Salem Secret Underground: The History of the Tunnels in the City

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Salem House Press, Oct 11, 2011 - History - 254 pages
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In 1801 the son of America's first millionaire, Elias Hasket Derby Jr.,  enlisted 144 subscribers into the Salem Common Improvement Fund who sponsored the erection of a series of smuggling tunnels designed so they could avoid Thomas Jefferson's new custom duties. These subscribers included a Secretary of the Navy, a Superior Court Justice, pirates, and congressmen. Three presidents had walked through them. They were built by Masons and the country's first National Guard unit.

The tunnels extended over 3 miles connecting the wharfs, to their homes, stores, and banks. The hub of these tunnels was an underground train station which smuggled goods to help develop the new mill towns of Lawrence and Lowell. A new architectural style was created to connect the tunnels to their homes called Federalism. The architects who built these homes were Samuel McIntyre and Charles Bulfinch who was the Architect of the Capitol. Throughout the years the tunnels were used for smuggling, shanghaiing, prostitution, gambling, murder, Prohibition, and the Underground Railroad.

Enjoy this tale of early American conspiracy conducted by our founding fathers of the Federalist Party that included the Rothschild's American agent, the precursor to Skull and Bones, the man who shaped the early Constitution the most, the captain who brought the first elephant to America, the inspiration of Sam the Eagle, and the most famous murder victim in the nineteenth century. Who knew you could love a dirty book on history in which everyone digs!

 

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Contents

Section 1
Section 2
i
Section 3
xxxix
Section 4
1
Section 5
22
Section 6
24
Section 7
26
Section 8
33
Section 15
104
Section 16
121
Section 17
137
Section 18
145
Section 19
167
Section 20
183
Section 21
187
Section 22
192

Section 9
63
Section 10
75
Section 11
87
Section 12
89
Section 13
91
Section 14
97
Section 23
206
Section 24
209
Section 25
215
Section 26
233
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Salem Secret Underground: The History of the Tunnels in the City
Christopher Jon Luke Dowgin
No preview available - 2016

Common terms and phrases

Asiatic Bank basement Benjamin Crowninshield Benjamin Pickman Bowker Block brick Bridge Street brother Cadets Captain Joseph White Central Street Church Collins Cove Commons Improvement Fund corner Court Customs House Daniel Low daughter Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Party Derby Square Derby Street door East India Marine Elias Hasket Derby Embargo Act Essex County Essex Institute Essex Lodge Essex Street exterior chimneys Federalist fireplace arches floor Franklin Building front George Crowninshield Hasket Derby Jr Hawthorne Hotel India Marine Hall India Marine Society Jefferson John Derby Jonathan Joseph Peabody Joseph Story Joseph White Knapp mansion Marine Society married Mason merchant moved murder Nathaniel Silsbee Naumkeag Old Town Hall Parker Peabody Essex Museum president sailed Salem Commons Improvement Salem East India Salem Marine Society Samuel McIntire sealed ships smuggling Southern Essex County Stephen White Street Built tunnel entrance tunnels leading tunnels running walk Washington Square Washington Street wharf William Gray Winter Street

About the author (2011)

Chris is still wearing his 12 foot long scarf (seasonally of course) and is not eating as much Cadbury Royal Dark Chocolate as he used to. Also the local cows are having a slight downturn in production. Just in case you see him walking in Salem, he will gladly pay you on Thursday for a chocolate bar today, and some milk too! If you are a good hearted person, you will never see him on any given Thursday...

This is Chris’s 8th illustrated book. He has won three Mass Cultural Grants for his Salem Trilogy. Plus he has written Salem Secret Underground: The History of the Tunnels in the City. Based on the excitement from the book he gives tours of the tunnels’ route through town along with their history on the Salem Tunnel Tour.  www.salemtunneltour.com

Tune in later this year to see what story  Mr. Dowgin will have in store for us! Same bat channel! Same bat time!

Bibliographic information

QR code for Salem Secret Underground
TitleSalem Secret Underground: The History of the Tunnels in the City
AuthorChristopher Jon Luke Dowgin
Photographs byChris Dowgin
Editionillustrated
PublisherSalem House Press, 2011
ISBN0983666555, 9780983666554
Length254 pages
Subjects ›  › 

History / United States / 19th Century
  
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