MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. — September 15, 2014 — Michael Maddigan extensively describes the evolution of the herring as an economic powerhouse in the region and explores the many and varied uses for the fish.
So much to write and say about such a small fish.
While herrings typically reach lengths of no more than 15 inches, their economic impact on the development of Middleboro and other communities in southeastern Massachusetts was so profound and their contributions to the progress of the region so distinct that the species deserves a book of its own.
Thus, "Nemasket River Herring: A History" (copyright 2014; published by the Natural History Press, a division of The History Press of Charleston, S.C.), authored by Michael J. Maddigan of Middleboro, earns its distinction as the most current — and likely most comprehensive — dissertation ever published on river herrings (also called alewives) in the Nemasket River and other local waterways. The herring have called this area home for eons and have awed generations of local residents with their reproductive powers and acute abilities to persevere and survive against the rapacity of mankind.
Like the book's subject, "Nemasket River Herring: A History" meanders from the distant past into contemporary times, providing examples of steps taken first by Native Americans, later by English settlers, and ultimately by American citizens and communities to harness the economic benefits of the herring. Readers learn that herring essentially defined the boundaries of Middleboro through their spawning processes and significantly influenced its formal relations with nearby communities, while also shaping much of its fiscal stability until well into the 20th century.
Read the full story from the New Bedford Standard-Times