Many fast-moving masted clipper ships stilled plied the oceans as commercial merchants, but they, too, became extinct with the invention of steam powered ships. So profitable was whaling that, despite the unbelievable rigors undergone by the ships’ crews, who might be out sailing for two years at a time, the great animal was nearly wiped out, saved somewhat by the invention of petroleum, which replaced whale oil by the late 19 th century. It was not until the onset of industrial society that anyone knew the myriad uses for which whale oil was a revolutionary lubricant, preservative, lamplighter (better and cheaper than tallow for candles) and soap, even margarine. It is impossible to underrate the critical importance of the whaling industry to Mystic and vice-versa, when the town became wealthy as a shipbuilder. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images Nearby there is a fine Mystic Aquarium that has given a home to endangered species of fish and penguins, including New England’s only beluga whales.ĭuring the summer there is an onboard camp where children as young as ten years old actually live, eat and sleep onboard one of the old vessels where they learn the rudiments of sailing. duPont Preservation Shipyard, where the old-time prized artisans’ handiwork ranges from metalwork at a blacksmith shop to crafting rope rigging, and all chores in between, many performed with 19 th century tools. You can also watch ongoing restorations (they refitted the rotting Mayflower II here) in the Henry B. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence, and the David Crockett, the fastest ship of its kind. The Museum opened in 1929 to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience,” based on more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. While there is a serious scholarly repository of history, documents and lore here (2 million artifacts, 1 million photos, 75,000 books), the exhibits are actually spread outdoors over 19 acres as a recreated New England coastal village that gives a strong sense of the community in its simplest houses and its more majestic ones fueled by shipbuilders’ wealth. Mystic, with its protected river, was an ideal setting for shipbuilding during the whaling era of the 19 th century, and its history is magnificently preserved and restored at the Mystic Seaport Museum within walking distance of town. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images) LightRocket via Getty Images MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES - 6: Beluga whale exhibit at Mystic Aquarium. Like most other tourist destinations in New England-Cape Cod, Newport, Nantucket-Mystic’s Main Street and its tributaries are lined with the usual fudge and ice cream shops, the inevitable Black Dog clothing store, jewelry and tchotchke emporiums, but there are some unique places, too, including a first-rate Army & Navy store and Mystic Knotwork that sells hand-tied nautical knot bracelets, coasters, ornaments, door mats, wreaths and more. (There are 40 more shops just north of town called Olde Mistick Village mall, and the gargantuan and grotesque Foxwoods Resort & Casino north of I-95 has a dreary outlet conglomeration.) Which, in its own way, is a positive sign of a rebounding of tourism, and on weekends Mystic is jammed with people who come to stroll the downtown streets and visit the extraordinary Mystic Seaport Museum. Mystic River highway bridge Connecticut USA, The lifting Bridge which crosses the Mystic River.
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