In the mid-1750s, New York was caught in the crossfire as the British and French struggled for control of North America. During the French and Indian War, the Adirondack Mountain region saw numerous military encounters around Lakes George and Champlain while Sir William Johnson, Robert Rogers, John Stark, Phineas Lyman, and others carved their names in the annals of American history. Powerful fortifications rose and fell as the English and the French brawled; forts such as Fort William Henry, Fort Ticonderoga, and Fort Saint-Frederic/Fort Crown Point housed troops, endured sieges, and received their own battle scars over the course of the war. Author Marie Danielle Annette Williams uncovers the complex history of the Adirondacks during its most tumultuous time.  

Opened in 1926, Route 66 was one of America's original highways. In modern times, the Mother Road is an icon of nostalgia and kitsch, but behind each pit stop is a uniquely human story. From Alberta Ellis, who created safe havens for African American travelers in the first half of the twentieth century to Bob Waldmire and Angel Delgadillo, who worked to preserve the history of the route after the interstates came through, the people behind these places are what truly make them special. 

Vineyard Vanguards

Vineyard men and women, Islanders, off-islanders and immigrants contributed their energy and enthusiasm to create the Martha’s Vineyard community.  Generations of businessmen and women catered to locals and tourists, welcoming newcomers to this Island paradise.

Presidents Clinton and Obama visited the Vineyard, granting the Island national prominence. The Vineyard is a mix of old businesses and new, of Blacks and whites, of immigrants and Natives, working for a tranquil resort community.

Historic Sculptures of Cheyenne

Cheyenne’s downtown demonstrates an ongoing appreciation for public art. Melding art and history, bronze statues decorate the streets of Wyoming’s capital city. Following the completion of thirty-five sculptures on Capitol Avenue, the project exploded with the addition of more than fifty bronzes. The citywide installation immortalizes symbols of the American West. The Cheyenne Children’s Museum includes several statues celebrating paleontology. Others pay tribute to remarkable women like Lakota Sioux Princess Blue Waters and Louisa Swain, the first woman to vote in Wyoming Territory. Near Cheyenne Regional Hospital, the Healers of the West monument honors a notable doctor and nurse. And of particular pride is the statue of champion cowboy Verne Elliott riding a wild buffalo, commemorating the visit of President Teddy Roosevelt at the 1910 Frontier Days celebration.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Named for the infamous wreck of the Carrier Pigeon on her maiden voyage, the beacon began operations in 1872 and has warned mariners away from the treacherous rocky shoals nearby for over 150 years. It has served as a home for many keepers and their families during its lifetime. 

The vantage point is not only perfect for signaling ships at sea, but it also gave Richard Fairchild, the second lighthouse keeper to serve at Pigeon Point, a view of a gunfight in 1875 that ended in the death of local wharf manager. Other memorable keepers include Henry Holbrook, who went on to become a private detective, and Jesse E. Mygrants, who was both the longest-serving keeper at Pigeon Point—from 1924 to 1941—and had the distinction of being kidnapped by rumrunners desperate for a ride to their rendezvous. 

Arizona's Fire Departments

"I drove over 5,000 miles across the state of Arizona to gather interviews and photos for this book." -Author Carol A. Schumacher

Arizona’s fire departments started forming while the area was still a territory. Early days of firefighting were largely done by residents rushing to help their neighbors with water bucket brigades trying, almost always unsuccessfully, to save houses or businesses.

In 1865, Wickenburg formed the first formal fire department to protect the growing mining town from the constant threat of fire. The next fire departments did not form until 1881 in Tombstone and Tucson. After that, fire departments developed quite rapidly as specific methods of firefighting were instituted. These included using hand-pulled fire wagons with water tanks and hoses and then horse-drawn apparatus with water or chemicals that were now being manufactured. By the time Arizona gained statehood in 1912, fourteen major towns had an official fire department. Today, there are over 140 fire districts and roughly 35 municipal fire departments.

Woodside-Sunnyside

"Today's Sunnyside is not in the neighborhood's original location. The original Sunnyside was settled two miles further west in the early 1700s by French Huguenots who named their farm "Sunnyside Hill"." -Author Jason D. Anton

From 1851 until 1857, John A.F. Kelly wrote a weekly column for the Daily Independent Press entitled Letters from Woodside. These dispatches sent from Kelly’s rural homestead in western Queens County described his area as “a sleepy little village with a picturesque locality . . . a mere cluster of houses built of stone or logs.” In 1867, developer Benjamin W. Hitchcock, who would later develop nearby Corona and Ozone Park, first came to the area, where he purchased the Kelly estate and created a neighborhood featuring America’s first-ever installment plan program for new home buyers. This forever changed the look of Woodside. Hundreds of working-class families quickly came from across the city to buy their first home in the newly laid out suburb whose swamps and woods had been replaced by modern homes, businesses, city sewers, and paved streets. Sunnyside also takes its cue from neighboring Woodside, providing affordable housing to the masses with the building of Sunnyside Gardens, one of the earliest garden apartment neighborhoods in America and now a New York City landmark. It is also home to the Sunnyside Yards, one the nation’s largest rail yards. This book celebrates the legacy and impact that Woodside and Sunnyside have left on New York City for almost 200 years with many rare, never before published photographs. 

 

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