New Bedford, Massachusetts, also known as ‘The Whaling City’, is home to the infamous Moby Dick. Herman Melville walked it’s streets, which inspired the novel featuring the white whale. There is so much history in this city.
Once the world’s largest whaling port, it is now one of the U.S. top fishing ports. It has hosted seamen from around the world and served as a haven for Southern slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. At one point, the city was home to the highest population of African Americans in all of the Northeast. The downtown, waterfront area is now the ‘New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park‘.
“The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century, and used by enslaved African-Americans to escape into free states and Canada. The scheme was assisted by abolitionists and others sympathetic to the cause of the escapees. “
Wikipedia
There are several spots throughout the city where you can take pause and read the permanent placards provided by the National Park Service. These signs describe the importance of the location you are standing in at that given moment. They also provide direction as to what you can see in your immediate surroundings, giving you a chance to travel back in time. Addtionally, the New Bedford Historical Society is a great resource for extra information as you wander the streets of town.
‘The City that Lit the World’
This charming New England town was a major world port in the 1800s and 1900s. It’s location and landscape made New Bedford a perfect host for hoards of nautical traffic. And marine vessels facilitated another method of escape for Southern slaves who were looking to the North for freedom. The city was home to several wealthy abolitionists and anti-slavery advocates who also left their mark.
“The New Bedford Historical Society, Inc. was founded in October 1996 and awarded 501 (c) (3) status in September 1999 as a notfor-profit organization dedicated to documenting and celebrating the history, legacy and presence of African Americans, Cape Verdeans, Native Americans, West Indians and other people of color in New Bedford, Massachusetts.”
New Bedford Historical Society
The walking tour provided below starts at the State Pier. Here, many liberated slaves first set foot after their coastal journeys, some of whom returned to sea aboard whaling ships. As you make your way up Union Street, notice the cobble stone streets are still perfectly intact in this part of town.
The next stop on the trail is ‘Four Corners’. This is where you’ll want to pause to imagine all the hustle and bustle that once flooded this area of the city. This was the commercial center of the Whlaing City. Here, rope shops, candle and oil works, sail lofts, coopers, blacksmiths, bakeries, clothing stores, restaurants, “rum shops,” and many a boardinghouse lined the narrow streets. As you make your way North along Water Street, you’ll notice the area still supports a very similar atmosphere. Take a right on Center Street to see the next stop on the trail.
Jazz Wall
For a moment, you may think you’ve traveled from New Bedford to New Orleans! This massive mural was erected in the summer of 2020. It depicts jazz greats Rick Britto, Armsted Christian, Paul Gonsalves, Bobby Greene, Herbie King, and Joe Livramento.
“We are celebrating the amazing history of jazz in New Bedford by featuring masters from the area who had an influence not just on up and coming players but on the world jazz scene as a whole, and who are no longer with us.”
Neal Weiss, the founder of Fiber Optic Center, Inc., and president of the CD studio and label, Whaling City Sound
54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
As you make your way West along William Street, you’ll encounter the NPS Visitor Center and Custom House. Next, you’ll arrive at the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Plaza and Mural. This park and mural are an homage d to all of the men of colour who fought the Union in the Civil War. This was the location of the recruiting station, where over 350 New Bedford men of colour deployed in the 54th and 55th Regiments. They were members of the Fifth Cavalry, and the U.S. Navy between 1861-1865 according to the New Bedford Historical Society.
Liberty Hall & the Blacksmith
Coninue along William Street to the corner of Purchase Street where you’ll encounter another NPS placard. The church that once stood here played an integral part as an alarm for to those who sought refuge in town.
“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.”
Frederick Douglass
The next street to the West is Pleasant Street, home to the Lewis Temple Memorial Statue. Lewis Temple is a local celebrity for his work as a blacksmith. In 1848 he designed one of the most efficient whaling tools of its time, the ‘toggling harpoon‘. His home is located on the Southern outskirts of the downtown area, across the street from the New Bedford Fire Museum.
Henry “Box” Brown
Walk south along Pleasant Street, back to the main drag and take pause at 179 Union Street. This is where Joseph Ricketson Jr. is said to have provided refuge for several, including Henry “Box” Brown. Henry was packed into a crate that measured “about 3ft 2in long by 2ft 6in wide by 1ft 11in deep”. The crate was shipped from Richmond, VA to Philadelphia, PA by ship. The box then traveled to New Bedford via New York City. Henry was removed from the box and welcomed to his new home of New Bedford.
Next you’ll make your way towards the Labor History Mural featuring Frederick Douglass (pictured above). The mural is off the main drag, on the back of the building at 240 Union Street and tells the story of labor in New Bedford.
Take a right on Spring Street and head West to Seventh Street. Here you will find another NPS placard and the Johnson Properties. The Johnsons are known for their abolitionist beliefs and active proponents to anti-slavery in all of New Bedford. Their homes served as havens for freed slaves, including Frederick Douglass. Additionally, there are several buildings in the downtown and outskirts that display placards which define their historical significance as part of this movement.
a “noble man and generous hero”
Daniel Drayton was a waterman who made many failed attempts to rescue slaves. His method was to move them North, along the east coast by water. He succesfully moved a family from Washington D.C. to Frenchtown, NJ. He was imprisonned for his attempt to complete the same run with another 77 slaves the following year. His body now lies at the New Bedford Rural Cemetary. More on Drayton’s mission and tribulations here.
Another well known, local abolitionist is Loum Snow. A business man of Italian decent, he arranged for a woman slave named Isabella White be shipped to New Bedford in a barrel marked ‘Sweet Potatoes’ in 1850. He also purchased enslaved Nancy Carney from her owners, to be reunited with her escaped husband William Carney in 1859. Loum Snow’s house stands at 465 County Street just outside the main downtown area.
New Bedford’s Black History Trail Map
All in all, there are over a dozen stops along the New Bedford Underground Railroad trail:
- State Pier Maritime Terminal
- Four Corners
- Jazz Wall
- 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Plaza
- Liberty Hall
- Lewis Temple Memorial
- Henry ‘Box’ Brown
- Labor History Mural
- A Safe Refuge
- Loum Snow’s Home
- Lewis Temple’s Home
- Location of Martha Briggs’ School for Escaped Slaves
- New Bedford Rural Cemetary
For more information about New Bedford’s integral role in the Underground Railroad, visit the New Bedford Historical Society. Should you find yourself in the area, definitely make the National Parks Service at 33 William Street your first stop. They offer free historical walking tours daily in the summer season. From there, be sure to venture off on your own to take in some local New Bedford art. And stop in a restaurant or two along the way for a local brew and grub.
Prefer to spend the night? The Harbour Hotel is a perfectly, centrally located spot to rest your head in the Whaling City. And be sure to stop by the Whaling Museum for some additional local history.
Have you explored any parts of the Underground Railroad?
