On June 12, 1630, Governor John Winthrop arrived at Salem for the first time. He had come on behalf of the Massachusetts Bay Company to take over command of the Massachusetts colony from John Endecott, the acting governor. While Winthrop met with Endecott and minister Samuel Skelton, most of the remaining passengers aboard the Arbella went ashore and gathered strawberries from the coast.
Over the next few days, Winthrop would meet with the Sagamore of the Agawam as well as settlers from the Dorchester Company, as his company moved slowly south to Charlestown and Boston, where they would eventually settle. They were followed by later arrivals on other ships, including Winthrop’s son, who drowned in Salem in July. As the years went on, thousands of more colonists would arrive in what would eventually be the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
300 years later, Pioneer Village would be constructed as the set for a play reenacting the arrival of Winthrop and the Arbella. While initially meant to be a temporary display, the popularity of the site lead to its establishment as one of the country’s first interpretive museums. The Village today presents an opportunity to learn more about the arrival of the colonists and their interactions with the Naumkeag, the Indigenous population of Salem and the surrounding area.
More information on the Naumkeag, from an Indigenous perspective, can be found on our Naumkeag Page.
