From Whales to Bales - New Bedford, MA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 41° 38.092 W 070° 55.268
19T E 339986 N 4611019
After the Civil War, New Bedford transitioned from a whaling town to a textile center.
Waymark Code: WMM99Z
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2014
Views: 1
Located near the piers in New Bedford, this sign reads:
"From Whales to Bales
A one-industry whaling town before the Civil War,
New Bedford became a one-industry textile town
afterward. Cotton bales and coal, both bound for the
city's new textile mills, began to replace oil casks on
New Bedford wharves.
Oil casks covered with seaweed to keep them from
drying out once lined the waterfront. But as whaling
profits shrank and risks grew, New Bedford investors
turned to cotton. By 1900, the city was the largest
producer of fine cotton cloth in the nation. By 1918,
as many as 35,000 people in the city were making
cotton shirts and sheets."
Group that erected the marker: National Park Service
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
New Bedford, MA USA
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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