Learn Salem’s History
This non-comprehensive, ever evolving project began in 2023 by a team of professional historical researchers with knowledge of Salem’s history, in collaboration with the National Park Service and Salem State University’s History Department. It serves as a starting point into Salem’s history and encouragement to explore our rich past.
1600s
10,000 years ago
The Arrival of Indigenous People in New England
The end of the last ice age, and the arrival of the Indigenous people in New England.
Sometime 12,000 to 9,000 years ago, the first humans entered the land around Salem, as the glaciers receded at the end of the last ice age. These people were the ancestors of present-day Indigenous people. They produced sharp spear points from stone and hunted caribou. One of the largest archeological sites in North America, Bull Brook in nearby Ipswich, was inhabited by groups of paleo-Indians around 11,000 years ago.
1614
John Smith's Voyage
John Smith surveys the coast of New England.
1616
The Great Plague
The Great Plague of smallpox scourges the Indigenous population, killing approximately 90% of the Massachusett.
1619
The Death of Nanepashemet
The Death of Nanepashemet occurs, sachem of the Pawtucket Confederation.
1626
The Arrival of Roger Conant
Roger Conant arrives, settling what would become Salem.
1628
The Arrival of Governor John Endicott
With the arrival of Governor John Endicott of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the settlement takes the name of Salem.
1628
Trask's Mill Built
William Trask built a mill (“Trask’s Mill”) for grinding grain on the North River.
1629
Salem's First Church
The First Church of Salem is organized.
1629
Stranded on Misery Island
Robert Moulton, an early shipbuilder, is stranded on Misery Island for three days.
1629
The First Brick Kiln in New England
Thomas Trusler sets up a brick kiln on the North River, the first in New England.
1629
Salem's First Fort Built
The First Fort is built in Salem.
1630
Trading Post Established
Four Salem men, including Roger Conant, established a trading post for beaver furs in Maine.
1630
The Arrival of Governor John Winthrop
Governor John Winthrop arrives on the Arbella with his fleet of Puritan migrants, including poet Anne Bradstreet.
1632
General Court Pays a Bounty
General Court pays a bounty to Richard Waterman for killing a wolf in Salem.
1633
Wenepoykin Leads the Pawtucket Band of the Massachusett
A further smallpox plague strikes the Massachusett. Wenepoykin survives, disfigured by the disease, and leads the Pawtucket Band of the Massachusett after the death of his two brothers.
1634
Endicott Cuts Out the Red Cross
Endicott cuts the Red Cross out of the English ensign.
1635
The First Ropewalk
The first ropewalk in America began near Collins Cove.
1635
Minister Roger Williams Escapes Salem
Minister Roger Williams escaped Salem and founded the colony of Rhode Island after he was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1635
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 is the largest in the recorded history of New England.
1635
The Arrival of Minister Hugh Peter
Minister Hugh Peter arrives in Salem, and in 1641 he returns to England and is killed as a regicide.
1637
Anne Hutchinson's Followers are Disarmed
Five Salem followers of Anne Hutchinson are disarmed and several leave the colony.
1637
The First Muster
The First Muster of the East Regiment.
1637
The First Burial in the Old Burying Point Cemetery
The first burial occurred in the Old Burying Point Cemetery, now Charter Street Cemetery.
1638
The Desire
The Desire, captained by William Peirce, begins the American trade of enslaved people.
1638
Dorothy Talbye Brought to Trial
Dorothy Talbye is tried for infanticide.
1643
Fort Established at Winter Island
A fort was established at Winter Island, an area used continuously as a military installation until 1971.
1658
Quakers Brought to Trial
The Quakers are brought to trial in Salem for disorderly conduct: Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick, Josiah Southwick, Samuel Shattuck, Samuel Gaskin, and Joseph Buffum.
1660
The Pickering House Built
John Pickering builds The Pickering House, the oldest house still standing in Salem.
1665
The Arrival of Philip English
Jersey-born merchant Philip English arrives in Salem.
1668
The House of the Seven Gables Built
John Turner builds The House of the Seven Gables.
1668
Beverly Becomes Independent from Salem
The neighboring town of Beverly achieves its independence from Salem.
1673
A Second Meeting House (and More) Constructed
The wood from Salem’s first meeting house is used to construct a second meeting house, a watch house, a townhouse, and a school. Daniel Epes is the first schoolmaster.
1673
Doraty Cromwell Buried
Doraty Cromwell, whose headstone is the oldest surviving in Salem, is buried in the Old Burying Ground.
1675-1678
Salem Militia Fights in King Philip's War
The Salem militia company fought in King Philip’s War, one of the bloodiest wars in American history, and erected a palisade along the western wall of the town.
1678
Bakers Island
Bakers Island is leased to John Turner.
1679
The First African-American Birth Recorded
Joseph Read, Jr., the first African-American birth recorded in the Vital Records of Salem.
1679
Simon Bradstreet Becomes Governor
Salem resident, Simon Bradstreet, becomes governor.
1688
The Friends Meeting House Built
Thomas Maule builds the Friends Meeting House.
1687
Quonopohit Deeds Salem
Quonopohit, a sachem of the Massachusett, deeds Salem to the English.
1688-1697
King William's War
King William’s War rages across New England, Salem ships are drafted by William Phips for his expedition.
1692
The Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witchcraft Trials begin.
1696
Thomas Maule Acquitted
Thomas Maule is acquitted of blasphemy of the publication of Truth Held Forth and Maintained.
1700s
1700
The Arrival of John Cabot
John Cabot arrived from Jersey in Salem, beginning an American dynasty.
1702-1713
Queen Anne's War
Queen Anne’s War known in Europe as the War of Spanish Succession, was a conflict between English colonists and an alliance of French and Indigenous peoples in British America. About 40 Salem men, under the leadership of Major John Turner and Captain Walter Price, fought in the Battle of Haverhill in 1708.
1708
The First Known Brick House is Built in Salem
George Cabot of Boston built the first known brick house in Salem at the corner of Essex and Crombie streets, for merchant Benjamin Marston. According to several reports, either the bricks were faulty or Mrs. Marston believed brick houses to be “damp and injurious to health” so the house was pulled down.
1718
The East Church of Salem is Founded
The East Church of Salem was founded on the corner of Essex and Hardy Streets after residents of the eastern part of the city seperated from the First Church.
1719
Salem's First Almshouse is Constructed
Salem’s first almshouse was constructed on Broad Street adjacent to Broad Street Cemetery to provide “indoor relief” or institutionalized housing to Salem’s poorer residents.
1727-1729
The Ropes Mansion is Built
The Georgian-style Ropes Mansion was built on Essex Street in Salem for merchant Samuel Barnard.
1733
Salem's First Anglican Church is Founded
St. Peter’s Church, the first Anglican church in Salem, was founded on land deeded to Phillip English, one of Salem’s wealthiest merchants, on the corner of St. Peter and Brown Streets. The creation of this church was seen as an act of defiance against Puritan Leaders as English and his wife had been accused of witchcraft in 1692.
1738
A Not-Uncommon Advertisement in the Boston Evening Post
“Ran away from his Master, William Browne Esq. of Salem, on the Tenth of this Instant July, a short Negro fellow named Maximus, dress’d in Black, who can play well upon a Violin. Whosoever shall take up the said Negro, and bring him to his said Master, in Salem, or secure him so that he may be had again, shall have Five Pounds reward, and all necessary charges paid.”
1741
Negro Election Day
The first recorded Negro Election Day was noted by Salem lawyer Benjamin Lynde in his diary in May of 1741: “Fair weather, Election; Negro’s hallowday [holiday] here at Salem.” Over twenty years later, white Salem residents petitioned their local council to “regulate,” what they perceived as a “great Disorder…[of] Negros assembling together” but this day was also about “electing” a representative or leader of their disenfranchised community for both free and enslaved African Americans in New England.
1745
Timothy Pickering is Born
Revolutionary War officer and future Secretary of State Timothy Pickering was born on July 17, 1745.
1747
The Salem Pest House Opens
The Salem Pest House, a building meant to house and treat those with infectious diseases, opened on Collins Cove.
1752
Danvers Becomes Independent from Salem
The town of Danvers, formerly known as Salem Village and where the first accusations which led to the Witch Trials erupted, achieved its independence from Salem.
1757
Danvers Becomes Independent
Danvers achieves its independence from Salem.
1757
Samuel McIntire is Born
Architect and woodcarver Samuel McIntire, known for creating Federal Style buildings and furnishings for Salem’s wealthiest residents, was born on January 16, 1757.
1762
The Derby House is Built
The Derby House, located on Derby Street overlooking the harbor, was built as a wedding gift for Mr. and Mrs. Elias Hasket Derby by his father Captain Richard Derby.
1762
Elizabeth Elkins Sanders is Born
Indigenous rights advocate and literary critic Elizabeth Elkins Sanders was born on August 12, 1762. Sanders went on to represent Salem in movements against Native American removal, including the first national women’s petition campaign.
1766
Salem Marine Society is Established
The Salem Marine Society was founded in 1766 by sea captains to provide relief for disabled and aged members and their families, promote knowledge of the coast, and communicate observations for making navigation safer.
1766
John and Abigail Adams Visit Salem
On one of their many trips to Salem to visit Abigail’s sister and her husband, John and Abigail Adams visited Proctor’s Ledge, which he describes as “Witchcraft Hill,” the site of the witch trial executions. Also, it was in this year that the Adamses commissioned Salem painter Benjamin Blyth for their portraits.
1768
The Essex Gazette Inaugural Publication
The Essex Gazette, Salem’s first newspaper, was published weekly from 1768-1775 by Samuel and Ebenezer Hall. The newspaper was maintained in Salem until the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, when it was relocated to Boston and renamed The New England Chronicle.
1773
The Essex Hospital is Built
The Essex Hospital for smallpox was built on Cat Island, now Children’s Island, a small island off the coast of Marblehead and a part of the city of Salem. The hospital was in use for a year before a a mob of Marblehead townspeople burned it down.
1775
Leslie's Retreat
On February 26, 1775, British Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie and 240 soldiers of the 64th Regiment, acting upon the orders of General Thomas Gage, landed in Marblehead and began marching to Salem in pursuit of a rumored store of cannon. When they arrived, a stand-off ensued between the assembled crowd and the soldiers, during which the drawbridge across the North River was raised, enabling the not-so-secret cannon on the other side to be carried on the field carriages out of town. A frustrated Colonel Leslie was allowed to march his troops across the bridge after the cannon had left the scene, therefore fulfilling his orders from General Gage. Then he and his troops retreated back to Marblehead and their ship sailed back to Boston.
1775
The Death of Benjamin Pierce
The sole Salem soldier to fight and die on the day the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord, Benjamin Peirce was a Salem baker who fell in with the Danvers Militia.
1775-1782
The American Revolution
Salem played several important roles during the American Revolution. It served as the provincial capital of Massachusetts during the summer of 1774, site of the Massachusetts General Court and of several acts of organized resistance. The first autonomous assembly, the Provincial Congress, was created in Salem on October 7, 1774, and Leslie’s Retreat on February 26, 1775 represented another key moment of colonial resistance. Once the Revolution began, Salem became the chief privateering port, sending out over 150 privateering vessels.
1777
The Tabernacle Church Built
A congregation with roots going back to Salem’s First Church, the Tabernacle Church was built in 1777 and named after London’s Tabernacle. A reproduction of this same church was built in 1924. Nathaniel Whitaker, the church’s pastor, was one of Salem’s most enthusiastic patriots.
1780
Lucy Hiller Lambert Cleveland is Born
The writer, artist, and social reformer Lucy Hiller Lambert Cleveland was born. Cleveland was the author of many children’s books on moral and religious values of the time. Later in life, she created figural vignettes that expressed her views and advocation for social causes, including the abolition of slavery.
1782
The Peirce-Nichols House Completed
The Peirce-Nichols House, one of Salem architect Samuel McIntire’s earliest commissions, was built in 1782 for merchant Jerathmiel Pierce. Upon the occasion of the marriage of his daughter nearly 20 years later, the house was remodeled extensively by McIntire and the fence added.
1783
William Bentley Ordained
William Bentley was ordained in the East Church (Second Congregational Church) of Salem in a joint-pastorate with the Reverand James Diman on September 24, 1783. Two years later, he became sole pastor of the East Church.
1784
The Privateer Grand Turk is Transformed into a Commercial Ship
The ship Grand Turk opened New England trade with China, returning in 1787 with a cargo of more than 500 chests of tea, 75 boxes of China, and an assortment of finely woven textiles. Its owner, Elias Hasket Derby, doubled his investment selling this cargo and sent ships back for more.
1787
Prince Farmer Born
Birth of Prince Farmer, an African American ship’s cook, Mason, and oyster dealer, with an oyster house in Derby Square and a residence on Crombie Street, was born.
1789
Uprising on the Salem Schooner Felicity
35 enslaved Africans on board the Salem schooner Felicity, engaged illegally in the slave trade, rise up and kill Captain William Fairfield en route to French Guiana in March of 1789.
1789
George Washington Visits Salem on his New England Tour
George Washington arrived in Salem on October 29, 1789 as part of his New England tour. He was greeted by a large crowd and speeches, entertained at a ball at the Assembly house followed by fireworks, and he spent the night at the Joshua Ward House on the street that was soon to be named after him.
1790
The Salem Gazette Published
The first issue of The Salem Gazette was published by Thomas C. Cushing on January 1790. A semi-weekly periodical, it continued until 1892 and was succeeded by the Salem Daily Gazette in 1908.
1792
The Columbia Redeviva
The Columbia Rediviva, owned partly by Salem merchant John Derby, was the first western vessel to enter the Columbia River, then known as the “Great River of the West”.
1796
William H. Prescott Born
A prominent historian of early modern Spain, William Hickling Prescott was born in 1796. Partially blind but equipped with a photographic memory, Prescott’s works on the early Spanish Empire are characterized by his extensive use of primary sources.
1797
Captain John Carnes Returns with a Shipload from Sumatra
Captain John Carnes departed Salem in December of 1795 and returned 18 months later on the Rajah with a cargo of pepper from “somewhere” in Sumatra which netted him a 700 percent profit. 179 ships sailed from Salem to Sumatra from between 1799-1846, as Salem enjoyed a near American monopoly on “black gold”.
1797
The Crowninshield Elephant
The first elephant in the United States is exhibited in Salem, brought by the ship America, whose owner, Jacob Crowninshield, had purchased the young elephant in Bengal for &450 and later sold it for $10,000.
1797
The First Friendship is Launched
The first Friendship was built by Enos Briggs for owners Aaron Waite and Jerathmiel Pierce in 1797 and launched on May 28. The Friendship made 15 voyages over her career, to India and the East Indies, China, South America, the Caribbean, England, northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Russia.
1798
Twin Lighthouses on Bakers Island
After president Washington approved $6,000 for a set of lights on Bakers Island in the spring of 1796, the two lighthouses went into service on January 3, 1798.
1798
The Arrival of John Remond from Curaçao
John Remond arrived in Beverly from Curaçao, as a lone ten year old. He moved to Salem shortly after his arrival and through a series of jobs and connections, became an esteemed caterer and purveyor based at Hamilton Hall on Chestnut Street and the patriarch of a large entrepreneurial and activist family.
1799
Salem Frigate Essex
The naval frigate USS Essex, built by “patriotic subscription” and Enos Briggs on Winter Island, was commissioned on December 17, 1799. She fought in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and the War of 1812 and became the first US Navy shop to sail into the Pacific Ocean. The USS Essex was captured off Chile in 1814 and renamed the HMS Essex; she served as a troopship for royal navy until her sale in 1837.
1799
The Death of Elias Hasket Derby
Elias Hasket Derby, knowns as “King Derby” and America’s first millionaire, died at age 60 in September of 1799 Derby was the leading purveyor of privateering ships during the American Revolution and afterwards a pioneer of Salem’s trade to Russia, China, and the East Indies. Upon his death, Derby’s magnificent mansion on Essex Street overlooking Salem Harbor had only recently been completed.
1800s
1800
Alexander Hamilton Visits Salem
The first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton visited Salem and dined at the house of Benjamin Pickman on Essex Street on June 20.
1801
Salem Common Improved
Elias Hasket Derby, Jr sponsored improvements to the Salem Common including leveling, draining fencing, and the planting of poplar trees. The old common was transformed into Washington Square, completed with the inauguration of the ceremonial archway on the west gate, carved by the celebrated architect Samuel McIntire.
1801
Howard Street Cemetery Interments
Interments began in Howard Street Cemetery, which included a segregated section for the burial of African Americans.
1802
Jacob Crowninshield Elected to Congress
Salem merchant Jacob Crowninshield, a Democratic-Republican, was elected to Congress, where he served until his death in 1808.
1802
The American Practical Navigator Published
Nathaniel Bowditch published The American Practical Navigator, which became the standard encyclopedia on marine navigation, touching upon topics like oceanography and meteorology. It is still in use today.
1804
Nathaniel Hawthorne born on July 4
American author Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables, among other works.
1804
The Death of Caesar Pratt
Caesar Pratt, known as “Blind Caesar” died in the Salem Poorhouse at 65 years of age. According to his obituary, he was an African American mathematician with a remarkable memory for dates and numbers.
1805
Howard Street Church Built
The Howard Street Church, later a center of Salem’s abolitionist movement, is built.
1805
Hamilton Hall opens
Samuel McIntire’s Hamilton Hall on Chestnut Street was financed by wealthy federalist merchants looking for a space for social gatherings. The building was named in honor of Alexander Hamilton, who famously was shot one year earlier during a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.
1806
The Arrival of Mary Spencer
After losing everything in a shipwreck, Mary Spencer arrived in Salem and was gifted sugar supplies by its residents, with which she invented the Gibraltar, the first commercially sold candy in America.
1807
Elementary School for African American Students Opened
Clarissa Lawrence (formerly known as Chloe Minns) was appointed to successfully run the first “African School” in Salem. Clarissa Lawrence would become an advocate for abolitionism and free education for African Americans and was one of the founding members of the Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society.
1807
The Embargo Act of 1807
President Jefferson signs the Embargo Act, restricting foreign trade. New England’s economy heavily relied on overseas trade, so the embargo devastated the shipping industry of ports like Salem.
1808
Salem's First Universalist Church
The Reverend Hosea Ballou, one of the founders of American Universalism, laid the cornerstone for the Salem church.
1809
Sophia Peabody Born
Sophia Peabody was an accomplished artist and illustrator. She married Nathaniel Hawthorne and edited and posthumously published some of his writings.
1809
The Death of Rose Derby
The Derby family enslaved Rose Derby, and her husband Sabe, before eventually granting them their freedom. Rose was 31 years old when she died a free woman. Around 80 African Americans attended her funeral procession to Howard Street Cemetery, illustrating her important place in Salem’s African American community.
1809
Benjamin Peirce Born
Benjamin Peirce, was a mathematician, astronomer, and educator. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Harvard Observatory and the creation of the Smithsonian Institution.
1810
The Salem Athenaeum Founded
Two local private libraries, the Social Library and the Philosophical Library, merged to form the Salem Athenaeum, the second oldest library in the country.
1811
Abiel Abbot Low Born
Abiel Abbot Low was a China Trade merchant, owner of a fleet of pioneering clipper ships, and philanthropist. Columbia University’s Low Memorial Library is named in his memory.
1811
Joseph Story nominated to the Supreme Court
Before his nomination by President James Madison, Joseph Story practiced law in Salem and served as state attorney for Essex County. His tenure in the Supreme Court is mostly remembered for his opinions in Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee, which asserted the Supreme Court’s authority over lower courts, and United States v. The Amistad.
1812
Departure of Adoniram Judson to Calcutta
Adoniram Judson of the Tabernacle Church was selected to be one of the first American Missionaries to south Asia, first traveling to India and then Burma.
1812
Charles Grafton Page Born
Electrical engineer Charles Grafton Page invented the first high-voltage induction coil, which became a key component of automobile ignition systems in the twentieth century.
1812-1814
War of 1812
With trade disrupted during the war with Great Britain, Salem merchants turned to privateering. the schooner Fame earned the honor of being the first American privateer to capture cargoes during the war when the crew captured two ships off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada.
1813
Jones Very Born
The reclusive Jones Very was very highly regarded in Transcendental circles for his poetry, and also a Shakespearean scholar.
1815
Benjamin Williams Crowninshield Appointed Secretary of the Navy
As Secretary of the Navy during the Madison and Monroe administrations, Crowninshield oversaw the navy’s transition following the War of 1812, and naval strategy during the Second Barbary War.
1816
Cleopatra's Barge Commissioned
George Crowninshield Jr. commissioned shipbuilder Retire Beckett to build America’s first luxury yacht, known as Cleopatra’s Barge.
1816
The Last Salem Almshouse
The third and last of Salem’s almshouses stood for over 100 years at Collins Cove. It also served as a hospital, asylum and quarantine ward.
1816-1817
Old Town Hall Built
Old Town Hall was built on the former site of Elias Hasket Derby’s short-lived mansion. It has been used as a public building, market and exhibition space.
1817
James Monroe Visits
During his visit, President James Monroe stayed with Benjamin Crowninshield and visited Judge Joseph Story and Senator Nathaniel Silsbee.
1819
Salem's Final Custom House Built
The thirteenth and final Salem Custom House in Salem symbolized the federal governments presence in one of America’s most important ports. Before the establishment of the income tax, tariffs collected through customs were one of the main sources of revenue for the federal government.
1819
William Wetmore Story Born
Sculptor William Wetmore Story was an American sculptor. His most famous works include Cleopatra and Angel of Grief.
1821
St. Mary's Church Opens
St. Mary’s Church, the first Catholic Church in Salem, was the second parish formed by the Catholic Diocese of Boston.
1821
The Philips House Moved
The Phillips House on Chestnut Street originated from Captain Nathaniel West’s South Danvers estate, Oak Hill. Following a scandalous divorce in 1806, his wife, Elizabeth Derby, gained possession of the estate. After her death and that of their youngest daughter, Captain West removed four rooms from the mansion and had them moved by oxen to Chestnut Street. Those four rooms became the nucleus of the new house.
1824
The Marquis de Lafayette's Second Visit
The Marquis de Lafayette visited Salem as part of his Grand Tour of the United States. He was celebrated as a hero of the Revolution, wooden arches were erected in his honor, an ornate dinner was held in Hamilton Hall, and the highway through the South Fields was named Lafayette Street in his honor.
1826
Sarah Parker Remond Born
Abolitionist Sarah Parker Remond belonged to a prominent African American family in Salem. While still a teenager, she became an agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society, denouncing the horrors of slavery in America both in the US and Great Britain. After the Civil War, she moved to Florence, Italy and became a physician.
1827
The Annals of Salem Published
Joseph B. Felt published the first volume of The Annals of Salem, an antiquarian history of the town.
1828
Salem's First Theater Built
J.W. Barton opened Salem’s first theater on Crombie Street amidst controversy over accusations of fostering immorality. It closed four years later and the Crombie Street Congregational Church acquired the buildings.
1829
Harriet Low Enters Canton in Disguise
Abiel Abott Low’s sister, diarist Harriet Low, was among the first western women to live in China for an extended period of time when she accompanied her aunt and uncle to Macao. She visited Canton, off limits to foreign women, disguised as a man.
1829
The Death of Edward Agustus Holyoke
Pioneering doctor Edward Agustus Holyoke died at age 100. The first recipient of the M.D. degree awarded by the Harvard Medical School, his practice in Salem extended to eighty years, during which he became a pioneering advocate for smallpox inoculation and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Medical Society.
1830
The Murder of Captain Joseph White
The murder of the wealthy Captain White, bludgeoned to death in the bedroom of the Gardner Pingree House on Essex Street, shocked Salem society. Joe Knapp, married to Captain White’s grandniece, and his brother, Frank Knapp, hired the Crowninshield brothers to commit the murder, in the hopes of acquiring White’s inheritance. Daniel Webster conducted the prosecution of the murderers, and the crime would inspire stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
1831
The Salem Lyceum Founded
The Salem Lyceum was an active lecture hall used for the exchange of ideas and scientific demonstrations.
1832
The First Sumatran Expedition
One of the first foreign expeditions of the US Navy was conducted against the Sumatran town of Kuala Batu as a reprise for the raiding of a Salem ship, the Friendship.
1832
The First Load of Gum Copal Arrives in Salem
John Bertam’s Black Warrior brought the first load of gum copal from Zanzibar to Salem.
1832
Joseph Hodges Choate Born
Joseph Hodges Choate was a lawyer who served as ambassador to the United Kingdom and as part of the American delegation to the Second Hague Conference.
1832
The Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society
The first female abolition society in the United States was founded by and for free black women and was soon expanded to include Salem women holding abolitionist beliefs regardless of skin color. Its members actively campaigned against slavery and segregation and expanded educational opportunities for African American children. The Society held meetings at the Lyceum, Mechanic Hall and Howard Street Church.
1832
Salem Opens the First American Direct Trade Route to Australia
Trade between America and the British Colony of Australia had all but stopped following the War of 1812 and the closure of Sydney to foreign merchants. With the reopening of Sydney in 1831, Salem’s Rogers family outfitted a ship, the Tybee, with muskets and lumber and sent it to Australia. The Rogers firm became the first American business to trade directly with Australia on a long-term basis.
1833
Andrew Jackson Visits Salem
President Andrew Jackson stayed with Nathaniel West in his house on the corner of Essex and Central Streets. While in Salem he was entertained at a dinner by famed Hamilton Hall caterer John Remond and visited the East India Marine Society’s Museum.
1834
Fidelia Bridges Born
Artist Fidelia Bridges was the only female founder of the American Watercolor Society and the second living woman elected to the National Academy of Design.
1835
Henry Prince Jr. Serves in the Second Seminole War
Henry Prince, Jr. a former Salem merchant, volunteered for the armed branch of the US Customs Service, the Revenue Cutter Service. The US Navy called Captain Prince to patrol the coast of Florida during the Second Seminole War.
1835
The True History of Deacon Giles' Distillery Published
The Dream, or, The True History of Deacon Giles’ Distillery, and Deacon Jones’ Brewery; Reported for the Benefit of Posterity, an early temperance pamphlet, led its author, the Reverand George Cheever, to be sued and imprisioned for libel by Salem’s largest distiller, John Stone.
1836
Salem Becomes a City
Salem was officially chartered as a city, the second to be so designated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Leverett Saltonstall was elected its first mayor.
1836
William Apes Delivers his Invective
William Apess, a Methodist minister and member of the Pequot tribe, delivered his invective in favor of Indigenous rights, “Eulogy for King Philip” at the Salem Lyceum.
1837
The First Salem City Directory is Published
Salem residents now had access to their neighbor’s addresses, ages, occupations and other information. These directories were the antecedents of telephone books.
1838
Salem City Hall Built
The granite Greek Revival building was financed by surplus federal funds.
1838
The Railroad Reaches Salem
The railroad reached Salem with the completion of the first leg of the Eastern Railroad, connecting Salem and Boston. The opening of other lines in the following decades turned Salem into an important railroad hub.
1839
The Mechanic Hall Opens on Essex Street
Built as a meeting place and function hall for the Salem Charitable Mechanic Association in 1839, Mechanic Hall eventually succumbed to fire on February 4, 1905, and was replaced on the site by the Empire Theater.
1839
Harmony Grove Cemetery Founded
Harmony Grove Cemetery, Salem’s “garden cemetery,” was designed in the rural cemetery style, a response to sanitary concerns and the popularization of the Romantic pastoral aesthetic and the memorialization of death.
1840
Charles Lenox Remond Represents
Salem native and abolitionist advocate Charles Lenox Remond, in the company of William Lloyd Garrison, attended the World Anti-Slavery Conference in London.
1844
The Desegregation of Salem Public Schools
Salem’s public schools were formally segregated in 1834, but thanks to the efforts of African American activists, Salem became one of the first cities in America to officially desegregate its public schools a decade later.
1844
Brigham Young Visits Salem
Early Mormon leader Brigham Young visited his daughter Vilate Young while she was living in Salem with the Felt family on Liberty Street (the Felt House was later moved to Charter Street).
1846
Salem's Last Direct Shipment of Pepper
The Lucille delivers Salem’s last direct shipment of pepper from Sumatra, ending one of Salem’s most lucrative trades.
1847
Salem's Second Train Depot Opened
Salem’s Gothic Revival train depot, designed by prominent Boston architect Gridley Bryant and built by the Eastern Railroad (later absorbed by the Boston & Maine), opened in 1847 and was demolished in 1955.
1848
Essex Institute Founded
The Essex Institute was formed by the union of the Essex Historical Society and the Essex County Natural History Society. Its central mission was the preservation of everything relating to Essex County history and culture.
1848
Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company
The Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company started operating in The Point neighborhood to diversify Salem’s economy following the decline of overseas trade. Its plant, Pequot Mills, became the largest steam cotton mill in the world. For the next hundred years, it would be the biggest employer in Salem.
1849
California Gold Rush
At least seven of Salem’s famed trading ships sailed for California carrying young men and supplies, including the Rome, the Eliza, and the Crescent, as well as several Witchcrafts. The LaGrange never returned, as it was transformed into a prison ship.
1850
The Scarlet Letter is Published
Nathaniel Hawthorne completed and published The Scarlet Letter while living at 14 Mall Street.
1850
Salem Light Gas Company Established
The Salem Light Gas Company was organized in April of 1850, with a plant located at the end of Bridge Street. By December, the first stores in downtown Salem used gas lights.
1851
Frank Cousins Born
Frank Cousins was a shop owner, photographer and pioneering preservationist. His collection of photographs of Salem’s colonial and federal architecture has provided an invaluable resource for preservationists.
1851
Timothy Brooks House
Timothy Brooks commissioned a Gothic Revival house according to a design published in Andrew Jackson Downing’s and Alexander Jackson Davis’s influential Cottage Residences (1842). 260 Lafayette Street is recognized as one of the finest examples of domestic Gothic Revival style still standing in the United States.
1852
The Lowell Island House
Stephen C. Phillips purchased Lowell Island, now Children’s Island, to create a seaside resort, hoping to increase demand for the new Salem and Lowell Railroad Company. In 1886, following financial difficulties, the hotel became a sanatorium for children with diseases such as rickets.
1852
Charles Augustus Benson arrives in Salem
Charles A. Benson settled in Salem’s African-American neighborhood of Pond Street. The next year, Benson took a job as a cook and steward for the ship Gem, bound for Canada. His journals, published posthumously, detailed his traveling experience through the coast of East Africa, and his perspective on his personal life, race, and maritime life.
1854
Salem Normal School Founded
Salem Normal School was founded as a women’s teaching college.
1854
Some of the Earliest Color-Printed Lithographs in the U.S.
John Fiske Allen published a book on growing the Amazonian water-lily Victoria Regia, likely the first color-printed lithographs in the United States.
1855
John Bertram House Built
John Bertram House, later the Salem Public Library, was built.
1856
The Massachusetts Women's Suffrage Annual Convention
The Women’s Suffrage Club of Salem hosts the Massachusetts Women’s Suffrage annual convention, Julia Ward Howe and Lucy Stone are speakers.
1856
William Filene's Clothing Store Opens
Jewish businessman William Filene opened a clothing store on Essex Street, his son Edward Filene, who founded Filene’s Department Store in Boston, was born in Salem in 1860.
1856
Plummer Hall Built
Philanthropist Caroline Plummer willed her estate to the construction of Plummer Hall to house the Salem Athenaeum and Essex Institute.
1856
Charlotte Forten's Graduation and Appointment
Charlotte Forten became the first African-American woman to graduate from the Salem Normal School and the first to be hired to teach white children at the Epes Grammar School in Salem. Her educational and abolitionist activities continued after she left Salem, and she also became a published author of poetry and prose.
1857
The Immaculate Conception Church Built
With the arrival of Irish immigrants, the old St. Mary’s Church needed to be enlarged into a new brick building. The congregation took advantage of the construction of the new church to change the name to the Immaculate Conception.
1858
Salem Willows Designated a City Park
Salem Willows Park became a popular amusement park in the later nineteenth century, particularly after the opening of a streetcar line in 1877.
1858
Salem Explorer Creates the Lander Road
Salem explorer and surveyor Frederick W. Lander created the Lander Road through Wyoming and Montana, the first government-sponsored trail to Oregon and California. Lander was later one of the first Union generals to be killed in the Civil War.
1859
Moses Farmer Lights Up his Salem House
Moses G. Farmer invented a prototype for an incandescent light, and lit up the parlor of his Pearl Street house every night of July, 1859 with two lamps wired to a galvanic battery in his cellar. This was the first domestic illumination by electricity.
1861-1864
The American Civil War
As a railroad hub, several New England recruits passed through Salem on their way to Boston and it also functioned as a recruiting center. The Salem Light Infantry Company was one of the first to report to Boston following Lincoln’s call for troops at the outbreak of the war. The Company guarded the USS Constitution anchored in Maryland. Salem soldiers joined other regiments, including the all-black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Following the failed assault on Fort Wagner, Captain Luis Emilio, a Salem resident briefly became the commander of the 54th as the highest-ranking surviving officer.
1862
Frank W. Benson Born
Frank W. Benson was an impressionist artist and printmaker. He was a founding member of The Ten, American artisits who in 1877 abandoned the National Academy of Design, which they deemed too conservative, to establish their own artist’s society.
1862
Incorporation of the Salem Street Railroad Company
After its incorporation, the Company operated the first horse-drawn tram lines connecting Salem with Beverly and Peabody. The system of tramways will expand in the following decades over the rest of Salem, enabling the development of Bridge Street Neck and The Willows.
1862
Frederick Townsend Ward Killed in Battle
Salem-born mercenary Frederick Townsend Ward was killed while commanding the Qing Dynasty’s Ever Victorious Army during the Taiping Rebellion.
1865
Frederick Douglass Speaks at the Lyceum
Frederick Douglass gave annual talks at the Salem Lyceum in the 1860s, including a reportedly compelling oration following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
1866
Caroline Emmerton Born
Caroline Emmerton was a philanthropist, preservationist, and the founder of The House of Seven Gables Settlement Association.
1867
The First Jewish Office Holder in Salem
David Conrad, owner of Ladies Goods on Essex Street, was elected an alderman, the first Jewish office holder in Salem.
1867
Daniel Low & Co. Opens in the Former First Church Building
Jewelers Daniel Low & Co. opened in Salem and later became a pioneering mail order business as well as a purveyor of Witch Trial souvenirs, including the popular witch spoons.
1867
Salem Witchcraft Published
The two-volume Salem Witchcraft by Charles W. Upham was published, the first comprehensive academic research into the Salem Witch Trials.
1869
Salem Fraternity Founded
The Salem Fraternity, the oldest organization for working class boys and young men in Massachusetts and second oldest in the US, was the predecessor of the Boys and Girls Club of Salem.
1873
The First Salem Hospital
The first Salem Hospital was located on Charter Street, in a brick mansion donated by Capt. John Bertram. It burned down during the Great Salem Fire of 1914 and was replaced by a much larger structure on Highland Avenue.
1873
The St. Joseph Parish Founded
In the 1850s, French Canadians in increasing numbers immigrated to Salem to work at the Pequot Mills. Soon, The Point neighborhood became known as “La Pointe.” The expanding insitutions of St. Joseph Parish, including a church, school, almshouse and convent, are illistrative of the growth of the French-Canadian population of Salem in the later nineteenth century. All these buildings burned down in the Great Salem Fire of 1914.
1876
The Woman's Friend Society
The Woman’s Friend Society was founded by several prominent Salem women, including Jennie Bertram Emmerton, to provide affordable housing and a safe environment for single women. The Society still owns and operates the Emmerton House.
1877
The First Public Demonstration of the Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell showcased the first public demonstration of the telephone at the Lyceum on February 12 when he placed a call to his assistant Thomas A. Watson in Boston.
1878
The Last Salem Merchant Ship Returns from a Voyage
Mattie F., the last Salem merchant ship to return from a voyage called in Salem harbor with a cargo from Cayenne, French Guiana.
1880
The Salem Evening News Begins Publication
The paper’s offices were located in the Browne Block on Essex Street, and its stated aims were to serve as “the truthful and plainspoken advocacy of the interest of the citizens of Salem, and to furnish a reliable record of all the fresh news in the vicinity.”
1881
Salem Fire Station #2 Built
Salem Fire Station #2 on North Street built is said to be the third oldest fire station still standing and operational in the country.
1883
Matthew Arnold Lectures at the Lyceum
Victorian English poet Matthew Arnold lectured at the Salem Lyceum as part his first of lecture tour of North America.
1883
Parker Brothers Founded
Parker Brothers was founded by brothers George, Charles, and Edward Parker in 1883. The company’s first board game was called Banking, and it started marketing its most popular game, Monopoly, in 1935.
1886 & 1887
Polish Immigrants Arrive in Salem
Following failed uprisings in Poland (then partitioned between the German, Russian, and Austro-Hungarian Empires), Polish immigrants arrived in Salem, settling along Derby Street, between the Salem Common and the waterfront. Poles soon organized around a tight-knit community with Polish-owned businesses and institutions. Amongst the first Polish arrivals was Herman Tyburc, one of the founders of St. Joseph’s Society in 1889, a Polish aid society, and Felix Sobocinski, the first of many members of the Sobocinski Family who would become prominent members of the Salem-Polish community.
1887
The Winne-Egan Hotel Opens
Dr. Nathan R. Morse opened the Winne-Egan Hotel built on Bakers Island; it remained a popular resort until it burned down in 1906.
1888
Salem's First African American Police Officer
Robert Freman III became Salem’s first African-American police officer. He served from 1888 to 1890.
1892
Salem's Fame as "Witch City"
The bicentennial of the Salem Witch Trials inspired Salem businesses to issue postcards, tourist guides, and souvenirs of the trials, expanding salem’s reputation as the “Witch City.”
1893
The Last Square-Rigged Ship Docks in Salem
The Mindoro, built in 1864, was the last square-rigged ship to call in Salem, where she sat at Derby Wharf before being purchased in 1897.
1895
The Death of Sarah Narbonne
Sarah Narbonne, who ran a cent shop in her family’s old house on Essex Street (now part of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site), dies at the age of 101.
1895
Bunkio Matsuki Builds a House
Bunkio Matsuki, an immigrant from Japan, built a Japanese-inspired house on Laurel Street.
1895
Aaron Richmond Born
Aaron Richmond was a Boston-area musician, artist representative, and concert programmer for much of the twentieth century: his most popular concert program was “Aaron Richmond’s Celebrity Series” which ran from the 1930s until the 1980s under variant titles.
1898
Temple Shalom Founded
Temple Shalom of the Congregation Sons of Jacob was the longest continuously established synagogue on the North Shore. It was founded by Eastern European Jewish merchants in Salem, including the Filene family, founders of Filene’s department stores. The synagogue closed in 2013.
1898
The Spanish-American War
About 300 Salem residents served, including John P. Riley, who received the Medal of Honor for his bravery while on a naval mission to cut an underwater communications cable in Cienfuegos, Cuba. William H. Saunders, a member of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, died of malaria on a hospital ship following the Battle of San Juan Hill, and the future President personally apologized to his parents after the war.
1900s
1903
A Primarily Polish Church Forms
St. John the Baptist parish separates from the Immaculate Conception parish, forming a primarily Polish church in Salem.
1903
South Congregational Church Destroyed
Samuel McIntire’s South Congregational Church (built 1804-5) is destroyed in a fire.
1908
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Built
The St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is built in Salem.
1909
St. Joseph Hall Built
St. Joseph Hall built on Derby Street as a social club for Salem’s large population of Polish immigrants
1910
The House of Seven Gables Opens to the Public
The House of the Seven Gables opens to the public for tours.
1910
Population Exceeds 43,000
Population of the city exceeds 43,000, roughly the same as it is today.
1911
Robert Rantoul Hired for The Philips House Restoration
Anna Wheatland Phillips and Stephen W. Phillips hire Robert Rantoul to undertake a colonial revival restoration of The Phillips House.
1911
The Preservation of Early American Houses
The Hooper-Hathaway House is moved to the campus of The House of the Seven Gables. One year later, the John Ward House opened to the public and landmarks in the preservation of early American houses.
1912
Mary Harrod Northend Publishes Her First of Many Books
Mary Harrod Northend publishes Colonial Homes and their Furnishings, the first of her many books about Early America.
1913
The Salem Pageant
The Salem Pageant is staged.
1914
The Salem Chamber of Commerce Established
Salem Chamber of Commerce is established as an advocate for the city’s businesses.
1914
The Great Salem Fire
The Great Salem Fire.
1915
The Death of Edward Cassell
Caterer Edward Cassell dies, aged 84, after a prestigious career as a caterer at Hamilton Hall dating back to at least 1860.
1916
Salem Adopts its Current Government Structure
Salem adopts its current government structure, with a mayor, four city councillors at large, and a councillor from each ward.
1917-1918
World War I
World War I: Salem men go to fight, women train as Red Cross nurses, and those at home practice for civil defense.
1922
The Lydia Pinkham Memorial Clinic Built
Aroline Gove builds the Lydia Pinkham Memorial Clinic.
1923
"Java Head" Filmed in Salem
George Melford’s silent film Java Head, now lost, is filmed in Salem.
1924
The First Volume of The History of Salem, Massachusetts Published
The first volume of The History of Salem, Massachusetts by Sidney Perley is published.
1925
Hawthorne Hotel Built
The Hawthorne Hotel is built.
1926
The Salem Tercentenary
The Salem Tercentenary is celebrated.
1926
Thaddeus Buczko Born
Politician Thaddeus Buczko is born.
1930
Pioneer Village Created
Creation of Pioneer Village for Massachusetts Tercentenary.
1931
Steve's Market Opens
Italian-American-run Steve’s Market opens.
1933
The Wildcat Strike
Wildcat Strike by workers at the Pequot Mill.
1935
Coast Guard Air Station Founded
A Coast Guard Air Station is founded at Winter Island in Salem.
1938
The First National Historic Site in the Country
Salem Maritime National Historic Site becomes the first National Historic Site in the Country.
1939
Mark Slade Born
Mark Slade, an actor best known for the 1967-1971 TV Western “The High Chaparral” is born.
1944
Historic Salem, Inc.
Historic Salem, Inc. is founded.
1941-1945
World War II
World War II
1946
The Salem Frigate Published
John Jennings’ The Salem Frigate, set aboard the Essex, is published.
1950
The Longest Mayoral Tenure in Salem's History
Francis X. Collins is elected for the first time to what would be the longest mayoral tenure in Salem’s history. He serves until 1969.
1950
The Third St. Joseph Church Built
The third St. Joseph Church is built in the International Style, demolished in 2012.
1953
Pequot Mill Operations Move South
The operations of the Pequot Mill move to South Carolina.
1953
Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible popularizes the Witch Trials for a new generation.
1957
The Old Witch Gaol Demolished
New England Telephone Company demolishes the Old Witch Gaol to build their office building.
1964
Libby Reardon's Pickman House Discovery
Preservationist Libby Reardon discovers that the Pickman House was built in the 1600s.
1966
The National Register of Historic Places Implemented
National Register of Historic Places is implemented. Salem Maritime, the Peabody Museum, and the Nathaniel Bowditch House listed in the first year.
1970
Bewitched Filmed in Salem
Several episodes of Bewitched are filmed and set in Salem.
1970
Salem's First Witch Shop Opens
Laurie Cabot opens Salem’s first witch shop.
1971
Ada Louise Huxtable's Helpful NY Times Article
Ada Louise Huxtable’s article in the New York Times helps end large-scale urban renewal plans in Salem.
1972
The Salem Witch Museum
The Salem Witch Museum opens.
1978
NSGLA Founded
The North Shore Gay and Lesbian Alliance (NSGLA) is founded.
1982
A String of Arsons in Salem
A string of arsons destroy and damage buildings around Salem and lead to the death of firefighter Raymond McSwiggin.
1982
Haunted Happenings Begin
The first Haunted Happenings.
1992
NAGLY Founded
NAGLY, the North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ Youth is founded.
1992
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is dedicated by Elie Wiesel.
1992
The Peabody Essex Museum Forms
The Peabody Essex Museum formed from the merger of Essex Institute and the Peabody Museum.
1993
Hocus Pocus Debuts
Now-classic film Hocus Pocus debuts.
1996
Essex National Heritage
Essex National Heritage Area created.
1998
Destination Salem Founded
Destination Salem is founded to promote tourism.
2000s
2003
Yin Yu Tang Relocated to Salem
Late 18th-century Chinese house Yin Yu Tang relocated to Salem and opened to the public as part of the Peabody Essex Museum.
A house originally built in the late 1700s in Anhui Province, China, and lived in by eight generations of the Huang family, was purchased by the Peabody Essex Museum and reassembled piece by piece in Salem, opening to the public in 2003. The house is built around a central courtyard, each room outfitted with finely carved wooden shutters. Today the house is a centerpiece of the museum and an opportunity to learn about life and architecture in rural China.
2005
First Female Mayor
Kim Driscoll is elected the city’s first female mayor, a position she held until 2023.
Kim Driscoll was elected Mayor of Salem, the first woman to hold the position. She was reelected four times and served until 2023, becoming the second-longest-serving mayor in Salem’s history. Her tenure was marked by the revitalization of downtown and controversies about development. She now serves as the 73rd lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
2006
The Salem Ferry
The Salem Ferry begins service.
2007
Salem Main Streets Established
Salem Main Streets is established to revitalize downtown as a vibrant year-round retail, dining and cultural destination.
2010
North Shore Community Development Commission
North Shore Community Development Commission is founded.
2010
Salem State University
Salem State College becomes Salem State University.
2012
The Community Preservation Act
Salem adopts the Community Preservation Act (CPA).
2012
Salem in Pop Culture
The 2010s and 20s brought a renewed focus on Salem in mass media, with many films and television shows drawing very loosely on the city’s history, such as ParaNorman, The Lords of Salem, Salem, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Hubie Halloween, Motherland: Fort Salem, and Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.
2013
Salem Designated the Official Birthplace of the National Guard
President Obama designates Salem the official Birthplace of the National Guard.
The congressman representing Salem, John Tierney, introduced legislation designating Salem the official birthplace of the National Guard, in memory of the First Muster of the East Regiment in 1637. President Barack Obama signed it into law in 2013. Every April service members, veterans, historical reenactors, and the general public commemorate that historic event on Salem Common.
2015
Salem United Founded
Salem United is founded.
2016
Salem Harbor Station Built
Footprint natural gas power station built in Salem, replacing the coal-fired Salem Harbor Station built in the early 1950s.
2016
The Satanic Temple Opens
The Satanic Temple opens in Salem.
2016
Proctor's Ledge
A team of experts confirm the location of the executions during the Salem Witchcraft Trials was at Proctor’s Ledge.
2017
Sanctuary for Peace
Salem becomes a Sanctuary for Peace following the approval of an ordinance by the Salem City Council and Salem voters.
2017
El Punto Urban Art Museum
El Punto Urban Art Museum begins with 50 murals in The Point.
2018
The Collection Center Opens
The Peabody Essex Museum opens a 120,000-square-foot Collection Center in Rowley.
2019
PEM Expands
The Peabody Essex Museum opens a 40,000-square-foot expansion.
2023
Traditional Fishing Weir Recreated on Salem Harbor
Members of the Massachusett at Ponkapoag recreate traditional fishing weir in Cat Cove.
For the first time in centuries, members of the Massachusett constructed a fishing weir on Salem Harbor. A fishing weir is a fence of interwoven sticks around wooden stakes designed to trap fish as the tide goes out and serve as a passive form of food collection. Members of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag worked with fifth graders from the Bentley school to build a weir on Cat Cove in April 2023 and returned in September to build two more weirs with the fourth graders from all of Salem’s public schools. The project is a work of cultural reclamation, reviving a traditional craft, which also seeks to educate youth about the continued Indigenous presence in the area.