"My grandfather was a fisherman. His father was a whaler." Stephen Fougere learned to become a fisherman from his father, a day dragger in Newport, R.I. Mr. Fougere left school at age sixteen to go fishing and became a captain of a fishing boat by age eighteen. He provides detailed information about the fishing industry in Newport R.I. from the 1930's to the present -- the various fisheries which have comprised the industry, the people involved in it, boats and equipment used, grounds fished, and changes that have taken place which continue to affect the industry in important ways. Mr.

Manly Gray was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1922. "Too big to go to school" in the eighth grade, he obtained work sorting fish in a Gloucester fish house. Mr. Gray worked in the fishing industry from that time until his death in the summer of 1987. He recollects the way of life of a Gloucester fishing family during the Depression and describes the various fisheries which comprised the Gloucester fishing industry at that time. He includes fascinating stories about dory fishermen who worked the Grand Banks and the depletion of certain Grand Banks fish species.

While she was in her early twenties, Ellen Kaplan worked in the fishing industry for approximately two years. This included work on offshore lobster boats, an offshore scallop boat, and an offshore dragger. Her manuscript contains valuable information about life and work at sea, the life style of working in the fishing industry, changes in the offshore lobster industry, and conflict between tourism, development and the fishing industry in Newport, Rhode Island.

Christopher Lutyens began his work in the lobster industry in Southwest Harbor, Maine at age sixteen. He came to Newport one year later after reading an article about Newport's offshore lobster industry in the magazine, National Fisherman. Mr. Lutyens has worked in both the inshore and offshore lobster industries in Newport. He offers valuable information about the work of lobstering, lobster boats and equipment, lobster grounds, catch size, and the condition of the lobster stocks. He expresses concerns about the future of the fishing industry in Newport, R.I.

John McDonald and his brother, James, have worked together as fishermen on their day dragger, a Natator, since 1948. Prior to that time, Mr. McDonald spent his childhood on the water catching eels and scalloping. During the 1940's he had extensive experience swordfish harpooning off Martha's Vineyard, Point Judith, and Block Island. Swordfish were abundant in those waters then. Now they are seldom spotted. Mr.

Mr. Mendonsa's transcript contains 4 interviews from 1/30/1987, 1/4/1987, 2/10/1987, and 2/11/1987. George Mendonsa was born in Newport, R.I. in 1923. His father came to Newport from Madeira, Portugal in 1910 and supported his family by working as a trap fisherman. He passed on his knowledge and pride in his work to his son, George, who has worked in the floating fish trap industry in Rhode Island waters for his entire life. George Mendonsa's manuscript is an important document of the floating fish trap industry in Newport, R.I. from the 1940's to the present.

Mr. Mendonsa's transcript contains 4 interviews from 1/30/1987, 1/4/1987, 2/10/1987, and 2/11/1987. George Mendonsa was born in Newport, R.I. in 1923. His father came to Newport from Madeira, Portugal in 1910 and supported his family by working as a trap fisherman. He passed on his knowledge and pride in his work to his son, George, who has worked in the floating fish trap industry in Rhode Island waters for his entire life. George Mendonsa's manuscript is an important document of the floating fish trap industry in Newport, R.I. from the 1940's to the present.

Mr. Mendonsa's transcript contains 4 interviews from 1/30/1987, 1/4/1987, 2/10/1987, and 2/11/1987. George Mendonsa was born in Newport, R.I. in 1923. His father came to Newport from Madeira, Portugal in 1910 and supported his family by working as a trap fisherman. He passed on his knowledge and pride in his work to his son, George, who has worked in the floating fish trap industry in Rhode Island waters for his entire life. George Mendonsa's manuscript is an important document of the floating fish trap industry in Newport, R.I. from the 1940's to the present.

Mr. Mendonsa's transcript contains 4 interviews from 1/30/1987, 1/4/1987, 2/10/1987, and 2/11/1987. George Mendonsa was born in Newport, R.I. in 1923. His father came to Newport from Madeira, Portugal in 1910 and supported his family by working as a trap fisherman. He passed on his knowledge and pride in his work to his son, George, who has worked in the floating fish trap industry in Rhode Island waters for his entire life. George Mendonsa's manuscript is an important document of the floating fish trap industry in Newport, R.I. from the 1940's to the present.

Jeanne Palombo was the wife of Raymond Palombo who was also interviewed for this oral history of the fishing industry in Newport, R.I. Because of Newport's close proximity to the offshore lobster grounds, fishermen and lobstermen relocated to Newport during the early 1970's to become part of that lucrative and growing industry. The Palombos were part of that group. Mrs. Palombo worked closely with her husband and took over their business after his unexpected death in 1987.