If you have any public domain photographs of historical interest to donate, whether scanned or printed please contact the webmaster, Roger Chartier and your submission will be credited if it is displayed on this site.
Whaling Ships and oil on a wharf at
New Bedford.
Photo by Stephen F. Adams,1870
In the hey-day of whaling sources say that there were as many as 400 whaling ships
that plied the trade out of New Bedford.
Another source states that some 329 whaling ships were registered in New Bedford in 1857.
Both statements are probably true depending on the year.
Inevitably, if too many were in port at once, there would be a problem accessing and unloading and
loading at the wharfs.
