United States Customs District of New Bedford

The United States Customs District of New Bedford was an administrative area for the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at the port of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Established in 1789, it ceased to be an independent district in 1913, but continues to operate as a port of entry.

History

In 1789, New Bedford was chosen to be the administrative center of the Tenth U.S. Customs District. Colonel Edward Pope was chosen to be the district's first collector.[1] The district consisted of the ports of New Bedford, Fairhaven, Rochester, Wareham, Westport, and Dartmouth.[2]

By 1825, New Bedford had surpassed Nantucket as the capital of the whaling industry, a distinction it would hold for much of the nineteenth century.[1][3] When New Bedford's whaling fleet was at its peak, the customs district was the fourth largest in the United States (after New York, Boston, and New Orleans) and saw an average of 450 ships and issued an average of 3,000 protection papers a year.[3][4] In 1832, due to New Bedford's status as a major U.S. port, Congress appropriated $15,000 for the construction of a custom house in New Bedford.[1] Architect Robert Mills was chosen to design the building and Seth and William Ingalls were hired as contractors.[5] New Bedford's Customhouse was completed in 1836 at a cost of $32,000.[5] Although the whaling industry declined in the early 20th century, the customs district still remained profitable through the collection of duties on mill machinery imported from England.[4][6]

In one of the final acts of his presidency, William Howard Taft consolidated the nation's 165 customs districts into 49. All of Massachusetts' customs districts were combined into a single district. The New Bedford office would remain open, but the position of Collector would be eliminated and a Deputy Collector who reported to Boston would be put in charge. The elimination of the New Bedford district was opposed locally, as the elimination of the position of Collector meant that there would no longer be a Customs official who would actively work to have goods imported through New Bedford (the Collector received a portion of the fees collected in the district). While Taft was still considering the redistricting plan, Mayor Charles S. Ashley attended a hearing at the White House to speak out against the Customs consolidation plan. The consolidation act took effect on July 1, 1913.[6]

Today, the New Bedford office covers an area stretching from Plymouth in the north to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in the south and west to east from Fall River, Massachusetts to Provincetown, Massachusetts. This area includes all of Cape Cod. The office handles duty collection and customs clearances for foreign cargo ships, cruise ships, private vessels, and airplanes that arrive into the port of entry.[5]

Collector

The position of collector was appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate. From 1820 onward, collectors were limited to four-year commissions, at the end of which they needed to be reappointed by the President. They could also be removed from office at any time at the pleasure of the President.

Name	Entered Office	Left Office	First Appointed By	Notes
Edward Pope	1789	1801	George Washington	Namesake of Pope's Island in New Bedford.[5]
Isaiah Weston	1801	1814	Thomas Jefferson
John Hawes	1814	1823	James Madison
Russell Freeman	1823	1829	James Monroe	Uncle of Collector Charles B. H. Fessenden.[4]
Lemuel Williams	1829	1838	Andrew Jackson	Got into a physical altercation with Russell Freeman when the two were up for the position. The Custom House was constructed and opened during his tenure.[4]
Robert S. Smith	1838	1841	Martin Van Buren	Left office due to issues involving his personal finances.[4]
William H. Allen	1841	1843	William Henry Harrison	A member of the Whig Party, Allen was asked to resign by Democratic President John Tyler. Father of Collector John A. P. Allen.[4]
Rodney French	1843	1843	John Tyler	Was not confirmed by the United States Senate.[4]
Joseph T. Adams	1843	1849	John Tyler	Appointment secured by Josiah Sturgis, friend of John Tyler's son, Robert.[4]
William T. Russell	1849	1853	Zachary Taylor
Charles B. H. Fessenden	1853	1861	Franklin Pierce
Lawrence Grinnell	1861	1870	Abraham Lincoln
John A. P. Allen	1870	1886	Ulysses S. Grant
Weston Howland	1886	1891	Grover Cleveland
James Taylor	1891	1895	Benjamin Harrison
Zephaniah W. Pease	1895	1900	Grover Cleveland
George F. Bartlett	1900	1905	William McKinley
Rufus A. Soule	1905	1912	Theodore Roosevelt	Died in office. Position abolished on July 1, 1913.[6]

References

1. "U.S. Custom House, New Bedford, MA". U.S. General Services Administration. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
2. The New-Bedford Directory. 1836. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
3. Norling, Lisa (2000). Captain Ahab Had a Wife: New England Women & the Whalefishery, 1720-1870. The University of North Carolina Press. p. 8. ISBN 9780807848708. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
4. Pease, Zephaniah W., ed. (1918). "XXXV". History of New Bedford, Volume 3. New York: The Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 267–270. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
5. "A Historical Jewel". The Standard-Times. May 15, 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
6. "Customs Plan Put Into Force". The Boston Daily Globe. March 5, 1913.