▁bar rier . ▁ ▁Wh aling ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁wh ale ▁oil ▁was ▁the ▁primary ▁source ▁of ▁fuel ▁for ▁light ing ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁wh aling ▁industry ▁was ▁an ▁economic ▁main st ay ▁for ▁many ▁New ▁England ▁coast al ▁communities ▁for ▁over ▁two ▁hundred ▁years . ▁The ▁famous ▁wh aling ▁port ▁of ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁is ▁located ▁across ▁the ▁Ac ush net ▁River ▁from ▁Fair h aven . ▁ ▁Fair h aven ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁wh aling ▁port ; ▁in ▁fact , ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁Fair h aven ▁was ▁the ▁second - larg est ▁wh aling ▁port ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁with ▁ 2 4 ▁vessels ▁sail ing ▁for ▁the ▁wh aling ▁grounds . ▁ ▁The ▁author ▁of ▁M oby - D ick , ▁H erman ▁Mel ville , ▁depart ed ▁from ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Fair h aven ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁wh ales hip ▁Ac ush net ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 1 . ▁ ▁However , ▁once ▁New ▁Bed ford ' s ▁pre domin ance ▁in ▁the ▁wh aling ▁industry ▁became ▁apparent , ▁Fair h aven ' s ▁economy ▁evol ved ▁into ▁one ▁that ▁supp lement ed ▁the ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁economy ▁rather ▁than ▁compet ing ▁directly ▁with ▁it . ▁ ▁Fair h aven ▁became ▁a ▁town ▁of ▁ship w right s , ▁ship ▁ch and lers , ▁ro p em akers , ▁co op ers , ▁and ▁sail m akers .