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To the editor:
Walking along Essex Street in Salem, I'm approached by a couple with a map and a camera and confused looks.
"Where's Essex Street?" they want to know, and before their next question I am pleased to tell them they're standing on it.
Essex Street, Salem's center of commerce, is one of the oldest streets in this area. It is named for Essex County in England where many of the early settlers had lived before they came here.
George Davenport, in "Homes and Hearths of Salem," believes the name came from Lord Essex of England, "Queen Elizabeth's favorite minister till she cut off his head."
Why is Essex Street so crooked? Put simply, it was formed by a line made by the rear boundaries of river lots granted to early settlers along the courses of the North and South rivers. The western portion was defined by the North River, while the eastern portion followed the South River.
Actually, Essex Street used to be divided into sections, each with a different name. Some interesting names that figure into the street's history are King Street, Queen Street, Bow Street, Old Paved Street, and Brickkiln Lane.
Lower Essex Street, shaped like a bow, was called Bow Street.
The section between Washington and North streets in the heart of the downtown area was known from about 1773 as Old Paved Street. It had to be paved as it had been laid out over a swamp. It was the first paved street in Salem and was built with cobblestones from Baker's Island.
Upper Essex Street was called Brickkiln Lane. It bordered Brickkiln Field where Thomas Trusler made bricks in an earlier day.
Before Essex Street had its current name, it was known as Main Street.
In 1794, however, it was officially designated Essex Street and has kept that name since.
One of the reasons I like Essex Street is that you never know who or what you're going to see, especially as Halloween approaches. On the day of Halloween, Essex Street is packed with a rich assortment of witches and other fantastic creatures.
"It's Salem's Mardi Gras," said one onlooker. And I agree.
Jeanne Stella
Salem
