The
foundation for Salem was made in the
autumn of 1854 when John Singleton, J.
W. Roberts and Thomas Hare, took claims
on lands opened that year by the
government to actual settlers.
Mr. Hare purchased his claim, 160
acres with mill privileges, for $50,
from a man named Short who had come this
year, in company with John Crook, Jesse
Crook, William Goolsby and Fargus
Pollard, from Fillmore, Andrew County,
Missouri.
In the early days, Salem was populated by several wealthy families.
Singleton
and Roberts staked a claim for a town
site, which the next year became Salem.
In 1848 some of these venturesome
young me had gone to Camp Israel, later
Salt Lake City, and many other points,
selecting what would be their future
homes.
After seeing all the wonders of
the west, most of them returned and
decided Richardson County held the most
promising future for them.
The
History of Nebraska, published in 1882,
states the town of Salem was laid out by
J. C. Lincoln, Thomas R. Hare and J. W.
Roberts, with a plat of the town
inserted in the record book of County
Commissioners, Jan. 30, 1855.
Immediately upon platting and
planning the town, these men began
building homes for their families.
J. C. Lincoln was a 2nd cousin to
Abraham Lincoln.
Trees
were cleared, sawmills and gristmills
were set up near the Nemaha River and
the underbrush and tall grass was
burned.
Homes and buildings were built
from the lumber milled nearby.
In July 1855 most of the families
of these pioneers were brought over from
Andrew and Holt Counties in Missouri and
were established in their new homes in
the new town, Salem.
Carpenters were many and at times
when building boomed anyone who owned a
hammer could become a carpenter's
helper.
J.
C. Lincoln opened the first general
merchandise store in May 1855.
The first load of goods brought
into Richardson County was hauled from
Fillmore, Missouri by Jesse Crook.
In payment for this trip, Mr.
Lincoln gave Mr. Crook a pony, which he
later sold to the Indians for $60 in
gold.
The store building also housed
the Post Office for a few years.
The building was located about
midway up the hill on the south side of
the street, from what is now known as
Highway 8.
Originally,
the town square was to be the full block
east and south of the standpipe.
This was in anticipation of Salem
being the county seat. After the bitter
controversy, over the location of the
county seat in 1871, Salem was forced to
concede her rights to Falls City.
However, there were two schools
and a church built in the area adjacent
to what was to be the town square.
During the nine years from 1870
to 1879 Salem remained a city.
In 1879 Salem was forced to
become a village and use that form of
government.
The name Salem means
"peace" and the name was
chosen, hoping there might be peace with
the many Indians and peace among
themselves.
Frequently,
bands of Indians came into Salem from
1855 until the late 1860s.
One group began planning a war
dance in the middle of main street.
The citizens knew how wild and
destructive these dances could become,
so they persuaded the Indians to go out
west of town for their dance.
The
Indians were very much attracted to one
very, very blond baby belonging to Mr.
and Mrs. Lincoln, and in one of their
visits an Indian woman walked, univited,
into the home, going directly to the
blond baby's crib, indicating that she
would like to trade her papoose for the
white one.
It required a bit of strategy and
bribery to prevent the ex- change.
In
1867, A. F. Wood established a business,
which he advertised as "Carriage
and Wagon Making - Manufacturing and
Repairing All Kinds of Vehicles."
He was a native of New York,
learned his trade there, located in
Salem and continued there until his
death in October 1916.
Music
played its part in Salem's history;
churches and some homes had reed organs.
Fiddles, harmonicas and a few
fifes furnished dance music.
The old square piano came into
Salem about 1869.
One was a rosewood Emerson, which
was used until 1900.
The first band was organized in
Salem in 1870, with 12 members under the
leadership of D. T. Smith, who composed
many of the numbers used by the band.
G. A. Spelbring organized the
"Salem Ringold Band."
The
first gristmill burned in 1885 and in
1888 the Shrimpton Mill was built,
developed a splendid reputation and did
a thriving business for many years.
In the early '90s, during the
depression, the waterpower failed and a
new steam engine was installed. In
1906 the mill was sold to A. S. Daggett
and about that period the mill furnished
power for the first electric lights in
Salem.
At one time there were 54
businesses in Salem.
The people in the surrounding
area would drive their horse and wagon
or buggy in to Salem, to do their
trading for supplies.
During the 1900s, almost every
village developed a flourmill and some
300-400 mills were operating in
Nebraska.
The
fair grounds of the old-time Richardson
County Agricultural Society were located
near the town of Salem, which was
circled by the Nemaha River on three
sides.
On the north side was the
highway.
The fairs, which were held, at
the once beautiful place, annually from
the very earliest of times, were the
best attended in the state and meetings
were looked forward to each year with
the greatest of interest.
The first Salem Chautauqua; was
held in July 1893 at the fairgrounds.
The date was then changed to
early August.
The first year 30 tents (30xl4)
were rented, but more interest followed
and after the second year there were 225
campers, some camping the entire
eight-day session.
The tents were lighted by
gasoline torch.
On very hot days, the platform
manager told the men, "Don't
suffer, take your coats off".
Although
the population has declined and most of
the older families are gone, when it
comes time for the School and Community
reunion, they will again come from more
than 20 states to see their friends and
classmates.
The population will more than
double for the three-day Labor Day 2001
weekend.
(Editor's note: 2000 Census =
138)