History of Salem, (Essex County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Local History Notes:

The 1854 Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin shows:

SALEM, a city, port of entry, and one of the capitals of Essex county, Massachusetts, is situated chiefly on a tongue of land formed by two inlets of the sea, called North and South rivers, 14 miles N. by E. from Boston. Lat. 42° 31' 18" N., lon. 70° 53' 53" W. It extends nearly 2 miles in length, and three-quarters of a mile in breadth, occupying the peninsula from shore to shore. The streets are generally irregular. Chestnut street is considered the handsomest. It is finely shaded with elms, and on either side are rows of elegant mansions. In the eastern section of the city is a beautiful public ground, containing 8 1/2 acres. Salem is for the most part well built, largely of wood, but partly also of brick and stone. The principal public buildings are the city hall, erected in 1837; the court house, a new and handsome edifice; Marine Hall, Mechanic Hall, and the churches, of which there are 19 or 20. Salem is distinguished for the number and standing of its scientific and literary institutions; among which may be mentioned the East India Marine Society, formed in 1799 by those who, acting either as captains or supercargoes, had made one or more voyages around the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn. The museum comprises a highly interesting and valuable cabinet of natural and artificial curiosities, collected from all parts of the world. The Essex Institute, organized in 1848, by the union of the Essex Historical and Essex County Natural History societies, has a library of about 8000 volumes, and a good cabinet of natural history. The Salem Athen�um, formed in 1810, by the union of the Social and Philosophical libraries, contains 12,500 volumes. The Essex Agricultural Society, organized in 1818, has a library of agricultural works deposited in the city hall. By the census of 1850, there were in Salem 10 public libraries, with an aggregate of 23,300 volumes; 27 private libraries, of over 1000 volumes each, with an aggregate of 55,650 volumes; public school libraries, 3995 volumes, and Sabbath-school libraries, 3700 volumes, making a total of 86,645 volumes. The benevolent institutions are a hospital and an almshouse. Salem has excellent public schools. In 1852 there were in the city 1 Latin and 2 high schools; 7 grammar, and 17 intermediate and primary schools, attended by 3058 pupils. The total amount of money expended for school purposes during the year 1851-2 was $32,741 69/100. Six newspapers are published in the city.

Salem has a convenient harbor, affording good anchorage and extensive railroad communication with the interior. In commercial importance it has always held a high rank among the cities of New England. In 1818 it had 53 vessels, with an aggregate burthen of 14,272 tons, engaged in the East India trade. This branch of industry has of late years considerably declined--many of the cargoes formerly received here being discharged at the ports of Boston and New York. December, 1852, there were owned in Salem 22 ships, with an aggregate burthen of 15,196 tons; 40 barques, 11,235 tons; 33 brigs, 5416 tons; 4 whalers, and several other vessels, besides 17,500 tons employed in the coast trade and the fisheries--making a total of 50,455 tons. The foreign arrivals for the year ending June 30th, 1852, were 448, (tons, 40,721,) of which 367 (tons, 26,040) were by foreign vessels. The clearances for foreign ports were 437, (tons, 40,084,) of which 26,206 were in foreign bottoms.

Manufacturing is carried on to a considerable extent. The Naumeag Steam Cotton Company, incorporated in 1839, have a building 405 feet by 65, and 4 stories high, and run 32,768 spindles. The Salem Laboratory Company manufacture sulphuric acid and other chemicals to the amount of about $100,000 annually. Another establishment yearly turns out 1,500,000 pounds of cleaned copal. Besides the above, there are manufactories of machinery, black and white lead, sperm oil, candles, cordage, twine, &c. The annual receipts for tanning and currying is about $650,000, and for boots and shoes upwards of $200,000. Salem has 7 banks with an aggregate capital of $1,750,000, a savings institution, and 6 or 7 insurance companies. An aqueduct supplies the city with excellent spring-water. Two bridges, one for ordinary travel, 1481 feet in length, and the other for the passage of railroad cars, span the North river and communicate with Beverly Next to Plymouth, Salem is the oldest town in New England, having been first settled in 1626. In 1629, eleven ships arrived from England, bringing out 1500 persons, by whom settlements were commenced at Charlestown, Boston, and other places: 200 of these settlers died the first winter. During this year, (1629,) the first complete church organization ever effected in North America was founded at Salem, with the Rev. Francis Higginson as its pastor. About the year 1692 prevailed the famous 'witchcraft' delusion, through which 19 persons in this and the neighboring towns were condemned and executed. The house in which the accused had their trials is still standing, and the place of their execution, a beautiful eminence overlooking the city, is now known as 'Gallows Hill.' Salem was distinguished for its patriotic zeal during the Revolutionary war. It is said that 60 armed vessels, manned by 4000 men, were fitted out from this port as privateers. Incorporated as a town in 1630, and as a city in 1836. The Indian name was Naumeag. Population in 1840, 15,082; in 1850, 20,263, and in 1853, about 22,500.

Biographies:

Le Aaron Russell Briggs, educator, was born in Salem Mass., Dec. 11, 1855; son of George Ware and Lucia Jane (Russell) Briggs; grandson of William and Sally (Palmer) Briggs; and a descendant of Nathaniel and Martha (Le Baron) Russell and of Gov. William Bradford and John Howland, Plymouth, Dec. 21, 1620. He was graduated from Harvard in 1875; was a tutor there, 1878-'8l; instructor in English, 1883-'85; assistant professor of English, 1885-'90; full professor in 1890, and dean of the college in 1891. He received the degree A.M. from Harvard in 1882.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Benjamin Peirce, editor and librarian, was born in Salem, Mass., Sept. 30, 1778; son of Jerahmael (or Jerathmiel) and Sarah (Ropes) Peirce; grandson of Jerahmael, of Charlestown, and Rebecca (Hurd) Peirce; great-grandson of Benjamin, of Charlestown, and Hannah (Bowers) Peirce; great2-grandson of Robert, of Woburn, and Mary (Knight) Peirce; and great3-grandson of John Pers, weaver, and Elizabeth Pers, who emigrated with four children in 1637, from Norwich, England, to Watertown, Mass. Benjamin Peirce was graduated from Harvard with the highest honors of his class, A.B., 1801, A.M., 1804, and entered business with his father in Salem, as a member of the firm of Peirce & Waite, having trade with China. He was a representative from Salem in the general court for several years and state senator, 1811. He was married, Dec. 11, 1803, to Lydia Ropes, daughter of Ichabod and Lydia (Ropes) Nichols of Salem. He was librarian of Harvard college, 1826-31, and prepared A Catalogue of the Library of Harvard University (4 vols. 1830-31), and A History of Harvard University from Its Foundation in the Year 1636 to the Period of the American Revolution (1833). He died in Cambridge, Mass., July 26, 1831.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Pickering, philologist, was born in Salem, Mass., Feb. 7, 1777; son of Timothy and Rebecca ( White ) Pickering. He was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1796, A.M., 1799; studied law in Philadelphia, and was secretary to William Smith, U.S. minister to Portugal, 1897-99, and to Rufus King, U.S. minister to Great Britain, 1799-1801. He practised law in Salem, Mass., 1801-27; removed to Boston in 1827, and was city solicitor until his resignation in 1846. He was a representative in the state legislature, state senator and member of the committee that revised and arranged the statutes of Massachusetts. He spoke fluently the English, French, Portugese, Italian, Spanish, German, Romaic, Greek, and Latin languages, and studied the Eastern languages and the Indian languages of America. He declined the professorship of English and Oriental languages, also that of Greek Literature at Harvard, and the office of provost of the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the board of overseers of Harvard, 1818-24, and received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Bowdoin in 1822, and from Harvard in 1835. He was president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of the American Oriental society; a member of the Linn?an Society of New England; the American Philosophical society; the American Antiquarian society; the Society of the Cincinnati; the Boston Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge; the Massachusetts Historical society; the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians; the French Society of Universal Statistics; the Berlin Academy of Sciences, and the Oriental Society of Paris; and an honorary member of the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Legal Knowledge; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Arch?ological Society of Greece, the New Hampshire Historical society, the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in China, the Michigan Historical society, and the Egyptian Literary association. He is the author of: A Vocabulary or Collection of Words and Phrases which have been supposed to be Peculiar to the United States of America (1814); Memoir on the Adoption of a Uniform Orthography for the Indian Languages of North America (1820); Review of the International McLeod Question (1825); Comprehensive Dictionary of the Greek Language (1826); Lecture on the Alleged Uncertainty of Law (1830); The Agrarian Laws (1833); Memoir on the Inhabitants of Lord North's Island (1835); Remarks on the Indian Languages of North America (1836). He died in Boston, Mass., May 5, 1846.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Hickling Prescott, historian, was born in Salem, Mass., May 4, 1796; son of William and Catharine G. (Hickling) Prescott; grandson of Col. William and Abigail (Hale) Prescott, and of Thomas Hickling of Boston, Mass., and a descendant of John and Mary (Platts) Prescott. He was graduated at Harvard A.B. 1814, A.M. 1817, and entered his father's office to study law, but owing to the accidental loss of one eye, which seriously impaired the sight of the other, was obliged to seek medical advice in Europe. He visited England, France and Italy, and on his return to Boston, Mass., determined to devote himself to historical writing, and to accomplish this employed an assistant who served as a secretary, amanuensis and reader, and in writing used an ingenious instrument for the blind, called the poctograph. He was married, May 4, 1820, to Susan, daughter of Thomas C. and Hannah (Linzee) Amory. He made a study of Italian and Spanish literature to prepare himself for his first special work, History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, which cost him ten years of difficult labor. The leading learned societies of the United States and Europe honored him by making him a member or fellow. He received the degree LL.D. from Columbia, 1840; William and Mary, 1841; South Carolina college, 1841; and Harvard, 1843; and that of D.C.L. from Oxford university, England, in 1850, while on a visit to that country. He is the author of: Life of Charles Brockden Brown (1834); History of Ferdinand and Isabella (4 vols. 1838), translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian; The Conquest of Mexico (3 vols. 1843);The Conquest of Peru (2 vols. 1847), translated into several languages; Biographical and Critical Miscellanies (1845); The Reign of Philip II., King of Spain (2 vols. 1855; vol. 3 1858; vol. 4, left incomplete, 1859); a supplement entitled The Life of Charles V., After his Abdication, to a new edition of Robertson's "History of the Reign of Charles V." (1858); contributions to the North American Review; memoirs of John Pickering and Abbott Lawrence, and several essays. See "Life of Prescott, the Historian," by George Ticknor (1864). His name in the "Class A, Authors and Editors" received thirty-two votes for a place in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York university, October, 1900, only nine names in the class receiving more votes. He died in Boston, Mass., Jan. 28, 1859.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor