Abandoned Record
About Salem
Salem is an unincorporated community in Rutherford County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Salem, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.
Map
Where Salem is
Historic maps
5 historic USGS maps cover Salem
Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.
- 1916 Murfreesboro sheet, 1:62,500 · GeoTIFF download
- 1942 Lebanon sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1950 Murfreesboro sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1956 Columbia sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1985 Murfreesboro sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
Before you go
- Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
- Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
- Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.
Nearby
Other sites near Salem
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Tennessee index.
- Couchville20.4 mi N · Davidson
- Lillard Mill23.1 mi SW · Marshall
- Spring Creek26.9 mi NE · Wilson
- Big Spring34.7 mi NE · Wilson
Sources
Sources
- ghosttowns.com, "Salem": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
- Wikipedia, "Salem, Tennessee": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q30682642.
- USGS GNIS 1300536.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).