Mitchell was re-elected to his fifth consecutive term as mayor in the 2019 election, defeating challenger Tyson Moultrie.[82]

In 2021, Joseph Lopes was re-elected to a second consecutive term as president of the City Council.[83]

The New Bedford Police Department patrols the city from four stations. The main station is on Rockdale Avenue in a converted supermarket plaza and replaces the former headquarters (located downtown). There are also branches in the North End (at the intersection of Tarkiln Hill Road and Ashley Boulevard), South End (along Cove Street near the end of Route 18), and Downtown (on Pleasant Street near City Hall). The Chief of Police is Joseph Cordeiro.

There are four post offices, the Central (modeled after New York's James A. Farley Post Office) located downtown, one in the South End, and two in the North End.

The city provides weekly trash and recycling pickup. The city also formerly operated a trash dump in the Mount Pleasant area of town between the regional airport and the Whaling City Golf Course. However, owing to pollution concerns, it was closed in the 1990s.

County

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office operates the Ash Street Jail and Regional Lock-Up and the Juvenile Secure Alternative Lock Up Program (JALP) in New Bedford. The Ash Street jail houses over 200 pre-trial prisoners and a few sentenced inmate workers for the system. JALP houses up to 12 pre-arraignment juvenile prisoners.[84]

State and federal

New Bedford is represented in the state legislature by officials elected from the following districts:

The Third Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police, located nearby in Dartmouth, patrol New Bedford.

The city is part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, represented by U.S. Representative William R. Keating. The state's junior (Class I) U.S. Senator is Ed Markey, elected in a special election in 2013. The state's senior senator is Elizabeth Warren, re-elected in 2018.

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 17, 2018[87]
Party Number of voters Percentage
Unenrolled 28,235 48.52%
Democrat 25,043 43.03%
Republican 3,874 6.66%
Minor Political Parties/Designations 815 1.40%
Libertarian 231 0.40%
Total 58,198 100%

Fire department

 
Engine 8, on Acushnet Ave.

The city of New Bedford is currently protected 24/7, 365 by the city of New Bedford Fire Department(NBFD).[88] Established in 1834, the New Bedford Fire Department currently operates out of six Fire Stations, located throughout the city in two Districts, under the command of two District Chiefs per shift. The New Bedford Fire Department currently maintains and operates a fire apparatus fleet of six Engines, three Ladders, one Fireboat, one Air Cascade Unit, one Foam Trailer, and one ARFF Crash Rescue Unit (cross staffed by Engine 7) based at New Bedford Regional Airport and 4 reserve apparatus (3 engines, 1 ladder). The NBFD is made up of 203 full-time uniformed professional firefighters, including a Chief of department, a Deputy Chief, 10 District Chiefs, 12 Captains, 29 Lieutenants, 152 Firefighters, 4 Fire Investigators, and 5 Civilian Personnel. The New Bedford Fire Department responds to approximately 15,000 emergency calls annually.

In 2015, the New Bedford Fire Department received the "Class 1" ISO (Insurance Service Office) distinction becoming just the 3rd city in the state, Boston and Cambridge being the other two, to receive such a rating. New Bedford has been known to be a very aggressive interior attack department when responding to fire emergencies, and has been considered to be among the best in the state.

Below is a complete listing of all fire station and fire apparatus locations.[89] In addition to the seven Fire Stations, the NBFD also operates a fire apparatus maintenance facility/repair shop at 311 Liberty St., an Emergency Management facility at 834 Kempton St., and a Fire Museum at 51 Bedford St.

Fire Headquarters is located at 868 Pleasant St. and the Fire Prevention Bureau is located at 1204 Purchase St.

Engine company Ladder company Special unit Command unit Address
Engine 1 Ladder 1 Foam Trailer and Air Cascade Unit Unit 2(District Chief) 868 Pleasant St.
Engine 5 3665 Acushnet Ave.
Engine 6 Ladder 3 Reserve Engine 26 Brock Ave and Ruth St.
Engine 7 Reserve Engine 21 700 Cottage St.
Engine 8 Ladder 4 Unit 1(District Chief) 1599 Acushnet Ave.
Engine 9 799 Ashley Blvd.

Education

Public schools

New Bedford Public Schools is the community school district. New Bedford High School is the sole public high school in the city.

New Bedford is also the home to Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School, a large vocational high school serving the city New Bedford, and also the towns of Dartmouth and Fairhaven.

The city operates two alternative junior-senior high schools, Whaling City Alternative School, out of the original Greater New Bedford Vocational High School building, and Trinity Day Academy. There are also two charter schools, the Global Learning Charter Public School, otherwise known as GLCPS,[90] which serves grades 5–12 and two campuses of the Alma del Mar Charter School,[91] which is growing to serve grades K–8.

Other schools

There are three Catholic schools within the city, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River.

  • All Saints Catholic School – It was a merger of the St. Mary and St. Joseph-Therese schools, while using the St. Mary Campus, and formed in 2010.[92]
  • St. Teresa of Calcutta School, located in the former St. James St. John School, was created when that school and the former Holy Family-Holy Name School merged in 2022.[93]

Some of the students who attend these schools go on to attend Bishop Stang High School in neighboring Dartmouth. There are also two Catholic preschools.[citation needed]

There is also the Nazarene Christian Academy, a school operated by the Church of the Nazarene. Independent schools include Nativity Prep for boys grades 5–8 and Our Sisters' School for girls grades 5–8.

Former Catholic schools:

  • Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School – It opened with grades 1–3 in 1941, with additional levels afterwards. In the 1990s it established a preschool; it was a Pre-K–8 school at the end of its life. It closed in 2007. Joseph Sullivan stated that this was due to the declining enrollment and the increase in expenses. Its final graduating class numbered six.[94]
  • St. Anthony School - It opened in 1896 and closed in 2007.[95]
  • St. Joseph-St. Therese School – It had 225 students in 2000. This declined to 138 in 2005 but went up to 152 in 2010. It merged into all Saints in 2010.[92]
  • St. Mary School – It had 214 students in 2005, which declined to 180 in 2010. It merged into all Saints in 2010.[92]
  • Holy Family-Holy Name School - It opened in 1973 as a merger of Holy Name School and Holy Family School, and became part of the newly-formed St. Teresa of Calcutta School after merging with St. James-St. John School in 2022.

There is one Non-Collegiate Flight School Located at the New Bedford Regional Airport

  • Colonial Air

Higher education

New Bedford is home to one of Fisher College's neighborhood campuses. Located on Church Street in the north end of the city, it serves adult learners from the greater New Bedford region and the surrounding communities of Taunton, Wareham, and Fall River. Bristol Community College has a satellite campus in Downtown New Bedford in the Star Store Building and 800 Purchase Street. Nearby Dartmouth is home to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus, as well as the University of Massachusetts School of Law - Dartmouth, the first public law school in the state. However, New Bedford is also is the site of the marine campus of University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (located at Fort Rodman) as well as its satellite visual art campus located in the former Star Store building downtown.

Bridgewater State University Aviation is based at the New Bedford Regional Airport. The program is one of the only Accredited Part 141 Collegiate Aviation Universities in New England. Bachelor of Science Degree's are offered in Flight Training and Aviation Management.

Library

The New Bedford public library was established in 1852.[96][97] In fiscal year 2016, the City of New Bedford spent 0.78% ($2,012,820) of its budget on its public library system—approximately $21.20 per person, per year.[98]

Media

Main article: Media in Providence and New Bedford

New Bedford is part of the Providence TV market but is the city of license for two TV stations; WLNE-TV Channel 6 is the ABC affiliate for the market, and WLWC Channel 28 is Court TV affiliate. The Portuguese Channel has its corporate offices and studios in the city at 638 Mount Pleasant Street in the Comcast building.

The city is home to three radio stations: FM stations WJFD-FM/97.3 (Portuguese-language) and WNBH-FM/101.3, and WNBH-AM/1340. All three have served the residents of New Bedford for many decades.

In 2021, the "New Bedford Light" (https://newbedfordlight.org) was created as a free non-profit digital news site, featuring investigative and enterprise reporting to augment what had been a local news media environment in decades-long decline.

The city is also served by the New Bedford Standard-Times and The Portuguese Times newspapers.

Culture

Literature

Herman Melville is associated with New Bedford, with his 1851 novel Moby-Dick set in the city. The New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts an annual marathon reading of the whaling classic.[105]

Art

Clement Nye Swift, Clifford Warren Ashley, and Benjamin Russell are notable artists from New Bedford.

In 2018, the 1,275-foot (389 m) panoramic painting Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage Round the World by Caleb Purrington and Benjamin Russell, depicting a 19th-century whaling voyage departing from New Bedford, was displayed at the Kilburn Mill.[106]

Music

New Bedford has had a sporadic history of successful musicians. During the 1970s, Tavares, a Rhythm and blues group made up of five brothers from New Bedford, became a chart topping success with such songs as "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" and "More Than a Woman". In 1999, the pop group LFO (Lyte Funky Ones), whose group member Harold "Devin" Lima is from New Bedford, had a hit single with their song "Summer Girls". Have Heart, a Straight-edge hardcore band, were formed in New Bedford in 2002, before breaking up in 2009. Most recently, the hardcore punk band A Wilhelm Scream has gained some success, having been added to the 2005 Warped Tour lineup. New Bedford natives Hector Barros and Scott Ross were members of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, led by actor Mark Wahlberg. They achieved success with their 1991 single, Good Vibrations, which reached number one in the U.S., Sweden, and Switzerland. Josh Newton from the band Every Time I Die was born in New Bedford.

Quinn Sullivan (born March 26, 1999) is a blues guitarist from New Bedford. Quinn has performed on stage with Buddy Guy and B.B. King and has played in venues such as the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC's The Today Show, Lollapalooza and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In April 2013 he played at Madison Square Garden with his mentor Buddy Guy during the first night of the 2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival.[107]

The accordionist and accordion instructor Aldo DeRossi (1917–2010) composed the Whaling City Concerto in 1992, honoring New Bedford.[108]

The city is the home of the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, the home venue of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra.[109]

Sports

New Bedford had a Class B level professional Baseball team called The New Bedford Whalers from 1895 to 1915.[110] They were a member of the New England League from 1895 to 1913 and the Colonial League from 1914 to 1915. The team folded after the 1915 season. A second team called the New Bedford Millmen played for one season in 1929. A second Whalers team played in the New England League in 1933–1934.[111]

A team from New Bedford won the 1977 edition of the Pony League World Series, defeating a team from Lake Worth, Florida, in the championship game.[112]

Since 2009, the city has been home to the New Bedford Bay Sox baseball franchise of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in New England. The team, which reached the league playoffs in their inaugural season, plays home games at Paul Walsh Field in New Bedford. In 2020, the team announced they were folding for the 2020 season and hoped to return in 2021.[113]

From 2005 to 2018, the Whaling City Clippers, a semi-professional team of the New England Football League, played at Walsh Field.[114][better source needed]

Events

New Bedford hosts the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, the New Bedford Folk Festival, the Whaling City Festival, Jazzfest, Working Waterfront Festival. In addition, AHA! (Art, History, and Architecture) Nights are free cultural events held monthly in downtown New Bedford.[115]

Points of interest

Museums

New Bedford is the home of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the centerpiece of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. It is the country's largest museum on the subject of whaling and the history of interaction between humans and whales. The museum has the skeletons of a 66-foot (20 m)-long baby blue whale (obtained in 2000), a 35-foot (11 m)-long adult humpback whale (obtained in 1900), and a 45-foot (14 m)-long sperm whale (obtained in 2004) on display. All whales died in New England waters and were cleaned and assembled for display.[citation needed]

The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum is a 28-room Greek Revival mansion that was built for the whaling merchant, William Rotch, Jr., in 1834. Between 1834 and 1981, three prominent families owned the house. It was restored by the Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) in the early 1980s and converted into the house museum it is today, chronicling 150 years of economic, social, and domestic life in New Bedford.[116]

The New Bedford Fire Museum is housed in a red-brick building, formerly Fire Station No. 4, which opened in 1867. The fire station was one of the oldest continuously operating fire stations in the state when it was closed in 1979. The museum has a collection of old firefighting equipment and some old fire engines. Old city fire records dating to 1890 are available for research and review. Retired and active city firefighters act as docents.

The New Bedford Museum of Glass reflects the city's history as home of the Mount Washington and Pairpoint Glass companies. The museum's collection ranges from ancient to contemporary glass with a large focus on the glass of New England. A research library contains over eight thousand volumes on glass. The museum is located in one of the historic Wamsutta Mills textile factory buildings.

Historic districts

 
William Street in winter, looking west

New Bedford has nine historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. They are:


See also: Abolition Row

Notable people

 
Paul Cuffee in 1812
 
Street in New Bedford named for Frederick Douglass

Paul Cuffee, a merchant and ship's captain of Native and African (Ashanti of Ghana) origin, was born in nearby Cuttyhunk and settled in Westport, Massachusetts. Many of his ships sailed out of New Bedford.

Lewis Temple was an African-American blacksmith who invented the toggle iron, a type of toggling harpoon, which revolutionized the whaling industry and enabled the capture of more whales. There is a monument to Temple in downtown New Bedford.

In 1838, Frederick Douglass, the runaway slave who became a famous abolitionist, settled in New Bedford. He writes in detail about the life and times of New Bedford in the late 1840s in his celebrated autobiography.[117][118][119] A historic building and monument dedicated to Douglass can be found today at the Nathan and Polly Johnson properties. Frederick Douglass was not the only fugitive slave or freedman to see New Bedford as a welcoming place to settle. New Bedford had a small but thriving African-American community during the antebellum period. It was the home of a number of members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, an American Civil War regiment which fought, with considerable distinction, to preserve the Union. The 54th Massachusetts was the first regiment in the country's history formed entirely by African-American troops (who served with white officers). The most famous of these soldiers was William Harvey Carney, who made sure that the American flag never touched the ground during the Union assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, near Charleston. There is an elementary school in New Bedford named in his honor.

Patrick Cunningham was an Irish immigrant who lived in New Bedford. He was an inventor known for building a torpedo which he later fired down a street in the city.[120]

Bishop "Sweet Daddy" Grace, native of Brava, Cape Verde, was a New Bedford resident who founded the United House of Prayer for All People, one of the largest African-American sects in America. He is buried in New Bedford.

In popular culture

In 2002, the movie Passionada was filmed in New Bedford, making it the first film to be shot in the city in 45 years.[122] Previously, film director John Huston shot a scene for the movie adaptation of Moby-Dick in front of Seamen's Bethel in 1956. However, all other exterior shots for New Bedford in the film were shot in Youghal instead.

The 2011 movie Whaling City, about the fight of an independent fisherman to save his boat and his way of life, is set in New Bedford and was filmed there.

New Bedford was the town where 100 brides in the 1968–1970 TV series Here Come the Brides came from prior to their arrival in 1860s Seattle, Washington.

A character named New Bedford appeared on a Family Guy episode (in 2006) as a friend of another girl named Dakota. The show's fictional setting of Quahog, Rhode Island, is situated near New Bedford. In the tenth-season premiere "Lottery Fever," Peter Griffin mentions New Bedford while looking at a whale painting.

A board game set in the town called New Bedford was published in 2016. It focuses on building the town and the whaling industry.[123]

Sister cities

 
The port of New Bedford

New Bedford's sister cities are:[124]

See also

References

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Further reading

See also: Bibliography of the history of New Bedford, Massachusetts
  • Gelbert, Doug. A Walking Tour of New Bedford, Massachusetts (2009)
  • Heath, Kingston Wm., "Whalers to Weavers: New Bedford's Urban Transformation and Contested Identities," IA: Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology 40 (no. 1 and 2, 2014), 7–32.
    • part of special issue on industry in New Bedford
  • Mulderink III, Earl F. New Bedford's Civil War (Fordham University Press; 2012) 306 pages excerpt and text search May 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  • Thomas, Joseph D. et al. A Picture History of New Bedford - Volume One 1602~1925 (2013)
  • "". WhalingMuseum.org. Retrieved May 21, 2005.

Old primary sources

  • Henry Howland Crapo (1852), The New Bedford Directory, Press of B. Lindsey, OCLC 10871821, OL 20450078M
  • Greenough, Jones & Co. Directory of ... New Bedford, 1871–1872
  • Wall & Gray. 1871 . . Counties - , , , , , , , , , . Cities - , , , , , , , , , . . These 1871 maps of the Counties and Cities are useful to see the roads and rail lines.
  • Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County . Click on the map for a very large image. Also see detailed map of .

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Bedford, Massachusetts.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for New Bedford.

April 04, 2023
bedford, massachusetts, bedford, redirects, here, other, uses, bedford, disambiguation, confused, with, bedford, massachusetts, bedford, massachusett, accushnet, city, bristol, county, massachusetts, united, states, located, acushnet, river, what, known, south. New Bedford redirects here For other uses see New Bedford disambiguation Not to be confused with Bedford Massachusetts New Bedford Massachusett Accushnet 3 is a city in Bristol County Massachusetts United States It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region Up through the 17th century the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American people English colonists bought the land on which New Bedford would later be built from the Wampanoag in 1652 and the original colonial settlement that would later become the city was founded by English Quakers in the late 17th century The town of New Bedford itself was officially incorporated in 1787 New Bedford Massachusetts AccushnetCityNew Bedford HarborSealWordmarkNickname The Whaling CityMotto s Lucem Diffundo Latin I Diffuse Light 1 Location in Bristol County MassachusettsNew BedfordLocation in MassachusettsShow map of MassachusettsNew BedfordLocation in the United StatesShow map of the United StatesCoordinates 41 38 10 N 70 56 05 W 41 63611 N 70 93472 W 41 63611 70 93472 Coordinates 41 38 10 N 70 56 05 W 41 63611 N 70 93472 W 41 63611 70 93472Country United StatesState MassachusettsCountyBristolSettled1652Incorporated town 1787Incorporated city 1847Government TypeMayor council MayorJon Mitchell City CouncilCouncilors at Large Ian AbreuShane A BurgoNaomi R A CarneyBrian K GomesLinda M Morad Ward Councilors by Ward William B MarkeyMaria E GiestaHugh DunnDerek BaptisteScott J LimaRyan J Pereira School CommitteeJonathan F MitchellMelissa M CostaChristopher A CotterColleen DawickiRoss M Grace Jr Joaquim LivramentoBruce J OliveiraArea 2 Total24 13 sq mi 62 50 km2 Land20 00 sq mi 51 80 km2 Water4 13 sq mi 10 70 km2 Elevation50 ft 15 m Population 2020 Total102 882 Density5 053 70 sq mi 1 951 25 km2 Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern Summer DST UTC 4 Eastern ZIP Code02740 02744 02745 02746Area code508 774FIPS code25 45000GNIS feature ID0613714Websitewww wbr newbedford ma wbr govDuring the first half of the 19th century New Bedford was one of the world s most important whaling ports 4 At its economic height during this period New Bedford was the wealthiest city in North America per capita New Bedford was also a center of abolitionism at this time The city attracted many freed or escaped African American slaves including Frederick Douglass who lived there from 1838 until 1841 5 The city also served as a setting in Herman Melville s 1851 novel Moby Dick From 1876 to 1900 New Bedford served as the initial home port for the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction the precursor of the United States Coast Guard Academy 6 At the 2020 U S census 7 New Bedford had a population of 101 079 making it the state s ninth largest city and the largest of the South Coast region The city is also known for its high concentration of Portuguese Americans New Bedford remains known for its fishing fleet and accompanying seafood industry which as of 2019 generated the highest annual value of any fishing port in the United States 8 The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Contents 1 History 1 1 Old Dartmouth 1 1 1 Quakers 1 1 2 King Philip s War 1 2 New Bedford 1 3 Whaling City 1 4 Land of Opportunity 1 5 Whaling decline 1 6 Textile industry 1 7 Immigration 1 8 Modern history 1 9 Establishments 2 Geography 2 1 Parks 2 2 Climate 3 Demographics 3 1 Kʼicheʼ community 3 2 Crime 4 Economy 4 1 Early history 4 2 Tourism 4 3 Fishing 4 4 Income 5 Transportation 5 1 Water 5 2 Air 5 3 Roads 5 4 Bus 5 5 Rail 6 Government 6 1 City 6 2 County 6 3 State and federal 6 4 Fire department 7 Education 7 1 Public schools 7 2 Other schools 7 3 Higher education 7 4 Library 8 Media 9 Culture 9 1 Literature 9 2 Art 9 3 Music 9 4 Sports 9 5 Events 10 Points of interest 10 1 Museums 10 2 Historic districts 11 Notable people 12 In popular culture 13 Sister cities 14 See also 15 References 16 Further reading 16 1 Old primary sources 17 External linksHistory EditSee also Timeline of New Bedford Massachusetts William Allen Wall s depiction of Wampanoag people meeting Bartholomew Gosnold and his crew upon their arrival in New Bedford in 1602 9 Before the 17th century the lands along the Acushnet River were inhabited by the Wampanoag Native Americans who had settlements throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island including Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket Their population is believed to have been about 12 000 Territories of the Wampanoag people around 1620 between first European explorations of the Acushnet River in 1602 and the establishment of Old Dartmouth in 1652 On May 15 1602 English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in the ship Concord 10 landed on Cuttyhunk Island while exploring New England From there he explored Cape Cod and the neighboring areas including the site of present day New Bedford Gosnold left and settled in the Jamestown Colony of Virginia 10 Old Dartmouth Edit Purchase deed from November 29 1652 for Old Dartmouth 11 In 1652 English colonists purchased Old Dartmouth a region of 115 000 acres 470 km2 that is now Dartmouth Acushnet New Bedford Fairhaven and Westport in a treaty between the Wampanoag represented by Chief Ousamequin Massasoit and his son Wamsutta and John Winslow William Bradford Myles Standish Thomas Southworth and John Cooke 11 10 While the Europeans considered themselves full owners of the land through the transaction the Wampanoag have disputed this claim because the concept of land ownership in contrast with hunting fishing and farming rights was a foreign concept to them 10 Quakers Edit Further information New Bedford Meeting HouseMembers of the Religious Society of Friends also known as Quakers were among the early European settlers on the South Coast 12 They had faced persecution in the Puritan communities of Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony the latter banned the Quakers in 1656 1657 13 When the Massachusetts Bay Colony annexed the Plymouth Colony in 1691 Quakers already represented a majority of the population of Old Dartmouth 13 In 1699 with the support of Peleg Slocum the Quakers built their first meeting house in Old Dartmouth where the Apponegansett Meeting House is now located 14 12 At first the Old Dartmouth territory was devoid of major town centers and instead had isolated farms and small decentralized villages such as Russells Mills 15 One reason for this is that the inhabitants enjoyed their independence from the Plymouth Colony and they did not want the Plymouth court to appoint them a minister 13 At this time the economy primarily ran on agriculture and fishing The availability of land attracted many Quakers and Baptists from Newport and Portsmouth in Rhode Island as well as more waves of Puritan migration citation needed King Philip s War Edit The rising European population and increasing demand for land led the colonists relationship with the indigenous inhabitants of New England to deteriorate European encroachment and disregard for the terms of the Old Dartmouth Purchase led to King Philip s War in 1675 16 In this conflict Wampanoag tribesmen allied with the Narragansett and the Nipmuc raided Old Dartmouth and other European settlements in the area 16 Europeans in Old Dartmouth garrisoned in sturdier homes John Russell s home at Russells Mills John Cooke s home in Fairhaven and a third garrison on Palmer Island 16 17 New Bedford Edit A section of Old Dartmouth near the west bank of the Acushnet River originally called Bedford Village was officially incorporated as the town of New Bedford on February 23 1787 after the American Revolutionary War The name was suggested by the Russell family who were prominent citizens of the community The Dukes of Bedford a leading English aristocratic house also bore the surname Russell Bedford Massachusetts had been incorporated in 1729 hence New Bedford The late 18th century was a time of growth for the town A small whale fishery developed as well as modest international trade In the 1760s between the Seven Years War and the American Revolution shipwrights carpenters mechanics and blacksmiths settled around New Bedford harbor creating a skilled and comprehensive maritime community New Bedford s first newspaper The Medley also known as the New Bedford Marine Journal was founded in 1792 18 On June 12 1792 the town set up its first post office William Tobey was its first postmaster The construction of a bridge originally a toll bridge between New Bedford and present day Fairhaven in 1796 also spurred growth Fairhaven separated from New Bedford in 1812 forming an independent town that included both present day Fairhaven and present day Acushnet Whaling City Edit Nantucket had been the dominant whaling port though the industry was controlled by a cartel of merchants in Boston Newport and Providence In the 1760s Nantucket s most prominent whaling families moved to New Bedford refining their own oil and making their own premium candles The American Revolutionary War completely paralyzed the whaling industry British forces blockaded American ports and captured or destroyed American commercial ships they even marched down King s Street in New Bedford defiantly renamed Union Street after the Revolution and set businesses on fire Lowering Boats by Clifford Warren Ashley held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Nantucket was even more exposed and the physical destruction frozen economy and import taxes imposed after the war obliterated previous fortunes New Bedford also had a deeper harbor and was located on the mainland As a result New Bedford supplanted Nantucket as the nation s preeminent whaling port and so began the Golden Age of Whaling William Rotch owner of the Dartmouth of the Boston Tea Party and Samuel Rodman were important Quaker businessmen in the whaling industry 19 The New Bedford waterfront in 1867 After the War of 1812 s embargo was lifted New Bedford started amassing a number of colossal sturdy square rigged whaling ships many of them built at the shipyard of Mattapoisett The invention of on board tryworks a system of massive iron pots over a brick furnace allowed the whalers to render high quality oil from the blubber 20 This allowed the whaling ships to go out to sea for as long as four years processing their catch while at sea 20 Ships from New Bedford came back to port with barrels of oil spermaceti and occasionally ambergris 21 Old Colony Railroad Station in New Bedford as it looked c 1907 1915 As early as 1840 New Bedford was integrated into the northeastern economy by rail 22 Whaling dominated New Bedford s economy for much of the century and many families of the city were involved with it as crew and officers of ships The Quakers remained prominent and influential in New Bedford throughout the whaling era They brought religious values into their business models promoting stability as well as prosperity investing in infrastructure projects such as rail and employing without discrimination 23 They established solid social and economic relationships with Boston New York and Philadelphia integrating New Bedford into the urban northeastern economy Ten thousand men worked in the whaling industry During this period New Bedford s population increased from approximately 4 000 in 1820 to about 24 000 in 1860 24 At the height of the whaling industry in 1857 the harbor hosted 329 vessels worth over 12 million and New Bedford became the richest city per capita in North America 25 On March 18 1847 the town of New Bedford officially became a city Abraham Hathaway Howland was elected its first mayor Land of Opportunity Edit Main article Abolitionism in New Bedford Massachusetts The New Bedford Meeting House built in 1822 replaced an earlier Quaker meeting house on Spring Street The Quakers of New Bedford applied their principles of egalitarianism and community building in their businesses 26 On the boats at the docks at the factories or in the shops British Wampanoag Cape Verdean Azorean Irish and West African hands found work in New Bedford 24 New Bedford also became one of the first fermentation centers of abolitionism in North America and an important stop on the Underground Railroad Many people were attracted by New Bedford s relatively open minded atmosphere For example Paul Cuffe an Ashanti Wampanoag Quaker and self made tycoon 27 among several other remarkable achievements earned black property owners in New Bedford the right to vote decades before Abraham Lincoln even signed the Emancipation Proclamation 27 Lewis Temple an African American blacksmith invented the Temple toggle iron which was the most successful harpoon design 28 Frederick Douglass the famous social reformer and orator also found amnesty in New Bedford and worked at the wharf for three years 29 Whaling decline Edit The whaling industry went into decline after the 1859 discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania Each decade since then saw a gradual decrease in whaling work activity and revenue During the Civil War the Confederacy engaged in commerce raiding with ships such as the Alabama the Florida and the Shenandoah trying to attack the Yankee whaling industry and sabotage the US economy 30 Additionally the US federal government bought several inactive whalers filled them with stones sand and dirt and towed them to Charleston South Carolina where the Union Navy sank what became known as the Stone Fleet in an unsuccessful attempt to blockade the Confederate bay 30 Along with the poor business and low whale populations this dealt a potent blow to a failing industry Textile industry Edit New Bedford in 1876 In the midst of this decline greater New Bedford s economy became more dependent on the textile industry which began to eclipse the whaling industry in the late 19th century The mills grew and expanded constantly eventually comprising multiple sites along the Acushnet River In 1875 alone the Wamsutta Mills processed 19 000 bales of cotton into 20 million yards of cloth which had a wholesale value comparable to that of the entire whaling catch and continued to produce over 20 million yards of cloth yearly after 1883 31 The Wamsutta Mills remained the world s largest weaving plant until 1892 32 The textile mills redefined wealth in New Bedford and gave birth to a prosperity greater than that of the whaling industry 33 New Bedford funded by industrial fortunes developed a thriving art scene The Mount Washington Glass Company which later became Pairpoint crafted works of glass and silver for the newly affluent class and examples of these works can be seen today on the second floor of the New Bedford Whaling Museum citation needed In the 1920s local employers came under competitive pressure from new textile factories in the low wage South 34 In April 1928 their demand for a 10 percent across the board cut in wages was met was met with strike action After considerable controversy control of the large scale work stoppage passed from the Communist led Textile Mill Committee TMC to sundry craft unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor who agreeing to a 5 percent wage cut ended the strike in October 34 Wage reductions were not enough to arrest the long term competitive decline of the local textile industry However the development of new products has given Wamsutta an extended lease and it remains a household name for fabrics Photographs taken by Lewis Hine for the NCLC Immigration Edit Until 1800 New Bedford and its surrounding communities were by and large populated by Protestants of English Scottish Welsh and Dutch origin During the first half of the 19th century many Irish people came to Massachusetts In 1818 Irish immigrants established the Catholic mission that built St Mary s Church Later in that century immigrants from Portugal and its colonial possessions in the Atlantic Cape Verde the Azores and Madeira began arriving in New Bedford and the surrounding area attracted by jobs in the whaling industry many had family members who had worked on whaling ships As the Portuguese community began to increase in population it established the first Portuguese parish in the city St John the Baptist 1871 French Canadians also secured a foothold in New Bedford at about the same time and they built the Church of the Sacred Heart in 1877 North Congregational Church Purchase Street 1906Similarly Polish immigrants began arriving in the late 19th century and established the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1903 A number of Jewish families arriving in the late 19th century were active in the whaling industry selling provisions and outfitting ships During the years leading up to the First World War a sizable eastern European Jewish community joined them in New Bedford Some became prominent merchants and businessmen mainly in textiles and manufacturing Modern history Edit Monument to Portuguese American Veterans View of boats docked at New Bedford Fishing and manufacturing continue to be two of the largest businesses in the area and healthcare has become a major employer The three largest single employers based in New Bedford are Southcoast Hospitals Group one of the top ten employers in Massachusetts healthcare Titleist golf clubs balls apparel manufacturing and Riverside Manufacturing apparel manufacturing According to a 2001 study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis the three largest employment sectors in the Greater New Bedford area the area includes New Bedford and Acushnet Dartmouth Fairhaven Freetown Lakeville Marion Mattapoisett Rochester and Wareham were as follows services 26 of total employment wholesale trade 22 manufacturing 19 The largest industries by employment in the area were as follows health services eating and drinking places wholesale trade food stores and social services In 2002 the city received 61 194 358 in taxation revenue 44 536 201 in local receipts and 12 044 152 classified as other available In 2005 the unemployment rate was 7 3 having dropped throughout the 1990s from 12 5 to 5 3 in 2000 and then having risen to 10 4 in 2003 By 2009 in the midst of the economic crisis of the era the unemployment rate got as high as 12 4 In 2005 the city received 104 925 772 for education and 22 755 439 for general government from the State of Massachusetts In 2016 the city hopes its proximity to Massachusetts southern coastline will allow it to become a center for the growing wind energy market Three companies OffshoreMW Deepwater Wind and DONG Energy have leased portions of New Bedford s Marine Commerce Terminal for the staging of turbines and platforms 35 Establishments Edit In 1847 the New Bedford Horticultural Society was begun by James Arnold 36 The Ash Street Jail which houses inmates from Bristol County is located in New Bedford It opened in 1829 and is the oldest continuously operating jail in the United States 37 Fort Taber and Fort Rodman also called the Fort at Clark s Point were built during the American Civil War and are now in Fort Taber Park Both forts are often called Fort Taber including in some references 38 Geography EditNew Bedford is located at 41 39 06 N 70 56 01 W 41 651803 N 70 933705 W 41 651803 70 933705 41 651803 70 933705 39 According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 24 1 square miles 62 5 km2 Of the total area 20 0 square miles 51 8 km2 is land and 4 1 square miles 10 7 km2 or 17 13 is water 40 New Bedford is a coastal city a seaport bordered on the west by Dartmouth on the north by Freetown on the east by Acushnet and Fairhaven and on the south by Buzzards Bay From New Bedford s northern border with Freetown to the Buzzards Bay coast at Clark s Point the distance is approximately 14 miles 23 km Across New Bedford east to west is a distance of about 2 miles 3 2 km The highest point in the city is an unnamed hill crossed by Interstate 195 and Hathaway Road west of downtown with an elevation greater than 180 feet 55 m above sea level 41 The Port of New Bedford also known as New Bedford Harbor a body of water shared with Fairhaven is actually the estuary of the Acushnet River where it empties into Buzzards Bay The river empties into the bay beyond Clark s Point the southernmost point of the city To the west of Clark s Point is Clark s Cove which extends landward approximately one and a half mile from the bay Just south of Palmer s Island beginning near Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven lies a two mile long hurricane barrier constructed in the 1960s to protect the inner harbor where the fishing fleet anchors Along with Palmer s Island the city also lays claim to Fish Island and Pope s Island Between these two islands lies one of the three sections the central section of the New Bedford Fairhaven Bridge The central span a swing bridge connects the two islands as well as allowing boats and ships passage to the upper harbor Two conventional bridges connect each of the islands to the nearest mainland Fish Island to New Bedford and Pope s Island to Fairhaven In addition to the harbor there are several small brooks and ponds within the city limits Parks Edit Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands in the center of Clasky Common Park There are several parks and playgrounds some with splash pads scattered throughout the city with the first four being primary parks 42 Abolition Row Park Acushnet Cedar Swamp State Reservation Allen C Haskell Public Gardens Ashley Park Baby Kenney Tot Lot Brooklawn Park Buttonwood Park Captain Jack Peterson Dog Park Clasky Common Park Custom House Square Flora B Pierce Nature Trail Fort Rodman Taber Park Hazelwood Park Marine Park at Pope s Island New Bedford Covewalk New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Ricketson s Nature Trail River s End Park Riverside Park Roberto Clemente Park Ross C Mathieu Nature Trail Victory Park Community Gardens Climate Edit New Bedford has a cooler than normal version of a humid subtropical climate 43 that in many aspects resembles a humid continental one but with slightly milder winters In spite of being influenced by continental winds with large differences between seasons temperatures are somewhat moderated compared to areas farther inland There is high precipitation year round with winter being split between rainfall and snowfall 44 Climate data for New Bedford Massachusetts 1991 2020 normals extremes 1893 2002 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 67 19 69 21 80 27 96 36 98 37 102 39 103 39 107 42 94 34 90 32 79 26 74 23 107 42 Average high F C 38 1 3 4 39 6 4 2 46 8 8 2 56 1 13 4 67 5 19 7 78 1 25 6 84 0 28 9 82 2 27 9 75 3 24 1 64 2 17 9 52 7 11 5 43 2 6 2 60 7 15 9 Daily mean F C 30 1 1 1 31 2 0 4 38 0 3 3 47 9 8 8 58 6 14 8 68 9 20 5 75 6 24 2 74 0 23 3 67 1 19 5 56 4 13 6 45 1 7 3 35 7 2 1 52 4 11 3 Average low F C 22 1 5 5 22 8 5 1 29 1 1 6 39 6 4 2 49 6 9 8 59 8 15 4 67 2 19 6 65 8 18 8 59 0 15 0 48 5 9 2 37 4 3 0 28 3 2 1 44 1 6 7 Record low F C 10 23 12 24 4 16 16 9 31 1 39 4 47 8 44 7 30 1 20 7 8 13 11 24 12 24 Average precipitation inches mm 3 82 97 4 07 103 5 34 136 4 57 116 3 73 95 4 15 105 3 58 91 4 07 103 4 22 107 4 88 124 4 59 117 5 19 132 52 21 1 326 Average snowfall inches cm 10 9 28 8 5 22 6 6 17 1 7 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 4 4 11 32 5 83 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 11 3 10 6 11 8 12 2 11 3 9 6 7 9 9 0 9 7 8 3 10 3 11 6 123 6Average snowy days 0 1 in 4 3 3 7 2 7 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 2 13 8Source NOAA 45 46 Demographics Edit Largest self reported ancestry groups in New England 2000 U S Census Americans of Portuguese descent plurality shown in grey Historical population CensusPop Note 17903 313 18004 36131 6 18105 65129 6 18203 947 30 2 18307 59292 3 184012 08759 2 185016 44336 0 186022 30035 6 187021 320 4 4 188026 84525 9 189040 78351 9 190062 44253 1 191096 65254 8 1920121 21725 4 1930112 597 7 1 1940110 341 2 0 1950109 189 1 0 1960102 477 6 1 1970101 777 0 7 198098 478 3 2 199099 9221 5 200093 768 6 2 201095 0721 4 2020101 0796 3 U S Decennial Census 47 New Bedford and surrounding communities are a part of the Providence metropolitan area The Greater Providence Fall River New Bedford area is home to the largest Portuguese American community in the United States At the 2020 census 48 there were 101 079 people The population density was 4 760 inhabitants per square mile 1 840 km2 There were 42 781 housing units at an average density of 2 063 per square mile 797 km2 The racial makeup of the city was 72 17 66 1 Non Hispanic White 9 69 African American 0 1 Native American 1 00 Asian 0 05 Pacific Islander 13 51 from other races and 3 92 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 16 11 of the population The city is very multi cultural and diverse The ethnic makeup of the city is estimated to be 33 8 Portuguese 10 1 Puerto Rican 9 1 French 8 8 Cape Verdean 6 9 Irish 5 3 English There were 39 208 households of which 31 2 had children under the age of 18 living with them 37 5 were married couples living together 20 9 had a female householder with no husband present and 36 9 were non families 31 6 of all households were made up of individuals and 13 6 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 40 and the average family size was 3 01 Age distribution was 24 9 under the age of 18 9 5 from 18 to 24 28 8 from 25 to 44 20 2 from 45 to 64 and 16 7 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 36 years For every 100 females there were 89 1 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84 4 males The median household income was 37 569 and the median family income was 45 708 Males had a median income of 37 388 versus 27 278 for females The per capita income for the city was 15 602 About 17 3 of families and 20 2 of the population were below the poverty line including 29 1 of those under age 18 and 15 7 of those age 65 or over Kʼicheʼ community Edit The city has a community of Kʼicheʼ people who originated from Guatemala and had traveled to the United States to avoid the Guatemalan Civil War 49 Starting in the end part of the 1980s Kʼicheʼ adult men in Providence Rhode Island moved to New Bedford and other demographics of Kʼicheʼ came afterwards 50 Many by 2010 were in low socioeconomic conditions and did not have documentation to be legally in the United States 49 In 2019 an advocacy group for the Maya people complained to the courts that the New Bedford School District was not providing adequate Kʼicheʼ language services The U S Department of Justice and the school district came to resolution so the school district could provide appropriate Kʼicheʼ language services 51 Crime Edit The city s crime rate including violent and property crime decreased by 38 from 2011 to 2020 with 4456 incidents in 2011 and 2171 incidents in 2020 52 The FBI reported a violent crime rate in New Bedford Massachusetts of 640 per 100 000 residents in 2019 compared to a national average of 366 7 per 100 000 residents 53 54 An FBI report in 2020 showed burglary and breaking and entering dropped about 52 from 969 crimes in 2011 to 465 crimes in 2019 52 Economy EditEarly history Edit View of historic New Bedford harbor The economy of the Pilgrim settlement in the New Bedford area was initially based around a few farming and fishing villages The early Bedford Village quickly became a commercial zone and from there became a major whaling and foreign trade port In the early 18th century the Russell family purchased this area and developed it into a larger village Joseph Russell III having made the most significant contributions Age of Sail ships built in New Bedford include the schooner Caroline and whaleship Charles W Morgan By the 18th century entrepreneurs in the area such as whaling merchants from Nantucket were attracted to the village and helped make it into one of the top whaling cities in the country The most significant of these merchants was Joseph Rotch who bought 10 acres four hectares of land in 1765 from Joseph Russell III on which he and his sons ran the family business Rotch moved his business to New Bedford since it would be better for refining whale oil and manufacturing candles made from whales As these parts of the whaling industry had been monopolized by a merchant cartel in Boston Newport Rhode Island and Providence Rhode Island Rotch felt that it would be better for business to handle these himself by moving to the mainland The relationship between New Bedford and Nantucket allowed the two cities to dominate the whaling industry In 1848 New Bedford resident Lewis Temple invented the toggling harpoon an invention that would revolutionize the whaling industry This helped make New Bedford the preeminent city in the U S whaling industry Another factor was the increased draft of whaling ships in part the result of greater use of steel in their construction which made them too deep for Nantucket harbor Syren the longest lived of the clipper ships spent over a decade transporting whale oil and whaling products to New Bedford principally from Honolulu and was owned for several years by William H Besse of New Bedford As a result of its control over whaling products that were used widely throughout the world most importantly whale oil New Bedford became one of the richest per capita cities in the world Many whalers would quit their jobs in 1849 though as the Gold Rush attracted many of them to leave New Bedford for California During this time Herman Melville who worked in New Bedford as a whaler wrote the novel Moby Dick and published it in 1851 the city would be the initial setting of the book including a scene set in the Seaman s Bethel which still stands today Despite the power it gave to New Bedford the whaling industry began to decline starting in 1859 when petroleum which would become an alternative to whale oil was discovered Another blow came with the Whaling Disaster of 1871 in which twenty two New Bedford whalers were lost in the ice off the coast of Alaska 55 The New Bedford firm J amp W R Wing Company the largest whaling company in the United States sent out its last whaleship in 1914 56 and whaling in New Bedford came to its final end in 1925 with the last whaling expedition being made by the schooner John R Manta Hathaway Mills In the mid 1840s New Bedford was the site of the first petroleum fuel refinery in the United States as newly discovered Pennsylvania crude oil was shipped to New Bedford to be refined for lamp oil and other oil Standard Oil would ultimately buy this refinery located on Fish Island 57 Fish Island was also the site of an early experiment in coal gasification leading to the explosion of a building New Bedford was able to remain wealthy because of its textile industry Starting in 1881 the textile industry grew large enough to sustain the city s economy At its height over 30 000 people were employed by the 32 cotton manufacturing companies that owned the textile factories of New Bedford which were worth 100 million in total The creation of the New Bedford Textile School in 1895 1899 ushered in an era of textile prosperity that began to decline in the great depression and ended with the end of the textile period in the 1940s The industry garnered national headlines in 1928 when it was hit with a strike of 30 000 workers 58 The walkout of mostly immigrant workers was given critical support by the Workers Communist Party and was the precursor of a more tumultuous textile strike in North Carolina held the following year Tool and die operations also left the area steadily starting in the 1970s Tourism Edit 2019 New Bedford Folk Festival While accurate figures are hard to come by tourism appears to be a growing industry New Bedford tourism centers on fairs and festivals including the Folk Festival Whaling City Festival Fourth of July Jazzfest Working Waterfront Festival Polish Fest New Bedford Day of Portugal Senhor Da Pedra feast Holy Ghost of Pico feast and the Portuguese Feast of the Blessed Sacrament 59 the largest Portuguese cultural celebration in the nation Tourism also focuses on the historic whaling industry and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is the only national park unit that focuses on the whaling industry s impact on the history of the United States The Buttonwood Park Zoo features various species including two Asian Elephants Emily and Ruth the only ones in New England Driven in part by increased tourism a Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel opened in New Bedford in late May 2010 on the edge of the city s harbor This became the first hotel in the city to open in over 40 years though it is well supplied with bed and breakfast establishments 60 A secondary hotel New Bedford Harbor Hotel opened during the summer of 2018 Fishing Edit Despite the historical decline of fishing and whaling in New England New Bedford continues to be a leading fishing port From 1999 to 2019 New Bedford has been the most valuable commercial fishing port in the United States 8 In 2019 the port s catch was worth a total of 451 million 8 Although New Bedford only brought in the 14th largest total volume of fish among American ports in 2019 its catch was still the highest grossing because scallops accounted for 84 of the port s annual fishing revenue 8 Dutch Harbor Alaska has the highest volume at 763 million pounds worth 182 million 61 New Bedford Public Library 1899 Income Edit See also List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income Data is from the 2009 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates 62 63 64 Rank ZIP Code ZCTA Per capitaincome Medianhouseholdincome Medianfamilyincome Population Number ofhouseholdsMassachusetts 35 763 66 866 84 900 6 605 058 2 530 147Bristol County 28 837 55 298 72 018 549 870 210 037United States 28 155 53 046 64 719 311 536 594 115 610 2161 North New Bedford 26 093 47 536 57 287 24 830 10 303New Bedford 21 056 35 999 44 607 94 927 39 0682 02740 20 649 34 259 40 508 43 308 18 0283 South New Bedford 18 190 31 216 40 635 11 722 4 6854 02746 15 948 25 623 32 314 14 835 5 954Transportation EditWater Edit The Port of New Bedford is a major harbor for freight and passenger services generating over 9 8 billion in economic value annually 65 The port serves as a break bulk handler of perishable items including fruit fish 66 and a variety other cargo The port is also a frequent stop for cruise ships expecting an upwards of thirty cruise ship calls in 2006 67 One public and several private marinas offer limited transient dockage for recreational boats A handful of private ferry services also originate from New Bedford One such company SeaStreak offers catamaran fast ferry service to Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven both in Martha s Vineyard 68 as well as Nantucket 69 A separate passenger line the Cuttyhunk Ferry Company runs scheduled ferry services from New Bedford to Cuttyhunk Island 70 The neighboring town of Fall River is served by seasonal services to Newport and Block Island both in the state of Rhode Island The history of ferry service from New Bedford dates back to May 15 1818 when a steamboat entitled The Eagle carried six hundred passengers across the Nantucket Sound New Bedford has historically been a major city for whaling and commercial fishing and remains an important site for the latter to this day As of 2020 the Port of New Bedford is the number one fishing port in the United States in terms of dollar value of catch New Bedford fisherman landed 124 million pounds of fish in 2015 valued at 322 million and the fishing industry accounts for the vast majority of the Port s annual economic value 65 71 Air Edit New Bedford Regional Airport EWB a towered Class D airport offering two 5 400 foot 1 600 m runways and a precision Instrument Landing System is located in the central portion of the city with easy access to major highways Frequent scheduled passenger service is provided to Nantucket and Martha s Vineyard by Cape Air and Southern Airways Express As of 2020 New Bedford Regional Airport serves as the New England Fleet Base for Southern Airways Express providing maintenance storage and offices for the airline 72 In addition the airport provides a wide range of general aviation and corporate jet services including aircraft maintenance fuel and part 61 flight instruction Roads Edit Interstate 195 is the main freeway through central New Bedford traveling from Providence Rhode Island to Wareham Additionally U S Route 6 runs from east to west through the city as well US 6 leaves the city toward Cape Cod over the New Bedford Fairhaven Bridge a swing truss bridge and the Popes Island Bridge New Bedford also serves as the southern terminus of MA Route 140 which is a freeway that connects to MA Route 24 in Taunton on the road north to Boston MA Route 18 the extension of the John F Kennedy Memorial Highway which travels through downtown is a freeway for the short stretch connecting I 195 to US 6 and the port area Bus Edit The city bus terminal offers local and long distance bus connections A free shuttle bus connects the bus terminal and the ferries The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority SRTA provides bus service between the city Fall River and the surrounding regions 73 Peter Pan Bus Lines makes a New Bedford stop on a New York City to Hyannis Cape Cod route As of October 2006 private carrier DATTCO provides daily commuter bus service to Boston via Taunton 74 Rail Edit The MBTA has proposed renewing commuter rail service to the city 75 As of May 14 2006 total capital costs for commuter rail service to New Bedford were projected to be 800 million and the project has not yet been funded by the state which is still reeling financially from the financial excesses of the Big Dig project in Boston 76 CSX Transportation formerly Conrail provides freight rail service to New Bedford terminating at the New Bedford Rail Yard in the port area 66 Until 1959 the New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad provided train service to New Bedford from Boston and Providence via Taunton On March 15 2017 MassDOT filed a notice of project change in order to advance South Coast Rail service serving both New Bedford and Fall River using the existing Middleborough Lakeville Commuter Rail Line 77 Government EditCity Edit New Bedford City Hall New Bedford is governed by a Mayor Council form of government City Council members serve two year terms 78 In 2019 following a change in the city charter the mayoral term was doubled from two years to four years 79 The council 78 and mayoral positions do not have term limits 80 Former assistant U S Attorney Jonathan F Mitchell defeated State Representative Antonio F D Cabral in the 2011 mayoral election 81 Mitchell was re elected to his fifth consecutive term as mayor in the 2019 election defeating challenger Tyson Moultrie 82 In 2021 Joseph Lopes was re elected to a second consecutive term as president of the City Council 83 The New Bedford Police Department patrols the city from four stations The main station is on Rockdale Avenue in a converted supermarket plaza and replaces the former headquarters located downtown There are also branches in the North End at the intersection of Tarkiln Hill Road and Ashley Boulevard South End along Cove Street near the end of Route 18 and Downtown on Pleasant Street near City Hall The Chief of Police is Joseph Cordeiro There are four post offices the Central modeled after New York s James A Farley Post Office located downtown one in the South End and two in the North End The city provides weekly trash and recycling pickup The city also formerly operated a trash dump in the Mount Pleasant area of town between the regional airport and the Whaling City Golf Course However owing to pollution concerns it was closed in the 1990s County Edit The Bristol County Sheriff s Office operates the Ash Street Jail and Regional Lock Up and the Juvenile Secure Alternative Lock Up Program JALP in New Bedford The Ash Street jail houses over 200 pre trial prisoners and a few sentenced inmate workers for the system JALP houses up to 12 pre arraignment juvenile prisoners 84 State and federal Edit New Bedford is represented in the state legislature by officials elected from the following districts Massachusetts Senate s 2nd Bristol and Plymouth district 85 Massachusetts House of Representatives 8th Bristol district 86 Massachusetts House of Representatives 9th Bristol district Massachusetts House of Representatives 10th Bristol district Massachusetts House of Representatives 11th Bristol district Massachusetts House of Representatives 13th Bristol districtThe Third Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police located nearby in Dartmouth patrol New Bedford The city is part of Massachusetts s 9th congressional district represented by U S Representative William R Keating The state s junior Class I U S Senator is Ed Markey elected in a special election in 2013 The state s senior senator is Elizabeth Warren re elected in 2018 Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 17 2018 87 Party Number of voters PercentageUnenrolled 28 235 48 52 Democrat 25 043 43 03 Republican 3 874 6 66 Minor Political Parties Designations 815 1 40 Libertarian 231 0 40 Total 58 198 100 Fire department Edit Engine 8 on Acushnet Ave The city of New Bedford is currently protected 24 7 365 by the city of New Bedford Fire Department NBFD 88 Established in 1834 the New Bedford Fire Department currently operates out of six Fire Stations located throughout the city in two Districts under the command of two District Chiefs per shift The New Bedford Fire Department currently maintains and operates a fire apparatus fleet of six Engines three Ladders one Fireboat one Air Cascade Unit one Foam Trailer and one ARFF Crash Rescue Unit cross staffed by Engine 7 based at New Bedford Regional Airport and 4 reserve apparatus 3 engines 1 ladder The NBFD is made up of 203 full time uniformed professional firefighters including a Chief of department a Deputy Chief 10 District Chiefs 12 Captains 29 Lieutenants 152 Firefighters 4 Fire Investigators and 5 Civilian Personnel The New Bedford Fire Department responds to approximately 15 000 emergency calls annually In 2015 the New Bedford Fire Department received the Class 1 ISO Insurance Service Office distinction becoming just the 3rd city in the state Boston and Cambridge being the other two to receive such a rating New Bedford has been known to be a very aggressive interior attack department when responding to fire emergencies and has been considered to be among the best in the state Below is a complete listing of all fire station and fire apparatus locations 89 In addition to the seven Fire Stations the NBFD also operates a fire apparatus maintenance facility repair shop at 311 Liberty St an Emergency Management facility at 834 Kempton St and a Fire Museum at 51 Bedford St Fire Headquarters is located at 868 Pleasant St and the Fire Prevention Bureau is located at 1204 Purchase St Engine company Ladder company Special unit Command unit AddressEngine 1 Ladder 1 Foam Trailer and Air Cascade Unit Unit 2 District Chief 868 Pleasant St Engine 5 3665 Acushnet Ave Engine 6 Ladder 3 Reserve Engine 26 Brock Ave and Ruth St Engine 7 Reserve Engine 21 700 Cottage St Engine 8 Ladder 4 Unit 1 District Chief 1599 Acushnet Ave Engine 9 799 Ashley Blvd Education EditPublic schools Edit New Bedford Public Schools is the community school district New Bedford High School is the sole public high school in the city New Bedford is also the home to Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School a large vocational high school serving the city New Bedford and also the towns of Dartmouth and Fairhaven The city operates two alternative junior senior high schools Whaling City Alternative School out of the original Greater New Bedford Vocational High School building and Trinity Day Academy There are also two charter schools the Global Learning Charter Public School otherwise known as GLCPS 90 which serves grades 5 12 and two campuses of the Alma del Mar Charter School 91 which is growing to serve grades K 8 Other schools Edit There are three Catholic schools within the city operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River All Saints Catholic School It was a merger of the St Mary and St Joseph Therese schools while using the St Mary Campus and formed in 2010 92 St Teresa of Calcutta School located in the former St James St John School was created when that school and the former Holy Family Holy Name School merged in 2022 93 Some of the students who attend these schools go on to attend Bishop Stang High School in neighboring Dartmouth There are also two Catholic preschools citation needed There is also the Nazarene Christian Academy a school operated by the Church of the Nazarene Independent schools include Nativity Prep for boys grades 5 8 and Our Sisters School for girls grades 5 8 Former Catholic schools Our Lady of Mt Carmel School It opened with grades 1 3 in 1941 with additional levels afterwards In the 1990s it established a preschool it was a Pre K 8 school at the end of its life It closed in 2007 Joseph Sullivan stated that this was due to the declining enrollment and the increase in expenses Its final graduating class numbered six 94 St Anthony School It opened in 1896 and closed in 2007 95 St Joseph St Therese School It had 225 students in 2000 This declined to 138 in 2005 but went up to 152 in 2010 It merged into all Saints in 2010 92 St Mary School It had 214 students in 2005 which declined to 180 in 2010 It merged into all Saints in 2010 92 Holy Family Holy Name School It opened in 1973 as a merger of Holy Name School and Holy Family School and became part of the newly formed St Teresa of Calcutta School after merging with St James St John School in 2022 There is one Non Collegiate Flight School Located at the New Bedford Regional Airport Colonial AirHigher education Edit New Bedford is home to one of Fisher College s neighborhood campuses Located on Church Street in the north end of the city it serves adult learners from the greater New Bedford region and the surrounding communities of Taunton Wareham and Fall River Bristol Community College has a satellite campus in Downtown New Bedford in the Star Store Building and 800 Purchase Street Nearby Dartmouth is home to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus as well as the University of Massachusetts School of Law Dartmouth the first public law school in the state However New Bedford is also is the site of the marine campus of University of Massachusetts Dartmouth located at Fort Rodman as well as its satellite visual art campus located in the former Star Store building downtown Bridgewater State University Aviation is based at the New Bedford Regional Airport The program is one of the only Accredited Part 141 Collegiate Aviation Universities in New England Bachelor of Science Degree s are offered in Flight Training and Aviation Management Library Edit The New Bedford public library was established in 1852 96 97 In fiscal year 2016 the City of New Bedford spent 0 78 2 012 820 of its budget on its public library system approximately 21 20 per person per year 98 Main Library 99 Casa da Saudade Portuguese branch 100 Howland Green Library 101 Lawler Library 102 Wilks Library 103 Bookmobile 104 Media EditMain article Media in Providence and New Bedford New Bedford is part of the Providence TV market but is the city of license for two TV stations WLNE TV Channel 6 is the ABC affiliate for the market and WLWC Channel 28 is Court TV affiliate The Portuguese Channel has its corporate offices and studios in the city at 638 Mount Pleasant Street in the Comcast building The city is home to three radio stations FM stations WJFD FM 97 3 Portuguese language and WNBH FM 101 3 and WNBH AM 1340 All three have served the residents of New Bedford for many decades In 2021 the New Bedford Light https newbedfordlight org was created as a free non profit digital news site featuring investigative and enterprise reporting to augment what had been a local news media environment in decades long decline The city is also served by the New Bedford Standard Times and The Portuguese Times newspapers Culture EditLiterature Edit Herman Melville is associated with New Bedford with his 1851 novel Moby Dick set in the city The New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts an annual marathon reading of the whaling classic 105 Art Edit A portion of The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage Round the World of 1848 Clement Nye Swift Clifford Warren Ashley and Benjamin Russell are notable artists from New Bedford In 2018 the 1 275 foot 389 m panoramic painting Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage Round the World by Caleb Purrington and Benjamin Russell depicting a 19th century whaling voyage departing from New Bedford was displayed at the Kilburn Mill 106 Music Edit New Bedford has had a sporadic history of successful musicians During the 1970s Tavares a Rhythm and blues group made up of five brothers from New Bedford became a chart topping success with such songs as Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel and More Than a Woman In 1999 the pop group LFO Lyte Funky Ones whose group member Harold Devin Lima is from New Bedford had a hit single with their song Summer Girls Have Heart a Straight edge hardcore band were formed in New Bedford in 2002 before breaking up in 2009 Most recently the hardcore punk band A Wilhelm Scream has gained some success having been added to the 2005 Warped Tour lineup New Bedford natives Hector Barros and Scott Ross were members of the hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch led by actor Mark Wahlberg They achieved success with their 1991 single Good Vibrations which reached number one in the U S Sweden and Switzerland Josh Newton from the band Every Time I Die was born in New Bedford Quinn Sullivan born March 26 1999 is a blues guitarist from New Bedford Quinn has performed on stage with Buddy Guy and B B King and has played in venues such as the Beacon Theatre in New York City the Orpheum Theatre in Boston Buddy Guy s Legends in Chicago and on The Oprah Winfrey Show NBC s The Today Show Lollapalooza and Jimmy Kimmel Live In April 2013 he played at Madison Square Garden with his mentor Buddy Guy during the first night of the 2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival 107 The accordionist and accordion instructor Aldo DeRossi 1917 2010 composed the Whaling City Concerto in 1992 honoring New Bedford 108 The city is the home of the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center the home venue of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra 109 Sports Edit New Bedford had a Class B level professional Baseball team called The New Bedford Whalers from 1895 to 1915 110 They were a member of the New England League from 1895 to 1913 and the Colonial League from 1914 to 1915 The team folded after the 1915 season A second team called the New Bedford Millmen played for one season in 1929 A second Whalers team played in the New England League in 1933 1934 111 A team from New Bedford won the 1977 edition of the Pony League World Series defeating a team from Lake Worth Florida in the championship game 112 Since 2009 the city has been home to the New Bedford Bay Sox baseball franchise of the New England Collegiate Baseball League a collegiate summer baseball league operating in New England The team which reached the league playoffs in their inaugural season plays home games at Paul Walsh Field in New Bedford In 2020 the team announced they were folding for the 2020 season and hoped to return in 2021 113 From 2005 to 2018 the Whaling City Clippers a semi professional team of the New England Football League played at Walsh Field 114 better source needed Events Edit New Bedford hosts the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament the New Bedford Folk Festival the Whaling City Festival Jazzfest Working Waterfront Festival In addition AHA Art History and Architecture Nights are free cultural events held monthly in downtown New Bedford 115 Points of interest EditMuseums Edit New Bedford is the home of the New Bedford Whaling Museum the centerpiece of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park It is the country s largest museum on the subject of whaling and the history of interaction between humans and whales The museum has the skeletons of a 66 foot 20 m long baby blue whale obtained in 2000 a 35 foot 11 m long adult humpback whale obtained in 1900 and a 45 foot 14 m long sperm whale obtained in 2004 on display All whales died in New England waters and were cleaned and assembled for display citation needed The Rotch Jones Duff House and Garden Museum is a 28 room Greek Revival mansion that was built for the whaling merchant William Rotch Jr in 1834 Between 1834 and 1981 three prominent families owned the house It was restored by the Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE WHALE in the early 1980s and converted into the house museum it is today chronicling 150 years of economic social and domestic life in New Bedford 116 The New Bedford Fire Museum is housed in a red brick building formerly Fire Station No 4 which opened in 1867 The fire station was one of the oldest continuously operating fire stations in the state when it was closed in 1979 The museum has a collection of old firefighting equipment and some old fire engines Old city fire records dating to 1890 are available for research and review Retired and active city firefighters act as docents The New Bedford Museum of Glass reflects the city s history as home of the Mount Washington and Pairpoint Glass companies The museum s collection ranges from ancient to contemporary glass with a large focus on the glass of New England A research library contains over eight thousand volumes on glass The museum is located in one of the historic Wamsutta Mills textile factory buildings Historic districts Edit William Street in winter looking west New Bedford has nine historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places They are Acushnet Heights Historic District Buttonwood Park Historic District Central New Bedford Historic District County Street Historic District Howland Mill Village Historic District Merrill s Wharf Historic District Moreland Terrace Historic District New Bedford Historic District North New Bedford Historic District See also Abolition RowNotable people Edit Paul Cuffee in 1812 Street in New Bedford named for Frederick Douglass Paul Cuffee a merchant and ship s captain of Native and African Ashanti of Ghana origin was born in nearby Cuttyhunk and settled in Westport Massachusetts Many of his ships sailed out of New Bedford Lewis Temple was an African American blacksmith who invented the toggle iron a type of toggling harpoon which revolutionized the whaling industry and enabled the capture of more whales There is a monument to Temple in downtown New Bedford In 1838 Frederick Douglass the runaway slave who became a famous abolitionist settled in New Bedford He writes in detail about the life and times of New Bedford in the late 1840s in his celebrated autobiography 117 118 119 A historic building and monument dedicated to Douglass can be found today at the Nathan and Polly Johnson properties Frederick Douglass was not the only fugitive slave or freedman to see New Bedford as a welcoming place to settle New Bedford had a small but thriving African American community during the antebellum period It was the home of a number of members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment an American Civil War regiment which fought with considerable distinction to preserve the Union The 54th Massachusetts was the first regiment in the country s history formed entirely by African American troops who served with white officers The most famous of these soldiers was William Harvey Carney who made sure that the American flag never touched the ground during the Union assault on Fort Wagner South Carolina near Charleston There is an elementary school in New Bedford named in his honor Patrick Cunningham was an Irish immigrant who lived in New Bedford He was an inventor known for building a torpedo which he later fired down a street in the city 120 Bishop Sweet Daddy Grace native of Brava Cape Verde was a New Bedford resident who founded the United House of Prayer for All People one of the largest African American sects in America He is buried in New Bedford 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 Invented Ashley s stopper knot Joseph The Animal Barboza mob hitman Merton J Batchelder Marine Corps Brigadier general during World War II recipient of Navy Cross Andre Bernier first meteorologist to appear on The Weather Channel s debut on May 2 1982 Albert Bierstadt 19th century German born artist who depicteds of the American West Ezell A Blair Jr later known as Jibreel Khazan civil rights activist best known for participation in the Greensboro sit ins Franklin Brownell 1857 1946 painter draughtsman and teacher William Harvey Carney American soldier during the American Civil War and recipient of the Medal of Honor Paul Clayton folksinger Frederick Douglass 19th century abolitionist and editor Lewis Henry Douglass Union Army African American Sergeant Major who fought in the American Civil War at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner under the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Also son of Frederick Douglass an abolitionist William Edgar Easton playwright and journalist Nelson Eddy singer and movie star who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s spent part of his boyhood in New Bedford William Greenleaf Eliot co founder and benefactor of Washington University in St Louis grandfather of T S Eliot Elizabeth Piper Ensley educator suffragette and activist Marie Equi 19th century doctor labor activist anarchist and Wobbly Keith Francis runner World class middle distance runner NCAA Champion and 7 time NCAA All American at Boston College Hetty Green businesswoman one of the wealthiest women in America amassed a significant fortune from the stock market in the late 19th century Henry Grinnell businessman who financed the outfitting of two vessels the Advance and the Rescue to search the Arctic for the lost Franklin Expedition Carol Haney choreographer principal assistant to Gene Kelly worked on Singin in the Rain Brian Helgeland screenwriter of Mystic River Conspiracy Theory and L A Confidential director of A Knight s Tale and 42 Irwin M Jacobs co founder of Qualcomm Samantha Johnson singer Tynisha Keli singer Joe Lacob owner of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association Rebecca Hammond Lard first poet of Indiana George N Leighton United States District Court judge Dave Leitao basketball head coach for DePaul William Foster Nye 1824 1910 businessman Joseph Scott Pemberton a U S Marine convicted of homicide in the Philippines for killing a transgender woman and pardoned in 2020 William and Amelia Piper saved by members of New Bedford they were abolitionists and conductors on the Underground Railroad Paul Poirier former New England heavyweight boxing champion Brian Pothier professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes Ben Powers actor 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 Laurie Santos born 1975 professor at Yale University and TED speaker 121 Jared Shuster born 1998 baseball pitcher first round 2020 MLB draft pick Lois Tripp Slocum 1899 1951 astronomer Pete Souza Chief Official White House Photographer under Barack Obama Harry Stovey 19th century professional baseball player born in Philadelphia he became a police officer in New Bedford after his playing days Quinn Sullivan musician Jordan Todman NFL player Benjamin Tucker individualist anarchist author John Tukey statistician whose usage of the term software and bit are believed to be the first in written history Bobby Watkins professional football player for the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals in the 1950s Benjamin F White last governor of Montana Territory William R Yeschek Wisconsin businessman and politicianIn popular culture EditIn 2002 the movie Passionada was filmed in New Bedford making it the first film to be shot in the city in 45 years 122 Previously film director John Huston shot a scene for the movie adaptation of Moby Dick in front of Seamen s Bethel in 1956 However all other exterior shots for New Bedford in the film were shot in Youghal instead The 2011 movie Whaling City about the fight of an independent fisherman to save his boat and his way of life is set in New Bedford and was filmed there New Bedford was the town where 100 brides in the 1968 1970 TV series Here Come the Brides came from prior to their arrival in 1860s Seattle Washington A character named New Bedford appeared on a Family Guy episode in 2006 as a friend of another girl named Dakota The show s fictional setting of Quahog Rhode Island is situated near New Bedford In the tenth season premiere Lottery Fever Peter Griffin mentions New Bedford while looking at a whale painting A board game set in the town called New Bedford was published in 2016 It focuses on building the town and the whaling industry 123 Sister cities Edit The port of New Bedford New Bedford s sister cities are 124 Utqiagvik United States Derry Northern Ireland United Kingdom Grimsby England United Kingdom Figueira da Foz Portugal Funchal Portugal Horta Portugal Ilhavo Portugal Sao Vicente Cape Verde Tosashimizu Japan Youghal IrelandSee also Edit United States portalCatalpa rescue Leviathan 2012 film List of historic houses in Massachusetts List of mayors of New Bedford Massachusetts List of mill towns in Massachusetts List of mills in New Bedford MassachusettsReferences Edit Dept Home Tourism amp Marketing Tourism amp Marketing Archived from the original on October 15 2013 Retrieved May 10 2013 2020 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on May 28 2022 Retrieved May 21 2022 Ricketson Daniel 1858 The history of New Bedford Bristol County Massachusetts including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport Dartmouth and Fairhaven from their settlement to the present time D Ricketson p 13 OCLC 1263627689 Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved August 21 2021 MacEacheran Mike July 20 2018 The city that lit the world BBC Travel Archived from the original on September 22 2021 Retrieved September 22 2021 Barnes Jeanette April 2 2018 3 years in New Bedford changed Frederick Douglass but why SouthCoastToday Archived from the original on June 11 2020 Retrieved September 22 2021 Coulter John A 2017 Cadets on Campus History of Military Schools of the United States Texas A amp M 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Appointed to be Recorded Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History www gilderlehrman org Archived from the original on August 22 2021 Retrieved August 22 2021 a b Wittenberg Ariel The story of Dartmouth s first settlers The Quakers southcoasttoday com Archived from the original on February 3 2020 Retrieved February 3 2020 a b c Lukesh Susan Snow February 15 2016 Frozen in Time An Early Carte de Visite Album from New Bedford Massachusetts Lulu com ISBN 978 1 4834 3920 4 Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved September 3 2021 Ricketson Daniel 1858 The history of New Bedford Bristol County Massachusetts including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport Dartmouth and Fairhaven from their settlement to the present time D Ricketson OCLC 1263627689 Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved August 21 2021 The Old Dartmouth Purchase New Bedford Whaling Museum Archived from the original on February 3 2020 Retrieved 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city Massachusetts U S Census Bureau American Factfinder Archived from the original on February 12 2020 Retrieved February 5 2013 U S Geological Survey New Bedford North MA 7 5 minute quadrangle 1979 Parks in New Bedford PDF Archived PDF from the original on April 4 2017 Retrieved April 3 2017 New Bedford Massachusetts Climate Summary Weatherbase Archived from the original on February 6 2015 Retrieved February 6 2015 New Bedford Massachusetts Temperature Averages Weatherbase Archived from the original on March 6 2020 Retrieved February 6 2015 NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Archived from the original on November 13 2020 Retrieved May 30 2021 Station New Bedford COOP MA U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Archived from the original on June 2 2021 Retrieved May 30 2021 Census of Population and Housing Census gov Archived from the original on July 1 2021 Retrieved 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February 15 2023 Retrieved July 18 2021 Johnson Patrick October 1 2020 FBI s annual crime report shows declines in violent crime in Springfield across Massachusetts No MassLive Advance Local Media LLC Archived from the original on July 29 2021 Retrieved July 18 2021 2019 Crime in the United States FBI UCR Archived from the original on June 4 2021 Retrieved July 18 2021 Overview of American Whaling Arctic Whaling Archived from the original on November 10 2011 Davis Lance Edwin et al 1997 In Pursuit of Leviathan Technology Institutions Productivity and Profits University of Chicago Press ISBN 9780226137902 Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved August 14 2021 Congressional Edition U S Government Printing Office June 17 2017 Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved November 18 2020 via Google Books See for example Daniel Georgianna with Roberta Hazen Aaronson The Strike of 28 New Bedford MA Spinner Publications 1993 FEAST OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT portuguesefeast com Archived from the original on March 28 2017 Retrieved March 27 2017 Fairfield Inn earns Small Business of Year award Archived from the original on December 21 2012 Retrieved May 10 2013 Fisheries of the United States Archived from the original on October 23 2020 Retrieved October 20 2020 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2009 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on January 17 2015 Retrieved January 12 2015 ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2009 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on January 5 2015 Retrieved January 12 2015 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2009 2013 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on February 12 2020 Retrieved January 12 2015 a b About Us New Bedford Seafood Archived from the original on July 27 2020 Retrieved July 27 2020 a b Home Port of New Bedford The Port of New Bedford Official Website Archived from the original on July 27 2020 Retrieved July 27 2020 2006 Cruise Season Update permanent dead link The Port of New Bedford Harbor Development Commission Retrieved October 28 2006 New Bedford to Martha s Vineyard Ferry SeaStreak Archived from the original on July 24 2020 Retrieved July 27 2020 New Bedford to Nantucket Ferry SeaStreak Archived from the original on August 5 2020 Retrieved July 27 2020 Cuttyhunk Ferry Company The Cuttyhunk Ferry Company Archived from the original on July 24 2020 Retrieved July 27 2020 Top U S Fishing Ports Rankings for 2004 Archived October 2 2006 at the Wayback Machine U S National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration news release November 14 2005 Southern Airways extends service in New Bedford plans to base New England fleet at airport southcoasttoday com Archived from the original on November 3 2020 Retrieved November 4 2020 Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Archived 2008 08 08 at the Wayback Machine official Web site Boston Commuter Schedule Archived April 3 2007 at the Wayback Machine DATTCO Retrieved May 13 2007 New Bedford Fall River Commuter Rail Extension www mbta com Archived from the original on October 15 2006 Laidler Although New Bedford and neighboring Fall River remain the two largest cities in Massachusetts which do not have rail service to Boston not all are on board Some towns balk at state s plan to extend Stoughton rail line Archived March 11 2007 at the Wayback Machine Boston Globe May 14 2006 Rail South Coast South Coast Rail www massdot state ma us Archived from the original on March 28 2017 Retrieved March 27 2017 a b New Bedford Code of Ordinances Charter MC New Bedford MA Municode Library Archived from the original on August 19 2021 Retrieved August 6 2021 Nesi Ted August 3 2021 Mayors in Fall River Attleboro get challengers Taunton s is unopposed WPRI Nexstar Media Group Archived from the original on August 14 2021 Retrieved August 5 2021 Nesi Ted September 3 2019 At least 5 candidates running for New Bedford mayor WPRI Nexstar Media Group Archived from the original on August 19 2021 Retrieved August 5 2021 Dan McDonald November 9 2011 Mitchell tops Cabral to become 38th mayor of New Bedford SouthCoastToday com Archived from the original on September 10 2012 Retrieved November 19 2011 Mitchell wins re election in New Bedford mayor race WPRI Nexstar Media Group November 5 2019 Archived from the original on August 19 2021 Retrieved August 5 2021 Dunlop Kiernan January 12 2021 COVID and Cannabis Newly re elected New Bedford Council president discusses big issues for 2021 South Coast Today The Standard Times Archived from the original on August 19 2021 Retrieved August 5 2021 Facilities Archived January 3 2012 at the Wayback Machine Bristol County Sheriff s Office Retrieved on January 30 2012 Juvenile Secure Alternative Lock Up Program 323 Mill Street New Bedford MA 02740 and Ash Street Jail and Regional Lock Up 226 Ash Street New Bedford MA 02740 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Retrieved February 18 2012 a b c Fraga Brian March 27 2020 Two New Bedford Catholic schools to merge South Coast Today Retrieved June 26 2020 School History Saint Teresa of Calcutta School Saint Teresa of Calcutta School Archived from the original on October 5 2022 Retrieved October 5 2022 Rodrigues Linda Andrade May 26 2007 Catholic school closes with celebration of 66 year history South Coast Today Archived from the original on June 28 2020 Retrieved June 26 2020 Rodrigues Linda Andrade June 2 2007 Closing of century old school is sad loss to community South Coast Today Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved June 26 2020 C B Tillinghast The free public libraries of Massachusetts 1st Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts Archived February 15 2023 at the Wayback Machine Boston Wright amp Potter 1891 New Bedford Free Public Library Archived July 21 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 11 2010 The FY2016 Municipal Pie What s Your 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WGBH s Jared Bowen to be honorary Ishmael in New Bedford s Moby Dick marathon Jan 4 The Boston Globe BostonGlobe com Archived from the original on February 18 2020 Retrieved February 18 2020 Museum New Bedford Whaling A Spectacle in Motion The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage Round the World the original New Bedford Whaling Museum Archived from the original on February 18 2020 Retrieved February 18 2020 Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 Photos Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 New York Daily News Archived from the original on May 24 2013 Retrieved April 14 2013 Memorial American Accordionists Association Accordions Worldwide 2010 Archived from the original on April 2 2017 Retrieved April 6 2017 Zeiterion Performing Arts Center Official Site October 21 2013 Archived from the original on June 26 2017 Retrieved June 9 2017 New Bedford Massachusetts Encyclopedia Archived from the original on December 14 2021 Retrieved May 13 2020 1933 New Bedford Whalers Statistics Archived from 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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave Chapter XI Archived September 10 2006 at the Wayback Machine Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE Accessed August 13 2006 Edwyn Gray 2004 Nineteenth century Torpedoes and Their Inventors Naval Institute Press ISBN 1591143411 Archived from the original on February 15 2023 Retrieved May 18 2014 TED Laurie R Santos Archived from the original on February 13 2014 Retrieved January 1 2018 Passionada Your link to SouthCoast Massachusetts and beyond SouthCoastToday com Archived from the original on February 11 2012 Retrieved November 19 2011 New Bedford New Bedford s Sister Cities destinationnewbedford org City of New Bedford Archived from the original on April 15 2021 Retrieved May 14 2021 Further reading EditSee also Bibliography of the history of New Bedford Massachusetts Gelbert Doug A Walking Tour of New Bedford Massachusetts 2009 Heath Kingston Wm Whalers to Weavers New Bedford s Urban Transformation and Contested Identities IA Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology 40 no 1 and 2 2014 7 32 part of special issue on industry in New Bedford Mulderink III Earl F New Bedford s Civil War Fordham University Press 2012 306 pages excerpt and text search Archived May 27 2016 at the Wayback Machine Thomas Joseph D et al A Picture History of New Bedford Volume One 1602 1925 2013 From Old Dartmouth to New Bedford WhalingMuseum org Retrieved May 21 2005 Old primary sources Edit Henry Howland Crapo 1852 The New Bedford Directory Press of B Lindsey OCLC 10871821 OL 20450078M Greenough Jones amp Co Directory of New Bedford 1871 1872 Wall amp Gray 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts Map of Massachusetts USA New England Counties Berkshire Franklin Hampshire and Hampden Worcester Middlesex Essex and Norfolk Boston Suffolk Plymouth Bristol Barnstable and Dukes Cape Cod Cities Springfield Worcester Lowell Lawrence Haverhill Newburyport Salem Lynn Taunton Fall River New Bedford These 1871 maps of the Counties and Cities are useful to see the roads and rail lines Beers D G 1872 Atlas of Essex County Map of Massachusetts Plate 5 Click on the map for a very large image Also see detailed map of 1872 Essex County Plate 7 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Bedford Massachusetts Wikivoyage has a travel guide for New Bedford Official website Texts on Wikisource New Bedford The American Cyclopaedia 1879 New Bedford New International Encyclopedia 1905 New Bedford Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed 1911 New Bedford Collier s New Encyclopedia 1921 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New Bedford Massachusetts amp oldid 1147265629, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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