There are three references to Salem in the Bible. One in Genesis, one in Psalms, and one in Hebrews. I was not able to find any information as to how the name was chosen by the early settlers to the area, but it was incorporated in the mid-1800s. It does have a post office, and I used those coordinates for this waymark. Salem is located along U.S. Highway 431/280 (dual numbers in this area), a few miles south of I-85.
The following from Wikipedia gives a good summary of the community's history:
"Salem was first settled in 1835, and grew rapidly for the next two decades. Salem incorporated in 1846 and quickly became one of the area's largest cities. However, a fire which engulfed the town in 1854 and the subsequent Civil War resulted in the collapse of the town's government, and rapid depopulation. Salem lost a bid to be the county seat of the newly formed Lee County in 1865, and then saw its charter become inactive in the following decades. Today, Salem is a small community of a few hundred.
By the late 20th century Salem was the location of Lee County's only covered bridge, the Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge. A symbol of the area, the bridge was destroyed by a fallen tree following a storm in 2005. It was rebuilt in 2007 at Opelika Municipal Park in nearby Opelika.
Tornado of 2009
On Saturday February 28, 2009, around 8:30 AM, an EF2 tornado touched down in Salem, destroying Salem Chapel AME church, several homes, and part of Wacoochee Junior High School. It Also destroyed the Anglican, Church of the Resurrection, ACA Mission located right in the middle of down town Salem. The Church was completed in 2008 in the building that most people knew as the old McLain Museum. This building had been used for several other businesses over many years it stood and will be a great void in the Salem area. The tornado ran east-northeast across part of U.S. Highway 280, which runs through the small community, before lifting up two miles to the east. There were no fatalities and no major injuries reported."
Source: (
visit link)
Since there are only three citations, here they are, from the King James Version:
Genesis 14:18 (KJV) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Psalm 76:2 (KJV) In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
Hebrews 7:1-2 (KJV) For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
In the photos I will include the historical marker by the Methodist Church, the post office, and the temporary home of the Anglican Church mentioned in the Wikipedia article.