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Salem’s Contribution to the North Shore Fame 
BY MARY TAYLOR FALT 
ALEM is one of America’s unique cities. Adown 
the vista of years one looks through two cen- 
turies and more of fascinating and individual 
historic growth and marked literary significance. 
It is the North Shore’s noted, modern county town 
where centres its important county affairs, but the pri- 
wary interest in Salem to the tourist centres in her 
connection with the Witchcraft Days and her fame in 
literary and civic history. 
As a neighboring city of Marblehead and Beverly, 
the latter city now famed as the seat of the ‘‘Summer 
White House,’’ it recalls the historical chronicle of 
several distinguished national characters, who have vis- 
ited Salem’s confines and given brilliant. and notable 
touches to her famous annals. 
During the siege of Boston, there is evidence that 
Ceorge Washington, when a young man, visited Salem 
as a guest of the Clark family. He also visited Salem 
en his northern tour, October 29, 1789. Washington 
eame through from Marblehead by way of Lafayette 
street, which was then a rural lane. 
The present Washington House, Salem’s_ well- 
Lnown historic hotel, was then the Joshua Ward man- 
sion. It was placed at Pres. Washington’s service dur- 
ing his visit by the Ward family. Washington is said 
to have passed the night in the northeast chamber, sec- 
ond floor of the mansion, now the hotel. Washington 
attended a ball in his honor at the Assembly House, 
138 Federal street, now a private residence. This house 
was built in 1784. Lafayette dined there in 1784. 
Other Presidential visitors were President Polk, 
who on a very rainy July 5, 1847, passed through Sa- 
lem. He did not leave his carriage to visit points of 
interest. President Grant passed through Salem, Octo- 
ber 17, 1871. He was received by the city government 
on a temporary platform erected on Washington street 
to which he stepped from his car to make a brief address. 
President Grant was at that time on a cruise in eastern 
waters, having landed from the United States steamer, 
‘‘Dispatch.’’ President Munroe visited Salem, July 8, 
1817. He was a distinguished visitor at the opening of 
the Town Hall. He spent two or three days that summer 
in Salem. He lunched and dined with Senator Silsbee, 
Seeretary Crowninshield and Judge Story. He was 
enest of honor at a ball at the residence of Stephen 
White. President John Adams frequently visited Salem 
unofficially as the guest of a relative, the father of 
Judge Wm. Cranch, who served on the U. S. Supreme 
Court bench in 1805. President Jackson visited the 
city of Salem, June 26, 1833. He passed the night at 
the Capt. Nathaniel West mansion, which was located 
on Essex. street, opposite Central street. 
The late King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, 
was received in Salem, October 20, 1860 by the Salem 
covernment while on his Eastern tour. 
Existing today are relics and points of interest, 
vhich will refresh the memory and elicit wide interest 
in this city of striking individuality and traditions par- 
ticularly in connection with the Witchcraft Days and 
Salem’s fame in literary history. At the Court House 
on Federal street can be found the death warrant of 
3ridget Bishop, one of the witches. Other witchcraft 
records are also there. The ‘‘Old Witch House,’’ 310 
dissex street, tradition tells us was called so because 
some of the preliminary trials were held there for con- 
viction of witches. A tablet has been placed in the 
front of the Kinsman Block, Washington street, to 
mark the site of the Witchcraft Court House. Gallows 
Till is the site of the execution of nineteen witches in 
1692. At 4 Federal street is the site of the Witchcraft 
Jail where persons accused of witchcraft were inear- 
cerated. In Broad street cemetery ean be found the 
gravestone of Sheriff Corwin, who arrested and executed 
the witches and of Judge Hawthorne, one of the judges 
at witcheraft trials. 
Distinct literary interest surrounds Salem in rela- 
tion to her distinguished author resident, Nathaniel 
Ilawthorne. At number 27 Union street is the birth- 
place of Hawthorne. He was born there July 4, 1804. 
On Derby street is the Custom House where Hawthorne 
began “‘The Scarlet Letter.’? The desk upon which 
le wrote can be seen at the Essex Institute, Salem. 
Dr. Grimshawe house is located at 53 Charter 
street. It was the home of Miss Sophia Peabody be- 
fore her marriage to Hawthorne. It is the same house 
which figures in his story, ‘‘Dr. Grimshawe’s Seeret.’’ 
Hawthorne’s most celebrated romances are ‘‘Sear- 
let Letter,’’ ‘‘House of the Seven Gables,’’ ‘‘Blithedale 
Romanee,’’ and ‘‘Marble Faun.’’ The Turner house, 
o4 Turner street, built about 1662-67, was a favorite 
haunt of Hawthorne, the ‘‘House of the Seven Gables.’’ 
Tiawthorne wrote ‘‘The Scarlet Letter’’ at his residence, 
14 Mall street. It was published in 1850 and it estab- 
lished his fame. ‘‘The House of the Seven Gables’’ 
was laid in Salem, but written in Lenox. Its denoue- 
ment was suggested by a curse invoked on John Ham- 
ilton by a fainting witch. Judge Pyncheon, the leading 
character and his manner of death was suggested by 
seeing Judge Pickering of Salem, asleep in his chair. 
The scenes of ‘‘The Scarlet Letter’? were laid in 
Toston, but the book was written in Salem. It is un- 
paralleled in imaginative writing. It introduced 
graphie and humorous sketches of the inmates of the 
Salem Custom House. It taught the story of the effect 
of the same sin on opposite natures. Salem is imme- 
ciately recalled in song or story when we speak of 
Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl Chilling- 
worth, the immortal and leading characters of ‘‘The 
Searlet Letter.’’ 
