Editing Salem, Virginia (section)

== History ==
The earliest history of Salem exists as archaeological evidence of Native American tribes from as far back as 8,000 [[Common Era|BCE]] until the middle of the 18th century. Europeans first explored the area of Salem in 1671, when the [[Siouan languages|Siouan]]-speaking [[Tutelo people|Totero]] people had a village nearby.<ref name=swanton>{{citation| last=Swanton| first=John R.| title=The Indian Tribes of North America| publisher=Smithsonian Institution| year=1952| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtHI5pkJOGMC| isbn=0-8063-1730-2| pages=73| oclc=52230544}}</ref> Explorers Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam gave the area its first recorded name: Totero Town, after this tribe, who supplied them with a guide to help with further exploration. Fort Lewis, named for General [[Andrew Lewis (soldier)|Andrew Lewis]], of what is now [[Roanoke County]], was built west of the town in 1752. Salem's Andrew Lewis Middle School (formerly Andrew Lewis High School) was named after General Lewis. Salem became a small settlement serving travelers on the Great Road (roughly the same path followed by [[US-11]] and later [[Interstate 81]] today) and was officially founded in 1802, receiving its charter in 1806. It is not known why the town was named Salem; the most widely accepted explanation is that it was named to honor William Bryan, a prominent citizen, who had moved from [[Salem, New Jersey]].

Salem was attacked twice by the [[Union Army]] during the [[American Civil War]], but its Salem Flying Artillery is said to have fired the last Confederate shot at [[Appomattox Court House National Historical Park|Appomattox Court House]] prior to [[Robert E. Lee]]'s surrender.

One of the city's four elementary schools is named after African American scientist [[George Washington Carver|G. W. Carver]]. Before integration, this was the high school for African Americans in Salem.

Salem annexed South Salem in 1953 and also an eastern tract in 1960, giving it a population of 16,058 – making it Virginia's largest ''town'' at the time. Salem officially became a city on December 31, 1967, to avoid the possibility of annexation into the city of Roanoke. Per the Virginia constitution, it was separated from Roanoke County. However, it remains the official county seat, although the Roanoke County Administrative Building is located in the [[Cave Spring, Virginia|Cave Spring]] area of the county.

Salem has been the home of two colleges. In 1847, the Virginia Institute, a boy's preparatory school, moved to Salem from [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]]. It received a college charter in 1853 and was renamed [[Roanoke College]] for the [[Roanoke Valley]]. The college is located in central Salem, one block north of Main Street. Roanoke Women's College, later named [[Elizabeth College, Virginia|Elizabeth College]], operated between 1912 and 1922. The college burned in late 1921 and did not reopen. Like Roanoke College, it was affiliated with the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]. The Elizabeth College campus is now the site of residence halls and athletic fields that belong to [[Roanoke College]].

Salem is home to the [[Salem Red Sox]], a Class-A affiliate to the [[Boston Red Sox]].

The [[NCAA Division III national football championship|Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III Football Championship game]] was held at [[Salem Football Stadium]] between 1993 and 2016. Salem's success in holding that event led the [[NCAA]] to also move the [[NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship]] and [[NCAA Division III women's volleyball tournament]] to the [[Salem Civic Center]] and the [[NCAA Division II softball tournament]] and the [[NCAA Division III softball tournament]] to the [[James I. Moyer Sports Complex]].

In August 2007, the Salem Football Stadium also hosted the Southwestern Virginia Educational Classic. This game is played annually in the Roanoke Valley and consists of two football teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The city hosts several other statewide, regional, and national sporting events at its facilities. These events are attracted by the city's hospitality, modern facilities and overall support.  [[Salem High School (Salem, Virginia)|Salem High School]], is also known for its athletic programs, particularly the football team which has won ten state championships since 1996, and also the [[Individual events (speech)|forensics]] team, which has won eighteen consecutive state championships.