Salem The Podcast

19. Interview: Dr. Vitka, Owner of Spellbound Tours

Paranormal investigator? Bigfoot serenader? UFO believer? Elvis aficionado? Who exactly is the mysterious Dr. Mike Vitka! Joining Jeffrey & Sarah this week is fellow tour guide Mike Vitka, owner of Spellbound Walking Tours. Spellbound has been haunting the streets of Salem for over 20 years as Witch City’s original haunted tour. *EXPLICIT WARNING*This episode may not be suitable for young ears. Some grotesque subjects include decapitation, shrunken heads, and Bigfoot erotica. Pursue at own risk!For more info on Mike Vitka & Spellbound Walking Tour tickets visit spellboundtours.com!Instagram - @spellboundtoursEmail - drvitka@spellboundtours.comYou know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

18. Salem History: The Great Fire of 1914

At 1:37 PM on June 25, 1914 a fire began at the Korn Leather factory in Salem's manufacturing district. It would burn for 13 hours, destroy a third of the city, and render 18k-20k people homeless. Join local Salem tour guides Sarah & Jeffrey as they talk about this often-overlooked tragedy that devastated Witch City in the early twentieth century.Resources:The Salem Fire.  By Arthur B. Jones. (1914) https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Salem_Fire.html?id=NZwlAQAAMAAJ "The Great Salem Fire of 1914."  By Salem State Archives and Special Collections. https://www.flickr.com/photos/salemstatearchives/albums/72157682708267513"The Great Salem Fire of 1914 Burns Half the City Out of Their Homes"https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/flashback-photo-the-great-salem-fire-of-1914/"Salem Fire"   https://www.noblenet.org/salem/wiki/index.php/Salem_Fire The Great Salem Fire of 1914: Images from the Phillips Library Collection.  By Barbara Pero Kampas. (2008)You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

17. Witch Trials: Bridget Bishop (Part 2)

In Part 1, we covered the life of Bridget Bishop leading up to 1692. We stopped just short of how her story unfolds in the days after her arrest. Although she was hardly the first person accused, she was the first to be brought before the court of Oyer and Terminer. Join local Salem tour guides Jeffrey and Sarah, as they explore the last weeks of Bridget Bishop’s life.Resources:Because Bridget Bishop can be such a contested character in the historical record, we would like to note that we adhered closely to that of Marilynne K. Roach's interpretation. We would highly recommend her works for further reading including:Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials (2013)The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege (2004)"Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project"https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/tag/bishop_bridget.html "Bridget Bishop Home and Orchards, Site of" https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/bridget-bishop-home-and-orchards-site-of/You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

BONUS: Bewitched Statue Vandalized!

It has certainly been a crazy week here in Witch City! The iconic 9-ft bronze statue of Elizabeth Montgomery was doused in bright red paint. The Satanic Temple was also attacked by an arsonist. Local Salem tour guides Sarah & Jeffrey share some details and discuss the immediate public response. They also chat about attending a memorial service for the 330th anniversary of Bridget Bishop's execution.Resources:SALEM NEWShttps://www.salemnews.com/news/vandalism-of-samantha-leads-to-foot-chase/article_16a8c7c4-e5e5-11ec-a91f-5342bc464847.htmlNBC BOSTONhttps://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/landmark-bewitched-statue-in-salem-mass-vandalized/2740472/https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/person-arrested-after-fire-at-satanic-temple-in-salem/2745073/You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

16. Witch Trials: Bridget Bishop (Part 1)

Bridget Bishop may be the most well-known name from the Salem Witch Trials, and for good reason. She was the first person to be brought to trial, and subsequently the first to be found guilty and executed. She was hanged on June 10th 1692. Join local Salem tour guides Sarah and Jeffrey as they cover what we know of her story leading up to 1692.Resources:Because Bridget Bishop can be such a contested character in the historical record, we would like to note that we adhered closely to that of Marilynne K. Roach. We would highly recommend her works for further reading including:Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials (2013)The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege (2004)"Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project"https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/tag/bishop_bridget.html "Bridget Bishop Home and Orchards, Site of" https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/bridget-bishop-home-and-orchards-site-of/You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

15. Witch Trials: Familiars

What's a familiar may you ask? Black cats? Toads? Humans-faced yellow birds? Perhaps all of the above and more! Join local Salem tour guides Jeffrey and Sarah as they talk all-things familiar. These creatures are peppered throughout the narrative of the Salem Witch Trials and their spectral presence alone could be used as proof of supernatural malevolence. ResourcesMalleous Maleficarum https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/35002/341393.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=ySalem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. University of Virginia. https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.htmlFamiliar Spirits and Devilish Imps. By Willow Winsham. National Museums Liverpool. https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/familiar-spirits-and-devilish-impsThe Devil In the Shape of a Woman. By Carol F. Karlsen. 1987Six Women of Salem. By Marilynn K. Roach. 2013.You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

14. Cemeteries of Salem (Part 2)

Our cemetery adventures continue! Salem tour guides Sarah & Jeffrey head closer to downtown to talk about Howard Street Cemetery, Broad Street Cemetery, and the old Quaker cemetery. We'll commence with the second-oldest colonial burying ground in the country: Old Burying Point, AKA Charter Street Cemetery. Let’s talk more about the dead!You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

13. Cemeteries of Salem (Part 1)

Are you a taphophile? (Someone who has a passion or enjoyment of cemeteries). We sure are! Join your favorite Salem tour guides Jeffrey and Sarah as they take you through the cemeteries of Salem. Resources:https://friendsofgreenlawn.org/https://www.harmonygrovesalem.org/You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

12. Salem History: Elias Hasket Derby

Who was America's first millionaire? How did he build his wealth? Join Salem tour guides Sarah and Jeffrey as they talk about Salem's most prosperous merchant, Elias Hasket Derby. Let's learn life, his legacy, and how his presence is still felt around the Witch City today.Resources"Derby House". Salem Maritime National Historic Site. https://www.nps.gov/places/derby-house.htm"Elias Hasket Derby: The Privateer Who Pioneered the Russia Trade." By Nick DeLuca. Journal of the American Revolution. https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/02/elias-hasket-derby-privateer-pioneered-russia-trade/."Elias Hasket Derby". Wikipedia"Derby-Beebe Summer House." Peabody Essex Museum. https://www.pem.org/visit/historic-houses/pem-walks/derby-beebe-summer-house"Derby Mansion." https://www.noblenet.org/salem/wiki/index.php/Derby_Mansion"Derby Summer House." Danvers Historical Society. https://www.danvershistory.org/visit-us/national-historic-landmark-derby-summer-house/."The Scandalous 1806 Divorce of Elizabeth Derby West." New England Historical Society. https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/elizabeth-derby-west-scandalous-1806-divorce/.You know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

11. Interview: Ben & Lex, Owners of Vampfangs

Interview with some Vampires? Local tour guides Sarah and Jeffrey sit down with Lex and Ben–owners of Vampfangs–for a taste of Salem vampire culture. They talk Vampfangs history, their personal journeys within the community, and how they bring vampires to you through their exclusive events; rituals, classes, salons, and grand balls. They’ve got everything you need to discover your inner vampire!*TRIGGER WARNING*In this episode we discuss topics such as blood consumption. It also contains explicit language and may not be suitable for young listeners.RESOURCESwww.vampfangs.comwww.vampirehouse.comwww.endlessnights.com@vampfangsoffical@maison_vampyre@dark_weddings@endlessnightvampierballYou know what to do:www.salemthepodcast.comInstagram - @salemthepodcast Email - hello@salemthepodcast.comYoutube - Salem The PodcastBook a tour with Jeffreywww.btftours.comBook a tour with Sarahwww.bewitchedtours.comIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-facesLicense code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE