John Kerry: “I am pleased to join my good friend and colleague Senator Kennedy in introducing legislation to establish a Whaling…”

“I am pleased to join my good friend and colleague Senator Kennedy in introducing legislation to establish a Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, MA. Our initiative is based upon a special resource study completed by the National Park Service last fall which found that the New Bedford area meets the criteria for inclusion in the National Park System. The city of New Bedford, tucked by the sea in the southeast corner of Massachusetts has a rich and diverse history. For decades it was the center of our Nation's whaling industry. Although the whaling industry collapsed by the turn of the last century, New Bedford is to this day remembered for its seafaring heritage. As a national park, the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District and surrounding area would enhance the National Park System by expanding its maritime history theme to include a focus on our Nation's whaling past. Particularly noteworthy are the historic town center, the waterfront with the national historic landmark schooner Ernestina and an array of over three dozen historically rehabilitated buildings which combine to provide a cultural resource that reflects the era of whaling.”