Hetty Green Museum operator dies

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 2:55 pm

This week, Edith Nichols, 58, of New Bedford, MA, died. She was the founder of the Hetty Green Museum and portrayed America's best known female millionaire at many public events in the area. She was also an outspoken advocate for downtown New Bedford.

I knew Edie for about 30 years or more and worked with her on several projects over the years. I know some members of the forum have mentioned visiting her little museum near the foot of Union Street in New Bedford.

She will be greatly missed.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 2:39 pm

Wow she died young!
I hope it wasn't too awful for her.

Have you described to us who Hetty Green was in other threads, Chris?

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 5:18 pm

No, I haven't described Hetty elsewhere. I posted this because I'm pretty sure somebody from the forum (maybe Sherry?) had visited Edie's museum in downtown New Bedford.

Henrietta Howland "Hetty" Green (1834 - 1916) was a native of New Bedford, MA. She inherited a considerable amount of money and shrewdly invested it, becoming a multimillionaire. Because of her frugal ways, and her tough business practices, she was nicknamed "The Witch of Wall Street."

Hetty Green is the only woman to appear on the "Wealthiest 100" list, where she places at number 35, if I recall correctly.

The best known book about Hetty Green is The Day They Shook the Plum Tree. I think there's a new book out within the last year or so call Hetty.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 11:16 pm

That does sound like our Sherry.

Thanks for the info on the real life character.

I'm sorry you lost your friend and cohort.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Wed May 11, 2005 5:59 pm

I read The Day They Shook the Plum Tree a number of years ago. It was an interesting book about a real New England "character." I believe Hetty Green is buried in Bellows Falls, Vermont, where her husband came from. There is (or was) a "Hetty Green Motel" in Bellows Falls. I'm confident Hetty was known to Andrew Borden at least by reputation, but I think she greatly outdid him as far as frugality goes. She had a lot more to be frugal with.

My father lived in South Dartmouth, MA, as a young man back in the 1930s. I recall him saying that Hetty's son, Ned, was around the New Bedford/Dartmouth area at that time. I think Ned Green had homes in several locations around the U.S. and upon his death there was a tug-o-war between the states who claimed him as a legal resident and tried to collect some sizeable inheritance taxes.

I didn't know about the Hetty Green Museum and Edith Nichols who operated it. The Museum must have been a "labor of love" for her.

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Wed May 11, 2005 6:10 pm

"Col. Green," Hetty's son, had a mansion at Round Hill, South Dartmouth, which is now very expensive condos. He built an airport at Round Hill and had a hangar for the Goodyear blimp there. He also built a radio station and had some sort of a giany dish-like antenna built that was used by MIT. It's still there, visible from miles around.

Best of all, Col. Green owned that last American whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan, which was kept and Round Hill and opened to the public from time to time. His grandfather, Hetty's dad, has been an owner of the Charles W. Morgan. After Col. Green's death, and after being somewhat damaged by the Hurricane of '38, the Morgan was brought to Fairhaven, where it was docked at Union Wharf until 1941, when it was purchased by Mystic Seaport. It is now the centerpiece of the Mystic waterfront.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Wed May 11, 2005 8:43 pm

Thanks for the details, Chris. You brought up the Charles W. Morgan; that jogged my memory and I recall my father mentioning that, too.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu May 12, 2005 3:02 am

This is cool, you guys! Thanks for the insights.

Wordweaver · Post by **Wordweaver** » Thu May 12, 2005 7:52 pm

FairhavenGuy @ Wed May 11, 2005 3:10 pm wrote:After Col. Green's death, and after being somewhat damaged by the Hurricane of '38, the Morgan was brought to Fairhaven, where it was docked at Union Wharf until 1941, when it was purchased by Mystic Seaport. It is now the centerpiece of the Mystic waterfront.

I've toured it. I've also got family roots in the Mystic and Stonington areas.

Lynn

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Thu May 12, 2005 8:14 pm

All these years later, New Bedford still moans about how it "lost the Morgan." Back in 1940 or so, there was an effort to raise funds to "save the Morgan," but it wasn't successful.

I know the son of the man who served as the captain of the ship when it was towed to Mystic. Captain Tucker stayed with the Morgan over the winter, then returned to Fairhaven.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sat May 14, 2005 8:54 pm

Fairhaven Guy, thanks for bringing up Hetty Green. (I am sorry you lost your friend.) I never heard of her before. The only historical women I can think of who was wealthy was Molly Brown. And the Mrs. Winchester who would never finish her house because of ghosts. And the Mrs. Astors. And, of course, Lizzie.

I just loved the city of New Bedford, and I want to go back again this summer. Thanks for giving me a real destination to go to! I would probably love that museum.

The books on her sound good, too.