Spinner Volume IV

Spinner: People and Culture in Southeastern Massachusetts, Volume IV

Spinner Publications’ cultural anthology series, beginning with Spinner: People and Culture in Southeastern Massachusetts, Volume IV, records the history and culture of the cities and towns of Southeastern Massachusetts. Published in 1988 and written largely by citizen historians and students, Spinner IV is the fourth of five volumes that uses mostly oral history, particularly from older citizens, to tell the history of the region. Through personal accounts, photographic collections, journals and diaries, Spinner books tell the story of the individual, the neighborhood, the city and the land; stories of families and their work.


The Federal Writers’ Project in Massachusetts:
Governor Hurley, Sacco & Vanzetti and the

Massachusetts Guide by Paul A. Cyr
Inside the Writers’ Project by Joseph D. Thomas

In Search of the Federal Writers by Linda Donaghy & Marsha McCabe
Narrative Reports: Progress reports on WPA, CWA and ERA projects completed in New Bedford by 1936.
Guide to Island Places: A visit to Noman’s Land, Gosnold and Gay Head.

Folklore, Customs and Legends::
Stories from Martha’s Vineyard, Provincetown, Attleboro, New Bedford and Dartmouth.

The Underground Railroad in New Bedford From These Strains:
Ethnic surveys on the Lebanese, Polish and Scotch of Fall River and the Irish of New Bedford.

The Portuguese in New England:
Surveys of the Portuguese of Martha’s Vineyard, Fall River, New Bedford, and Cape Cod.

A Legacy of Photographs:
The photography of Jack Delano, Edwin Rosskam and John Collier made for the Farm Security Administration and the U.S. Office of War Information.

Living in New England:
An adventure with Captain Nat, the Tiverton Fisherman.

We Work on the WPA:
An interview with Cape Verdean seaman, Captain Joe Antone.

The Hurricane of 1938:
An interview with Frank Hurd of Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven.

A Lexicon of Trade Jargon:
A glossary of slang expressions from the fishing, textile, rubber and shoe industries.

The Woman Behind the Counter :
Carrie Silveira: A life.

On the Fall River Line :
Ray Connors, Head Purser on the Commonwealth for 14 years, tells of adventure and fond memories on the old line.

Everrett Coggeshall of Westport

The Last Woven Yard - Shutdown of the Berkshire/Hathaway :
Three views on the closing of New Bedford’s last major textile corporation.