SALEM — The Hannah Glover charter boat set sail from Pickering Wharf on Saturday afternoon with a frenzy of wagging tails as nearly 35 dogs and their owners gathered aboard for a cruise celebrating the release of a local writer’s book exploring the canine history of Salem.
“Tails of Salem: The Untold History of Dogs in the Witch City”, released last week, takes a look at Salem’s evolution through the eras of early settlement, the witch trials, maritime trade, industrialization, and into modern day through a lens not often seen in historical analysis – one that is focused on dogs and their role in shaping the city today.
Author Julie Gordon has written as the content editor for Karen Pryor Clicker Training for the past 15 years, publishing hundreds of articles about dog training and behavior, and human-animal bonds. Gordon said that the book was a natural way to bring together her professional background with her love for history, dogs, and the city she now calls home.
“Once I moved here and saw Salem’s vibrant dog community, I started to look into why Salem is so dog-centric,” Gordon said. “The deeper I dug, I knew that this was something that I needed to write about. I wanted to bring dogs and their stories out of the margins to show just how they’ve helped shape Salem’s community, from the witch trials and maritime era right through today.”
Throughout the book, stories of dogs are used to explore what was happening in each era as the city evolved. Gordon spent a significant amount of time exploring newspaper articles, documents from the Philips Library, and old ship’s journals as research to inform her writing.
These stories include the role of dogs aboard ships during Salem’s Great Age of Sail – and how one dog helped save a ship when it was attacked by privateers, the story of two dogs who were executed during the witch trials after being accused of witchcraft, dogs who were essential to the functioning of warehouses and factories by protecting goods and catching rats, and the Gilded Age when dogs transitioned into becoming household pets.
As Gordon wrote the book, she came to realize that it could be a foundation for a larger way of sharing the stories of the city’s dog history. After moving to Salem in 2023, Gordon founded Tails of Salem, offering dog-friendly tours and events celebrating the city’s canine culture. From these excursions, Gordon eventually came to the idea of a dog-inclusive harbor cruise that not only would serve as an opportunity to celebrate the release of her book, but a way to celebrate the dog-loving Salem community that the book tells the story of.
“The cruise brought so many threads of the book together – Salem’s maritime history, its present-day dog community, and then marrying that with local music and local businesses and people who simply love dogs,” Gordon said. “I wanted the launch to feel like a community celebration of the Salem dog community, not just a traditional author book-signing event.”
During the event, nearly 35 dogs and 75 people climbed and jumped aboard the Hannah Glover for a scenic cruise of Salem Harbor with live music by local musicians Mike McGeown & Ryan Kelleher, dog-themed cocktails, light appetizers including pup-cups for dogs, and the opportunity for dog-lovers from the North Shore and beyond to bond over their shared love for their four-legged friends.
Salem resident Cas Cooley and his pitbull Jinx came aboard for his first time out on the water, which he spent enamored with the passing waves.
“He just loves watching the water,” Cooley said. “We don’t go to dog social events like this too much, other than in the mornings down by the wharf when everybody’s dogs are out playing. But this is his first time on a boat, and he’s been happy and calm the whole time.”
Terry Morrow Collier and her daughter Tiffany Woods made the trip all the way from Virginia with their toy Yorkie Ruby, and Yorkies Remi and Rocky. Despite breaking down on the New Jersey turnpike on their trip, the group wouldn’t miss the opportunity for the canine cruise.
“We’ve never been here, but it’s been on Tiffany’s bucket list,” Morroe Collier said. “These guys are always together, and we love to take them wherever we can. We’re also very interested in the book that the author wrote.”
A portion of the proceeds from the cruise, operated by Mahi Mahi Cruises and Charters, went toward the Northeast Animal Shelter.
Glover said that the event felt surreal as her work had evolved from a simple question about the role of dogs in Salem’s history, and had come to a head with a packed event celebrating the very community that inspired her.
“This all began with a question that I was exploring largely on my own – ‘where are the dogs in Salem history?’ and suddenly, I’m looking out at a boat full of people and dogs who had come together because of it,” Glover said. “It’s completely joyful and moving, and honestly a little overwhelming, but in the best possible way. It really felt like my book came to life, with the history all around us in the Salem Harbor, as well as the community that the book celebrates – a boat full of dogs and the people who love them.”
“Tails of Salem: The Untold History of Dogs in the Witch City” is now available for purchase online at tailsofsalem.com, as well as in several local book stores.
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202