History

On January 1, 1863, almost 3 years into America’s Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared “that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free.” with his Emancipation Proclamation that officially made slavery illegal. However, the enforcement of slavery depended solely on how deep Union troops advanced into …

As we approach the celebration of our Nation’s beginnings 244 years ago, we must consider where we are now. The statement below, shared by Laura Pires-Hester, past Chairwoman of the Ernestina Commission and Julius Britto, President of Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association, reflects on Ernestina-Morrissey’s place in history, and her place in …

Here is another installment in our Who Remembers? series. You can browse previous articles by using the search bar on the right or by clicking here. These articles are strolls down memory lane. In some cases, the buildings, but new businesses have replaced them. In other instances, the buildings or …

During the Civil War, in 1862, the United States created a piece of legislative history entitled The Homestead Act. This important piece of American history served many purposes and essentially said that any U.S. citizen or an intended citizen could claim a parcel of land up to 160 acres in …

Intro to Series: Skip, if you just want the “goods.” People are fascinated by their family’s background and asking someone what they “are” will uncover a lot about a person’s identity, family history, and their sense of identity – or lack of it. America being a melting pot more than …

“WHALE is thrilled to announce another new restoration project: The Capitol Theater building, located in the North End on Acushnet Avenue. We have partnered with the Community Economic Development Center (CEDC) on the transformative project, which will restore and rehabilitate the 1920 mixed-use film theater and commercial building for use …

WHALE is excited to announce one of our new restoration projects: The Hillman Street Firehouse, located at 109 Hillman Street. The building was slated for demolition, but WHALE has taken on this project to restore and rehabilitate the historic Engine No. 5 House into nine residential units for community housing, …

What school or schools did you attend in New Bedford growing up? What is more fun than reminiscing? It’s a favorite universal past-time. While many of us hated school growing up – having to get up instead of sleeping in, listening to teachers give dull lectures using Ben Stein’s ‘dry …

On Monday, November 4th 74-year old Paul Vidal of Westport perished in his 1977 Cessna 150M as it crashed into New Bedford’s Rural Cemetery. By all accounts, Mr. Vidal was doing something he loved and was passionate and had nearly 25 years of piloting experience. In 2010, he had earned …

Benjamin Dawson had humble beginnings as a business owner in New Bedford: he opened a grocery store on Purchase and Merrimac Streets in 1868. His mixture of superior customer service and quality products was such a smashing success that he expanded it to include general goods within 2 years. To …