Pittsburgh in 50 Maps offers unique new views of a city at a crossroads—culturally, economically, and demographically.

There are countless ways to map a city. Roads, bridges, and waterways help you navigate the twists and turns; topography gives you the lay of the land; population trends show you a region’s changing fortunes. But the best maps let you feel what a city’s really like. Whether you call it the Steel City, the City of Bridges, City of Champions, Hell with the Lid Off, or even the Paris of Appalachia, Pittsburgh’s distinctive character is undeniable. Pittsburgh in 50 Maps considers the boundaries of the city’s 90 distinct neighborhoods (plus Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood), the legacy of the steel industry, and how immigration continues to shape the city. You’ll also find the areas with the highest concentrations of bike lanes, supermarkets, tree cover, and fiberglass dinosaurs. Each colorful map offers a new perspective on one of America’s most consistently surprising cities and the people who live here.

Sure to be a conversation starter for Pittsburgh locals, transplants, and expats, Pittsburgh in 50 Maps is for anyone keen to understand the city in new and unexpected ways.

Schuylkill County is no stranger to disaster.

Schuylkill County is no stranger to disaster. Protected by volunteers since 1811, residents have faced block-burning conflagrations like the Great Memorial Day Fire of 1945, which consumed sixty-seven buildings in the Mahanoy City Business District, and commercial airplane crashes like United Flight 624 near Ashland, with no survivors. The Red Church propane truck explosion near Orwigsburg caused twelve fatalities, and the Reading Railroad passenger train collision with a gasoline truck in Port Carbon sparked death and destruction, as well as a frantic search for burning money.

Telling these stories with the help of rare and many never-before-seen images, authors and veteran firefighters Michael R. Glore and Michael J. Kitsock revisit some of the region’s most harrowing catastrophes.

“Ninety percent of [what] was written about me is bullshit”

Isadore Blumenfeld, aka Kid Cann, came to Minnesota as a toddler when his family emigrated from Romania. In Prohibition-era Minneapolis, a city of vast wealth inequality and vicious antisemitism, young Isadore rose from impoverished newsboy to millionaire. Kid Cann’s ruthless determination, growing organized crime network and willingness to commit wanton violence ignited his meteoric ascent. He got away with innumerable crimes over four decades before a series of relatively minor offenses brought him down. Although ravaged by stress and stripped of his social stature, the infamous gangster earned a place in the folklore of Minnesota. Historian Ron de Beaulieu recounts the saga of the state’s most notorious crime boss.

Have y'all seen Scrim?

Scrim the dog got loose in the Big Easy, and New Orleans may never be the same. Known for his wiry fur and mischievous antics, Scrim has become a beloved figure in the city, darting through neighborhoods, dodging potholes, and leaving a trail of smiles wherever he goes.

The Cannibal City

In the early days of the California Gold Rush, Sacramento City had several competing towns vying for the influx of newcomers. Many of its rivals not only had vibrant multicultural communities but also enjoyed superior geography for transportation and flood control. Even the initial land grant from Johann Sutter is considered controversial if not downright fiction, yet Sacramento thrived where others failed. Once-bustling Mormon Island was initially the proposed site of the railway that would end up bypassing it, and Brighton became a hotbed of agitation after the deadly “Squatters’ Riot,” leading to its decline. Hoboken, Prairie City and more were also wiped off the map.

The Special Collections of the Sacramento Public Library explores the history of these lost Sacramentos.

A handy little cookbook that puts the humble rhubarb in the spotlight.

There’s more to rhubarb than you thought. The distinctive plant was initially used as an herbal medicine, and it eventually became a favorite baking ingredient and was known stateside as the “pie plant.” Today, it’s considered a superfood thanks to its high levels of vitamin C and K and fiber.

In over sixty recipes, food journalist and author Nina Mukerjee Furstenau takes readers on a journey through the extensive applications of the tart red stalk. From classics desserts like strawberry-rhubarb pie to savory main dishes, plus preserves, relishes, and even drinks, the best-dressed member of your garden shines in ways you never would have dreamed of.

Cold Case Clues

On May 21, 1932, Arthur Oker, a mild-mannered Finnish tailor, was brutally murdered in his shop in the small seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts.

While this unsolved crime terrified local residents, their fears increased after another horrifying murder, that of Swedish immigrant and fellow churchgoer Augusta Johnson in her home on Halloween night in 1933. Following the crimes, authorities searched every house and building in Rockport, and some 2,500 households were interviewed. A reward was posted, a mystic volunteered her services and local children wearing badges provided by a breakfast cereal company joined in the search. However, the crimes went unsolved. Local authors Robert Fitzgibbon and Wayne Soini reveal long-lost details about the crime, the investigation and a surprise suspect from the state police archives.

Authors David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker separate fact from fiction in the story of Ohio’s Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a macabre sort of dance between good and evil in which each side was trying to steal away the other’s partner. However, in the upside-down-world of pre-Civil War America, the law was firmly on the side of evil and the dance often ended in death. It was a time when the newly formed country was deeply divided on the question of slavery and its fate hung in the balance. Just how long could a house divided against itself be expected to stand?

Author Christopher P. Semtner takes readers inside the homes of Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe’s terror tales and melancholy poetry carved a bold new path across literary genres. Meet the man behind the madness, murder and mayhem on this road trip to Poe’s homes in Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, the Bronx and more. Along the way, meet the grave robbers, murderers and tooth thieves who inspired his greatest horror stories. Learn the secret histories of these Poe places to find out which was owned by a man who kept Poe’s wife’s bones in a box under his bed, which might be haunted by Poe’s ghost, which has the best basement for hiding corpses and which stood across the street from an anatomy lab.

Situated on a prehistoric ridge, Blue Island is among the earliest established communities in northeastern Illinois, first settled in 1835, later becoming a village in 1872 and a city in 1901. This hardworking town was connected to the American economy through its rivers, canals, and railroads, including the Rock Island Railroad shops. Its brickyards led the nation in production and supplied the very blocks of Chicago’s rebirth after the Great Fire. The architecture of immigrant merchants and significant institutions has largely been preserved, along with many homes of working-class and prominent residents. Renowned architects, including George Washington Maher, Bertrand Goldberg, and Blue Island’s own Robert Seyfarth, designed local landmarks. Blue Island is a community of immense pride that is as aware of its uniqueness as it is eager to share it.

Jason Berry lives in Blue Island and is a life member of the Blue Island Historical Society. Kevin Barron is a special education teacher and creator of the free historic resources organization SouthCookExplore. The images for this book were selected from the Blue Island Historical Society archives and museum. For more than 50 years, the society and its vibrant programming have kept Blue Island’s history a vital part of its continued discovery.