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81-479: David and Mary Akin immigrated from Scotland to Portsmouth, Rhode Island , in 1663. John Akin was the eldest of their three sons; he purchased land at Smiths Neck—from the uncle of his wife, Mary Briggs—and moved to Dartmouth in 1692. Twenty years later, John Akin married his second wife and paid £550 for farmland in South Dartmouth. John fathered eight sons, one of whom was Elihu. During the colonial period,

162-556: 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

243-518: 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

324-592: 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

405-793: 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 the Massachusetts Bay Colony annexed the Plymouth Colony in 1691, Quakers already represented

486-548: A house carpenter , built the house as a wedding gift for his bride Amie Akin. In 1767, five years after Mosher had built the house, he and Amie moved (possibly to New York ). They sold the eighteen-acre property to Captain Jonathan Delano Jr. Shortly thereafter, Delano died at sea; in December 1769, his widow sold the property to Amie's uncle Elihu Akin; at that point the property had been reduced to thirteen acres;

567-545: 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

648-702: A notorious gambler , as well as an art collector —spent the summer of his thirteenth year at the Akin House with his grandmother. Canfields mother, Julia Akin Canfield, lived in the Elihu Akin house following her husband's death. In 1921, local buildings in the Dartmouth and New Bedford areas—including the Apponegansett Meeting House and the Elihu Akin House—appeared in the film Down to

729-538: A plaque was unveiled by Roger Williams University , along with Al Gomes and Connie Watrous of Big Noise, at the Baypoint Inn & Conference Center honoring music icons The Beach Boys . The plaques were to commemorate the band's concert on September 22, 1971, in Portsmouth. The concert was the first-ever appearance of South African Ricky Fataar as an official member of the band and Filipino Billy Hinsche as

810-496: A poor man in 1794, at the age of 74. In honor of Elihu, and to commemorate his contribution to local shipbuilding , the village of Padanaram was called Akin's Wharf for the 20 years following the war. Elihu Akin had willed his property to his sons Joseph and Abraham. In 1839, it was divided, and the house and the eastern portion of the land went to Joseph Akin. After Joseph died, the property went to his daughter, Mrs. Waterman. Her grandson Richard Canfield —who grew up to become

891-543: 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

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972-625: 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

1053-636: 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

1134-570: 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

1215-620: A touring member, essentially changing the Beach Boys' live and recording act's line-up into a multi-cultural group. Diversity is a credo of Roger Williams University, which is why they chose to celebrate this moment in the band's history. Jimmy Buffett performed at the Sunset Cove restaurant on July 2, 2023, which was his final public performance before his death on September 1 of that year. The 2000 U.S. Census reported that there were 17,149 people, or an increase of 1.7%, residing in

1296-540: 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 the concept of land ownership —in contrast with hunting, fishing, and farming rights—was

1377-508: 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

1458-488: A wall and a gate on the back-side property line. In the 1930s, Elihu Akin's descendants leased the house to tenants; by 1980 it stood empty. Originally, the Elihu Akin house was preserved by the Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) of New Bedford . WHALE hired preservation consultant Anne Baker, who dubbed the building "the little house with a big story to tell." In 2003, WHALE purchased

1539-734: 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. 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

1620-475: 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

1701-535: 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 is believed to have been about 12,000. On May 15, 1602, English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in

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1782-546: 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

1863-489: 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

1944-558: 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

2025-473: 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 the highest annual value of any fishing port in the United States. The city

2106-493: 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

2187-578: 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

2268-565: 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

2349-579: 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

2430-522: The census-designated place of Melville lies within the town boundaries. Portsmouth was settled in 1638 by a group of religious dissenters from Massachusetts Bay Colony , including Dr. John Clarke , William Coddington , and Anne Hutchinson . It is named after Portsmouth , Hampshire, England. Roger Williams convinced the settlers that they should go there instead of settling in the Province of New Jersey , where they had first planned on going. It

2511-540: The 1700s such as Major General Charles Grey . The house's bricks were made in England and shipped to America while serving as ship ballast . The house has a beehive oven concealed behind the fireplace, which was used to bake bread and beans. The Akin House is a side- gabled , double-pile building. The house has one floor, a basement and an attic. It has two structural bays, with an off-center brick chimney . Due to

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2592-608: The Akin House began to host historical lectures, as well as archaeology-themed events for kids. At the Southworth Library , historian William B. Taylor lectured on the house. The Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust hosts the annual Never Idle Hands event at the Elihu Akin House. Historical reenactors demonstrate aspects of life in the 1700s: cooking, chairmaking using froes , weaponry, clothing and fashion, and household labor. Reenactors portray figures from

2673-563: The Akin House's sitting room. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth conducted the Elihu Akin House Archaeology Project between the summer of 2008 and the summer of 2009. Dr. Christina Hodge led the project, which discovered 10,793 artifacts and fragments. These were catalogued and made available for access at the Claire T. Carney Library Archives and Special Collections at UMass Dartmouth. In July 2012,

2754-601: The Akins were involved in shipbuilding, and they became one of the wealthiest families in Dartmouth. In 1723, John was acting as a tax collector, and he refused to collect the taxes which had been imposed by the General Court of Massachusetts . He was sentenced to fifteen months in prison at New Bristol. The case was argued before the Massachusetts Governor's Council and John was released; this event marks

2835-653: 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

2916-866: 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

2997-777: The Portsmouth Business Park, as well as a few small plazas with a variety of businesses. Portsmouth is also home to the Raytheon Missiles & Defense division. Adjacent to Raytheon is the Newport Car Museum which opened in 2017 and receives 50,000 visitors a year. Portsmouth is the headquarters of US Sailing , the national governing body of sailing in the U.S. It is also home to the Newport International Polo Series held at Glen Farm. On September 21, 2017,

3078-540: 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

3159-537: The Sea in Ships . In the film, the Akin House was described as the "Old Homestead", and a scene shows the house's rear entry. The film provides the only known photographic evidence of there having been a barn and a shed at the house at that time (today, a thirty-foot one-story shed stands behind the house); the film also serves as a visual aid that highlights the house's early-twentieth-century landscaping, showing details such as

3240-513: 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

3321-639: 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

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3402-515: 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. 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

3483-530: 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

3564-422: 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

3645-488: 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

3726-403: The average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the town

3807-401: 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,

3888-494: 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

3969-542: 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

4050-741: 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

4131-577: The corner of Dartmouth and Rockland Streets. Portsmouth, Rhode Island Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island , United States. The population was 17,871 at the 2020 U.S. census. Portsmouth is the second-oldest municipality in Rhode Island, after Providence ; it was one of the four colonies which merged to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ,

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4212-475: The damage from the raid eventually cost £105,960 in Massachusetts pounds ($ 8.89 million, adjusted for inflation, in 2023). Since the raiders had not destroyed the farmhouse on Potters Hill, Elihu Akin chose it to be his dwelling place. He lived there with his wife Ruth Perry and his younger children. After Perry had died, Elihu married Ruth Allen. Elihu never recovered financially from the raid, and he died

4293-581: 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

4374-659: The end of the persecution of Quakers in Massachusetts. Elihu Akin, the house's namesake, trained as a shipwright in Newport in 1747. Elihu and James Akin owned several businesses, including taverns, in Dartmouth; by 1761 they were managing a shipyard at the foot of Prospect Street. Prior to the American Revolution, Elihu Akin became a selectman in Padanaram . The Elihu Akin House was built on property that had once been part of Jacob Russell's farm. Job Mosher,

4455-420: The house being a product of several different centuries, its architecture includes Greek revival fireplaces and mantels, a Federal style door, as well as Georgian elements. The house still retains many of its original 18th-century features, including its wallpaper and some corner posts. The house's roof has sagged notably since the early 1800s. The house is built on a mound named Potters Hill. It stands at

4536-468: 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

4617-447: 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

4698-500: 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

4779-525: The others being Providence, Newport , and Warwick . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 59.3 square miles (154 km ), of which 23.2 square miles (60 km ) (39.14%) is land and 36.1 square miles (93 km ) (60.86%) is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck Island , which it shares with Middletown and Newport . In addition, Portsmouth encompasses some smaller islands, including Prudence Island , Patience Island , Hope Island and Hog Island . Part of

4860-402: The population. There were 6,758 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and

4941-441: The property from Elihu Akin's descendants for $ 185,000. The building was returned to the ownership of the town of Dartmouth, which leases it to the nonprofit Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust (DHPT), whose stewardship of the house began in 2008. The DHPT agreed to restore, preserve, and operate the Akin House, with the goal of making it a Study House, a working classroom , and a tourist information center . The DHPT joined with

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5022-413: The sale was recorded on June 12, 1770. The house was located on Potters Hill, a mile from the mansion where Elihu lived; he hired tenants to till the land and live in the house. The area became known as Akin's Landing. During the American Revolution, members of the Akin family were probably privateers . Elihu Akin's son Jonathan sailed from Dartmouth aboard a ship that was probably owned by his father, and

5103-406: 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 ,

5184-432: 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 is now Dartmouth , Acushnet , New Bedford, Fairhaven , and Westport —in

5265-487: 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

5346-529: 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

5427-404: 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

5508-416: 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

5589-439: The town of Dartmouth might do, to meet the needs of their "common cause". Due to the Akin family's activities, the Akins were targeted by British raiding parties that entered Padanaram in 1778 in Grey's raid . Elihu Akin had expelled three Loyalists from Massachusetts, and the three led the British to the Akins' properties. The raiding parties burnt the homes of Elihu, James, Meribah and John Akin, along with their shipyard. Fixing

5670-433: The town to execute a $ 300,000 three-part plan to restore the house's original appearance. The plan included the installation of locally-milled-oak corner-posts , native pine paneling, and new kitchen walls; the excavation of the house's original fireplace; and the installation of a chair lift on the house's back deck. In July 2018, the DHPT received a $ 13,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to restore

5751-493: The town. The racial makeup of the town was 94.57% White , 1.35% African American , 1.58% Asian , 0.21% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.40% of some other race, and 1.86% of two or more races. In the town, 22.98% of the population was under the age of 18 and 16.47% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up 51.03% of the population. Notes Further reading New Bedford New Bedford ( Massachusett : Accushnet )

5832-505: The town. There were also 6,758 households, and 4,865 families recorded. The population density was 739.0 inhabitants per square mile (285.3/km ). There were 7,386 housing units at an average density of 318.3 units per square mile (122.9 units/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 95.82% White , 1.17% African American , 0.19% Native American , 1.36% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.37% from other races , and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of

5913-502: 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

5994-405: 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

6075-409: 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

6156-427: Was $ 88,835, and the median income for a family was $ 108,577. Males had a median income of $ 46,297 versus $ 31,745 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 46,161. About 2.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. The 2010 U.S. Census reported that there were 17,349 people, or an increase of 1.15%, residing in

6237-494: 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

6318-668: 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 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

6399-745: Was captured by the Royal Navy . He subsequently escaped from British captivity and sailed south aboard a ship that was captured by the French Navy . Akin was once again imprisoned. He wrote a letter to Benjamin Franklin —who was known to be a friend of France—that asked for Franklin to work for Akin's release. Benjamin Akin, another member of the Akin family in Dartmouth, wrote a letter to Samuel Adams in July 1774, in which he asked for Adams to tell him what

6480-436: 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

6561-525: Was founded by the signers of the Portsmouth Compact . Its original name was Pocasset and it was officially named Portsmouth on May 12, 1639. It became part of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (see Aquidneck Island ) and eventually part of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations . The Portsmouth School Department operates public schools: Portsmouth is home to

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