Small Town with Whaling History

Our port is one of many where whaling captains' and crew would start an adventure that would last up to three years or more. They would leave behind everyone of any significance in their lives, not knowing if they would return, and if they did it could be three to five years before they arrived home again. When they pulled in to port and returned to their families, after such a very long time at sea, I would not be surprised if they were strangers to their families, strangers returning from the life they knew to one that they did not know anymore.

This is part of the history of a small town named New Bedford, which is in Massachusetts. New Bedford is still peppered with Victorian style houses that our ancestors once lived it. It is not odd to see structures high on the roof tops of these homes. We call them widow walks because there were so many women, married to whalers, who indeed became widows. For many who went up their shielding their eyes from the sun, searching out to sea for signs of ships coming into the harbor and specifically for the ships their men were on. Wives and other family members would spend countless hours perched on the widow walks, searching the sea for any signs of their beloved. What a lonely life for those left behind and those that went. I am fascinated by how strong these women had to be. They ran their own lives, the lives of their children, oversaw the running of their households, made all decisions and acted upon that. These women truly embraced the term "single mother".

Our town has retained much of its charm that can be seen in the big old Victorian houses, high on hills that look out over the sea.

Each year many tourists come to our fair city to stroll around and soak up our rich history.

SEAMEN'S BETHEL

This is actually a chapel that has the names of whale men and captains who were never returned or lost their lives to what natives of this area say "due to the fickle fate of the sea". As a current fishing port, it also has plaques of fishermen who have lost their lives. There will usually be someone who knows someone, if not a family member, who lost their lives to the sea.