12 Things To Do This Weekend (10-12 May)

Temperatures will range from 70-75 degrees, with a 60% of rain on Sunday. Don’t let the possible rain deter you from the many events that are beginning to pop up! Most of the events were pulled from our event calendar  where you can find hundreds of local area events each month. Are you a local business and want to sponsor this high traffic, weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. Have an event to add? Check out our tutorial. For more info, you can click on each title. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

Friday, May 10th

New Bedford Harbor in a New Light Open Reception (3:00 pm -6:00 pm)
The New Bedford Art Museum is pleased to announce their exhibition, “New Bedford Harbor in a New Light,” featuring recent work by more than thirty artists working within a range of different media. This all encompassing exhibition is curated by Kim Barry, Willoughby Elliott, and Lasse Antonsen.

In an open call, the three curators invited artists to create work inspired by the New Bedford harbor, history and culture. The works on display range widely in terms of subject matter, referencing ocean eddies, acidification, the fishing industry, pollution, immigration and personal history. Stylistically the exhibition spans from gestural mark making in oil painting, through photography and sculpture, to meditative video work exploring the many sources of water that feed into the harbor.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalog featuring work by each artist with a statement about their work. The catalog also includes essays by noted scholars, historians, and researchers from the South Coast.

Southcoast Children’s Theatre: Peter Pan

1st Annual Spring into Spring Fashion/Art Show (7:00 pm-9:00 pm)
This event is unique because all of the models are either guests or volunteers of the breakfast program or members of Pilgrim UCC. Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical School Culinary Arts department is providing the food. Master of ceremonies for the evening is Phil Paleologos from WBSM Radio. Taylor J. Cormier and friends are going to provide musical entertainment during intermission. Pilgrim United Church of Christ 635 Purchase Street, New Bedford. 1/2 block south of the Zeiterion Theater. Parking available in lot behind Pilgrim UCC. entrance of lot on school street. Suggested donation is $8 and a donation of a non perishable breakfast food item such as pancake mix, maple syrup, seltzer water,equal, sugar, ketchup, fork, knives, spoons, napkins, coffee, tea, coco and bottled water.

Southcoast Children’s Theatre: Peter Pan (7:30 pm-10:30 pm)
SouthCoast Children’s Theatre’s goal is to strive to give the children of SouthCoast the opportunity to be involved in a professional learning atmosphere as it relates to the performing arts. Teaching children respect for others while at the same time building self-esteem and reinforcing team work to achieve a common goal. That goal being to allow children in grades one through eight to participate in a production of children’s age appropriate theatre. Come see 76 of the SouthCoast areas talented actors and actresses perform this broadway classic! May 10-11, 2013. Visit www.southcoastchildrenstheatre.com for tickets and complete show information.

Celtic by Candlelight featuring Butch McCarthy and Dori Legge (8:00 pm-11:00 pm)
Head to the Celtic Coffee House for another edition of Celtic by Candlelight, this time featuring the music of Butch McCarthy and Dorri Legge. Enjoy the candlelit ambiance with a glass of wine and an entree from their new menu. FREE admission. All are welcome. The Celtic is increasingly becoming a bigger and bigger player in the music scene and are booked months ahead. The Celtic now serves alcohol, so you won’t have to order coffee and stay up all night!

Saturday, May 11th

Knitting Wired (10:00 am -4:00 pm)
Expand your knitting horizons and get wired! Wire is a wonderful, flexible medium to use to make delicate and interesting jewelry. In this class they’ll cover the basics of working with wire and make simple but beautiful pieces that can also be embellished with beads. The class will cover resources and materials and various techniques for successful wire knitting. Wire working or jewelry making skill not required but basic knit skills necessary. Bring lunch.

Massachusetts Student Veteran Appreciation Day (Boston) (10:30 am -4:30 pm)
The Massachusetts Student Veteran Appreciation Day is a FREE event focused on pairing Veterans with the resources needed to have success in higher education. This is a fantastic opportunity for Vets to directly connect with Veteran friendly public and private schools, the VA, the MA Dept. of Veteran Services, and numerous other Veteran service providers. Full details: http://www.vet-ed.eventbrite.com/

Mother-Daughter Brunch at the Celtic w/ Lucas Patti

Mother-Daughter Brunch w/ Spanish Classical Guitar Day 1: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
The Celtic Coffee house is a music destination that features a wide diversity of styles of music. Head to the Celtic Saturday from 11 am – 3 pm for a Mother-Daughter Brunch special featuring guitarist Lucas Patti. Lots of exciting menu options to choose from, as well as special brunch cocktails. Outdoor seating available!

7th Annual Opening of the Bay 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
At its core, Community Boating Center (CBC) connects Greater New Bedford’s at-risk youth with mentors to enhance their lives. Our flagship program is the Summer Youth Sailing Program which uses boating as a tool to help instill important life lessons such as integrity, sound judgment, and teamwork. About 70% of the children attending our program are from low-income families. They simply do not have the ability to pay! The Opening of the Bay fundraiser allows these students to participate free of charge. Tickets are $65 per person. Event includes Dinner, Dancing, Silent Auction, Balloon raffle and is always FUN. Lets support the youth of greater New Bedford. The future of our community is directly linked to our efforts to enrich the lives and foster the interests of the next generations! Lets keep them off the streets and engaged in positive programs! Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.communityboating.org/

Eddie Dillon at The Celtic 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
In the mood to go out, RELAX, and listen to live music? The Celtic Coffee House will be featuring local favorite Eddie Dillon. On the pub side, check out their new drafts and bottles, including offerings from Buzzards Bay Brewing. Also featuring new wine cocktails courtesy of Melissa! See you tonight!

NBSO Classical VI: All Beethoven 8:00 pm-10:00 pm
Enjoy classical music, particularly Beethoven? Then you be dazzled by the 2011 winner of the Cleveland International Piano Competition Alexander Schimpf. Schimpf, who will be showcasing his talent at the Zeiterion, will be featuring Ludwig van Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, and Symphony No. 3, Eroica. TICKETS: $55 $45 $35 $20.

Sunday, May 11th (HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!)

FREE Belly Dancing Class 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Looking for something fun to do with mom this Mothers Day? Erica Clavin is offering a FREE belly dancing class at III Suns on 2171 Acushnet Ave. from 4-6pm. More: http://live-gwe.com/

FREE Belly Dancing w/ Erica Clavin

Women’s Fund Tiara 5K 9:00 am – 11:00 pm (Mattapoisett)
5K Run/Walk and Kid’s Fun Run! 3 yrs. to 12 yrs. –2 age groups w/staggered start. Age 5 and under must be accompanied on the run by an adult who does not need to register for the Fun Run. Registrants in the Kid’s Fun Run will receive medals. Parking at “the sand pit” or at ORR with shuttle van service from ORR starting at 7:00am. Runner drop off at Oxford Creamery. Entry Fee 5K Run- $30. Kid’s Fun Run $5.00. Awards Runners – Overall male and female. Top 3 finishers, male and female, in each of 7 divisions,based on age. Walkers – top three, male and female. Refreshments provided after the race. Bib Pickup: Saturday, May 11 from 1 – 5 PM at Oxford Creamery or on Race Day between 7:00 and 8:30am. Results By Racewire. Posted at www.racewire.com

Create a Team Visit www.womensfundtiara5K.com to create a team. Teams and individuals are encouraged to fundraise. Prizes on race day will be awarded to the team most creatively attired, and to the team or individual who raised most funds.

Want to sponsor this weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. 




15 Things To Do This Weekend (03-05 May)

With temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s throughout the weekend, there is no excuse to head out and partake in the many events, activities and general goings-on. It’ll be mostly sunny, sunny, and partly cloudy for each respective day of the weekend. Most of the events were pulled from our event calendar  where you can find hundreds of local area events each month. Are you a local business and want to sponsor this high traffic, weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. Have an event to add? Check out our tutorial. For more info, you can click on each title. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

Friday, May 3rd

Tryworks Open Mike – Featuring: Aaron Alves (7:00 pm -10:00 pm) Tryworks open mic welcomes all, poets, singers, dancers, comics; whatever you bring come join the fun and “let your little light shine.” The featured performer for May is Aaron Alves whose set will take place from 8:00 pm-8:45 pm. Tryworks Auditorium is located in the rear of the First Unitarian Church in New Bedford.

The Celtic Coffee House – The Shenanigans

Celtic by Candlelight Featuring The Shenanagans (8:00 pm-11:00 pm)
Head to the Celtic Coffee House for another edition of Celtic by Candlelight, this time featuring the Irish music of The Shenanagans. Enjoy the candlelit ambiance with a glass of wine and an entree from their new menu. FREE admission. All are welcome. The Celtic is increasingly becoming a bigger and bigger player in the music scene and are booked months ahead. The Celtic now serves alcohol, so you won’t have to order coffee and stay up all night!

Saturday, May 4th

Antiques Appraisal Day with Skinner Inc. (9:00 pm -4:00 pm)
Now’s your chance! Find out what your antiques are worth and support educational opportunities for the New Bedford Public Schools at the New Bedford Education Foundation’s “Antiques Appraisal Day” with Skinner, Inc. at the Wamsutta Club. The New Bedford Education Foundation, Skinner Inc., Southcoast Media Group, New Bedford Credit Union, Partners Insurance Group, and Advance Air are teaming up in support of educational opportunities for New Bedford public schools students beyond what can be funded through the local school budget through grants to teachers and non-profits. Chris Barber and Kerry Shrives, experts from Skinner, will evaluate your prized objects in this popular event.

Bladder Cancer Walk (9:00 am -11:00 am)
You can hardly go through life today without knowing someone affected by cancer. Here’s a chance to help those affected by this horrible disease and do something healthy. There will be a $5 walking fee.

Fort Taber World War I Living History Encampment

Fort Taber World War I Living History Encampment Day 1: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Historical Association Inc. invites the public to attend a FREE World War I Living History Encampment at Fort Rodman this weekend. Re-enactors portraying American, Canadian, German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers will be present to exhibit items and to talk about the soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918). The event will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside Fort Rodman at Fort Taber Park located at 1000C South Rodney French Bouleveard in New Bedford. For more information, please call the museum at 508-994-3938.

ArtWorks! Kentucky Lucky 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Dartmouth, MA)
Bring is a hat and your creativity to UMass Dartmouth University Club from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. and enjoy Generous hors’d’oeuves and a complimentary Mint Julep! The best hats to the Derby will win prizes! From 2-4 p.m try the hat workshop at ArtWorks! Supplies will be provided. RSVP ArtWorks! www.artworksforyou.org or Call 508.984.1588.

TL6’s 5th Birthday Celebration 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wear your TENACIOUS LILLY jewelry and join TL6 for their 5th birthday celebration and enjoy a night of sales and promotions! Get 30% OFF any new TL jewelry, and ALL MARUCA DESIGN handbags, purses & wallets. 20% OFF all GLASS EYE STUDIO. 10% OFF all hanging glass balls & disks and Enchanted World of Boxes. There will be a raffle, door prizes, cupcakes and wine too! You get all this plus friendly conversation & awesome local art! Jenny & Arianna. 508-992-8100.

Silverbrook Farm’s May Family Movie Night

May Family Movie Night Benefiting The American Cancer Society 8:00 pm-10:00 pm – Acushnet
The Silverbrook Farm of Acushnet is proud to have a long track record of assisting and supporting special causes all around Southern New England, and with this showing of THE FOX and THE HOUND they will offer a portion of every admission to go to the AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY’s RELAY FOR LIFE! At Relay For Life events, communities across the globe come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. The funds you raise truly make a difference in the fight against cancer – just ask one of the nearly 14 million cancer survivors who will celebrate another birthday this year! For more information about this event click on the title above.

Celtic by Candlelight feat. Brittney Wells & Zach Comtois 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Head to the Celtic for another edition of their popular Celtic by Candlelight series, this time featuring Indie Acoustic Rock performed by the talented Brittney Wells and Zach Comtois. Enjoy the candlelit ambiance with a glass of wine and an entree from thei new menu. Free admission. All are welcome!

Captain Sig & Friends from Deadliest Catch 8:00 pm – 12:00 am
Spend an evening with Captain Sig Hansen, from Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, who will be joined by fellow crew members straight from Dutch Harbor. Get an intimate glimpse into the treacherous world of crab fishing, as the guys share their experiences, never before seen home video, a survival suit contest, and a question and answer session – no topic is off limits! In addition to this performance, the Working Waterfront Festival will host several events that celebrate New Bedford’s rich fishing heritage.

Captain Sig Hansen and Crew at the Zeiterion

Linked with this performance is The Z’s pre-performance book club discussion of North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters by Sig Hansen and Mark Sundeen. 6PM. Free and open to the public.

Sunday, May 5th

Nasketucket Bay Bike Tour 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Mattapoisett
Challenge yourself! Tour the Nasketucket Bay watershed on this nine-mile guided bike tour hosted by the Coalition’s land protection staff. The tour will begin at the Nasketucket Bay State Reservation parking lot on Brandt Beach Ave, heading along the Phoenix/Mattapoisett Bike Path to a nature overlook on Sconticut Neck Road. There, participants will take a snack break and learn about the Coalition’s effort to protect 400 acres of land around Nasketucket Bay. Then the group will bike back to the parking area. This bay adventure is free! Reservations are required, contact Alicia Pimental at 508-999-6363 x226 or pimental@savebuzzardsbay.org.

Book Reading, Orchard Planting, and Victory Park Clean Up 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Connecting for Change: A Bioneers by the Bay Conference (CFC), a program of the Marion Institute, is excited to invite you to get your hands dirty and help us plant an orchard with the orchard donation recipients, the New Bedford Department of Parks, Recreation, and Beaches, on Sunday, May 5th from 10am-1pm. This free event will take place at Victory Park, located at 244 Brock Ave. in the South End of New Bedford, MA. For more info: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/orchard-planting-park-clean-up/2013/04/30

John Lauter; Mighty Wurlitzer 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Presented by the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society, and featuring the talents of John Lauter, this musical celebration of spring stars The Z’s Wurlitzer pipe organ. Originally designed to take the place of an entire orchestra for the accompaniment of silent films and live acts, this versatile instrument is a musical and mechanical wonder, capable of playing popular music from ragtime to rock and roll. Joining John will be participants from the New Bedford Public Schools performing arts program. Tickets are $15.00.

Sunday: Book Reading, Orchard Planting, and Victory Park Clean Up

Fort Taber World War I Living History Encampment Day 2: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Historical Association Inc. invites the public to attend a World War I Living History Encampment at Fort Rodman this weekend. Re-enactors portraying American, Canadian, German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers will be present to exhibit items and to talk about the soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918). The free event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside Fort Rodman at Fort Taber Park located at 1000C South Rodney French Bouleveard in New Bedford. For more information, please call the museum at 508-994-3938.

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy 8:00 pm -10:00 pm- Fall River
Carl Palmer is perhaps best known as a founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) and Asia. He is also one of the most respected drummers in rock and roll history. As part of his world tour, Palmer will be promoting the release of his new DVD called “Decade” that will be available at the show. He’ll also be serving up an evening of classic ELP music in a show that will last nearly two hours. Joining Mr. Palmer onstage will be guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick. A meet and greet will follow for anyone who purchased a ticket.

Want to sponsor this weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. 




That Old Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet

In this series of articles, I hope to broaden the scope of historical focus that includes the Old Dartmouth Region. While these articles are hosted on New Bedford Guide, we do have accompanying sites of Fairhaven Guide, Dartmouth Guide, and a slew of others. It’s not material is running fry, because that will simply never happen, but that there are a multitude of members from the surrounding towns and cities.

It’s natural to be proud of your heritage, nation, ethnicity, state or city you claim origins from. We’d like for every member to be able to equally bask in that limelight. This author currently resides in Acushnet, so thought it fitting to choose Acushnet as the first surrounding town to focus upon. I am also a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shareholder and have had an interest on the history and background of the farm, in particular the old, massive barn that I drive by so often. So let’s take a trip through Acushnet’s history and see what we can uncover about The Silverbrook Farm. You can follow The Silverbrook Farm on Facebook here.


Cushena, Cushnea, Cushenagg, and 50 something other variants.
The Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet has a direct tie to the earliest settlers in the nation and region. The property is deeply steeped in rich local and national history. The first arrivals of English – Baptists, Quakers, and Puritans – needed to be fed and this demand was supplied by the scores of farms during Acushnet village’s founding years. Acushnet seemed almost from the beginning to be intentionally chosen to be the area designated as the agricultural spot to feed the local region in general, and eventually the growing city of New Bedford specifically as it began to progress at a quicker pace than its surrounding villages. The more history minded folks will recall that the region was originally called Dartmouth Plantation or well, just Dartmouth, and included the villages of New Bedford, Acushnet, Fairhaven, Westport and Dartmouth. I’ve even come across a few mentions that Tiverton and Little Compton were also encompassed by the term.

Acushnet was first dubbed Cushena, Cushnea, Cushenagg, and 50 something other variants. It was one of the first spots chosen to settle since the Mayflower arrived for one critical reason: the Acushnet river. Any pioneers looking to settle an area must first find a source of water out of simple necessity. Hygiene can’t be maintained, smithies can’t forge steel, crops can’t be nourished, life can’t be sustained period. It is no wonder that the oldest sites anywhere in the New World cropped up at the head of a river, along the river or where there was a pond, lake, brook, or spring.

Head of Acushnet River – Courtesy of New Bedford Whaling Museum

The site where The Silverbrook Farm sits has a spring that still robustly issues water. That alone suggests that even though there are no records proving that what is now 934 North Main Street was one of the very first spots to be settled in the mid 17th century, it would have been considered prime real estate. The first structures in the area surely cropped up here.

Gosnold, Cushenas, and the Cushenagg “Naighbourhood.”
Indeed, Franklyn Howland mentions in his fount of knowledge ‘A History of the Town of Acushnet, Bristol County, State of Massachusetts’ that Bartholomew Gosnold’s crew likely passed through “Old Acushena” in one or both their visits in 1620 and 1621. The “Cushenas” were a small band of peoples within the Wampanoag tribe that lived on both sides of the Acushnet River in what is today, Fairhaven, Acushnet and New Bedford. The name of the area that the Cushenas lived in was called Cushenagg and the river called Acushenagg. In the day of the early colonists the territory was called Cushnet Country, Cushenagg Naighbourhood or Cushena Plantations.

Hamlin Street Dam – Courtesy of N.B. Whaling Museum

By 1640 some of those off of the Mayflower were already making efforts to purchase strips of property within these territories from the local Amerindians. Governor William Bradford’s memorandum states some had purchased property: “…2 miles to ye Westerne side of ye said river to an other place called Acushente river which entereth at ye Westerne end of Macata…” Macata being the local word for West Island, Fairhaven. Of course, it wasn’t until November 29, 1652 that “Acushnet” was officially deeded and purchased from sachem Wesamequen and his son, Wamsutta for “…30 yards of cloth, 8 moose skins, 15 axes, 15 hoes, 15 pair of breeches, 8 blankets, 2 kettles, 1 cloak, 2 quid in Wampum, 8 pair of stockings, 8 pair of shoes, 1 iron pot and 10 shillings in another comoditie.” Quite a deal for 115,000 acres of land, wouldn’t you say?!

Immediately after this purchase settlers migrated to Acushnet from the Plymouth and Duxbury colonies. Only 5 of the original 36 people who purchased the territory were known to have specifically relocated to the Old Dartmouth region. Most only purchased the land to resell for a quick profit as soon as possible. Those five were Samuel Hickes, John Cooke, Samuel Cuthbert, William Palmer and a “Miss Jennings.” Of these five, only John Cooke is known to specifically come to Acushnet, most choosing Fairhaven Village as residences. However, in researching this article I may have come across a link between Miss Jennings and The Silverbrook Farm. More on her later. By 1694 more people began to choose Acushnet as home and 56 people were known to have brought their families to the region. The specific people were Arthur and John Hathaway, Samuel Jenney, Samuel Spooner, John Spooner Sr. and Jr., and Joseph Taber.

The “first comers” to Acushnet were puritanical and highly religious folk. To leave the relative safety of the Duxbury and Plymouth colonies and strike out with little security or guarantee of success into a wild, untamed land full of beast and likely hostile natives would require some pretty strong faith! Most of these earliest buildings no longer stand, not because they were of poor quality, or couldn’t stand the test of time, but because the first homes were simple log cabins. The first prospect to be undertaken in a new territory would be to find the aforementioned waterway and clear land. The byproduct of land clearing is obviously trees and stones. The trees were used to build the homes and as fuel, and the stones were used to build those mortar-less stones walls that are so common in the area and New England in general. For more info on this land clearing and the history on those stone walls read Those Old Stone Walls from our sister site Dartmouth Guide.

Refuge in Four Local Garrisons
Another reason why many of these buildings did not stand the test of time is because of the breach of agreement between both parties when the deed was drawn up.

Richard Davis’ Four Corner Variety Store & Post Office – Courtesy of N.B. Whaling Museum

The colonists agreed to allow the natives to freely hunt and allow their cattle to graze unhindered. In return the sachem agreed to have those within his tribe, the Cushenas, leave the territory within one year. Locally these agreements were broken by both parties in varying degrees and once the King Phillip war erupted, most of these isolated homes were doomed to be ransacked and burnt to the ground. Indeed, Franklyn Howland states that most if not all the homes were reduced to ashes, so complete was the destruction. Of course, besides the homes, livestock, and any settlers that were greeted were swiftly dispatched. If it were not for the four local garrisons – Russell’s Garrison at Apponegansett, John Cooke’s on Howland Road, Pope’s on Sconticut Neck Road and one on Palmer’s Island – Acushnet and all remnants of European settlement would have been wiped out in its entirety and perhaps set back for decades. Acushnet’s residents specifically sought refuge within Cooke’s garrison.

After the King Phillip war came to a conclusion, the settlers began to return to their lands and rebuild. By 1700 saw mills and smithies were built which allowed a transition from log cabins to framed and shingled houses. Some of these oldest homes were still standing by the time Howland published his book in 1907. He stated that Acushnet more than any town in Bristol County had more of these old homes still standing. Before roads were developed to any degree the only way to or through Acushnet were by Indian trails and one highway. The Indian trails were simple footpaths of 3 or 4 feet wide. The very first major trail through Acushnet was from Peak[ed] Rock coming from the Middleboro through Long Plain (now North Main Street) over Perry Hill towards the center of town. There are records from as far back as 1711 calling the street “long Plain Rode.” Note the placement or lack of capitals.

Late 18th Century Onward
It is here in our story-line -somewhere in the late 18th century – that we encounter the property that is today The Silverbrook Farm at 934 North Main Street. Main Street wasn’t always called Main Street and as you go back in time it was called Fairhaven Road, Plain Street, and even further back called Long Plain Road. The particularly massive barn that is familiar to anyone who commutes along North Main Street was built using hand-hewn wooden pegs which was the common method of the day in the late 1700s, early 1800s. This makes the barn between 200-225 years old and likely built a few years after the Revolutionary War. The barns and three sheds may have been built between 1871-1895.

“You could buy dry goods such as hats and caps, boots and shoes; food stuffs like Magic Yeast ( which makes perfect bread), flour, grain, and groceries; various products for your horses, hogs, cows and sheep, stove and ranger grass, flower and garden seeds, furniture, crockery, glass, and tin.”

 

It’s difficult to say what the farm or homestead appeared like around the time of the barn, since no other structures or town records from that time exist. While it can’t be proven with certainty who the first known resident at the Silverbrook site was, the first official records show it starts with Richard Davis Jr. (1847-1910?) He and his dad Richard Davis Sr. (1814-1877) both ran a Post Office and a general supplies and variety store called Richard Davis & Son’s Four Corner Variety. “You could buy dry goods such as hats and caps, boots and shoes; food stuffs like Magic Yeast ( which makes perfect bread), flour, grain, and groceries; various products for your horses, hogs, cows and sheep, stove and ranger grass, flower and garden seeds, furniture, crockery, glass, and tin.” In addition, he was assistant postmaster and postmaster for 16 consecutive years.

The site where the store was, started out as a furniture store by antecedent Jethro Davis in the 1700s, was handed to Samuel Wilde in 1830, burned down in 1859 before a new store being erected by Richard Davis circa 1860. Richard Davis Jr, married Harriet S. Clapp, daughter of Captain William Clapp on November 22, 1871. It is Harriet Davis who shows up as the first person to own the property on town records. Since there were a few buildings on the site, there were a few owners side by side.

Latham T. Jennings and “Miss Jenny.”
Also owning part of the land was a Latham T. Jennings (1838-1916) circa 1870 and he possessed a parcel 93.34 acres in size. Jennings was stonemason and contractor before becoming a constable and town surveyor (called surveyors of highways pre-1900) intermittently from 1868 to 1888. He is a lineal descendant of John Jennings who came to America in 1720 and it is unknown whether this Jennings owned the property before him. However, this brings us to the aforementioned “Miss Jennings”, one of the names on Governor Bradford’s 1652 deed purchasing the Old Dartmouth tract of land 115,000 acres large.

Silverbrook Farm Today – Courtesy of Silverbrook Farm

Miss Jennings was deeded a full share and possessed more than 3,000 acres. She is also one of five people were know for certain resided here as opposed to “flipping” the land for profit. Franklyn Howland states that this Miss Jennings was the widow of John Jenne and lived in Acushnet near Parting Ways, which of course is today’s Police Station. By 1694, fifty-six people had now purchased all the land originally deeded in 1652 and none of them were the five mentioned above. The Hathaways, Tabers and Spooners are families who owned this land and had intermarried with the Jennings/Jennes/Jenneys. It is here that we lose the trail from these Jennings to Latham T. Jenning that owned Silverbrook in the 1860s. Most likely the inter-marriages between these families passed these lands around.

We also know for certain that John Cooke had friends and family that specifically lived in Acushnet. John and his father Francis came over aboard the Mayflower and were original members of the Leiden separatist congregation. John was baptized in Leiden in 1607 and arrived in the New World at 13 years old. He lived right next to the Old Oxford Schoolhouse in Fairhaven. John died at Dartmouth on November 23, 1695 and was buried at Cooke Memorial Park, Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The Cookes also married into the Davis family coincidentally enough.

J.J. Pereira and Silverbrook Farm
Current owner J.J. Pereira bought the property in 1998 from Valeria Wolanski who was born in 1916. Her parents were Polish immigrants Frank and Anna Wolanski. They were dairy farmers who never made it past the 2nd grade, but ran a successful business because of a solid work ethic. They bought the land in 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression and Valeria inherited the farm in 1959 and was assisted by a friend of the family, a Polish immigrant Stanley Gupa. There are town records that bridge the gap from the Davis’ to the Wolanksi’s and current era J.J. Pereira, but this is beyond the scope of the article as there is scant historical bearing. The primary home on the site today was built in 1945.

The farm was a spartan one as J.J. Pereira shared an anecdote about taking the property over in 1998 and that the only heat was by wood and gas stoves (by leaving the pilot light on) and there was one sole water faucet with cold as the only available option. It took until 2002 before he could update the property and move in.

Silverbrook Farm Today
The term “farm” in The Silverbrook Farm doesn’t accurately convey what it really is. It is so much more than a farm with a produce stand, CSAs and store. It is a community center, a movie theater, a place to sit on Santa’s lap and take a hay ride, site to host functions and birthday parties, an animal display and much more. J.J. Pereira and business partner Nick Ciaccio have a genuine, honest passion for what they are doing and this instantly conveyed within moments of being around them. They could easily have made a living selling bread, CSAs, produce and livestock. However, the extras like meeting Santa, the animal display, hayrides, family movie night and other activities aren’t looked at as ways to generate revenue, but extensions of the kind of people they are. They have an old world business ethic that demands you treat your customers and the community like family. You give more, extra and go above what is required.

Having an old world business ethic makes sense in more ways than the obvious. Not only is the site itself a direct link to the earliest settlements in Acushnet or Old Dartmouth, but the hard work, integrity, honesty, character and zeal of those original settlers is a living, breathing model that comes from Nick and J.J. If you traveled back in time to the 17th or 18th century you would come across a Silverbrook Farm with a Nick and J.J. working it. Well, sans pick-up truck and diesel tractors! In all other ways you are going back a few hundred years when you step foot onto that property. You just may be walking in the footsteps of the likes of Bartholomew Gosnold, John Cooke, Latham T. Jennings, Richard Davis, J.J. Pereira or Nick Ciaccio. You are certainly rubbing shoulders with giants, yesterday’s or today’s.


I’d like thank Pauline Teixeira from the Acushnet Historical Commission for her generosity and help in fact finding and confirming. Any errors within the article are 100% that of the author and have absolutely nothing to do with the Acushnet Historical Commission. Also a very special thanks to the New Bedford Whaling Museum for the absolutely gorgeous photos. Without these photos, it would be one long, boring article! If you would like similar research done on your property, home or business, contact Joe or Mike Silvia at nbgarts@gmail.com.

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New Bedford Guide Political Candidates Policy, Offerings for 2013

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

As policy, New Bedford Guide does not endorse candidates. Our philosophy is to provide facts to the public and let the people make up their own minds. What New Bedford Guide does offer to political candidates is a platform to get their voices heard by tens of thousands of New Bedford residents. If you are a political candidate for office in New Bedford, New Bedford Guide offers one interview, two articles submitted by the candidates (one preliminary election and one final election article), ad space on NewbedfordGuide.com and the option to maximize the reach of the articles on Facebook. All articles will be maintained on a 2013 New Bedford Elections page, much like our 2012 election page: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/2011-new-bedford-elections.

Candidate Interviews

This is a one-time interview on a first come, first serve basis. E-mail us at info@newbedfordguide.com to set up an appointment. This interview is done FREE of charge and is not political. It is guaranteed to reach thousands of New Bedford residents. The interview is conducted to gain basic, personal information on the candidate, not to push a political agenda. What current and previous careers did they have? What do they read to stay informed? What hobbies do they have? The primary goal of this interview is to provide information on what makes the candidate tick. For an example, check out our 2011 interview with then mayoral candidate Jon Mitchell: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/an-interview-with-jon-mitchell/2011/11/04.

Candidate Submitted Content

New Bedford Guide will also publish candidate submitted articles; one article in the preliminary election and one article in the final election. This is where the candidates can get political and promote their agendas. For an example, check out the article the Antonio Cabral campaign submitted in 2011: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/mayoral-candidate-tony-cabral/2011/11/02. E-mail your content at info@newbedfordguide.com.

Buying Banner Space on New Bedford Guide

New Bedford Guide offers banner space to any candidate on a first come, first serve basis. We do restrict the amount of banner space that any one candidate can buy. This ensures New Bedford Guide banner space is NOT monopolized by a single candidate.

To schedule an interview, submit content for publication, or buy ad space, contact info@newbedfordguide.com.




New Bedford Guide’s Facebook Page Hits 10,000 Fans

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

Nearly three years ago, I started NewBedfordGuide.com. The idea was to provide New Bedford area residents with a source of information on local events, news and to produce magazine style articles. I consider New Bedford Guide to be a cross between a blog and a magazine. Really, it’s “citizen journalism” at its finest. With a few dozen writers contributing to its success, New Bedford Guide has become one of the main sources of information for New Bedford residents reaching 30,000 readers each month.

One of the primary ways I disseminate New Bedford Guide articles and other important information is through our Facebook  page. This week, New Bedford Guide’s Facebook page hit a MAJOR milestone of 10,000 fans. I’d like to personally thank all of the “fans” of New Bedford Guide for helping us reach this milestone. New Bedford Guide’s Facebook page has become the most active Facebook page in the Southcoast, Massachusetts area thanks to the active users of the page. Without the likes, sharing and comments by its user/fan base, the page could not have reached this milestone.

My goal for 2013 is to triple the amount of original articles and get our Facebook page to 20,000 fans by year end. This can only be done with YOUR help. Let your friends and family on Facebook know about us, and if we post content that you like, give it a like and/or share to disseminate the information to the widest audience possible. New Bedford has over 93,000 residents and we have 10,000 followers, so there is still plenty of room for growth. Thanks again for helping us achieve this major milestone and I look forward to bringing you some great articles in 2013!




New Bedford Guide Marketing Rates

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

NewbedfordGuide.com reaches approximately 30,000 readers each month and our Facebook page reaches 25-50,000 people each week. If you have an event, service, or product to promote, contact us at info@newbedfordguide.com . New Bedford Guide customers include the New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park, Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, Hawthorne Country Club, The Waterfront Grille, The Candleworks Restaurant, Summer Festival, Chowder Festival, The Working Waterfront Festival, The Whaling City Festival, Healthy Dining New Bedford, The New Bedford 5k Santa Fun Run and dozens of other satisfied clients.

Facebook Marketing

One of the best ways to bring awareness to your business, event, product or service is to promote it on Facebook to tens of thousands of people in the Greater New Bedford area (New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Acushnet and Westport).

New Bedford Guide LogoSERVICES OFFERED:

Featured Article

If you need original content that will show up well in Google and other search engine results, we can produce an article on your business. Current rates are $200 per article. Most of are articles show up in the search engines for important keywords related to your business. Featured articles are a great short term boost to your business and return over a lifetime as people find you in the search engines.

Facebook Promotion

We can promote your featured article, article on your website, event or other content on New Bedford Guide’s Facebook Page. Currently, Facebook restricts posted content to 10-30% of the page’s fans. We will use Facebook’s promoted posts to further promote your event, service or product to as much as 100% of our 10,000 person fan base.

Reach Rates (as of 8 Dec)

Example statistics

Facebook Reach is defined as someone on Facebook that sees the content. Reach is derived by the amount of fans that see the posted content and if shared/like, the amount of friends that see the content. On average, you will pay 2-3 cents per person reached. These are conservative estimates and customers could see two to three times the reach quoted below.

  • $30 – Estimated reach of 1,000 people (3 cents per person)
  • $60 – Estimated reach of 2,200 people
  • $90 – Estimated reach of  3,500 people
  • $150 – Estimated reach of 5,000 people
  • $225 – Estimated reach of 8,000 people
  • $300 – Estimated reach of 12,000 people (2.5 cents per person)
Statistics
At the end of the promotion, New Bedford Guide will produce a screen capture of how many people were reached and what actions they took (shared/like the post, visited websites, etc.).

What’s the Time frame?

Featured articles take 5-7 days to produce and the Facebook marketing runs over a three day period. Statistics will be e-mailed on the 4th day.

Contact info@newbedfordguide.com to set up an appoint today! Here are some case studies of businesses we’ve marketed in the past. If you want to sponsor our writers, we also offer banner advertising!

Case Studies (Coming soon!)

  • New Bedford 5k Santa Fun Run
  • New Bedford Summer Festival
  • New Bedford Chowder Festival
  • Taste of Southcoast
  • Hawthorne Country Club
  • Andrea McCoy Recreation Center Winter Program



My Favorite New Bedford Guide Articles of 2012

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

New Bedford is an interesting place to live. The city is known for its whaling past and today it’s best know for having the top fishing port in America, especially when it comes to scallops. Do some “people watching” and you’ll see people walking around in pajama pants, cars racing down cobblestone roads, and other interesting happenings. Love or hate New Bedford, there is a lot to do, great places to eat and always something going on. I recently published NewBedfordGuide.com’s most popular articles based on internet traffic. I’ve also written dozens of articles in 2012 and here’s a list of my favorite ones.

It Pays to be a Public Servant

The per capita income in Massachusetts is $33,460 compared to just $15,602 to $20,168 in New Bedford.  However, the numbers change dramatically if you are one of the top wage earners working for the city of New Bedford.  Per 2010 data, 52 city employees earn over $100,000 a year and over 103 of them earn over $90,000 a year or roughly six times more than the average worker in New Bedford.

New Bedford, a Magnet for Sex Offenders?

There are nearly 100 registered sex offenders living in New Bedford, but only 3 in Fairhaven and 5 in Dartmouth. This article examines the policies of our state and city that seem to invite sex offenders to New Bedford.

The New Bedford Bucket List

The media wanted us to believe that the world was possibly coming to an end due to a misinterpretation (or misunderstanding) of the Maya calendar. I didn’t beleive it for a minute, but I had fun writing a bucket list for New Bedford residents. There really is a LOT to do in New Bedford and the list should be accomplished by all in 2013!

12 Categories of People Most Likely to Be Zombie Food

Let’s face it, if a zombie apocalypse occurs, most of us will be zombie food. If you found yourself on the list, don’t be angry. Do something to get yourself off the list or get bitten when the zombies strike!

Examining The Mercury In Our Teeth and Shots

If your New Year’s resolution is to live a healthier 2013, this article is a great starting point. Get the mercury out of your teeth and ensure that you are putting the right immunizations into your body. Mercury is a health hazard and should avoid putting it in your body or remove it from your teeth.

Changing New Bedford Through City Legislation

There are complainers and there are people that actively work for change in the community and city they live in. You do NOT have to be a politician to make a difference in New Bedford. This article explains the legislative process and asks for suggestions to exercise the process.

Best Job Search Resources for New Bedford Residents

New Bedford consistently has twice the unemployment rate than the state of Massachusetts, but there really are a lot of jobs out there. In fact, there are typically over 2,000 jobs available on internet databases within 50 miles of New Bedford. This article details six resources to help find a job or new career.

16 Facts About Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an interesting man. This article details 16 known and little known facts about the controversial man that spearheaded the European migration to America.

10 Things to Know About Fort Taber

Do you know why Fort Taber/Fort Rodman has two names? This article details some little know facts about the fort/park in the south end of New Bedford.

How I Put an End to Those Annoying Circulars

This article details the best way to stop getting those circulars that come to your mailbox almost daily!

Democracy in New Bedford and The South Coast

In the November 6th, 2012, 9 out of 11 local candidates ran unopposed. This article examines exactly what democracy in New Bedford looks like.

My Favorite Meatless Meals in Downtown New Bedford

Cutting out at least some meat out of your diet can lead to a healthier lifestyle. This article points out five outstanding meatless meals in downtown New Bedford.

Parking Ticket Revenue Doubles in a Year

It’s no secret that the meter maids have become extremely aggressive in New Bedford the past few years. The City’s revenue from meter fees and tickets went from $276,380 in 2006 to nearly $2 million in 2012.

Silverbrook Farm’s Community Sustainable Agriculture Program

A Community Sustainable Agriculture, or CSA share is a great wait to ensure you eat lots of fruits and veggies. It’s also a great way to support your local farmers. This article details the CSA at Silverbrook Farm in Dartmouth.

Eight Date Ideas in New Bedford for Valentine’s Day

New Bedford really does offer a lot of places to take a date on Valentine’s day. This article details 8 ways to ensure you have a great time with that special someone!




Art Portal Tutorial for Artists

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

The Southcoast Art Portalis for artists in the Southcoast, Massachusetts area to showcase and sell their artwork. Currently, the art must be purchased through e-mail, but the art portal will soon allow people to make purchases via credit card or Paypal. In addition, the option to sell prints and digital downloads will be made available in the near future. The main portal page brings together all the artwork from each artist into a single browsing experience. Customers can filter the art by category, price, city and/or artist. Each artist has their own individual web page that has a profile image, short bio, and photos of artwork for sale. Customers have special features that allow them to purchase your art, schedule a viewing of the original, and subscribe to the artist so they are alerted to new art as you unveil it.

This tutorial shows artists how to get their own individual artist page and upload their art into the art portal.

1. Register with NewBedfordGuide.com

The first thing you must do is register with New Bedford Guide. Once you register with the site, send an e-mail to ngbarts@gmail.com and we will upgrade your account. Let us know the e-mail you registered with.

2. Update Your Profile

While waiting for your account to be upgraded, simply update your profile by filling out the Biographical Info area. This information will be displayed on your individual artist page as the Artist Bio. Sample artist page here. Once your account is approved, go back to your profile and state whether you are available for commission or not.

3. Upload your Profile Photo (After account approval and upgrade)

Your individual web page will have a photo of you. In the profile area, click on Media and Add New. Upload a small photo of yourself. Once uploaded click yes on the Biographical Photo area and click save. No need to fill out any more details. Once your biographical photo has been uploaded and your biographical information has been filled out your profile will look something like this:

4. Resize Your photos

Once your account is upgraded, you will be able to upload your art to the portal. The first thing you need to do is prepare pictures of your art. You must reduce the size of your photos to 1MB in size or less. Ensure it is high quality, but no bigger than 1MB in size or the image will get rejected by the system. Not sure how to resize an image so it maintains its aspect ratio? On a PC, right click on the photo and select “Open with …” Select the Microsoft Office Picture Manager. Once the photo is open, click Picture and Resize. Use the tools on the right side to make smaller.


5. Upload Your Photos

Once all your photos have been resized, you can upload all your photos by either dragging and dropping multiple images into the system or uploading one at a time. It’s recommended that you upload only 5 images at a time.

6. Add Details to your Images

After uploading your images it is time to add specific details like title, description, cost, dimensions, etc. One by one, click Show and edit the details of each photo/art.

Once you’ve completed all the steps in this checklist your art will be loaded into the art portal and your indivitual page will showcase your details and your art. Here is an example, or you can see one live here.

That’s it! If you have any questions or get stuck in the process contact us at ngbarts@gmail.com. We have staff available that will gladly walk you through the whole process.




New Bedford Guide’s May Facebook Cover Photo Contest

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

Last month NewBedfordGuide.com hosted its first-ever photo contest. It went very well as dozens of southcoast, Massachusetts photographers submitted 157 photos. Based on Facebook likes, I narrowed it down to the top five photographs overall, and the top five photographs for Dartmouth and Fairhaven as sub-categories. The final results can be seen here.

The overall winning photograph was of the Palmer’s Island Light in New Bedford Harbor provided by Catherine Reusch Daley of Drawing with Light Photography and can be seen as out Facebook cover photo. The sub-winners were Jacob Hoss for his Fairhaven photo and Brian Rapoza for his Dartmouth photo.

Once again, NewBedfordGuide.com is offering our Facebook cover photo and $200 cash (sponsored by South Coast Architecture) to one photographer this month through a free contest. Our cover photo is valuable real estate for any photographer, because the New Bedford Guide facebook page reaches over 20,000 people in New Bedford, or over 77,000 people in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. All photographers will get to promote their work to the masses with one photographer gaining additional exposure by being awarded our Facebook cover for a full month. The winning photo will have the photographers name and optional contact information watermarked on it. The photo will also be featured on South Coast Architecture’s home page and as their facebook cover phot0. We will continue to have sub-winners for our Fairhaven Guide and Dartmouth Guide Cover photos.

The theme this month is “Old Dartmouth Architecture.”

Contest Details
New Bedford Lighthouse

  • Join our Facebook Page and the Southcoast, MA Photographers Facebook group for updates.
  • All photos will get uploaded into this facebook album. The photos with the top 20 likes will be used to pull the final winner from. You can can vote/like one, some or all of the photos.
  • This contest will run from May 11th through May 31st, 2012. Submit them early to get more exposure and share them with friends and family to get more likes!
  • For this contest, we are looking for architecture photos of the “Old Dartmouth” region:  New Bedford, Dartmouth, Acushnet, Fairhaven, and Westport.
  • Photos must be submitted to info@newbedfordguide.com. Photos should be a maximum size of 1500 x 1500 pixels and under 1 MB. Please include a description of the photo with at least a location.
  • Photos should have a small watermark of “newbedfordguide.com” and the photographers name at the bottom of the photo. This helps protect your work. There is a good FREE online watermark tool here.
  • Photographers can submit up to 6 photos.
  • Photos must be yours, original and unpublished. We should not see these photos in magazines or websites other than your own personal website, stores, etc.
  • Photographers provide full display rights of the photo to NewBedfordGuide.com. Basically, this is your “payment” for getting into the contest. We get the photo to be used on newbedfordguide.com and you get exposure. You can use any of your photos on your own website, Facebook, etc. We do NOT have the right to resell your photos, but get to use them without restrictions on our website and Facebook page.
  • We will narrow down the best 20 photos based on Facebook likes. We will select a winner from the top 20 photos. The winner and new contest will be announced on 1 June, 2012. The winning photo will remain as the New Bedford Guide Facebook page cover photo from 1-30 June.
  • We will also choose winner for our Fairhaven Guide and Dartmouth Guide Facebook Pages.

Follow this article as we reserve the right to add, remove or modify these rules at any time!




New Bedford Guide Article Sponsorship Program

Michael Silvia
by Michael Silvia

It’s no secret that businesses have a limited budget when it comes to marketing. It’s also no secret that marketing is critical to any business’s success. Failing to market, or to market efficiently can hurt your business significantly.

To have a successful marketing campaign, businesses need to get the most bang for their buck by targeting relevant potential customers. It wouldn’t make sense for a fitness studio for women only, to target the entire population of men and women of all ages in all locations. It makes sense to specifically target women that are likely to use your service within a short distance of your location. You’ll save money, maximize your marketing dollars, and get your service to the audience likely to use it.

New Bedford Guide is now offering businesses the opportunity to target relevant customers by sponsoring NewBedfordGuide.com articles. NewBedfordGuide.com and our Facebook page reach over 90,000 southcoast, Massachusetts residents so this is a great way to promote your business. The program matches up businesses with articles that are relevant to their business. For example, a nature food store would want to target articles about health, fitness and diet. A hotel may want to sponsor articles about major events in the local area that bring in crowds from a distance. People who are reading the articles have already expressed an interest in the topic and will be likely to check out the relevant product or service.

Sample of sponsor banner ad at the end of an article.

What do Sponsors Get?

Sponsors get a large leader board-style banner at the end of the article they sponsor. An example can be seen here. The article is titled, “Eight Date Ideas in New Bedford for Valentine’s Day.” The sponsor is The Hampton Inn with their Valentine’s Day specials. When clicked, the banner leads to Hampton Inn’s website specials where customers can get more information and order the service.

There are two ways for businesses to sponsor NewBedfordGuide.com articles. First, a business can sponsor existing articles on our website, which still generate traffic. Second, business can work with us on current article ideas and sponsor upcoming articles that are relevant to them. For example, we do weekly and monthly series that businesses could sponsor, or we could come up with a relevant article.

Benefits

  • You will be inexpensively targeting relevant customers.
  • All articles show up well in Google and other search engines.
  • All articles are promoted on our Facebook website (reaches 90k people) and other social media/bookmark sites.
  • You will be sponsoring a small local business and local writers, promoting and furthering your brand.
Want to sponsor a current or future article? Contact us at info@newbedfordguide.com. Article prices start as low as $200 for a year, or $400 for the lifetime of the article. Banners must be provided or developed by us at an addition cost.