New Bedford: Snowfall On Central Wharf

The mainland port of New Bedford inherited the honor of being the commercial hub of America’s whaling industry when, around 1835, the aggravations of navigating the shifting sandbars off Nantucket’s harbor entrance became too costly or time consuming to make sense. As the city became home base to the large volume of new vessels the port facilities and services grew accordingly, but the primary activities of New Bedford’s bustling waterfront would continue to take place on Central Wharf. Here was the staging point for arrivals and departures of vessels that would spend from two to four years before returning crammed with casks of their vital commodity. The scene shows a glimpse of the shack, on a snowy night silhouetted against a whaler at the wharf preparing to sail.

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