Editing Salem, Indiana (section)

==Arts and culture==
===Annual cultural events===
Every September, Salem celebrates "Old Settler's Day" at the [[John Hay Center]]. Set in a village of authentic log structures, the festival features historical re-enactments, as well as local arts and crafts.  Friday Night on the Square is the official kick-off to Old Settlers' Day weekend. The town square is barricaded from cars and the people of Salem meet to enjoy the festivities which include food booths, commercial booths and sometimes even scavenger hunts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Settlers' Days |url=https://johnhaycenter.org/events/old-settlers-days/ |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=JohnHayCenter.org |publisher=The John Hay Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Museums and other points of interest===
The [[Salem Downtown Historic District (Indiana)|downtown area]] is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], as are several local buildings.

The [[Carnegie Library]] in Salem was one of nearly 2,000 libraries built in the United States including 164 in Indiana in the early 20th century with funds donated by steel conglomerate [[Andrew Carnegie]]. Salem received the grant in February 1904, broke ground in August 1904 and opened in July 1905. Still in use today, the Carnegie Library in Salem is one of just one hundred in the state of Indiana still being used for its original purpose.

Located in the center of Salem's town square, the Washington County Courthouse is generally known as Salem's most famous and recognizable landmark. The courthouse has historical place markers surrounding it, and at the southeastern corner of the grounds, there is a memorial to veterans killed in action during conflicts dating back to the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]].

The birthplace of [[John Hay]] has been a National Historic Site since 1971 and is located in Salem. The building was originally used as a school house and was built in 1824. It has been restored and furnished in the 1840 period.<ref name="Birthplace – John Milton Hay">{{Cite web |title=Birthplace – John Milton Hay |url=http://johnhaycenter.org/index.asp?mod=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728040418/http://www.johnhaycenter.org/index.asp?mod=2 |archive-date=July 28, 2012 |access-date=October 4, 2012 |website=JohnHayCenter.org |publisher=The John Hay Center}}</ref>

===Public art===
In 2021, [[Rafael Blanco (artist)]] debuted the "Salem Heritage" mural. This 17-foot by 80-foot mural<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sidery |first=Sara |date=19 August 2021 |title=Vibrant New Mural Spotlights Untold History, Significant Contributions of Local Women |url=https://www.wdrb.com/news/vibrant-new-mural-spotlights-untold-history-significant-contributions-of-local-women/article_cf463eb6-0156-11ec-a655-376b6127f98b.html |access-date=11 November 2021 |website=WDRB.com |publisher=[[WDRB]]}}</ref> in Salem features portraits of six women who have made significant and historical contributions to the city. The women are Granny Lusk, Lula Desse Rudder, Bradie Shrum, Sarah Parke Morrison, Terry Hall, and Emma Christy-Baker. Each woman was born or lived in Salem. Granny Lusk's family arrived in Washington County in 1817 and she informally practiced medicine in the community. Lula Desse Rudder was the first woman in the state of Indiana to be licensed as a pharmacist. Bradie Shrum was an elementary school teacher in Salem after whom Salem's elementary school is named. Sarah Parke Morrison was born in Salem in 1833 and was the first woman student at Indiana University, the first woman to graduate from the institution, and later the first woman to be a member of the faculty. Terry Hall, who coached women athletes at both the high school and college level, is the "winningest coach in University of Kentucky basketball history." Emma Christy-Baker was born in 1865, "the great-granddaughter of freed slaves." She was one of the first women, and the first African American person, the Indianapolis Police Department hired.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Lana |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Revisiting the Faces of the Mural |work=The Salem Leader |pages=3}}</ref>