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74-590: The paper was first published by businessman J.P. Dunn and Basil Brewer on October 19, 1936, as the Cape Cod Standard-Times , and was distributed jointly on the Cape with The New Bedford Standard-Times until the end of 1970. It was first published as an independent daily for Cape Cod on January 1, 1971, and renamed the Cape Cod Times from September 2, 1975. The first issues were printed in

148-556: 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

222-518: 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

296-592: A community of Kʼicheʼ people who originated from Guatemala and had traveled to the United States to avoid the Guatemalan Civil War . 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. Many, by 2010, were in low socioeconomic conditions and did not have documentation to be legally in

370-598: A converted automobile dealer's garage on Elm Street in Hyannis, now a bus garage. Less than a year after the paper made its debut, plans were announced for the construction of a building at 319 Main Street, which has remained the Times home since early 1938. As the newspapers entered the late 1960s, it became evident that the historic piggy-back distribution arrangement with the New Bedford paper had outlived its usefulness, due to

444-543: A prosperity greater than that of the whaling industry. 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 . In the 1920s, local employers came under competitive pressure from new textile factories in

518-638: A regional identity, "Serving the SouthCoast Community." It was The Standard-Times under Editor-In-Chief Ken Hartnett, that in the 1990s most loudly championed the name South Coast to designate the Fall River-New Bedford metropolitan area. The "Standard-Times" has done well in regional news competitions for many years. Most recently it was named the New England Newspaper & Press Association Newspaper of

592-854: 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 . At the 2020 U.S. census , 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

666-625: A sizable eastern-European Jewish community joined them in New Bedford. Some became prominent merchants and businessmen, mainly in textiles and manufacturing. 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

740-636: 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. 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.) Nantucket had been

814-570: A third garrison on Palmer Island . 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

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888-508: 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. An FBI report in 2020 showed burglary and breaking and entering dropped about 52% from 969 crimes in 2011 to 465 crimes in 2019. 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

962-551: Is The Herald News of Fall River. Other rivals include The Boston Globe , the Taunton Daily Gazette and the Providence Journal . The Standard-Times 's print circulation has fallen over 30% since 2006. E-sales, while increasing, have not offset this decline in circulation. Daily (Monday through Saturday) circulation for The Standard-Times averaged 31,629 in mid-2006, down slightly from

1036-475: 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

1110-522: Is believed to have been about 12,000. On May 15, 1602, English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in the ship Concord 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 . In 1652, English colonists purchased Old Dartmouth —a region of 115,000 acres (470 km ) that

1184-546: Is high precipitation year-round, with winter being split between rainfall and snowfall. 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 , there were 101,079 people. The population density was 4,760 inhabitants per square mile (1,840/km ). There were 42,781 housing units at an average density of 2,063 per square mile (797/km ). The racial makeup of

1258-489: 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). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 24.1 square miles (62.5 km ). Of the total area, 20.0 square miles (51.8 km ) is land, and 4.1 square miles (10.7 km ), or 17.13%, is water. New Bedford

1332-807: Is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. It is the largest city in the region and second largest city in the Providence-Warwick-New Bedford Metropolitan Region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Indians. 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

1406-469: 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. While the Europeans considered themselves full owners of the land through the transaction, the Wampanoag have disputed this claim because

1480-623: Is that the inhabitants enjoyed their independence from the Plymouth Colony and they did not want the Plymouth court to appoint them a minister. 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. The rising European population and increasing demand for land led

1554-818: The Cape Cod Times , which is the only larger newspaper in Southeastern Massachusetts , The Standard-Times is owned by Gannett . Together with the weekly newspapers of Hathaway Publishing , which also cover Fall River and several other suburban towns, The Standard-Times is part of the South Coast Media Group. The Standard-Times 's coverage area includes Acushnet , Dartmouth , Fairhaven , Fall River , Freetown , Lakeville , Marion , Mattapoisett , New Bedford , Rochester , Wareham , and Westport, Massachusetts . The Standard-Times 's main daily competitor

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1628-493: 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. The Wamsutta Mills remained the world's largest weaving plant until 1892. The textile mills redefined wealth in New Bedford, and gave birth to

1702-578: The Dartmouth of the Boston Tea Party ) and Samuel Rodman were important Quaker businessmen in the whaling industry. 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

1776-488: The Standard-Times placed a paywall on its website on January 12, 2010. Unregistered visitors are able to view three articles per month, with free registration increasing the number of articles to 10 per month. Following the introduction of the paywall, site visitors fell. Amid a general decline in newspaper circulation, the ownership of the Standard-Times and its parent media groups has changed multiple times in

1850-565: The Stone Fleet in an unsuccessful attempt to blockade the Confederate bay. Along with the poor business and low whale populations, this dealt a potent blow to a failing industry. 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

1924-579: 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 —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 . Lewis Temple , an African-American blacksmith , invented

1998-462: The 2000s, as critics alleged that his support for building a multimillion-dollar aquarium—he served on the board of directors for the waterfront "Oceanarium"—was skewing The Standard-Times 's coverage of cost overruns and delays. The Standard-Times formed from the 1934 merger of The New Bedford Standard and The New Bedford Times . The Standard had been in operation since being founded as an evening newspaper in 1850. The Cape Cod Times

2072-486: The 21st century. News Corporation acquired The Standard-Times when it bought Dow Jones & Company , Dow Jones Local Media Group Inc.'s parent, for US$ 5 billion in late 2007. Rupert Murdoch , the head of News Corp., reportedly told investors before the deal that he would be "selling the local newspapers fairly quickly" after the Dow Jones purchase. On September 4, 2013, News Corp announced that it would sell

2146-420: The 33,047 reported earlier that year. By September 2010, circulation had fallen sharply to 24,723 and 26,521 for daily and Sunday circulation respectively. As at May 2014, circulation had continued to fall, with daily print circulation down to 18,100 (20,482 Sunday circulation) and daily e-sales of 2,176 (836 Sunday circulation). Publisher William T. Kennedy came under fire for New Bedford boosterism again in

2220-653: 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

2294-663: The Cape Cod Times stopped publishing a print edition on Saturdays, a move that was part of Gannett's eliminating Saturday print editions at half of the more than 250 daily U.S. newspapers it owned. The New Bedford Standard-Times The Standard-Times (and Sunday Standard-Times ), based in New Bedford, Massachusetts , is the largest of three daily newspapers covering the South Coast of Massachusetts , along with The Herald News of Fall River and Taunton Daily Gazette of Taunton, Massachusetts . Like

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2368-866: 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. 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

2442-547: The Dow Jones Local Media Group to Newcastle Investment Corp.—an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group , for $ 87 million. The newspapers will be operated by Fortress subsidiary GateHouse Media, the owner of The Standard-Times' rival The Herald News . GateHouse Media has also expressed interest in purchasing fellow Standard-Times rival The Providence Journal . News Corp. CEO and former Wall Street Journal editor Robert James Thomson indicated that

2516-771: The Massachusetts Bay Colony annexed the Plymouth Colony in 1691, Quakers already represented a majority of the population of Old Dartmouth. 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. 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 . One reason for this

2590-540: The Revolution) and set businesses on fire. 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

2664-513: The Temple toggle iron, which was the most successful harpoon design. Frederick Douglass , the famous social reformer and orator, also found amnesty in New Bedford and worked at the wharf for three years. The whaling industry went into decline after the 1859 discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania. Each decade thenceforth saw a gradual decrease in whaling work, activity, and revenue. During

2738-639: The United States. 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. 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. The FBI reported

2812-573: The Year for both 2012 and 2013. It won NENPA's First Place Award for Local Election coverage for 2012, '13 and '14. It won the New England Associated Press News Executives Association's Deadline News Coverage First Place Award for its coverage of Tropical Storm Irene in 2012 and was NEAPNEA's First Place winner for its Overall Website in 2012. Following a series of lay-offs between 2008 and 2009,

2886-464: The Year." In November 2019, Pronovost resigned as executive editor. He went on to become communications director at Saint Anselm College . Five months later, in April 2020, Gannett announced layoffs in the newsroom, including long-established and popular reporters. On May 24, 2020, further budgetary constraints resulted in the newspaper ending its editorial page; Anne Brennan, Editor-in-Chief, said that

2960-530: 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

3034-422: 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

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3108-488: 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 ten 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

3182-401: 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. 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,

3256-494: The city limits. There are several parks and playgrounds, some with splash pads, scattered throughout the city, with the first four being primary parks: New Bedford has a cooler than normal version of a humid subtropical climate 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

3330-542: 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

3404-642: The city was founded by English Quakers in the late 17th century. The town of New Bedford itself was officially incorporated in 1787. During the first half of the 19th century, New Bedford was one of the world's most important whaling ports. 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. The city also served as

3478-741: 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. In this conflict, Wampanoag tribesmen, allied with the Narragansett and the Nipmuc , raided Old Dartmouth and other European settlements in the area. Europeans in Old Dartmouth garrisoned in sturdier homes—John Russell's home at Russells Mills , John Cooke's home in Fairhaven , and

3552-533: The concept of land ownership —in contrast with hunting, fishing, and farming rights—was a foreign concept to them. Members of the Religious Society of Friends , also known as Quakers , were among the early European settlers on the South Coast . They had faced persecution in the Puritan communities of Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony ; the latter banned the Quakers in 1656–1657. When

3626-581: 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

3700-528: The head of News Corp., reportedly told investors before the deal that he would be "selling the local newspapers fairly quickly" after the Dow Jones purchase. On September 4, 2013, News Corp announced that it would sell the Dow Jones Local Media Group to Newcastle Investment Corp.—an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group , for $ 87 million. The newspapers were operated by GateHouse Media , a newspaper group owned by Fortress. News Corp. CEO and former Wall Street Journal editor Robert James Thomson indicated that

3774-512: The highest annual value of any fishing port in the United States. The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park . 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

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3848-524: The long-term competitive decline of the local textile industry. 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

3922-664: The low-wage South. In April 1928 their demand for a 10 percent across the board cut in wages 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 five percent wage cut, ended the strike in October. Wage reductions were not enough to arrest

3996-551: 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

4070-756: The military reservation – the first time in American history that the EPA imposed any restrictions on a branch of the U.S. military. In 2007, the Suburban Newspapers of America named the Cape Cod Times "Newspaper of the Year," with the American Press Institute judging the Times to be "one of the country's elite newspapers." The following year (2008), the New England Press Association named the Times "Newspaper of

4144-569: The newspapers it owned. Gannett could not simultaneously pay off its debt, reward its shareholders, and adequately support its newsrooms. The Cape Cod Times became a victim of the merger. In March 2020, Gannett sold the landmark Times headquarters building at 319 Main Street in Hyannis. The Times then leased space in the building it had owned for more than 80 years. The sale was consistent with Gannett's practice of selling capital assets of newspapers it owned to generate funds to pay off its huge merger-enabling loan from Apollo Global Management. In 1997,

4218-408: The newspapers were "not strategically consistent with the emerging portfolio" of the company. GateHouse in turn filed prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 27, 2013, to restructure its debt obligations in order to accommodate the acquisition. New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford ( Massachusett : Accushnet ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts , United States. It

4292-432: The newspapers were "not strategically consistent with the emerging portfolio" of the company. GateHouse in turn filed prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 27, 2013, to restructure its debt obligations in order to accommodate the acquisition. In November 2019, GateHouse, which then owned 154 dailies in 39 states, merged with Gannett, the owner of more than 100 daily community newspapers as well as USA Today. Gannett

4366-404: The paper published a series titled "Broken Trust," written by two Times reporters who spent five months tracking down details of contamination of Cape Cod's aquifer by extensive underground pollution originating at Joint Base Cape Cod . The six-part series caught the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency, which suspended the use of live explosives, propellants, flares, and lead bullets on

4440-422: The paper would neither take editorial positions or endorse politicians. The newsroom staff has shrunk by half over 6 years – from 32 to 15 between 2016 and 2022. In June 2022, the Cape Cod Times followed Gannett's lead regarding opinion pieces and reduced its opinion content still further. The Times now limits publication of letters to the editor and op-ed pieces to the Saturday and Sunday editions. In March 2022,

4514-444: The population growth of Cape Cod. In 1970, the decision was made to break away and the new daily Cape Cod Standard-Times was born. In 1975, to dispel any impression of still being an offshoot of the New Bedford paper, the Cape Cod paper was renamed the Cape Cod Times . News Corp. acquired the Times when it bought Dow Jones & Company (which itself had purchased Ottaway in 1970) for US$ 5 billion in late 2007. Rupert Murdoch ,

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4588-406: The same time, and they built the Church of the Sacred Heart in 1877. 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 ,

4662-487: The southernmost point of the city. To the west of Clark's Point is Clark's Cove, which extends landward approximately one and one-half miles 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

4736-529: The staging of turbines and platforms. In 1847, the New Bedford Horticultural Society was begun by James Arnold. 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. 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. New Bedford

4810-404: 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

4884-416: 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

4958-502: The whalers to render high quality oil from the blubber. This allowed the whaling ships to go out to sea for as long as four years, processing their catch while at sea. Ships from New Bedford came back to port with barrels of oil , spermaceti , and occasionally ambergris . 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

5032-405: 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 . 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

5106-409: The whaling industry. During this period, New Bedford's population increased from approximately 4,000 in 1820 to about 24,000 in 1860. 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. On March 18, 1847, the town of New Bedford officially became a city; Abraham Hathaway Howland

5180-494: 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. The city has

5254-402: Was chosen as the brand name for the merged holding companies, which replaced Gatehouse as the largest corporate owner of U.S. newspapers. The merger required a $ 1.8 billion loan to pay off the financial obligations of GateHouse's owner, New Media Investment Group. The more than $ 300 million annual debt service explains Gannett's subsequent severe and progressive reduction in the newsroom budgets of

5328-436: Was elected its first mayor. The Quakers of New Bedford applied their principles of egalitarianism and community-building in their businesses. 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. New Bedford also became one of the first centers of abolitionism in North America , and an important stop on

5402-446: Was originally known as The Cape Cod Standard-Times , an edition of the New Bedford paper. It split off in the 1970s. O Jornal , a Portuguese-language weekly newspaper now owned by GateHouse Media , was purchased by The Standard-Times in 1993 from Kathy Castro and was sold in 1998 in a deal with two Fall River residents, Robert and James Karam, after Ottaway threatened to close it during staff cuts late in 1998. The weekly eventually

5476-770: Was sold to Journal Register Company , then the owner of The Herald News of Fall River. The use of the titles "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Ms." and "Miss" before the last names of people cited in the newspaper, still in use in sections other than sports at the start of 2007, is the legacy of longtime Standard-Times editor James M. Ragsdale, who died in 1994. Ragsdale was also credited with publishing drug and prostitution cases separately from other court news, in running features called Drug Watch and Prostitution Watch. The features included photos of drug and prostitution suspects taken during arraignment and published before their cases were adjudicated. The front-page nameplate of The Standard-Times displays its home city's name in small print and trumpets

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