Salem

History

Salem was laid out and platted in 1814. It was named for Salem, North Carolina, the hometown of one of the city founders. The Salem post office has been in operation since 1816. In June 1863, the Confederate cavalry under John Hunt Morgan had departed Tennessee on what would later become known as Morgan's Raid. Traveling through Tennessee and into Kentucky, Morgan eventually crossed into Indiana; he reached Salem on July 10, 1863, coming north from Corydon. Upon entering Salem at approximately 9 a.m., Morgan immediately took possession of the town and placed guards over the stores and streets. The cavalrymen burned the large, brick railroad depot, along with all the train cars on the track and the railroad bridges on each side of the town. Morgan demanded taxes from the two flour mills that belonged to DePauw and Knight, and from the Allen Wollen Mill. Morgan's men looted stores and took about $500 from the area before departing about 3 p.m. Of the brief action at Salem, Col. Basil W. Duke, Morgan's second-in-command and brother-in-law, later said: "They did not pillage with any sort of method or reason; it seemed to be a mania, senseless and purposeless. One man carried for two days a bird cage containing three canaries. Another rode with a huge chafing dish on the pommel of his saddle. Although the weather was intensely warm, another slung seven pairs of skates around his neck. I saw very few articles of real value taken; they pillaged like boys robbing an orchard." In 1898, Salem was recorded to be a sundown town, where African Americans were not allowed to reside. The first Black person who lived in Salem was Alexander White. The minister of the Salem Methodist Episcopal church married Alexander White and his wife Eliza Jane Demars on May 5, 1830. White ran a…

Geography

Salem is primarily an agricultural community, surrounded by typical Indiana forests and farmland and small bodies of water. The primary crops grown in the area are corn and soybeans. Homes in the area are of a variety of styles, with a portion of residential homes having Victorian architectural design. According to the 2010 census, Salem has a total area of , of which (or 99.55%) is land and (or 0.45%) is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers, and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Salem has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  988
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  962
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  934
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  902
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  896
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  882
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  833
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  824

Largest nearby schools

• Bradie Shrum Elementary
  Elementary · Salem · 819 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• East Washington Elementary School
  Elementary · Pekin · 542 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• West Washington Elementary School
  Elementary · Campbellsburg · 523 students · 18:1 ratio
• Salem High School
  High · Salem · 519 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• East Washington Middle School
  Middle · Pekin · 415 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• West Washington Jr-Sr High School
  High · Campbellsburg · 411 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• Salem Middle School
  Middle · Salem · 407 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Eastern High School
  High · Pekin · 389 students · 13:1 ratio