Salem is also home of John Thomas Scopes, famous for the "Scopes Monkey Trial".

The following news story is taken from the front
page of the Salem Republican dated June 11, 1925.

John Thomas Scopes, 24 years, indicted for teaching evolution in Dayton, Tenn., High School is present in New York securing counsel and advisers to face his trial, July 16th.

Merchants of Dayton were not slow to realize the commercial side of this trial. They held a banquet, invited Scopes to attend and mapped out a plan to secure rooms and board to accommodate the people who be attracted by the trial, reckoning it bring thousand of dollars to them. They planned to ride high, wide and handsome in the way of prices, which Scopes says disgusted him and he told them frankly it was a poor sample of southern hospitality, and suggested that every visitor be given a square deal.

One of the grand jurors who found the indictment suggested that hanging should be Scope's portion.

Scopes, it will be recalled, graduated with Salem High School class of 1919 on which occasion, Wm. Jennings Bryan delivered the address. [It will be recalled that Bryan was a prosecutor at the trial.]

The whole matter has assumed the portion of Dayton and her merchants endeavoring to secure a large amount of notoriety and publicity with an open question as whether Scopes is a party to the plot or not.