History of New Bedford Harbor and Acushnet River Watershed

Based on the history of the area, we divided development in the watershed (from the time of European settlement) into five periods: agricultural (1676-1780), whaling (1750-1900), textile (1880-1940), post-textile (1940-1980), which includes commercial fishing and a variety of industries, and environmental awareness (1970 – present). These dates are approximate and overlap but are useful to define economic development and the associated ecological effects. Finally, we included a summary of these ecological effects and their consequences.

Bartholomew Gosnold landing at the site of the future New Bedford - click for enlargement

Gosnold at Smoking Rocks, painted by William Allen Wall in 1842, depicts Bartholomew Gosnold landing at Smoking Rocks in 1602. Smoking Rocks was located on the New Bedford coast opposite Palmer Island, just north of the hurricane barrier. Courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the watershed. Bartholomew Gosnold reported that a large native population was present when he visited the area in 1602. Native Americans probably hunted in the wooded inland areas, planted crops on the flat land along the coast, and utilized the abundant marine resources found in the estuary: fish, shellfish, birds, and marine mammals. The coast was also the site of trade with the Europeans. Gosnold exchanged European goods for native furs.

History of New Bedford Harbor and Acushnet River Watershed

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