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The community of Salem (“Peace” in Hebrew) developed in northeast Victoria county in the early 20th century. In 1910, Higginson Colonization Company mapped out acreage in this area to be developed as a townsite, orchards and farms. The company was organized by David Gehman (D.G.) Musselman and others, with Musselman working as colonization agent. He owned tracts of land which would become the heart of the Salem community. Many settlers came to Salem from other states, including Ohio, Kansas, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Settlers purchased small tracts of land in the community, also known as “Colony” and “Colony of Brotherly Love.” In 1911, a post office opened; soon, the town also had stores, a two-room schoolhouse and a multi-denominational church named Brethren in Christ. By 1915, dozens of settlers lived in Salem, with more residing nearby. Most early residents were farmers. By the 1930s, ranching also became a common activity. An early civic leader was D.G. Musselman’s wife, Rose (Lambert), who worked as a Mennonite missionary in Armenian Turkey before returning to the United States. She worked for a time as Salem’s postmaster, and operated a general store and filling station out of the couple’s homestead. Another important local figure was the Reverend T.A. Long, who pastored Salem’s church. The community declined in the late 1930s. Since agricultural yields were inconsistent, the small farm and orchard tracts in the community lost their appeal. However, today Salem continues to be remembered as a historic rural community and an early attempt at development in northeastern Victoria County. (2008) |
