Salem - Name
From Salem Links and Lore
Two early names for Salem were Naumkeag and Shalom, (which later became Salem.)
According to p. 4 in Bewitched in Historic Salem, "while reading the Bible, Rev. Higginson observed the Jewish word Shalom, which means peace, and inspired by the peaceful relations between the Puritans and the Indians, decided that the new name for Naumkeag should be Shalom. The pronunciation of the word sounded like Salom and then "Salem", therefore becoming the current name of the city.
See Also
- Vertical File in Salem Collection - Salem - Name
- Highlights in the History of Salem Salem Evening News, p. 4
- Salem in the Seventeenth Century James D. Phillips, p.47
