Know Before You Throw

By Susie Thompson, North Salem Town Historian
and Cynthia Curtis, North Salem Historical Society

We cringe when we see a dumpster. What piece of North Salem history just got tossed? A 20th century scrapbook? Photos of the construction of the reservoir? A program from a 1940s concert? A Revolutionary War pension record? A 1910 family photo? A hand drawn map of Salem Center? A yearbook? All of these things make up the flesh and bones of our collections and help us answer the many queries we receive about the history of buildings, families, hamlets, and the unique features of this wonderful town. We love to help, and it’s so much easier if we have the information at hand.

We share and work together and sometimes divvy up the tasks. Team work! So, we ask you to please do the same. Help us help others.

If you have an old photo album, newspaper clippings, letters, scrapbook, map or quirky memorabilia, please share with us. We accept outright donations if the material is germane to North Salem or has a North Salem connection. If you don’t want to part with the item, we are happy to scan, copy and return it to you. Or, just send us a scan or copy (and any info you may have about it, please!).

The North Salem Historical Society recently received a trove of memorabilia from someone who grew up in town and felt it was time to clean the attic! Before passing items along to family members she thought about us and made us copies; other items she sent for our collection. Everyone gained. The Town Historian recently accepted beautiful arrowheads and scrapers found on a property on June Road. They are priceless reminders that Native Americans were our first settlers.

If you are looking for information, contact Cynthia Curtis, North Salem Historical Society, and/or Susie Thompson, North Salem Town Historian. We will work together to pull information from all of our sources to help you.

Cynthia Curtis, North Salem Historical Society
914-274-2706, northsalemhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or cynthiamcurtis@gmail.com

Susie Thompson, North Salem Town Historian
914-260-8281, sthompson@northsalemny.org