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SalemOct 2, 2007
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Friendship
The rigging
Oct 2, 2007 49956 8:50
We are headed to Salem, MA today. We start out on the I-295 but in 20 miles that changes to a toll road so we turn off onto US 1. It is the coast route, much prettier, a chance to see the small towns and also to avoid the tolls that are usually quite steep for a RV pulling a car.
Time to fuel up again. We find an Exxon station where diesel is $3.07 a gallon. So 45 gallons later we are on our way.
I am constantly amazed at the size of the towns (small) and the quantity of shops and resorts. They has to be a business or maybe two for each person in town, man, woman and child. The resorts are hotels, motes, resort, B&B's and campground and they line the main dray on both sides both before and after the main part of town.
The shops in town sell crafts, clothing, souvenirs and all manner of items plus there are always numerous restaurants in each one.
1:20 Winter Island City Park
It seemed to take forever to get here but the park in on the water. We are located in the upper lot but have a water view. We have decided to stay here two nights so we will have plenty of time to see Salem.
This afternoon we went into town to see the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. This site encompasses several building and the ship the Friendship of Salem.
Salem was started in 1626 with the arrival of Roger Conant and his followers. They named the area Naumkaeg, it was renamed Salem, an adaptation of "shalom" meaning "peace."
It did not take long before the settlers realized that it was easier to catch fish than it was to eke out a living from the rocky New England soil. In 1630 the local merchants began sending vessels to the West Indies laden with salted cod, lumber and other exports.
In 1634 the new minister Roger Williams began to speak out against the King of England and the Church of England. This divided the townspeople and when he would not be silenced, the local authorities decided to ship Williams back to England. He escaped and founded Rhode Island.
In 1658t Quaker missionaries arrived and the next conflict occurred. They were seen as a threat to the unity and authority of the Puritan society. Over the next three years Quaker members and their sympathizers were tortured, imprisoned, banished, or even put to death.
The final crisis of the century occurred in January 1692. A group of young girls and women began dabbling in the occult and acting in a strange manner. They were labeled as afflicted with an "evil hand" and the stage was set.
By the end of the next 15 months 190 people had been accused of witchcraft, trials were held and 19 people were hanged, and one man was crushed to death. The trials eventually ended when the evidenced was declared inadmissible.
From 1689-1713 The French and Indian Wars disrupted the shipping industry as 54 of the town's 60 vessels were destroyed or captured by the enemy. But in the peaceful decades after the war Salem's maritime activity grew to unprecedented levels.
Another interruption occurred in the 1770's with the Revolutionary War. During this time many of the ships were outfitted as privateers. Between 1775 and 1783 these "legalized pirates" captured or sank 458 British vessels.
After the war the local merchants led by Elias "King" Derby began trading by ship with ports further and further away, this time as far away as China and Sumatra. Known as the East Indian Trade and lasted for more than a quarter o a century making Salem a household name in many parts of the world and the sixth richest city in America.
We took the tour this afternoon of the ship and the Custom House. The original Friendship was build in 1796-1797 just across the river from Salem. She made 15 voyages around the world trading for pepper, exotic spices, sugar, coffee, and other goods.
On September 5, 1812 Friendship was returning from Russia when the British captured her. The war had begun in June but the Friendship's captain was unaware of the hostilities. The ship was taken by the British and sold at public auction in London on March 17, 1813.
The current Friendship was constructed in New York from 1996-1998. A model had been constructed by two of the original ship's crewmembers and a painting of the original was available for use by the construction workers.
After touring the Friendship we crossed the street and went into the Custom House. The Custom House represented the U.S. Government in the port. Permits to land cargo. They also acted to protect the city from any diseases brought in by crewmen. He
The National Park Service is currently building the foundation for the 1770 Pedrick Store House, which will be restored on the wharf by the Friendship.
Custom's issued measurement certificates for the cargo and assessed taxes on the cargo. This was a large part of U.S. revenue. In return for the taxes the government built lighthouses and beacons, protected shipping, and provided medical care to needy-soldiers.
One of the custom surveyors in the 1840's was Nathaniel Hawthorne the noted author. He served here for three years before a new administration took office and he was replaced.
