hetty the genius and madness of america's first female tycoon

(Yes, a hundred and one years before the financial crisis of 2008, mostly men were still mucking up the system!) Hetty in New Bedford So well that she bailed New York City out from municipal insolvency a few times, most notably during the financial crisis of 1907.

Their own game was the accumulation of vast wealth, and this Hetty did very well. But, as a woman who often beat men at their own game, Hetty was designated the “Witch.” In truth, she was one of them just arguably more so.

However, unlike Hetty, they are all men – so usually don’t tagged with a pejorative title. A look at the portraits of them hanging in the New Bedford Whaling Museum or New Bedford Free Public Library offer confirmation. Many in Hetty’s times – especially the Quaker whaling captains of New Bedford, the 19th century social milieu she was born into – could also be described as eccentric, miserly and dour. Simple garments were cheap – and also a reflection of her Quaker background. You’d never find her at downtown’s fashion-savvy Calico, that’s for sure. These personality elements helped brand her in the press as “The Witch of Wall Street.” Also, her wardrobe was basic – as in basic black. Hetty Green was by all accounts eccentric, miserly, and somewhat dour. Known the nation and perhaps the world over as “The Witch of Wall Street.Īnd we all know what the word “witch” is a stand-in for… Origins of “The Witch” As usual, it’s not a stretch or, in this case, even a long distance, to find a subject that’s both homegrown yet has universal appeal.īecause just around the corner from this coworking facility at 1213 Purchase Street sits none other than the one-time home of one of the city’s most famous residents – and misunderstood women. Since March is Women’s History Month, I feel obligated as Groundworker-At-Large to contribute something to the zeitgeist on behalf of New Bedford. One-time home of Hetty Green in New Bedford, MA

Hetty the genius and madness of america's first female tycoon