During the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials, 19 people were wrongfully convicted and hanged by order of the court. Given the lasting impact that the trials have had on the city, one would assume that the execution site would have remained well known. However, this was not the case. In the prevailing centuries, the location was generally forgotten by the public on multiple occasions. Thanks to scholarly research, the lost site was rediscovered and confidently confirmed in 2016. A year later, a memorial was dedicated there, ensuring that the area will not fade back into obscurity.
Salem
Visit 17th Century Salem at Pioneer Village
Nestled in a park in Salem, MA, is Pioneer Village, a living history museum designed to portray life in the city as it would have been in 1630. This places it 62 years before the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Thus, it generally depicts a world that the older participants of the trial would have been familiar with. Beyond its relevance for history enthusiasts, the site was also a filming location for a beloved Halloween classic.
Remembering the Salem Witch Trials
Dedicated on August 5, 1992, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial in Salem, MA, serves as a solemn reminder of a dark piece of colonial history. Its most prominent feature is a low stone wall with 20 granite benches projecting from it. Each bench is inscribed with the name of a person whose life was taken due to the witchcraft hysteria that gripped the community in 1692. The memorial’s dignified and unassuming design allows for quiet reflection. With this in mind, let’s explore the infamous events that motivated the building of this public monument 300 years later.
Krampus in Witch City
On the longest night of the year, the start of Yule, I enjoyed a unique tour of historic downtown Salem, Massachusetts. My guide had horns upon his head and carried a menacing bundle of sticks. Yes, I followed behind none other than Krampus, the devilish December visitor of Germanic folklore known for terrorizing naughty children. Continue reading →