Wharves in the late 1800's

By the late 1800s, as the great age of sail was ending, Salem's wharves reflected the city's long commercial decline after its greatest trade successes in the early 1800, a change driven in part by its shallow harbor, which could not accommodate the large clipper ships and other oversize vessels that dominated the seas after 1840 and diverted much of its trade to New York and Boston. As Salem invested in manufacturing, its ships increasingly imported raw materials such as cotton and hides to be turned into textiles and shoes for export, and after 1870 they no longer carried exotic goods from the Orient but instead worked coastal routes hauling lumber from Canada and coal from Pennsylvania. Salem Maritime's three remaining historic wharves are Derby Wharf, Central Wharf, and Hatch's Wharf, which was built in 1819 and in the late 1800s was owned by Lemuel Hatch, whose sales office stood there. Built of timber and stone with earth fill, the wharves have been modified and repaired over the years, and nearby are the remains of a 19th century marine railway used to remove vessels from the harbor for repair. Around 1890, the ship Mindoro, the last square rigger registered in Salem, was docked at Derby Wharf.

Salem, Massachusetts · United States