A LOOK BACK: Wareham has 54 miles of coastline, so it is not surprising to learn that the town was very involved in both the whaling and ship building industries. Sometime between 1775 and 1783, the first whaler, the Desire, sailed from Wareham. The whaling industry was flourishing in New Bedford and Nantucket during this time. The town’s most famous whaling ship, the George Washington, first sailed in 1832. The whaler made eight voyages of three years each and brought home thousands of barrels of whale and sperm oil and tons of whale bone. Wareham’s location also made it the perfect place to build ships during these early days. Along the shores of the Wankinco River from below the dam to what is now Pinehurst was the sight of much ship building, specifically the Pocahontas, Jubilee, Wareham, Kutusoff, George Washington and the Republic to name a few. Merchant ships carried iron, grain, lumber, cotton material, coal and other items to towns along the seacoast. Historical records show that even though the railroad had taken over much of the commerce by the late 1890s, the docks were still full and vessels waited in the harbor for berths.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:19:09 +0000
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