Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 40,407. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County{{GR|6}}. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning 'peace'.

Related Topics:
Essex County, Massachusetts - 2000 - Lawrence - County seat - Hebrew

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Many people associate the city with the Salem witch trials of 1692, which the city utilizes as a tourist attraction. However, Salem's real importance in American history lies at its status as an oft-used port for East Indies trade. The city is also commonly confused with the Salem on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, of which there is no relation.

Related Topics:
Salem witch trials - 1692 - East Indies trade - Soap opera - Days of Our Lives

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Salem includes the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, the only remaining intact waterfront from the US age of sail. Salem played a leading role in the American China trade. It is also the home of the Peabody Essex Museum, which is a major museum of Asian art and culture, as well as a leading museum of early American maritime trade and whaling. Its collections of Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese art, and in particular Chinese export porcelain, are among the finest in the United States.

Related Topics:
Salem Maritime National Historic Site - Peabody Essex Museum

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One of Salem's most notable sons was Nathaniel Bowditch, who published The New American Practical Navigator. This work began as Bowditch's corrections of John Hamilton Moore's navigation tables. He found over 8000 innacuracies while sailing from Salem to the East Indies. The book, still in use, is in its 78th printing.

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Salem is home to The House of the Seven Gables made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne who was born in Salem in 1804.

Related Topics:
The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1804

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The city is also home to a large collection of Federal Style mansions. Many of these were the work of architect and woodcarver Samuel McIntire, for whom the city's largest Historic District is named.

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Tourists know Salem as a mix of important historical sites, New Age "wiccan" boutiques, and kitschy Halloween-witch-themed attractions. Controversy arose in 2005 when TV Land—a cable television network featuring old sitcom re-runs—erected a bronze statue of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played the comic witch "Samantha" in the 1960s series Bewitched. A few special episodes of the series were actually filmed in Salem, and TV Land said that the statue commemorated the 35th anniversary of those episodes. Controversy arose. Some felt the statue was good fun and appropriate to a city that promotes itself as "Witch City" and contains a street named "Witch Way." Some objected to the use of public property for what was transparently commercial promotion. Some felt that the statue trivialized history by encouraging visitors to recall a sitcom rather than the tragic Salem witch trials.

Related Topics:
2005 - TV Land - Elizabeth Montgomery - Bewitched - Salem witch trials

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