Lars Vinjerud
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project is an ongoing oral history project documenting the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project was begun in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, education celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place in New Bedford, MA. Interviewees have included a wide range of individuals connected to the commercial fishing industry and/or other aspects of the port through work or familial ties. While the majority of interviewees are from the port of New Bedford, the project has also documented numerous individuals from other ports around the country. Folklorist and Festival Director Laura Orleans and Community Scholar/Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen are Project Leaders. The original recordings reside at the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Maryland with listening copies housed at the Festival's New Bedford office.
Laura Orleans
Lars Vinjerud, a Norwegian-Irish American, is a former fisherman and captain who now serves as the Owner and President of Fleet Fisheries. Born on June 18, 1959, in Hackensack, New Jersey, Vinjerud moved to New Bedford at the age of nine or ten. His early fascination with the waterfront led him to start working in the fishing industry at a young age. He quit school in eighth grade and hitchhiked to Alaska, where he spent three years king crabbing and salmon fishing. Upon returning to New Bedford at 18, he joined a scallop boat. Vinjerud's father, a carpenter and fisherman, also worked in the fishing industry. Today, Vinjerud owns several fishing boats, each named with a personal significance, and his son helps him manage them.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Lars Vinjerud, conducted by Marilyn Bellmore and transcribed by Laura Orleans, took place on September 26, 2009, at the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission Office. The interview covers a range of topics, including Vinjerud's personal background, his early experiences in the fishing industry, his views on the fishing community, and his predictions for the future of fishing in New Bedford. Vinjerud also discusses the names and colors of his fishing boats and shares anecdotes about his life as a fisherman. The interview provides valuable insights into the life and perspectives of a seasoned fisherman turned business owner in the New Bedford fishing community.
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