THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 25 



Monday, March 7, 1897. — Regular meeting of the So- 

 ciety this evening in the Library room. Gilbert L. 

 Streeter, Esq., read an elaborate paper on "Salem Neck 

 and Winter Island." The speaker said that Winter Island 

 contains but thirty-six acres, l)ut has a great history. The 

 place was first visited hy white men in 1614. Captain 

 John Smith called this section Bass-town and Bass-ta])le 

 because of the abundance of bass in the ha}' at that time. 

 The Indians here were more fishermen than hunters. Some 

 early families of Salem settled on the Neclv, and Winter 

 Island was the centre of the fishing business. The pres- 

 ent causeway between the Neck and the Island was built 

 as early as 1637. There were places for forty vessels to 

 land fish at one time. The wharves were on the inner side. 



The road now running to the Fort was a street called 

 Fish street. There were houses towards Salem along 

 the shore, and the cellars have been visible within the 

 memory of people now living. The settlement on the 

 neck at that time was called Waterto wn. There was an 

 inn kept by elohn Clifford on the island. In after years 

 the Neck became a place for ship-building. The famous 

 " Frigate Essex " was built here near the close of the last 

 century. The first fort on Winter Island was begun in 

 1643. In 1699 it was known as Fort William. In 1794 

 it was ceded to the United States, and in 1799 named 

 Fort Pickering, and on being rebuilt was considered one 

 of the best fortifications on the coast. Winter Island has 

 been used as a camping ground for militia at times, since 

 1853. 



The paper is printed in the Historical Collections. 



Monday Evening, March 8, 1897. — Curtis Guild, Jr., 

 of Boston, lectured in Plummer Hall on "The Sword in 

 Warfare." 



KSSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XXIX 2* 



