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Norwich in the Gilded Age
9781626192478
Regular price $21.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
Stroll down Norwich's most fashionable mile of millionaires' mansions and mingle with the extraordinary people who lived and played behind their elegant facades during the glamorous Gilded Age. Wealthy manufacturers and merchants constructed magnificent mansions, many of which survive today, along this trendiest triangle in the glitzy Rose of New England. Tricia Staley has uncovered forgotten scandals like the Blackstone baby kidnapping and the bank cashiers who embezzled thousands of dollars from wealthy residents, as well as the drama of fortunes made and lost. Meet Tiffany's founding partner John Young, rubber shoe manufacturing king William A. Buckingham, the Slaters, Greenes, Hubbards and more salacious, stylish titans of industry and extravagance.
Avon, Connecticut's First Century
9781467170147
Regular price $24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Avon, Connecticut, has had a long history of people who challenged conventions and persevered through tragedy. There was the clock peddler’s encounter with Abraham Lincoln, a suffragist’s political showdown with her cousin Eleanor Roosevelt and a man who betrayed his brother-in-law, Thomas Edison. Before the Heublein Tower, art patron Daniel Wadsworth built the first of three viewing towers on Avon Mountain. Following the courage of local abolitionist David Bartlett, Black Civil War soldier Leverett Holden fought for emancipation. Shocking events included one of the first murder cases in America to test the insanity defense, homicides at a house doomed for bloodshed and the horrific factory fire that shattered the lives of immigrant families. Scott Lewis reveals the stories of the visionaries and victims who shaped the town of Avon’s future.
Plainville, Connecticut
9781467159265
Regular price $24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%A Town Like No Other
Once called the “wicked city of the Plain,” Plainville grew from underestimated beginnings to become a robust manufacturing center by the twentieth century. It is one of the United States’ earliest railroad junctions and was once a major port along the Farmington Canal. The town was home to unique characters and creations, including ornate carriages, a “Flying Governor” and the beginnings of ESPN. Discover the forgotten railroad feud that led to Plainville’s incorporation in 1869 and nearly united it as a single town with Forestville. Meet the people who have called this town home, including inventors, bootleggers and the Blue Devils. Remember lost town landmarks like Trask School, Appell Drug and Plainville Stadium.
Join local historian Todd Jones as he explores the rich history of this Connecticut town.
A portion of this book’s royalties will go to the Plainville Historical Society.
Winchester, Connecticut
9781467144162
Regular price $21.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
Winchester and Winsted once blossomed with commerce. From cheeses that were sold to the most exclusive restaurants in major cities to tourism that proclaimed "the lake's the thing," the towns thrived. The production of clocks, clothing, knives and gold- and silver-plated coffin trimmings helped establish the region's prominence. Famous names like Rockwell, Beardsley, Boyd, Gilbert and Strong highlight the town's history, not only due to their business acumen but also because of their philanthropy. Colonel Samuel B. Horne, who earned the Medal of Honor in the Civil War, along with noteworthy journalists and artists all made their home here. And then, in 1955, disaster struck. Join local historian and author Virginia Shultz-Charette as she recounts the town's development and how the great flood changed everything.
