Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA
1854 - Nantucket

Nantucket, a post-town, port of entry, and seat of justice of Nantucket county, Massachusetts, is situated at the entrance of a deep bay on the N. side of Nantucket island, about 105 miles S. E. by S. from Boston, and 50 miles S. E. from New Bedford ; lat. 41° W 50" N., Lon. 70° & 12" W. The harbor is excellent, being capacious, deep, and nearly landlocked by two projecting points of beach, the extremities of which are only about three- fourths of a mile apart. The village is compactly built, mostly of wood, with narrow streets. It contains 8 or 9 churches, a bank with a capital of $200,000, an Athenaeum, a handsome building, and 2 newspaper offices. Besides a library of about 2500 volumes, the Athenaeum has a valuable collection of curiosities. The inhabitants of Nantucket have been long and successfully engaged in the whale fishery. The shipping of the port, June 30th, 1852, amounted to an aggregate of 23,779 tons registered, and 3451 tons enrolled and licensed. Of the registered tonnage, 18,015 tons were employed in the whale fishery ; and of the enrolled and licensed, 3048 tons were employed in the coast trade, 403 tons in the cod and mackerel fisheries, and 479 tons in steam navigation. The receipts for the year 1849 were 17,887 barrels of sperm oil; 6461 barrels of whale oil, and 68,200 pounds of whalebone. The whale fishery usually em ploys about 2000 hands, and from $2,500,000 to $3,000,000 capital in vessels and outfits. July 13th, 1846, Nantucket was visited by a fearful conflagration, which destroyed not less than 350 buildings, including two banks, a church, the Athenaeum, and 7 oil and candle manufactories. The loss was estimated $1,000,000. A steamboat plies between Nantucket and New Bedford. Population of the township, 8452.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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