The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Salem (Massachusetts) - Wikisource, the free online library (2024)

SALEM, a city, port of entry, and one of theshire towns of Essex co., Massachusetts, occupyinga peninsula between two arms of thesea, called North and South rivers, and adjacentterritory, 14 m. N. by E. of Boston; lat.42° 31' 18" N., lon. 70° 53' 53" W.; pop. in1870, 24,117, of whom 6,084 were foreigners;in 1875, 26,063. The peninsula is about 2m. long and ¾ m. broad. A small peninsulacalled the Neck is attached to it, and was firstinhabited; a large portion of it belongs to thecity, and is occupied as the almshouse farm.The site of that part of the city within thepeninsula is flat, but healthy; in other partsthe surface is more uneven. The streets areirregular, but well built. In the E. part ofthe city, toward the end of the peninsula, isa beautiful park or “common” of 8½ acres,called Washington square. Harmony Grovecemetery, on the W. border, contains 65 acres.Salem is connected with Lowell by the Salemand Lowell railroad, and with Boston by theEastern railroad, and there are branches toMarblehead and Lawrence. Horse cars runthrough the principal streets and to theadjoining towns.—Salem was formerly noted forits foreign commerce. In its very infancy itsinhabitants not only engaged in the fisheriesand the coasting trade, but in vessels of 40to 60 tons traded with Spain, Italy, France,and the islands of the West Indies. In therevolutionary war 158 privateers, mountingat least 2,000 guns, and carrying not fewerthan 6,000 men, were fitted out from thetown of Salem. These vessels captured 445prizes, and brought nine tenths of them intoport in safety. In 1785 the first vessel eversent from this country to the isle of France,Calcutta, and China, was despatched by EliasHaskett Derby of Salem; and for yearsSalem held almost the monopoly of that trade,and in 1818 had 54 vessels engaged in it. Thetrade to the other ports of the East Indiesand Japan was also commenced by themerchants of Salem, as was that to Madagascarand Zanzibar, and the other gum and ivoryports of E. Africa, the legitimate trade to theports of W. Africa, the commerce with Braziland the Amazon, and especially the India-rubbertrade, in which for many years she tookthe lead. The foreign commerce of Salem isnow small, but the coasting trade is large andincreasing, coal for shipment to the interiormanufacturing towns being the chief item.Recently the fisheries, which ceased as theEast India trade grew up, have been resumed.The value of imports from foreign countriesinto the customs district, which includes alsoBeverly and Danvers, for the year endingJune 30, 1874, was $60,717; of exports toforeign countries, $50,153; number ofentrances, 84, tonnage 8,468; clearances, 100,tonnage 11,767; number of vessels belongingin the district on that date, 91, tonnage 9,409;engaged in the cod and mackerel fisheries,55, tonnage 3,386, The number of entrancesin the coastwise trade during the same yearwas 98, tonnage 10,443; clearances, 41,tonnage 5,461.—Manufacturing is a prominentinterest, and is increasing. The manufacture ofleather is the most important branch. Otherarticles are jute bagging, cordage, twine,machinery, foundery products, cars, chemicals,boots and shoes, white lead, leather belting,lead pipe and sheet lead, trunks and valises,furniture, and glue. The car shops of theEastern railroad company are here. TheNaumkeag steam cotton company has twolarge mills, with 1,438 looms and 73,594spindles, and employs a capital of $1,200,000.There are seven national banks, with anaggregate capital of $2,015,000; two savingsbanks, with about $8,000,000 deposits; andfive insurance companies.—Salem is dividedinto six wards, and is governed by a mayorwith a board of six aldermen and a commoncouncil of four members from each ward. Ithas an efficient police force and a good firedepartment. The streets are lighted with gas,and water is supplied by an aqueduct fromWenham lake, 4 m. distant. The assessedvalue of property in 1874 was $25,845,67550, viz.: real estate, $14,121,000; personalestate, $11,724,67550. The taxation on propertyamounted to $438,99565, of which$32,380 was for state purposes, and $22,24330for county purposes. The net expendituresfor the eleven months ending Dec. 1, 1874,were $279,68029; city debt, less cash assetson that date, $1,858,75307. Besides thealmshouse and smallpox hospital, there are anorphan asylum, a dispensary, a reform schoolfor boys, and several charitable societies. Thepublic schools are under the general managementof a school committee of 20 members,who appoint a superintendent. There are ahigh school, five grammar and twelve primaryschools, two evening schools, two drawingschools, and a special school for factory operativesand others unable to pursue the regularcourse. The number of pupils enrolled in thepublic day schools in 1874 was 4,206; averageattendance, 2,953; number of teachers, 80.The total expenditure for schools was $71,18055. One of the state normal schools (forfemales) is here. Among the principal publicinstitutions is the East India marine society,organized in 1799, and formed of those who,as captains or supercargoes, have doubled CapeHorn or the cape of Good Hope. The museumof this society is one of the most interestingand valuable in the country. Together withthe scientific collections of the Essex institute,it has been placed in charge of the trustees ofthe Peabody academy of science, founded byGeorge Peabody in 1869 by the gift of $150,000.The joint collections, with those of the academy,are deposited in the East India marinehall, and are accessible to the public. TheEssex institute, organized in 1848 by the unionof the Essex historical society and the Essexcounty natural history society, besides itsextensive cabinet of natural history, has a libraryof 30,000 volumes, a large collection ofportraits, and many historical and other relics.The Salem Athenæum, formed in 1810 by thepurchase of the social and philosophical librariesas a basis, has a library of 15,500 volumes.These two last named institutions occupy thefine building known as Plummer hall, erectedin 1856 from funds bequeathed to the SalemAthenæum by Miss Caroline Plummer. In thesame building are the libraries, each comprisingabout 1,000 volumes, of the Essex agriculturalsociety, incorporated in 1818, and theEssex southern district medical society, formedin 1805. The office of the permanent secretaryof the American association for theadvancement of science, organized in 1848, is inthe East India marine hall, and contains asmall and select scientific library. The charitablemechanical association, organized in 1817,has a library of 4,000 volumes. Other importantassociations are the marine society, institutedin 1766; the lyceum, in 1830; the youngmen's union, in 1855; and the young men'sChristian association, in 1858. Twosemi-weekly and three weekly newspapers and twomonthly periodicals are published. The numberof churches is 20, viz.: 3 Baptist, 3Congregational, 2 Episcopal, 1 Free Advent, 1Friends', 2 Methodist, 1 New Jerusalem, 2Roman Catholic, 4 Unitarian, and 1 Universalist.Salem is the oldest town inMassachusetts except Plymouth, having been settledin 1628 by John Endicott, before whose arrival,however, a house had been built there byRoger Conant in 1626. In 1629 11 shipsarrived here from England, bringing 406immigrants, who settled in various localities in thevicinity. The first church organization effectedin this country was at Salem in 1629, with theRev. Francis Higginson as its pastor. In 1692the famous witchcraft delusion made itsappearance, and 19 persons from this and adjacenttowns were executed on the eminencenow known as Gallows hill. It had its originin what is now the town of Danvers, and thepersons connected with it belonged to severalother towns also. (See Witch.) The town wasincorporated in 1630, and received cityprivileges in 1836. Its Indian name was Naumkeag.