During the 1600’s, much of what is now Salem, Methuen, Atkinson, Hampstead, and Plaistow, were part of Haverhill. Much of the population was Puritan, and religious and governmental life was centered around the Puritan Meeting house in Haverhill. Methuen broke off and got General Court permission to form their own church in 1725. The new district that was formed contained a large part of Salem, and the parish was located nearby Holy Family Hospital, today. A mere thirteen years later, Salem asked to become the North Parish of Methuen, and built a meetinghouse at Salem Center, which was built starting in November, 1738. To make accommodation for the newly formed town to grow, and be easily accessible, a road was laid between Salem Center to Salem Depot. In later days, this road would serve as a main road, studded with shops and farms.

    The building of the meetinghouse was a relief for the new Salem citizens. They had been paying a minister’s tax to the church in Methuen, which they were seeing no part of. Methuen was too far away for most residents to travel too. Salem’s meetinghouse was conveniently placed. 

    In 1741, the boundary lines between New Hampshire and Massachusetts were formed, and the Northern Parish of Methuen was located in New Hampshire. Salem was officially chartered as a town in 1750. In order to make it easier to travel within the new town, North Main ST. was laid out. The First Congregational Church, Salem’s first church, was located in the meetinghouse until 1840, when it was rebuilt on Lawrence Road. Schools in Salem were held in private homes during the winters, for one to two months. In 1759, four school teachers were hired, one for each section of town. Actual school houses were built in the early 1800’s, and tax refunds were given to those who donated goods. 

    In 1866, Salem’s first large manufacturing factory was built. T.M. Russ Factory was one of Salem’s shoe manufacturing plants. It, along with, eventually, six other shoe factories, helped to make Salem New Hampshire’s sixth largest shoe producer. After being a shoe manufacturer, the Russ Factory became the home for Robbins Transportation Company, who were egg suppliers for First National Stores all over New England.

    Another part of industry at the time was in North Salem, which had many mills, producing everything from shingles and shoes to matches and flannel, and creating many jobs. Most of the power for these mills was provided by water from the Spicket River. Taylor’s Mill, which was unfortunately destroyed in 1878, was at one point the largest woolen mill in Salem, and was employing close to one hundred people. 

    The introduction of the Manchester & Lawrence Railroad in 1887 greatly changed the town. Before it’s arrival, most of Salem’s businesses were located around Center and North Salem St. When the M&L railroad was built, the area that had been almost entirely farmland became more populated by businesses. This train crossing became Salem Depot, and slowly became the new "hub" of town. 

    Robert Frost, well known poet and local farmer, earned $24 a month teaching in the No. 9 School on Lawrence Rd in 1895, after having gone to school No. 6 in 1885. His mother, Belle Frost, was a teacher there. Robert’s sister, Jeanie was also a student at No. 9. When Robert was a sophomore in high school, his family moved to Lawrence. 

    Salem did not have a doctor living in town permanently until, at the request of a selectman, Dr. Lewis F. Soule came to work here in 1898, right out of Bowdoin Medical School. He married Jessie Bleakney, who worked as Salem’s school nurse after the Dr.’s death in 1942. 

    Salem did not have the health problems of local towns such as Lawrence, due to the fact that there was a lot of space and fresh air. There was, however, a great deal of intestinal disease due to poor out houses. Other diseases of problem were pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diphtheria, common illnesses at the time. 

    The Rockingham Hotel was constructed in 1880 on Main and Central Streets. It was a part of one of the largest commercial blocks in town. In 1906 the hotel was upgraded, just before the opening of the new Race Track, for the high volume of expected customers during the racing season. Unfortunately, gambling was permanently shut down on the second day of racing, keeping the newly built rooms empty.

    On Monday, September 8th, 1902, the first trolley from the electric railway system Hudson Pelham and Salem Railway, arrived from Salem to Pelham, Hudson, and Nashua. This railway system connected Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Dracut, Pelham, Hudson, and Nashua.

    Hose House 2 was built in 1906, for a volunteer fire department, after insurance underwriters said they would reduce insurance rates if a department was built. It was constructed in an old blacksmith shop and liquor store. This building also came to be used for Salem’s police lockup, municipal offices, and a public meeting space. 

    Stanley Stewart’s Stanwood Park was a tea room and dance hall. It was most popular for dancing, and "most beautiful girl" contests. There were trolley springs under the dance floor, making it a bouncy place to dance. In the 1920’s, it was quite the popular place to go. 

    Along with dancing, "church played a large part in most people’s social lives. IN addition to still popular suppers and fairs, there were summer Bible schools and social clubs for teenagers and adults.... Church sports teams... were popular too."

    In 1925, a dam was built in Arlington Pond, creating a shoreline called Arlington Park. Many summer camps were built around this area. During World War Two, it was rumored that Nazis planned to dynamite this dam. 

    By the 1930’s, Canobie Lake was quite the place to be. Besides the station, cottages began to dot the shores, and Canobie Lake Park was in full swing. Literally. Aside from the bowling, penny arcades, and walks for lovers, one Canobie Lake Park’s main attractions was the Canobie Ballroom. Many of the swinging twenties artists made trips to the Canobie Ballroom, selling tickets cheap. Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Gene Krupa, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Sammy Kaye are just a few of the artists that drew large crowds of people to the ballroom. 

    Since then, Canobie Lake, as well as Salem, have undergone some massive changes. Canobie Lake Park has now incorporated shows, refreshments, rides, games, and more entertainment into it’s Park. The Canobie Queen, a lake ferry, was brought into use as a slower, more scenic attraction to Canobie Park.

    Salem, like many small New Hampshire communities, has the challenge in this century to balance small town quality of life with opportunities for growth. So far, it has developed into a community of closely knit families, with a strong sense of community, and a good historical foundation