Maritime Marion : Massachusetts

by Rosbe, Judith Westlund

• ISBN13: 9780738523668
• ISBN10: 0738523666
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: Arcadia Pub

Summary

Marion's relationship with the ocean has been the defining element in the small town's development since its settlement as Sippican in America's colonial era. Since 1678, generation after generation of Marion families have relied upon the opportunities a port and sea provide in both life and industry. The waters of Buzzards Bay run deep in this coastal community, and its influence leaves an indelible mark not only upon every cove, beach, and inlet, but upon the very spirit of each resident and visitor.For many, the sea is a temperamental and dangerous mistress, and Marion's affair with her is no different, for this town has experienced both great gain in wealth and horrific loss of life and property by her hands over the centuries. In Maritime Marion, Massachusetts, readers take a remarkable journey across four centuries of struggle and prosperity as a simple coastal hamlet evolves into a celebrated nautical center for shipbuilding, fishing, and racing. This unique volume, containing over 100 black-and-white illustrations, chronicles the many aspects of maritime life, from trade to recreation, including the once-prominent whaling industry, the various local saltworks, the traditions of Tabor Academy, the influence of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, and the prestige of the Beverly Yacht Club. However, one of the greatest pleasures and customs of any seacoast community is its storytelling, and Maritime Marion recounts several of the town's most interesting and puzzling tales, such as the mystery of the Mary Celeste's lost crew, the tragedies of numerous hurricanes, the fate of the British warship HMS Nimrod, and the experiences of the first lighthouse keepers on Bird Island.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	6	(1)
Introduction	7	(2)
Historical Overview	9	(14)
Wharves, Shipyards, and the Shipbuilding Industry	23	(16)
Whaling	39	(28)
Salt Industry	67	(4)
Marion and Its Hurricanes	71	(9)
HMS Nimrod	80	(3)
Bird Island Lighthouse	83	(8)
Mary Celeste	91	(7)
The Beverly Yacht Club	98	(9)
The Grand Yachts of Summer Residents	107	(6)
Seaside Resort	113	(5)
Maritime Industry in the Twentieth Century	118	(7)
Tabor Academy	125	(14)
Marion-to-Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race	139	(17)
Bibliography	156	(2)
Index	158