streetsofsalem

11 min read 2022-12-12 03:43:22

Christmas Shopping in Salem: the Macabre and the Merry

I try to shop local whenever possible: compared to decades past, it’s not difficult as Salem seems to have become as much of a shopping destination

7 min read 2022-12-05 05:07:52

It’s going to be a super busy December, so I got a jump start on decorating my own house: we have eight fireplaces with mantles plus several other

7 min read 2022-11-26 20:18:07

I know that it was a back-to-big-family-Thanksgiving for many people, but because of health and almost-conflicting family events my husband and I

6 min read 2022-11-21 23:14:33

Very often, one of Salem’s longest-running and best-known businesses, Daniel Low & Company, is reduced to a pioneering seller of witch wares

4 min read 2022-11-14 19:26:24

Wow, I don’t think I’ve posted on Salem real estate for quite some time! I’ve just been so serious, but actually there’s not much point:

7 min read 2022-11-08 18:53:15

For this Veterans Day 2022 the stories of two Salem men named Caleb Foote: grandfather (1750-1787) and grandson (1803-1894). But there’s a shadow

4 min read 2022-11-01 19:48:45

Salem is a place where everybody always says that the “past is present” or something to that effect; one discerns the ongoing presence of the

5 min read 2022-10-23 22:47:19

Even though I recognize no connection between Halloween in general and the Salem Witch Trials (because #theywerenotwitches) and for that reason

8 min read 2022-10-18 18:40:05

I often find that my profession and my residence are in conflict: it’s challenging to be an historian in Salem, especially at this time of year.

6 min read 2022-10-11 18:26:48

While I usually make plans to be as far away from Salem as possible on Columbus/Indigenous Day weekend to avoid the crowds and traffic, we had

9 min read 2022-10-03 20:51:35

Well, October is upon us here in Salem, so that means I’m going to spend all my time inside or on the road. I’m just not a fan of Haunted

9 min read 2022-09-27 20:08:10

I’m still frustrated with our city’s “revisioned” “heritage” trail: its blatant commercialism, its yellow color (the exact same shade as

8 min read 2022-09-20 18:19:30

September 15 commenced Hispanic Heritage Month here in Salem; as I walked by the flag-raising in Riley Square the other day I wondered, what now? How

4 min read 2022-09-13 02:55:09

It occurred to me the other day that during the long life of this blog I have never spotlighted Trails and Sails, a calendar of dedicated events and

6 min read 2022-09-06 19:21:31

I drove “out west” to the recently-reopened Emily Dickinson Museum last week thinking it would just be a pleasant last road trip of the summer