Stephen King
has masterfully composed stories that highlight the people and culture of
Maine. Most readers, if asked, would
identify the most memorable town in King’s work as Castle Rock or
Derry. The number of King's stories based in
these locales could easily explain this. Take the name of this blog site as an example
of that impact. These two towns have
been discussed in earlier articles. However, King has written such a body of work
that it is hard to identify every place that he has used. The
Stand (1978) alone has scenes in excess of fifty locations throughout the
United States. Regardless, we will still
take a look at some of these special places in this and future articles.
Jerusalem’s
Lot is a small Maine town with a long history that includes a time when it was
a ghost town. Jerusalem’s Lot is
commonly referred to as “’Salem’s Lot” by the locals. That name has become synonymous with evil or cursed
for many people in the nearby communities.
From the founders to some of the residents in recent years, the town has
a unique, yet very dark, history surrounding its population.
The following
is the historical timeline of the town of Jerusalem’s Lot based on the works of
Stephen King and documented in The
Complete Stephen King Universe by Stanley Wiater, Christopher Golden and
Hank Wagner:
1710 James Boon led a splinter group of the original Puritan settlers from
southern Maine to the location that the town would later be established.
Boon is the group’s spiritual leader who worships a demonic creature
known as “the worm.” His group also worships this dark entity.
Boon, like some other cult leader’s in history, breeds with many of the
women in their sect.
1710 James Boon led a splinter group of the original Puritan settlers from
southern Maine to the location that the town would later be established.
Boon is the group’s spiritual leader who worships a demonic creature
known as “the worm.” His group also worships this dark entity.
Boon, like some other cult leader’s in history, breeds with many of the
women in their sect.
1741 Preacher’s
Rest, an adjoining hamlet, is founded. The name would
later be changed to Preacher’s Corners.
later be changed to Preacher’s Corners.
1765 Jerusalem’s
Lot becomes an incorporated township.
1782 Robert
and Philip Boone build a house called Chapelwaite in the Lot
near Preacher’s
Corners. The brothers were descendants
of James
Boon, but were unaware of their connection to the fanatical leader.
1789 (October
27) Robert Boone follows his brother, Philip, to the original
church where James Boon and his cult worshipped the demon
creature. Robert had become involved with the founder’s
cult, which
still existed in the area. The events of that night have been lost in history.
The next day, the town was completely deserted. The fate of its
residents is unknown.
1850 Charles,
the grandson of Robert Boone, moves into Chapelwaite, the
family estate. He discovers documents that reveal some of
his family’s
history. The residents of
Preacher’s Corners do not treat Charles
kindly. He relates their attitude
toward his family to the horrific events
associated with his ancestors.
(October
27) Charles Boone discovers the worm and the “rotted
zombielike form” of James
Boon in the abandoned church in
‘Salem’s Lot.
1896 The ghost town becomes
resettled as new people move into it. The
events of
the past are unknown or believed to be nothing but legends.
The main street is named Jointner Avenue in honor of a local
politician. The road had previously been known as the Portland Post
Road.
The main street is named Jointner Avenue in honor of a local
politician. The road had previously been known as the Portland Post
Road.
1928 Hubert
Marsten and his wife, Birdie, move to ‘Salem’s Lot. Marsten
was the president of a large New England trucking company. However,
It was not known to the residents of the town that Marsten was an
assassin for the Mafia.
was the president of a large New England trucking company. However,
It was not known to the residents of the town that Marsten was an
assassin for the Mafia.
1939 During
the summer of this year, Marsten shoots
and kills his wife before hanging himself. It was
later discovered that Marsten had been in contact with a mysterious man who
lived in Germany, which was ruled by
Hitler’s Third Reich at that time. The
man in Germany was later revealed to
be a vampire named Kurt Barlow.
1951 Ben
Mears, a young boy from ‘Salem’s
Lot, enters the abandoned
Marsten House, which is said to
be haunted. The young Ben enters
the attic and sees what he
believes to be the ghost of Hubie Marsten. Ben
Mears would never forget the events of that fateful day.
Lot, enters the abandoned
Marsten House, which is said to
be haunted. The young Ben enters
the attic and sees what he
believes to be the ghost of Hubie Marsten. Ben
Mears would never forget the events of that fateful day.
1971 (October) James Robert Boone, the final descendent of founder James
Boon, moves into Chapelwaite. Though it is believed by many that the
ancestral home was haunted, there are no more references to the evil
associated with cult, the worm or the living corpse of James Boon.
Some believe that the evil could be brought back to life under the proper
conditions.
1975 (September 5) Ben Mears returns to the town after his wife, Miranda, is
killed in a motorcycle accident. Mears, a writer, hoped to write a new
novel while visiting his boyhood town. Mears discovers that two
“mysterious European gentlemen” had purchased the Marsten House,
which haunted his dreams.
By
mid-fall of that year, the majority of the Salem’s Lot residents had been
killed, transformed or left due to the evil activity of the vampire Barlow. Ben Mears and Mark Petrie kill Kurt Barlow,
destroy as many vampires as possible and then flee the empty township.
1976 In the winter of 1976 or early months of
1977, Mears and Petrie return to ‘Salem’s Lot and burn the town. Newspaper had been reporting stories about
suspicious disappearances near the abandoned town. Mears believed these disappearances to be
associated with the vampires created by Barlow.
1978 (January 10) The Lumley family from New
Jersey are taken by vampires near the burned-out town of ‘Salem’s Lot. Herb Tooklander and his friend Booth, both of
whom live in a neighboring town, also report nearly being abducted in a similar
fashion.
As you might be
able to conclude from this historical timeline, Jerusalem’s Lot shares a
similar event in its history as another early settlement in America. Roanoke,
Virginia was the site of two early colonies where its residents disappeared
without a trace, once in 1587 and again in 1590. Beyond the similarities, there is no known
connection between Jerusalem’s Lot and Roanoke.
To read more
about the history and events that occurred in Jerusalem’s Lot, read the
following King stories: ‘Salem’s Lot (1975), “One for the Road” –
a short story in the collection Night
Shift (1978), and “Jerusalem’s Lot” – a short story also in Night Shift (1978).
