History

When was the last time you had coffee syrup?! (thebestthingeverandthensome.com) Throughout the country – or the world for that matter – there are regional delicacies that can rarely, if at all, be found elsewhere. They make our little corner of the world special or unique. Something we call our own. …

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 are still there, but new businesses have replaced them. In other instances, …

Most of the following information in this second part of the Frederick Douglass article is taken from his autobiography, My Bondage and My freedom. Douglass eloquently and beautifully wrote down his hard story. His story is free of manipulative drama but full of soul. He wrote that suffering did not …

New Bedford’s prominently abolitionist stance played an important role in Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey’s life. “Your wickedness and cruelty committed in this respect on your fellow creatures, are greater than all the stripes you have laid upon my back or theirs. It is an outrage upon the soul, a war …

The old adage “Time flies!” becomes increasingly louder as we get older. What seems like a tired cliche begins to gain momentum and demands attention. Seems like last year I was changing my daughter’s diapers and all of a sudden I am having conversation about world affairs, geography, and DNA …

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the whaling industry in America boomed, and eventually New Bedford became the world’s center of whaling. At the height of the whaling industry’s economic impact in New Bedford, there were more than 700 whaling ships out on the oceans of the world, and New …

Are you a witch? There are still laws on the books that will get you banned! (Joseph E. Baker, 1892) Blue Laws have reached an almost urban legend level status – sometimes making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. It’s not uncommon to hear a few mentioned during a …

Throughout the city of New Bedford, you will be able to find many churches, meeting places and houses of worship. These buildings are common enough that it is easy to pass by without taking much, if any, notice of them. Yet, churches, or meeting houses as they were sometimes called …

Today’s police force is a powerful organization that has many department locations, modern technology, and government backing and funding. However, a lot of effort, logistics, and lawmaking went into developing the efficient, large force we have now. The police force we have in place today is one that we take …

In the 1910s the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament was a parade followed by a few hours of festivities on a Sunday (Museum of Madeiran Heritage) Portuguese religious tradition, culture and community meet at the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament  The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is such a city …