Boston - July 4th and on to Salem, MA

July 4th fireworks in Boston were on the Charles River and unfortunately not completely visible from our marina.  They also did not start until 10:30 PM.  Keith and I watched the live NYC fireworks on TV and were in bed before 10:30 PM. 

On Friday the 5th of July Keith and I did a 2 hour segway tour of Boston.  We had never done this before, and it was quite fun.  The only thing is that they do not let you have cameras or phones while on the segway.  This made picture taking pretty much impossible.  They did take pictures for us and those will be emailed to us, but the guide said it may be several days to a week.  I will get them posted when they arrive.

     It was very hot in Boston and although we debated taking a trolley tour as well, we opted to go back to the boat and relax after our segway adventure.

Saturday morning July 6th we left Boston and cruised to Salem, MA.  We arrived about 11:30 AM into Pickering Wharf Marina in Salem.

Boston skyline as we left Saturday morning

Salem is well known due to it being the location of the 1692 Salem witch trials.  Due to a combination of social, religious, political and legal factors, 14 women and 5 men were hanged for the crime of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. Another man was pressed to death for refusing to stand trial, and an additional 5 people died in jail awaiting trial. This was at a time when most European people believed that witches were real and could cause harm. It is estimated that between the mid-fifteenth and the mid-eighteenth century, about 50,000 people were legally executed for the crime of witchcraft in Europe and its colonies. Before 1692, witch trials in New England had generally been infrequent, local occurrences involved few people. The Salem trials were different mainly because of the sheer number of people — about 175 — accused during the course of the crisis. 

The Witch Trials lasted for a short period of American history but left an indelible mark.

The Witch Memorial dedicated to the memory of those executed during the hysteria of 1692

20 stones each engraved with a victim surround the memorial

 

Charter street cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the country.  Founded in 1637 when Puritanism was widely practiced in Massachusetts, it contains the remains of many prominent townspeople of the time.  Bartholomew Gedney, the town physician and John Hathorne, the magistrate of the witch trials are both buried here.  John Hathorne was the great-great grandfather of  famous author Nathanial Hawthorne.  Nathanial added the "w" in his last name in an attempt to distance himself from the notorious judge who sent many innocent people to their deaths during the witch trials.  None of those executed during the trial are here.  Their remains have been lost as they were not allowed to be buried in a cemetery and most were put in shallow, unmarked graves outside of town.

Charter Cemetery

Tree estimated to be over 400 years old.  This tree would have been here during the witch trials.

The Puritans interpreted the Bible literally, and thus never used religious imagery (even in their churches).  As a result, angels and crosses were not used in Puritan cemetery markers.  Instead they used death's heads for mortality.  Here is an example on one of the old markers.

Death's Head from 1688 grave marker

The post-1692 history saw the rise of Salem as a global force in fishing, shipbuilding, overseas trade – where millions of dollars were made by Salem sea captains in what’s known as the Great Age of Sail. In the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution brought leather tanneries and cotton mills to Salem.

View of the downtown wharf in the early 1800's

Some of America’s first millionaires lived in Salem. Their fortunes were made in the Great Age of Sail and the legacy of this time can be seen in the forms of incomparable architecture and unique museums. Of national note, the city was also home to the first muster in 1637 on Salem Common, marking the birthplace of the National Guard.  At one time, Salem had 13 custom houses in the town.  One is still present and preserved for the public on the downtown wharf.

Custom House

The original wooden eagle is on display in the visitor's center.

Lighthouse at the tip of the wharf

Salem has been a popular destination for hundreds of years. Visitors include Presidents George Washington and John Quincy Adams, and artists Maurice Prendergist and Edward Hopper. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell called Salem home as did popular Impressionist artists Philip Little and Frank Benson. In popular culture, Salem has been featured in a number of television shows and movies including Bewitched, Hocus Pocus, and many more.

Historic building used by the Salem Preservation Society

Famous  American author Nathanial Hawthorne was born in Salem, July 4th, 1804.   Two of his most well known works are House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter.   The house that inspired his work "The House of the Seven Gables" is located in Salem.  The house was built by a Salem sea captain and merchant John Turner in 1668.  Three generations of the Turner family lived in the house before it was sold to Captain S. Damuel Ingersoll in 1782.  An active captain during the great age of sailing, Ingersoll died at sea leaving the property to his daughter Susanna (a cousin of Hawthorne).

Hawthorne visited the house frequently and was inspired by its name.  Today the house is a museum open to the public.  Its original portion was built in 1668, and although additions and changes were made over the centuries; it stands today with 3 gables, 17 rooms and is 8,000 square feet.  It is one of the oldest timber-framed mansions still surviving in continental North America.

House of the Seven Gables grounds

We had a great time in Salem.  Our 2 hour history tour Saturday night was wonderful.  Tour guide Jeff was a wealth of information, unfortunately it rained steadily the entire tour.  Since you cannot do anything about the weather, so we forged on.  There are also many very good restaurants here in Salem.  We had a wonderful Italian dinner Saturday night at Bella Verona and one of the best brunches Sunday morning at Red's.  Pengi also had fun exploring the witchy history of Salem.