Working Waterfront Festival

Interviewee Collection Sort ascending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Tom King The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Tom King is a seasoned fisherman who dedicated his career to the commercial fishing industry. Born into a family with a deep connection to Newfoundland and a long history in fishing, Tom's love for the sea and the fishing trade runs in his blood. In 1968, after working as a fish lumper on the waterfront for eight years, Tom decided to venture into fishing himself. His first fishing experience in February 1969, aboard the fishing vessel Angela W, left a lasting impression on him.

Lynne Williamson New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Barbara McCarthy The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Barbara McCarthy is a retired boat owner and fisherman's wife deeply rooted in the fishing industry. Barbara  grew up in a family with a strong fishing background.  As a mother of seven, she balances family responsibilities with active involvement in the Fishermen’s Wives association, the Blessing of the Fleet Fair, and various market ministries.

Lynne Williamson New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Betsy Pye The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Betsy Pye, a New Bedford native, has been a steadfast presence in the ocean-oriented community of New Bedford. Born and raised in the heart of the coastal city, she has a deep connection to the maritime heritage. Her husband’s ancestors were also from the area.  She is an active advocate for the fishing industry.

Julie Olson New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Donald Spooner The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Donald Spooner is a former Navy man who has worked in a variety of jobs before finding his place in the fishing industry, where he specialized in making "doors" for trawlers. Born and raised in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, Spooner has lived in the same house all his life. His parents were originally from Boston, but his mother was from New Bedford. After his parents divorced when he was just six months old, he was raised by his great aunt in Hope Beach, a section of Fairhaven. Spooner's connection with the fishing industry began in his youth.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Arne Ole Andersen The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Arne Ole Andersen is a retired boat owner. He was born in 1929 in Denmark and grew up in a fishing and farming village. He began his maritime career at fourteen, working on Baltic traders and later on larger ships, including Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish vessels. He sailed on American ships during the Korean War and settled in New Bedford, where he fished primarily out of the port. Throughout his career, Andersen faced various challenges, including shipwrecks and adverse weather conditions. He engaged in different types of fishing, including ground fishing and swordfishing. 

Millie Rahn Fairhaven, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Sarah Broadwell The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Sarah Broadwell is a female fisherwoman from Montauk, Long Island. She is of European American ethnicity. Broadwell was born in Denville, New Jersey, and spent her childhood visiting her grandparents in Sag Harbor, Long Island. She has been working in Montauk for five to six years and has built a close-knit community with fellow fishermen, who she considers as her family. Despite being small in stature, Broadwell is known for her hard work and dedication to her profession. She has a strong sense of respect and boundaries, and is not afraid to assert herself when necessary.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Donna Cunio The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Donna Cunio is a 51-year-old woman from Norwell, Massachusetts. She is the wife of a retired merchant marine captain who now serves as the manager of the New Bedford State Pier. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Donna has a deep appreciation for the maritime industry, particularly the hard work of longshoremen and fishermen. Despite not being raised near the water, Donna has a strong connection to the sea through her husband's career. She occasionally joined him on his trips, experiencing first-hand the hard work and dedication of the crew.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Franciso Ferreira The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Francisco Ferreira is a seasoned fisherman based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Born in Portugal, Ferreira immigrated to the United States with his family in 1981 when he was still a baby. His father and grandfather were both fishermen, and Ferreira followed in their footsteps, starting his fishing career at the young age of thirteen. Over the years, he has worked on various fishing vessels and has gained a deep understanding of the fishing industry.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Malvin Kvilhaug The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Malvin Kvilhaug, a Norwegian fisherman and boat owner, was born on October 21, 1938, in Karmoy, an island in Norway. He came from a fishing family, with his father and grandfather also engaged in fishing. Kvilhaug started fishing for lobsters on his own at the age of 10 or 11, using rowboats and dories. After enlisting in the Merchant Marines at the age of 16, he later joined the Navy in Norway at 18. In January 1961, at the age of 22, Kvilhaug arrived in the United States and settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Richard McKnight The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Richard McKnight is a seasoned fisherman with a twenty-year career in the King Mackerel fishery in South Florida and Louisiana. Born in Lake Worth, Florida, he now resides in Sebastian, Florida. Despite coming from a non-fishing family, McKnight developed a passion for fishing from a young age. He initially worked in construction after high school but always dreamed of a life at sea. He bought his first boat at the age of twenty-one and, despite initial struggles, he eventually found success in the fishing industry.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival