Salem, Massachusetts : Part 2 18th Century to The Gilded Age

Salem, Massachusetts

Part 2: 18th Century to The Gilded Age

Civil War Zouave soldier and a pirate oh my!

In the 1700s pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd sailed the waters around Salem. This troubadour tells us of their adventures. 
                                                               

During the Revolutionary War Salem of course sided with the American patriots. Salem citizens fought off the British and kept them from stealing all the gunpowder and merchants sent a letter declaring themselves to be loyal to the patriot cause. Sound familiar? After the war, merchants began sending ships all over the world to trade for china and tea in China, spices in India, pepper in Sumatra. By the 1790s Salem became the 6th richest city in the United States! 

Salem soon had many wealthy and middle class families. Salem women cultivated intellectual thought, started schools, and helped the immigrants while men fought proudly in the Civil War.

By the end of the 1800s the Gilded Age had arrived. New technology meant people go farther away from home than ever before. They sailed on great steamships to England and Europe. People in other countries sailed back as immigrants. Many immigrants came to Salem to work in the mills. Textile mills made the fortunes of many New England families. 

By the 19teens and 20s, wealthy girls traveled on giant steamships. Many were named after queens. These ships were known as floating palaces. They offered every luxury for travelers even dogs!

In the 1910s I might choose to sail on the Cunard Line or the White Star Line. I think I will choose White Star.

Entering the embarkation doors...

Doors from the first class embarkation hall on France 1911
French Lines collection on display at the Salem Maritime Museum

Honor and Glory Crowning Time on display at the Salem Maritime Museum

The White Star Line featured fancy marble decorations. I'm here on The Olympic standing by the grand staircase. This clock decoration is called "Honor and Glory Crowning Time" (1911) It represents human triumph over time and space. This victory is represented by the ocean liner. (My guardian asks the other big people if this looks familiar?"

I think I will go visit the first class lounge now. 

Fragment of a panel from the first class lounge on Titanic.
Courtesy of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia Museum
On display at the Salem Maritime Museum

This Beaux Art panel decorates the wall of the first class lounge. Again my guardian asks if it looks familiar? No. Well how about these doors?

Oak panelling from the communication gallery on the France, about 1912
by Atelier Georges Rémon of Paris
on display at the Salem Maritime Museum

Time for a little fresh air. I head up to deck and take a seat in a wooden child size lounge chair. (The others are from Kit's time). By now ocean liners are not keeping children shut up in our suites with our nannies. We are official paying customers! There is even talk of building a children's play room. 

I arrive in France. How beautiful!

By friend Kit's time ocean liners had lots of fun features for kids.

Nanea's friend Donna traveled on a steamship when she moved from San Francisco to Hawaii! 

I hope you enjoyed my ocean liner adventure! My guardian has lots more to tell you and more photos you might like to see. Check out her blog somewhere else online. She calls it "Archives, Libraries and Museums" because she's boring and old and the time travel magic doesn't work for her.

A Postcard From the Early 1900s

A Postcard From the early 1900s: A Special Guest Post

While visiting Samantha's time period, I received a postcard from her friend Ruth. Ruth is in Newport, Rhode Island visiting her parents and their wealthy friends. 

Ruth sent a postcard of Ochre Court, home of Mr. Robert Goelet. It was built for his parents, the late Ogden and Mary Wilson Goelet. The postcard shows the home from the Cliff Walk.

Samantha would like to share Ruth's letter to her with you. (or she would if she knew what the Internet was)

"My dearest Samantha,

How are you? I am fine. I am in Newport with Mama and Papa. Today we stopped to call on Mrs. Goelet who is in town for a brief time before returning to Europe. Her son Robert lives here now. He gave us a tour of the house. 

A portrait of Mr. Robert Goelet's father, Mr. Ogden Goelet.

The house was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, architect to rich and famous. It is very grand! Almost as grand as The Breakers, home of the Cornelius Vanderbilts. Ochre Court centers around the great hall. 

The Great Hall is decorated with things the Goelets brought back from Europe. On this floor there is a dining room which seats 200! It has gilded columns and a view of the ocean. 

Ochre Court has a grand view of the ocean

The dining room seats 200 people

There is also a drawing room, library, ballroom, conservatory, an office, breakfast room and the pantry.

The upper floors consist of bedrooms, boudoirs, a billiard room, master suites, baths, servant's rooms and sitting rooms. We were not allowed up there as only Mr. Robert Goelet is in residence most of the time. 

Mrs. Goelet used to throw grand balls here for thousands of people. Mama remembers how the ballroom glittered and shone when she danced all night during her debut Season. 

While Mama visited with Mrs. Goelet, I strolled along the Cliff Walk.

I stroll along the lawn at Ochre Court down to the Cliff Walk

Up the steps...

 I walked all the way to the Breakers. You can see why they call it that with the waves breaking on the rocks below. It is a beautiful view though.

The Breakers 

 I stopped at the beach to admire the waves before heading back.

                                       

I will see you soon. Your friend, as ever, Ruth Adams. "

If you want to know more about Ochre Court, which in your time is owned by Salve Regina University, you may read about it here. Mr. Robert Goelet's obituary tells you all about him.