Monday, June 8, 2020

Welcome Back to the Witch City!

Today the Massachusetts enters Phase 2 of reopening, which means our beloved Witch City is starting to get back to normal again! Many of Salem's small businesses & locally owned restaurants are opening their doors back up this week.

Precautions are still in place throughout the town so please be sure to pay attention in each establishment. The city is still asking that you do wear a mask inside & try to stay at least 6 feet away from others.

We can't wait to welcome you all back to the Witch City but remember to bring your masks & follow CDC guidelines! Let's follow guidelines now to make sure we save Halloween!


Saturday, March 14, 2020

Coronavirus/Covid-19 Closure Updates

Here in Salem we are taking the Covid-19 outbreak seriously. Many businesses have released statements regarding disinfecting their facilities with a plan to stay open for the public until further notice. Others have chosen to close their doors in the wake of the outbreak. Below is the current list of closures & cancelations. 

As of now, the following businesses have closed or suspended their season open:


Confirmed festival & event cancellations are as follows:

Saturday, February 29, 2020

On This Day in 1692...

Today, February 29th, marks the 328th anniversary of the start of the Salem Witch Trials. On February 29th, 1692 the first warrant was issued by the Salem courts for the examination of the slave Tituba. Tituba's testimony on the following day would help set into motion a series of events that would turn our coastal town upside down within the year.

On March 1st, 1692, Tituba would be questioned and would then confess to witchcraft. Not only did she confess, but she spoke in detail about meetings with other women in the town that were allegedly conspiring with her, condemning these women to the same fate but saving herself. Others would follow in Tituba's path after this, confessing to a crime they didn't commit and then accusing others, thus amplifying the hysteria.


Sunday, January 26, 2020

The Final Salem Witchcraft Trial (It's not when you'd think!)

The infamous witchcraft trials of 1692 were harrowing to say the least. Innocent townspeople were tried and executed under a court system that was inherently flawed and erratic in its decisions. 'Spectral evidence' was what damned most all of the 1692 victims to their sentences; meaning the jury was making decisions based upon people's sensationalized outbursts and claims to have seen the accused's witchly spirit tormenting them. After the hysteria of the time passed, this court system was taken under review and abolished, taking the use of spectral evidence to its grave. With spectral evidence now inadmissible, it would be incredibly difficult for something like this to ever happen again. Nearly 200 years later, however, a case like this would go to trial again and it would mark its place in history as America's last witch trial.


In a childhood accident, Lucretia S. Brown of Ipswich had become disabled due to a spinal injury. She wouldn't find relief for this injury until she was in her 50's. Lucretia had discovered the Christian Scientist Church and became a disciple of Mary Baker Eddy. Lucretia believed wholeheartedly that Mary's teachings had saved and rehabilitated her. Unfortunately, in 1875 Lucretia suffered from an injury relapse. Confused and scared, she turned to Mary, who came to the conclusion that mystical foul play must be at work. Coincidentally, Mary had recently excommunicated Daniel Spofford from her church. She believed that Daniel had relapsed Lucretia in an effort to spite her.


Mary turned to her lawyer, who drew up court documents on behalf of Lucretia and in 1878 she would take to court the final witch trial. This consisted of a complaint against Daniel Spofford that he was a "mesmerist, and practices the art of mesmerism, and that by his power and influence he is capable of injuring the persons and property and social relations of others, and does by said means so injure them", according to the local Ipswich newspaper released at the time. The legal papers called upon the court to stop him from using his mental efforts to torture Mary's disciples.

On court day in Salem, Daniel found these claims so outrageous he didn't even show up to court. After the complaint was read, it was determined that the complaint had no legal standing because the court would be unable to control Daniel's mind. The case was promptly dismissed, laying to rest the final American witchcraft trial.


Sources:
https://historicipswich.org/2019/09/02/lucretia-brown-and-the-last-witchcraft-trial-in-america/
https://ipswich.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/ipswich-witchcraft-case-newspaper.jpg
https://timespelunking.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/americas-last-withcraft-trial/
http://thehistorybuff.org/on-this-day-in-history-may-14th/

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Happy New Year!


Last night Salem was aglow while locals and tourists rang in the new year in the Witch City. Salem is looking forward to another beautiful year, filled with lively festivals, fun times, and colorful characters. 2020 is already shaping up to have more in store for Salem than previous years, and we're here to bring you all of it year round. 


Whether you went out, stayed in, partied until dawn, or were in bed by 9, we hope you had a wonderful New Years and we're looking forward to sharing all that Salem has to offer you in 2020.