October 23, 2013

"Gallows Hill" of the Salem witch trials?

In the late 80s, my wife and I made many Halloween visits to the Boston area and Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is an uncomfortable mix of history, tragedy, and folk lore, that mixes a shameful chapter of American history with pop culture and Halloween fun. The "witch" trials of 1692 were spawned by paranoia, hysteria, prejudice and possibly spite, and many innocent people were executed as a result. I was always curious as to where the hangings took place, but over the centuries, shame and time erased it from the local memory. I came across this web site by Daniel Boudillion who seems to have located the spot. The grim "Gallows Hill" may be in the backyards of several neighborhood homes, unmarked and forgotten behind a Walgreens drugstore. Imagine being told that your backyard was the site of ancient "witch" executions.
Check out Mr Boudillion post.  http://www.boudillion.com/gallowshill/gallowshill.htm

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