Jeanne Palombo
The Fishing Industry in Newport, RI 1930-1987
The Fishing Industry of Newport, Rhode Island: 1930-1987 oral history project was implemented under the auspices of the Newport Historical Society and the University of Rhode Island Sea Grant Program. The interviews document the fishing industry from the point of view of its complex traditions and changes. These interviews provide a body of unedited primary source material focusing on priority issues of local concern and those beyond the geographic area under study. Interviews were conducted by Jennifer Murray of the Newport Historical Society and transcribed at the Center for Oral History, University of Connecticut. Copies of tapes and transcripts are available for research at the Newport Historical Society. As stated in the release form, which accompanies each transcript, the memoirs are to be used for scholarly and educational purposes only.
Interviews conducted by Jennifer Murray of the Newport Historical Society Interviews were conducted between 1987 and 1988. Copies of tapes, releases, and transcripts are available for research at the Newport Historical Society http://www.newporthistorical.org/. Copies of transcripts are also accessible on the National Sea Grant Library website http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/.
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. She describes the offshore lobster industry and the many important changes that have taken place within it since the 1970's, specifying how much the skyrocketing costs of boats, insurance and lobster traps have hurt the industry. Her manuscript is also filled with her perceptions and memories of what it was like to be married to an offshore lobsterman.
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