My Recent Visit to Salem, Massachusetts

     As you've probably read previously in my blog, Salem, Massachusetts was on my list of the most haunted places in the United States that I'd like to visit. My husband and I took a detour on our road trip home from Maine and went to Salem, Massachusetts. Now I can cross it off of my list of places to visit. For now. I would like to revisit Salem at night time, when they have the different ghost and witch tours. I'd especially want to walk through the cemeteries after dark.  In my previous blog entry there is a slide show of my whole trip to Salem Massachusetts. But if you haven't seen it yet, here it is for you to look at. Enjoy!

      Salem was one of the most significant seaports in early America. It has the first National Historic Site designated by Congress, the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, which , protects Salem's historic waterfront. But most of the city's cultural identity is reflective of its role as the location of the Salem witch trials of 1692: Police cars are adorned with witch logos, a local public school is known as the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, the Salem sports teams are named the Witches.

    Salem is a mix of important historical sites, New Age and Wiccan boutiques,  many witch and Halloween themed attractions and a bustling downtown with restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.  We ate lunch at Custom House Rotisserie on Liberty Street across from the Salem Witch Trials memorial. The town has the old time feel, with modern day traffic, to sum it up.  Everywhere you look there are pictures of witches, signs, tshirts, tours, museums, all capitalizing on the tragic events that took place in Salem in 1692.

    The Salem Witch trials claimed the lives of many innocent people. Nineteen women were accused of and hanged on Gallows Hill for witchcraft. One accused witch, a Giles Corey was pressed to death on September 19th, and several accused witches died in prison. History likes to forget that small detail, that there were more than 19 victims of the Salem Witch Trials. They say at least 13 accused witches died in jail. But there weren't sufficient records to confirm exactly how many deaths.

     It may be most widely known as the site of the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692, but this colorful, coastal city has much to offer both residents and visitors: a culturally diverse population, a rich maritime heritage, an impressive display of historic architecture and amazing stories that span almost four centuries. Stroll through Salem with an open mind and a big imagination. There are countless ghost tours, witch tours, even a witch's education league and witch supply stores. It really kicks into overdrive this time of year, around Halloween. Then it really lives up to it's nickname, "Witch City USA". There were people dressed as witches on the sidewalk.  There were vendors selling witch tshirts, and a big red line painted on the sidewalk.  The line is a "guide" through the town, leading you to different historic sights, museums, and other tourist attractions.

     You would think the Witch Trials, that were so public and awful that Gallows Hill would have made such a huge impression on people that the location would live forever if only in infamy.  Yet today, the exact location of the hangings, and even which hill is Gallows Hill, is not precisely known. We went to a field where they say it could be located.  Others say it is a different location, now used as a playing field for the local team's games.  No one knows for sure. It was interesting, poking around, walking on the same ground that many might have perished on. There were some trees standing in that area that could have possibly been old enough to have been the original Gallow's Hill Hanging Tree. But perhaps there once was and it was cut down. Maybe an attempt to move past the town's tragic history? It can't be a coincidence that every other historical site pertaining to the witch trials is available for public viewing but this one is just gone? There were records of every person accused of witchcraft. There were documents giving a pretty detailed account of the witch trials, for back then.  But there is still conflict as to where exactly the Gallow's Hill Hanging tree, used for at least 19 hangings, is located, today, not definitely at least.

     I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that Salem had made such a large tourist trade off the Hysteria.  Executions took place on June 10, July 19, August 19, September 19 and September 22, 1692. To this day, the events of 1692 are used as a basis, an example, to attempt to measure the depth of civility and due process in our society.  Hopefully past mistakes have led to learned lessons.  They remind us of a time when the world was more chaotic, less organized, and a bit ignorant. The Witch Trials Memorial was dedicated by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel in August 1992 as part of the Salem Witch Trials TerCentenary.  The Memorial consists of 20 granite benches cantilevered from a low stone wall surrounding an area adjoining the Old Burying Point. The benches are inscribed with the name of the accused and the means and date of execution.

It was a bit sad that these innocent people were murdered and their memorial consists of benches that people can sit on. That really shows where people believed they ranked in society. It was as if the memorial was an afterthought, not something genuine.  It seemed more of a political thing than anything else. It makes one look good to recognize and honor past tragedies.

     Salem is a nice quaint little town with a very fascinating history.  Definitely worth a visit. There is a lot to do, especially after dark. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to see one of the lost souls lingering in the cemetery.  That's definitely a reason for me to go back. In the daytime it was nice though. There were a lot of tourists. Which was a negative. But it had a laid back feel to it.  It was a nice, sunny afternoon to enjoy a nice stroll through this town, and there was a lot to take in and reflect upon.

   When reports of witchcraft began circulating beginning in late 1691, Jonathon Corwin was one of the magistrates called on to make preliminary inquiries into the reports. He and John Hathorne, another local magistrate, held hearings in early March 1692 in which testimony was gathered from Tituba, ,Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne, the first three women accused of being witches. These magistrates presided at the "examinations" which functioned as preliminary hearings and decided whether there was enough evidence to hold an accused witch for trial.  John Hathorne's house is in Salem. As is Jonathan Corwin's. Jonathan Corwin's family moved his grave elsewhere to avoid desecration.  I did find it somewhat funny that the other bigoted, single minded people, who sentenced innocent people to death, are buried by the witch's memorial. That is a bit ironic to say the least. Just also. Perhaps they cannot rest in peace because of it. That seems fair to me.

So go check out Salem, Massachusetts. It's worth the visit. I had fun and plan to go back to hunt down the supposed ghosts of the graveyards in Salem, Massachusetts.

    

Haunted Places that I'd like to visit including Salem, Massachusetts

   In 1692, Salem, Mass. became the sight of a series of infamous trials after three local women were accused of using witchcraft to terrorize a trio of young girls; thus beginning the Salem Witch Trials.  They were started by gossipy, lying girls who pretended the "the witch" was casting spells on them and controlling them. But they didn't find this out until it was too late. People were caught up in the literal "Witch Hunt.", anyone who exhibited strange behavior or any other minor offense, sometimes nothing at all, would be accused of witchcraft. The ignorance spread, as it tends to do, and the "trials" soon escalated as towns people, scared and angry, started accusing  neighbors and acquaintances, almost all of them unmarried women, of being witches. They would torture these poor accused people. They were probably innocent and just the victims of ignorance and hysteria, as often occurs throughout history and even today.
    There were many ways they "tested" to see if someone was a witch. Their methods were not only highly unintelligent, inaccurate, but barbaric. Had they really learned nothing from centuries before of violence and madness? Apparently we still haven't learned too much in those areas. The accusers would tie up the accused and dunk them in a river or a pond. If the accused floated, they were considered to be in collusion with Satan, a Witch. But if they sank, they were cleared of the charges of witchcraft. That seems pointless in my mind. It makes me want to go back and ask, "Really? I mean really? Guess what, people float, the world isn't flat and gossipy people love to make trouble."  Also, a method not as written about, they would make "Witch Cakes", from human urine mixed with rye flour and once the cake was baked a dog was brought in and fed the cake. If the dog ate it the accusers assumed that each bite the dog took would send the so-called witch accused into great pain and groans and howling. Most dogs will eat anything, including their own feces. So why wouldn't they eat a nasty Witch Cake? 1 of the 6 men Giles Cory who was 80 years old refused to condemn any women in the village of witchcraft and refused to admit he too was a witch so they laid him out in a field and piled heavy stones on him hoping that he would admit to being a witch. He did not and he died. But you have to respect him for trying to do the right thing, even though it didn't work out for him too well at the time, perhaps he is one of the few souls at rest, since he did the right thing. Over 150 people were arrested and charged, and as many as 19 were eventually executed by hanging.
     Given the conditions, the idea that the Salem witch trials may have been fuelled by ergot poisoning is quite plausible. Salem, like many other communities in the past and present, harvested rye and it was a staple in their diet. But it turns out that rye grass is susceptible to a particular fungus called Claviceps purpurea which infects the edible portions of the plant. During the ergot stage of this fungus’ development, a combination of interesting alkaloids are present which will cause problems with circulation and neurotransmission when ingested by humans. Ergot poisoning, or ergotism, can cause a distressing array of side effects. The initial symptoms are gastrointestinal, then it reaps havoc on the central nervous system. These usually start with relatively benign sensations such as headaches, “pins and needles,” and burning/itching sensations on the skin; but then it escalates into spasms, convulsions, unconsciousness, hallucinations, and psychosis. In severe cases, the body tissues experience physical side effects such as loss of peripheral sensation, swelling, blisters, dry gangrene, and sometimes death. The ergot poisoning in Salem could not have been severe, however, otherwise more dramatic side effects would have occurred. Salem was a community stricken with inequality, fear of the native Indians, bitter disputes over land, sexual repression and apparently ignorance. It is likely that Ergot of Rye was merely a catalyst in an already volatile situation, and mass hysteria took care of the rest.
     Today, the town of Salem encourages its reputation as “Witch City, USA” and has one of the biggest Halloween celebrations in the country. Alongside the tourist shops and museums, though, stand several infamous ghostly locations related to the witch trials. One of particular concern is Gallows Hill, the site of several hangings, which is said to be haunted by the spirits of the 19 people lynched for being witches.It very much reflects the mentality of people, especially back then. Mass hysteria caused by ignorance, and people's inability to accept things they can't understand. To this day people continue to do that, all of the time.
     One of the ghosts haunting Salem may be The Joshua Ward House, on Washington Street. It was the home of Sheriff George Corwin and was also his grave, though his remains have been moved. He was so hated by the victims and their families, that his family was afraid of his grave being desecrated, understandably. Considering the things he'd done, he should consider himself lucky if grave decimation was the worst thing to happen to him after his death. Corwin was known as "The Strangler", because of his gruesome torture methods; which included tying his victim's necks to their ankles until the blood ran from their noses. He also was in charge of the "pressing" murder of Giles Corey. In the mid 1980s, the house was owned by a realtor who used the building as a business office. Employees and clients reported choking or suffocating sensations while in the building. Was that Corwin's hands of death? There was also a woman with dark hair and a long coat spotted in a photo, when she wasn't physically there. Was she murdered by Corwin as well?There have been many alleged hauntings in Salem even to this very day. There are more than a 100,000 visitors each year and many report strange encounters, including a rocking chair rocking by itself. And there are many other haunted sites where people have reported seeing ghosts.
  In conclusion, what a great place to visit!