Governor Edward Everett's Visit to Nantucket

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Governor Edward Everett's

Visit to Nantucket

DURING HIS TERM of office as Governor of Massachusetts the Hon. Edward Everett decided to visit that portion of the Commonwealth which was vying with New Bedford as the leading whaling port in the world. Paul R. Frothingham, a biographer of Edward Everett, wrote: "There was one part of his duties that he did enjoy, and that to the utmost. He had a passion for travelling." In the summer of 1836 Governor Everett visited New Bedford, Naushon Island and Nantucket. Under the date of July 26, he wrote from New Bedford that he was leaving for Nantucket on the 29th. His letter from Nantucket follows:

"My dear wife,. .. Yesterday morning, we took the steamboat for this place-... You touch Wood's Hole, where the passage, greatly resembles Hell Gate. You then cross over to Holmes's Hole, which is in Martha's Vineyard, and then stretch across to Nantucket. A glance at the map of Massachusetts, in any one of my atlases, will make it all plain. Nantucket is sixty miles from New Bedford. We arrived at halfpast two. Our passage had been a little delayed by towing a whale ship out of harbor. Our arrival was expected at Nantucket, and a good many persons gathered on the wharf to see us. After an introduction to several on deck, we went up to the hotel. I passed the afternoon walking round the place and the evening in receiving a considerable number of gentlemen who called.

"This morning (Friday) I went at eight to see the silk factory; at nine to visit Admiral Coffin's school, where I had to make a speech; at eleven drove out to the asylum for the poor, and so continued on to Siasconset, a very singular village on the brink of the ocean. The principal families of Nantucket come here to pass the summer, somewhat like Nahant and yet very different. Whiled away two or three hours in visiting and then sat down to a sort of public dinner given by the gentlemen of Nantucket to me—where, of course, there were toasts and speeches. About half-past six I got back. I am spending the evening at Mr. Upton s. I thought to have been called to go there before now, but I have had time enough for a much longer letter then I expected. Tomorrow morning I take the steamboat for Naushon ...

"New Bedford, August 1, 1836. My dearest wife, - Here I am, safe back from Nantucket... When I wrote you on Friday evening, I was about going to a party at Mr. Upton's. I found there all the respectability and fashion of Nantucket, and I assure you it was a most genteel party.

GOVERNOR EDWARD EVERETT'S VISIT

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"Saturday morning we left Nantucket at nine o'clock. It was at first foggy and then for a short time rained hard; the first adverse circumstance which has befallen us. But it cleared up by the time we got to Wood's Hole, a little port in the town of Falmouth ... At eleven we came home and lunched; at twelve took the beautiful Fawn (a small yacht, belonging to Mr. Swain — who is Mr. Bowdoin's agent on the island of Naushon.) and all hands dashed over to Wood's Hole, and there in a few minutes the steamboat from Nantucket came up and took us o n b o a r d . . '