Wharves in the Late 1800s

By the later 1800s, sailing vessels were photographed berthed along Salem’s wharves, but Salem had already declined as a world port because its shallow harbor could not accommodate the clipper ships and larger vessels that dominated the seas after 1850. Much of Salem’s trade shifted to New York and Boston, whose harbors were deeper and wider. After 1870, Salem’s ships no longer brought exotic goods from the Orient, instead working coastal waters and hauling lumber from Maine and coal from Pennsylvania. As Salem turned from commerce to manufacturing, its ships imported cotton and hides to be exported as textiles and shoes. Three historic wharves remain from this viewpoint: Derby Wharf, Central Wharf, and Hatch’s Wharf. Built of timber and stone with earth fill, the wharves have been modified and repaired many times. About 1890, Derby Wharf looked much as seen from near this point, with the ship Mindora docked in the foreground, while warehouses that once lined the wharf no longer remain.

Salem, Massachusetts · United States