Editing Salem, New Jersey (section)

==History==
Salem was founded by [[John Fenwick (Quaker)|John Fenwick]], a [[Quaker]].<ref name=About>[https://cityofsalemnj.gov/about/ About], City of Salem. Accessed May 29, 2024. "The town and colony of Salem was laid out in 1675 by a Quaker, John Fenwick and the community was given permission to choose officers in October 1693.... It was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as part of the initial group of 104 townships established by the New Jersey Legislature.  On February 25, 1858, it was reincorporated as Salem City."</ref> Fenwick had been involved in a financial dispute with an [[Edward Byllynge]], another Quaker, who had received the undivided portion of New Jersey territory that [[James Stuart, Duke of York]] had granted to [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton|Lord John Berkeley]] in 1664. Berkeley had sold his share to Byllynge in 1675 for 1,000 pounds, but Byllynge had become bankrupt and so had the property turned over to Fenwick to hold for Byllynge and his assigns in trust. Byllynge and Fenwick came to disagree over the property.

[[William Penn]] was asked to adjudicate the matter and he awarded 90% of the claim to Byllynge and the remaining 10% and a cash settlement to Fenwick for his share. Fenwick was dissatisfied with Penn's judgement and refused to abide by the decision; essentially Fenwick had no assurance that a previously bankrupt man would convey ten percent of the net proceeds of the future venture since he had not even paid the adjudicated cash settlement. So Fenwick organized a colony of settlers and sailed to the Delaware Bay where he settled as Patroon on the eastern shore near the abandoned Swedish settlement of [[Fort Nya Elfsborg]] and set himself up as the local governor of the fifth Tenth (approximately 20% of the original Edward Byllynge property), issuing [[land patent]]s and enforcing his own laws in defiance of Byllynge and Penn. Byllynge countered by suing Fenwick, causing uncertainty in the chain of land title. The economic damages to those who controlled property within and near Salem caused many injured persons over the next decade to declare a long line of complaints and lawsuits in the colonial courts. To preserve Salem, its inhabitants and their property, Fenwick remained under arrest for months until copies of documents proving his claims were obtained from England. Fenwick ultimately proved the right of his claim in the court of [[Edmund Andros|Dominion Governor Andros]], and returned to govern the Salem tenth by 1689.<ref name= "Clement (1875)">Clement, John (1875). ''A sketch of the life and character of John Fenwick''. Published by Friends Historical Association. Philadelphia: Henry S. Volkmar</ref><ref name= "Shourds">Shourds, Thomas (1876). "John Fenwick." ''History and genealogy of Fenwick's Colony, New Jersey''. Bridgeton, New Jersey, pp. 3-17 {{ISBN|0-8063-0714-5}}</ref> Salem remained as a settlement and continued growing.<ref>Scharf, Thomas J., ''History of Delaware, 1609–1688'', 1935.</ref> In October 1693, the community was given permission to choose officers.<ref name=About/>

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], British forces under Lieutenant-Colonel [[Charles Mawhood]] launched a raid on Salem on March 18, 1778. Mawhood's troops surprised and defeated a force of American militia at a nearby bridge, and Mawhood threatened to burn Salem if the town's garrison refused to surrender. American Colonel [[Asher Holmes]] threatened to terrorize local [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] in retaliation if Mawhood carried out his threats, which led the latter to back down. However, on March 21 Major [[John Graves Simcoe]] led 300 troops of the [[27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot|27th Regiment of Foot]] and [[Queen's Rangers]] in a sneak attack on [[Hancock House (Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey)|Hancock House]], surprising and killing between 20 and 30 American militiamen sleeping there. Simcoe's troops, reportedly exclaiming "Spare no one! Give [[no quarter]]!", allegedly killed several militiamen who were attempting to surrender and fatally injured Loyalist judge [[William Hancock (judge)#William Hancock Jr.|William Hancock Jr.]], the owner of Hancock House before American troops commandeered it.<ref>{{cite web |title=William Hancock House, Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey |work=Cup O'Jersey South |date=November 9, 2007 |url=http://cupojersey.blogspot.com/2007/11/william-hancock-house-hancocks-bridge.html |access-date=November 23, 2009}}</ref> After the war ended in 1783, treason trials were held at the county courthouse where suspected Loyalists were put on trial for having allegedly aided the British during their raid on Salem. Four men were convicted and sentenced to death for treason; however, they were pardoned by Governor [[William Livingston]] and exiled from New Jersey.<ref>[http://www.revolutionarynj.org/place/alexander-grant-house/ Alexander Grant House], Crossroads of the American Revolution. Accessed April 14, 2015.</ref>

Salem was formally incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships by the [[New Jersey Legislature]]'s [[Township Act of 1798]].<ref name=Story/>The Old County Courthouse was the site of the legend of Colonel [[Robert Gibbon Johnson]] proving the edibility of the tomato. According to legend, Colonel Johnson stood upon the courthouse steps in 1820 and ate [[tomato]]es in front of a large amazed crowd assembled to watch him do so.<ref>[http://www.tomatoandhealth.com/index.php/en/article/lovers/robert_gibbon_johnson "Robert Gibbon Johnson: As the story is told, it was Colonel Johnson who on September 26, 1820 once and for all proved tomatoes non-poisonous and safe for consumption."], Tomato and Health. Accessed April 14, 2015. "As the story is told, it was Colonel Johnson who on September 26, 1820 once and for all proved tomatoes non-poisonous and safe for consumption. He stood on the steps of the Salem courthouse and bravely consumed an entire basket of tomatoes without keeling over or suffering any ill effects whatsoever."</ref> However, the legend did not appear in print until 1948 and modern scholars doubt the veracity of this story.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Smith |first=Andrew F.|title=The Making of the Legend of Robert Gibbon Johnson and the Tomato |journal=New Jersey History |volume=108 |pages=59–74 |publisher=[[New Jersey Historical Society]]|date=Fall–Winter 1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Smith, Andrew F. |year=1994 |title=The Tomato in America: Early History, Culture, and Cookery |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |location=Columbia, South Carolina, US |isbn=1-57003-000-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/tomatoinamericae00smit_0/page/1 1–6] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/tomatoinamericae00smit_0/page/1 }}</ref>

On  February 25, 1858, it was reincorporated as Salem City.<ref name=About/>

===Historical buildings===
The Old Salem County Courthouse serves today as the administrative offices for Salem City. It is the oldest active courthouse in New Jersey and is the [[Oldest courthouses in the United States|second-oldest courthouse]] in continuous use in the United States.<ref name=Discover>[http://www.discoversalemcounty.com/Salem-NJ.asp#.VdNP-5dkLIU Salem, NJ], Discover Salem County. Accessed August 18, 2015. "The Old Salem County Courthouse is the second oldest courthouse in the United States; the oldest is King William County Courthouse in Virginia."</ref> The Courthouse was erected in 1735 during the reign of [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] using locally manufactured bricks. The building was enlarged in 1817 and additionally enlarged and remodeled in 1908. Its distinctive bell tower is essentially unchanged and the original bell sits in the courtroom.<ref name=Discover/>