52 Ancestors Week 23: A Place That Matters

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 23:

The theme for Week 23 is “A Place That Matters.” Locations are vital to family history research, not only in the records they create, but the memories they hold. What is a location that is significant in your family history? Is it an ancestral home town, a place of worship, a special vacation spot? 

San Pietro a Maida? That's one place.

        There are so many places in my family history that matter to me and I've talked about many of them here in the blog. We've discussed the Italian towns of Gesualdo and San Pietro a Maida quite a bit. In fact, the more I talk about them, the more I actually want to go there. Who wouldn't want to see a couple medieval castles?! Of course we've also talked about the city of Haverhill many times. I mean that's what this blog's title is a reference to. For those who don't know I named it "All Roads Lead to Haverhill" because many branches of my family tree converge on that one city in Essex county, Massachusetts.  Not to be outdone I've also talked about Haverhill's neighbor to the east, Newburyport. My family had a boat in Salisbury for many years and it's where my grandfather Robert was born. All of these places would make for a great blog topic. But I think I'm missing probably the most important place of all. While I was born in Lawrence, Mass. I was raised in Salem, New Hampshire.

Home sweet home

    Salem has always been an interesting town. It's about halfway between Boston, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire. Since it sits right on the border, the town gets a lot of traffic from northeastern Massachusetts and all points north. The town has always been a rather unique blend of rural and urban and I think that's why my parents built a house here and raised a family in the mid 1970s.

    They grew up in nearby Haverhill and Newburyport and wanted to get away from the city life while still remaining relatively close to friends and family in those two cities.

    I can't say I blame them. Growing up it was nice to be able to visit my grandma Ollie and her sisters in Haverhill from time to time. Haverhill is a great place to visit but there's something to be said about a place you call home. I was very fortunate that they were so close by because my other grandparents lived in Raymond, NH for the longest time and we saw them once in a blue moon. I grew up with my dad's maternal side and they all lived within driving distance of Haverhill. Italians tend to stay near family. It's a thing!

    Of course being close to family isn't the only reason why Salem is a special town to me. While my parents were busy working, my brother and I were taken care of by an older couple that lived near the junior high. Peter and Mary Matorian were basically the third set of grandparents my brother and I had growing up.

    After school I'd visit them and Mary would often have a plate of grape leaves ready for me to take home. I can't say they survived the trip home. Sometimes they did. Sometimes they didn't. The temptation to eat them on the car ride home was great because she made the best grape leaves ever and as of June 4th, 2026 I have yet to find any restaurant that can match her quality. Some came close. Others/ not so much.

    As my brother and I grew up we still found the time to visit Pete and Mary.  I would often visit them after school or after cross country practice since they lived pretty close to the junior high and high school. They were a great couple with many stories to tell and to this day whenever we drive by their street I often find myself looking down their road and seeing their old house. Sure it was repainted and was remodeled but the memories within those walls last a lifetime.

Soaking wet graduation picture. Lovely.

        Salem is also the place where I got an education and I was very fortunate in that both Peter and Mary saw me off to college in the late 1990s. They were always very proud of the education my brother and I received. Though, they didn't really like sitting out in the rain on Friday, June 13th, 1997 to watch me graduate. Wow. Has it been almost twenty-nine years since I graduated? Time flies.

        On the non genealogy side of things, it's the place where I made a ton of friends. I still remember going through the field behind my house to go to a friend's house.  I may have discussed those adventures. Old man Duston owned the land and let's just say he was not pleased when he saw us going through his field. He was one of those old men who'd constantly watch over the neighborhood and to this day when I walk down the streets that used to be his property I feel like I'm being watched. I feel like I might need a proton pack. Just in case.

    Salem means more to me than just memories. It's a great place to build new memories. My family and I take my nephews out to the places we used to visit from time to time--provided that they're still around of course. When they were little we'd take them to the elementary school playground we used to play in and we've even seen the high school I graduated from. We've made new memories at the various restaurants around town and new memories at the old homestead too. There's so much you can say about the place you grew up in. It's home. What else can you say?

    Of course these aren't the only reasons why Salem matters to me. I've made a ton of friends there and I've called the place home for almost fifty years. I've seen the town change and while it has become a bit more urban in recent years the heart of the town remains the same. Are the changes for the better? That's for everyone to decide on their own and if they like change or not.  I do miss certain people and places in town of course. But it will always be home to me.

See ya next time!