1 “TO THE FARTHEST PORT OF THE RICH EAST” SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS “I know histhry isn’t thrue, Hinnissy, because it ain’t like what I see ivry day in Halsted Street. If any wan comes along with a histhry iv Greece or Rome that’ll show me th’ people fightin’, gettin’ dhrunk, makin’ love, gettin’ married, owin’ th’ grocery man an’ bein’ without hard coal, I’ll believe they was a Greece or Rome, but not befur.” — Dunne, Finley Peter, OBSERVATIONS BY MR. DOOLEY, New York, 1902 1. Motto of the city of Salem, previously known as “the fishing place,” as translated from the Latin. Peruse a much briefer history of this city: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Salem,_Massachusetts HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1627 The man who would become stepfather to Samuel Shattuck settled in at Naumkeeg (would become Salem). HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1629 The name Shalom, Hebrew for “peace,” was selected for the little settlement of whites living with the Native American tribe at Naumkeag. This Shalom is the name, of course, that through pronunciation drift and spelling drift would become “Salem.” When the Reverend Francis Higginson arrived in Shalom suffering from TB, he was served lobsters that weighed in at 25 pounds. Each. [T]he least Boy in the Plantation may both catch and eat what he will of them. For my owne part I was soon cloyed with them, they were so great, and fat, and lussious. The Reverend further reported from Naumkeag that:2 Although New England has no tallow to make candles of, yet by the abundance of the fish thereof, it can afford oil for lamps. Yea, our pine trees, that are most plentiful of all wood, do allow us plenty of candles, which are useful in a house. And they are such candles as the Indians commonly use, having no other; and they are nothing else but the wood of the pine tree cloven in two little slices, something thin, which are so full of the moisture of turpentine and pitch, that they burn as clear as a torch. I think, myself, that they had ought to have named that place Lobster. Give themselves something to aim at. Except, heaven knows what a name like “Lobster in the Bay Colony” would’ve become through pronunciation drift and spelling drift, by now. Maybe “Lersder Maaass”?3 June 24, Wednesday (Old Style): The 5 vessels of the Massachusetts Bay Company arrived in Salem harbor, with a group of 300 settlers led by the Reverend Francis Higginson. There would be 5 houses in Salem besides that of the Reverend. They were greeted by a small group of settlers led by John Endecott. • The Talbot • The George Bonaventure • The Lyon’s Whelp, carrying only provisions • The Four Sisters • The Mayflower (not the same Mayflower as that of the Pilgrims who had disembarked at Plymouth) September 14, Monday (Old Style): Salem, Massachusetts was founded. In a later timeframe, the Reverend William Hubbard would have his own imitable comments on this “lustre of years” in the history of New England. CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE READ HUBBARD TEXT Chapter XVIII. The discovery and first planting of the Massachusetts. 2. The reference is to fish liver oil. The large lamp which contained this was made of tin, had a great wick, and commonly hung at the side of the fireplace. The fish oil would of course eventually be replaced by whale oil, which produced less smoke and odor. 3.“Daddy, whassa lersder?” “Shut up, brat, and eat your clam fries before the fat congeals.” HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS Chapter XIX. Several planters transport themselves into New England; Ministers invited to join with them. The first Plantation in the Massachusetts, called Salem. HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1631 The Reverend Roger Williams and the Reverend John Eliot arrived at a New World where all male church members in the Bay Colony were becoming eligible to vote, and where, for impiety, in this year Philip Ratcliff’s ears were being severed (so how can someone’s ears be impious, did they wiggle during worship, or what?). When Thomas Angell came with the Reverend Williams on the ship Lyon under Captain William Pierce (Captain William Peirce? Captain A. Pearce?), sailing from London to Boston, he was about thirteen years of age and was bound in service to the Reverend as an apprentice or servant. (Another source says he was instead the servant of Richard Waterman.) After a couple of months in Boston the two went to Salem, where they would remain until their departure for Providence, Rhode Island in 1636. “NARRATIVE HISTORY” AMOUNTS TO FABULATION, THE REAL STUFF BEING MERE CHRONOLOGY Fall: The Reverend Roger Williams went to be associated with the Reverend Skelton at Salem, only to discover that he was more needed at Plymouth. He would minister for a couple of years there before returning again to Salem, as Skeleton’s replacement. Salem, Massachusetts “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1633 The Reverend Roger Williams returned from Plymouth to Salem. He believed, he said, in “soul-liberty,” which meant that every man had the complete right to enjoy freedom of opinion on the subject of religion. He would soon be in difficulties with the Massachusetts Bay authorities again, denouncing them for forcing religious uniformity upon the colonists in defiance of the liberty of their souls — and this time also publicly proclaiming that, since the king had no right to present them with lands that actually belonged to the native Americans, their colonial charter was invalid. NOBODY COULD GUESS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT Salem, Massachusetts “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1634 April: William Wood’s NEW ENGLANDS PROSPECT. A TRUE, LIVELY, AND EXPERIMENTALL DESCRIPTION OF THAT PART OF AMERICA, COMMONLY CALLED NEW ENGLAND: DISCOVERING THE STATE OF THAT COUNTRIE, BOTH AS IT STANDS TO OUR NEW-COME ENGLISH PLANTERS; AND TO THE OLD NATIVE INHABITANTS. LAYING DOWNE THAT WHICH MAY BOTH ENRICH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MIND-TRAVELLING READER, OR BENEFIT 4 THE FUTURE-VOYAGER, published in this year in London by John Dawson, as part of its elucidation of the frontispiece “The South part of New-England, as it is Planted this year, 1639” on pages 31-38, described the settlement at Salem: Foure miles Northeast from Saugus lyeth Salem, which stands on the middle of a necke of land very pleasantly, having a South river on the one side, and a North river on the other side: upon this necke where the most of the houses stand is very bad and sandie ground, yet for seaven yeares together it hath brought forth exceeding good corne, by being fished but every third yeare; in some places is very good ground, and good timber, and divers springs hard by the seaside. Here likewise is store of fish, as Basses, Eeles, Lobsters, Clammes, &c. Although their land be none of the best, yet beyond these rivers is a very good soyle, where they have taken Farmes, and get their Hay, and plant their corne; there they crosse these rivers with small Cannowes, which are made of whole pine trees, being about two foote and a halfe over, and twenty foote long: in these likewise they goe a fowling, sometimes two leagues to sea; there be more Cannowes in this towne than in all the whole Patent; every houshould having a water-horse or two. This Towne wants an Alewife river, which is a great inconvenience; it hath two good harbours, the one being called Winter, and the other Summer harbours, which lieth within Derbies Fort, which place if it were well fortified, might keepe shippes from landing of forces in any of those two places. SALEM 4. A text Henry Thoreau would be frequently citing, involving 17th-Century inventories of American resources. (I have “CNN- colorized” the map from William Wood’s NEW-ENGLAND’S PROSPECT of “The South part of New-England, as it is Planted this yeare, 1634,” prepared by Thomas Cotes for John Bellamie.) HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1636 January: The Reverend Roger Williams fled Salem, where he had found no peace, and took haven with the tolerant Narragansett tribalists of what would become Providence, Rhode Island. \CONTINGENCY ALTHOUGH VERY MANY OUTCOMES ARE OVERDETERMINED, WE TRUST THAT SOMETIMES WE ACTUALLY MAKE REAL CHOICES. “THIS IS THE ONLY WAY, WE SAY, BUT THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS AS THERE CAN BE DRAWN RADII FROM ONE CENTRE.” October 20, Thursday (Old Style): Richard More and Christian Hunter were wed at Plymouth. Shortly after their wedding, Richard and Christian Hunter More would sell their land in the Plymouth Colony and relocate to Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where Richard would find employment as a mariner and then become captain of a ship. Salem, Massachusetts “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1638 Samuel Shattuck arrived at Salem in the company of his parents. January 1, Monday (1637, Old Style): Richard More was admitted to reside in Salem, which is rather strange as he had not yet joined the First Church there. November: At Salem, Richard More bought a small ketch. HDT WHAT? INDEX SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 1639 April 14, Sunday (Old Style): The Reverend Francis Higginson’s 2d son Francis Higginson was admitted of the church at Salem.