People Bring out the Magic of Salem

It takes a lot of people to make a destination like Salem come alive. First of all, Salem is a historic port. Before the American Revolution, Salem was a hub of British trade for the entire Atlantic Ocean, from Canada to the Carribbean, and across to England and the Mediterranean. With the shackles of Britain removed by the Revolution, entrepreneurs from Salem pioneered trade with the rest of the world, and brought back millions of dollars worth of goods from the Far East.

Backing up to the 17th Century, the Salem Witch Trials have served as a continual reminder to protect the rights of the accused. In 1692, 20 innocent people were judged guilty and put to death for witchcraft merely on the words of some young women who claimed that they were being pinched,poked, and shoved by unseen beings controlled by their former friends and neighbors.

Salem's native son Samuel McIntire carved out a new architectural style in the 18th-century, contributing mightily to the Federal style and, along with his colleagues, leaving Salem with an incredible and incomparable collection of Federal architecture, wood carving, and decorative arts.

Today, Salem has historic inns, contemporary hotels, restaurants that serve food from every corner of the world - not to mention great New England fare, great shopping for everything from high-end cosmetics to women's fashion to jewelry to spells to ritual supplies. I didn't mention t-shirts and souvenirs. You can get souvenirs in Salem, too. That could be a whole other blog post - what is a "souvenir"? Because it means something different to pretty much everyone.

(I have to mention here that the first souvenir trading spoons were sold in Salem. Salem is home to lots of firsts. More on that later, too.)

I could go on and on Salem's many attributes - what local historian and favored resident Jim McAllister calls "An Embarrassment of Riches" - and they truly are. But what is most important is how this Embarrassment of Riches is presented and made relevant so that you and I want to visit and explore and come back again. That is where the people come into play. The reenactors, the business owners, the front desk staffs, the servers, the Rangers, the tour guides, the trolley drivers, the Ferry concierge. All of these people are absolutely key to your having not only a good experience in Salem , but an experience you will share with your friends and family, thus encouraging them to visit Salem and encounter the same wonderful people.

So, as we in Salem gear up for a new season, I want to tip my hat to all of the people who make Salem's history come alive, who make contemporary Salem fascinating and fun, and who successfully roll out the welcome mat for our visitors from near and far every day.

Click through to this fun montage that my fabulous web producer from Pickering Publishing put together. It features some of these very important people who bring out the magic of Salem. When you're done watching it, you can browse the web site and find something great to do in Salem this weekend!