Kim Ream

every little thing

Thankfully it’s not October yet!

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Often mistaken for a male witch, this statue in front of the Salem Witch Museum is of the city founder Roger Conant. This 9 foot tall bronze statue was erected in 1913.

Witches and warlocks abound in Salem, Massachusetts, even in September! I’d hate to see this place in October!

Saturday morning Dale and I headed about an hour’s drive northeast of us to explore the historic town of Salem. Of course the witch trials is one very well-known time in this town’s history, but there is much more we didn’t know.

Colonists began settling in this area in 1626. John Winthrop was elected Governor in late 1629, and arrived with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, one of the many events that began the Puritan Great Migration to the area. The infamous Salem Witch Trials began in 1692, and 19 people were executed by hanging because of the false accusations. By 1790, Salem had become the sixth-largest city in the country, and a world-famous seaport—particularly in the China Trade.

We found a local guide on Airbnb Experiences that offers group tours. It turns out that Dale and I were the only ones who booked her for that time slot. So, for the next two hours we had a personal tour of Salem with Beth, who has lived in Salem her entire life. She took us off the tourist-packed, store-lined streets to the beautiful historic neighborhoods and notable locations.

Later that day we had a reservation for a trip around the harbor on the Schooner Fame, which is a full-scale replica of a privateer schooner from the War of 1812. Captain Mike took us slowly from our moorings and out to the harbor, but unfortunately he never increased speed. Our dose of Dramamine was wasted! There were two families with very lively kids however, and that provided quite a bit of entertainment.

Here are a few photos of the day.

There are many charming streets in Salem. Dale and I focused on historical, not spiritual sites and activities. The town fully embraces the occultic.
This building, called the Ropes Mansion, was featured in the movie “Hocus Pocus”. It was Allison’s house. The entire movie was shot in Salem.
The Witch Trial Memorial has stones around the perimeter that bear the names and the execution dates of each of the 20 victims.
Our tour guide, Beth, was full of interesting information. We were fortunate to have her all to ourselves. She has lived in Salem her whole life. We found her under “Experiences” on Airbnb.
Alexander Graham Bell presented his first public demonstration of the telephone in this building.
We took a ride of the harbor on The schooner Fame which is a full-scale replica of the first American privateer schooner to get to sea during the War of 1812.
More photos

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