1800s American history

Auburn was founded in 1793 and started as an agricultural community that grew sweet corn and potatoes. The city transitioned into an industrial center with factories that produced rope, shoes, and harvesting machinery. Today, Auburn is a tourist destination in the heart of the Finger Lakes, boasting the historic homes of Harriet Tubman, William H. Seward, and John Foster Dulles.

Originally commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt as he built his maritime empire in New York, the Steamboat Lexington eventually became the most prestigious steamship on the heavily trafficked Long Island Sound...

But in 1840 a fire broke out on the ship, igniting poorly placed bales of cotton which destroyed the ship in minutes. Emergency rafts sank and rescue boats were unable to reach the ship in time. Only four among the over one hundred and forty on board survived by clinging to bales of cotton. The incident would be the worst maritime disaster in Long Island history.

Author Bill Bleyer presents the harrowing story of a ship’s journey from glory to tragedy.

Dr. Ann Webster Bunch delves into the enigmatic disappearance of William Morgan, a 19th-century figure whose threat to expose Masonic secrets led to his mysterious vanishing, igniting political turmoil and leaving a case that remains unresolved nearly 200 years later.

William Morgan was last seen in Batavia, New York, in September 1826, down on his luck and haunting the local pubs. An elusive local citizen, he had recently threatened to publish purported Masonic secrets. He was later arrested that same month in Canandaigua for petty theft and eventually transported and held in Fort Niagara. From there Morgan seems to have disappeared forever. The local Freemasons were accused of his demise. State Assemblyman and newspaper editor Thurlow Weed fanned the political flames to great effect. Yet Morgan was to return, this time in stone, atop a monument erected at Old Cemetery, Batavia, in 1882. Enigmatically, no body lies there. Thus, the case of Mr. Morgan technically remains that of a missing person almost two hundred years after his disappearance. Dr. Ann Webster Bunch takes an investigative science approach to this extremely cold case to demystify and highlight ways to resolve the fate of this highly polarizing historical figure.

It has been four centuries since the first Roosevelt arrived in New Amsterdam as a humble farmer.

The Roosevelts became one of America’s most distinguished families—one with ties to many sites in New York City. A brownstone on East 20th Street where Theodore Roosevelt was born and developed his love of nature. A twin brownstone next door where his uncle Robert instilled in the future president an interest in conservation, while having multiple affairs and even starting a second secret family with a mistress. And the double townhouse on East 65th Street built by Sara Delano Roosevelt so the growing family of her son, Franklin, would have a suitable place to live while she meddled in their lives. Historian Bill Bleyer details the unique places in the city where family members lived and worked and unveils the private interactions behind this famous American family.

The village of Clinton and town of Kirkland are neighboring communities in central New York. Clinton was founded in 1787 and has served as an educational hub anchored by Hamilton College. Clara Barton, Grover Cleveland, and Leland Stanford were educated here, along with Elihu Root, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912. The natural resources of Clinton and Kirkland, including Oriskany Creek and hematite ore, facilitated local prosperity.

Clinton native Zach Lewis, an educator, journalist, and photographer, explores the area’s heritage, highlighting the evolving landscape and why he believes that “all roads lead to Clinton.”

Ossining, one of Westchester County’s oldest communities, holds a legacy as deep and layered as that of the Hudson River it borders.

The first incorporated village in Westchester County, Ossining is defined by a history of remarkable firsts: the county’s first newspaper, first volunteer fire department, first childcare facility, and first official American casualty of World War I, Edmond C. Genet. One of its most enduring symbols is the infamous Sing Sing Prison, established in 1825. Although its presence has left an indelible mark on the village’s identity, the prison remains just one chapter in Ossining’s rich and textured story.

In a book packed with rare details and “Portal to the Past” entries, local authors Scott Craven and Caroline Ranald Curvan reveal the rich history of this unique community.