Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD, a city, port of entry, and one of the county-seats of Bristol Co., Mass.; on Buzzards Bay, and on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford railroad; 55 miles S. of Boston. It contains a custom house, county court house, public library, parks, hospitals, and an excellent school system. National and savings banks, waterworks, electric lights, electric street railroads, and daily and weekly newspapers. New Bedford is one of the leading cities in the United States as an industrial center. The city ranks first in the United States in the manufacture of fine cotton goods and fine cotton yarns. The number of cotton-mill employees in 1920 was about 38,000. There was over $6,000,000 invested in other industries, including a rope

a copper rolling mill, one of the largest twist drill plants in the world, a large cut glass works, a shoe factory, a paint mill, and numerous other smaller industries. A large pier, costing over $450,000, has been built by the State. The British destroyed a large part of New Bedford in 1778, in retaliation for the injury done to British commerce by privateers from that port. Pop. (1910) 96,652; (1920) 121,217.