Arcadia Bestsellers

Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve, created in 1980, was a history-making decision that is a model for land preservation.

Montgomery County's earliest residents, Native Americans, developed agricultural communities and used the shores of the Potomac as a trading spot. European settlers farmed tobacco, eventually collapsing the County's economy until the Quaker community returned fertility to the land. The C&O Canal was the nation's first significant infrastructure project and helped create links to national and international markets. In the 20th century, the Marriott chain developed contemporary, industrialized food that signaled a changing world. The Agricultural Reserve was intended to preserve the county's rural past in the face of rapid change. Along with farming, it also preserved history and foodways.

Claudia Kousoulas and Ellen Letourneau tell this agricultural history through food and recipes.

Drawing on rarely seen photographs and other materials from the Teaneck Public Library and private collections, author Jay Levin chronicles the intriguing history of Teaneck.

Originally inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape Indians and settled by the Dutch, Teaneck has come to embody the American experience. Created in 1895 from the vast, wooded estate of its most eminent citizen, William Walter Phelps, the bucolic township along the Hackensack River boomed in the 1920s, its population quadrupling during construction of the nearby George Washington Bridge to New York City. Developers could not put up homes fast enough in a suburb offering beauty, location, and every convenience. It is a community of myriad distinctions: exemplar of successful municipal management, “model town” deemed worthy of emulation, college town, and, in the 1960s, the first majority-white community in the United States to voluntarily integrate its school system.

For all ages, explore Buffalo New York's spooky side with true stories and ghostly tales of the city's spooks and spirits.

Everyone can go on a haunted adventure of a lifetime in Buffalo, New York in this comprehensive guide to some of Buffalo's spookiest sites. Avid ghost hunter and paranormal investigator Dwayne Claud and researcher Cassidy O'Connor entertain readers with stories of the city's most acclaimed spooks and spirits, such as Tanya, the five-year-old that can be spotted bouncing on guest beds at the Grand Island Holiday Inn. The book includes twisted tales from the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, as well as stories of roaming spirits at Frontier House - a hotel frequented by figures such as Mark Twain and President McKinley. This gripping collection of ghostly tales is sure to thrill anyone fascinated by the unknown.

It's called ""The Olympic Village,"" but Lake Placid, New York is so much more than that.

It is called ""the Olympic Village,"" and rightly so. In 1932, Lake Placid hosted the third Winter Olympics and hosted 13th edition of the famed event of 1980 when arguably the biggest upset in sports history, ""The Miracle On Ice,"" occured. Lake Placid has placed an athlete on all but one winter Olympic roster since 1924. This small community continually works to keep international winter sports on the calendar.

First settled as a farming community in 1800, it was home to the famous Lake Placid Club from 1895 to 1980. Today it is known for its beautiful setting amid the Adirondack peaks of New York and for its diverse summer activities making it a year-round international resort.

Journey with the unsung heroes of the Underground Railroad.

Maryland was the starting point of many freedom seekers. They embarked on the perilous journey from slavery to freedom in whatever way they could. John Thompson signed onto a whaling ship. James Watkins sailed to England and became a lecturer on slavery. Hester Norman fled, was caught, and was rescued by the Black community in her husband’s Pennsylvania town. They used ruses, found allies and eluded slave catchers, but lived in constant fear until they obtained their freedom papers. In their adventures, these freedom seekers used initiative, determination, and courage.

These qualities served them well as they achieved freedom. Jenny Masur tells their stories.

Explore the mysterious past of Long Island and learn about the spirits that haunt the historic American island.

Take a ghostly journey through Long Island's history, from Native American legends and beyond. Ghosts lurk at the Execution Rocks Lighthouse, where Revolutionary War Patriots were brutally tortured and killed by the British during the Battle of Long Island. Popular gathering places have otherworldly tenants, including Bayport's Grey Horse Tavern and the Cutchogue Village Green, where several old buildings - and their former inhabitants - are preserved. Long Island's history is unearthed and preserved through its ghost stories and spirits that have made their presence known. Through extensive research, interviews and investigations, award-winning author and historian Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, alongside medium and paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto, uncovers Long Island's eerie history.

A history of Sparrows Pointis a history of American ships and steel. Learn about The Point’shistory of industrial and naval progress.

Sparrows Pointwas on the map nearly a century before the city of Baltimore was laid out and just 20 years after the colony of Maryland was established.

After receiving a land grant from Lord Baltimore in 1652, Thomas Sparrow named the area Sparrow's Nest; although he never lived here and his heirs eventually disposed of the 600 acres, his name stuck. In 1886, the Pennsylvania Steel Companypurchased 385 acres from Capt. and Mrs. William Fitzell, and work began immediately on a new plant, a shipyard, and a company town.Furnace Awas fired up in October 1889. That same year, passenger rail service to and from Baltimore commenced. Meanwhile, laborers who chose to reside in the company town rented houses on streets with letters and numbers for names in locations designated by their job and race. By 1916, Bethlehem Steelhad acquired Sparrows Point. Over time, The Pointwould become the world's largest steel mill, supported by a prosperous, self-sufficient town.

Discover the history of the Throggs Neck-Pelham Bay community's early residents and its place in an ever-changing America.

First settled in 1643, Throggs Neck-Pelham Bay lies along the west bank of Eastchester Bay in the Bronx. It was once an area of grand estates and farms and was home to some of the wealthiest people in America, including Collis P. Huntington and Catherine Lorillard Wolfe. Throggs Neck-Pelham Bay offers a unique glimpse into the past, through carefully preserved images and a thoroughly researched text. The images in this volume cover all of the communities included in the charter granted to John Throckmorton by the Dutch in 1642.

Called Vriedlandt or Land of Peace by Dutch authorities, the area eventually fell prey to the burdens of war during the American Revolution. The images in Throggs Neck-Pelham Bay depict all aspects of life, from work to play. View the early modes of transportation used by the residents, the schools and churches they attended, the homes they lived in, and the activities they enjoyed. Readers will delight in the memories of yesteryear and the images of a young and undaunted America.

With nearly two hundred vintage photographs from public and private collections, Belleville offers rare insight into the town's explosive growth.

Brimming with a rich history and local flavor that has gone largely undocumented for more than three hundred years, Belleville began as a small Dutch settlement in the 1670s and has grown into a busy suburb of 32,000 people, located only fifteen miles west of New York City. Situated on the west bank of the Passaic River, early Belleville was a center for early industry and water transportation and is noted as the birthplace of America's industrial revolution. From the legendary secret tunnels running beneath the Dutch Reformed Church to the beauty of Belleville Park, which sits beside one of the largest annual cherry blossom tree displays in the nation, Belleville tells the story of an often forgotten but noteworthy era in the turbulent development of early America. Belleville shows the appeal the bustling town held for many of the nation's most influential figures, including inventor Thomas Edison and famed architect Charles Granville Jones. The town was also a notable stop on Gen. George Washington's retreat from New York City to Philadelphia during the early days of the Revolutionary War.

Discover the history of USA's first suburb and how the American Dream of owning a home became a real possibility for many.

When developer Abraham Levitt and his two sons conceived the idea for Levittown in 1946, they were probably unaware of the future impact of their radical concept - to build cellarless, affordable tract housing on Long Island farmland. Levittown
became the prototype suburban community that has
been mirrored in towns throughout America and around the world. This delightful photographic history chronicles the growth and development of Levittown as returning World War II GIs flocked to it in droves, attracted by the promise of the American Dream of becoming homeowners. Despite criticism of its stunning conformity, Levittown and its residents thrived as they raised families, started businesses, and created a close-knit community that exists to this day. This enchanting collection of photographs reveals the joys and struggles of Levittown's founders and residents as they carved their niche in American history.

Prior to 1870, the main routes of commerce entering Swedesboro were Kings Highway by land or Raccoon Creek by water.

When the Swedesboro Railroad was completed in October 1869, it started a new era of growth in the Swedesboro-Woolwich area. Produce was loaded on railcars for distant markets.Warehouses and industry exploded adjacent to the rail yard. New banks, hotels, and businesses crowded along both sides of Main Street. Economic expansion brought more residents and new housing construction. The prosperity of the Swedesboro area from 1870 to 1950 is preserved in detail on postcards and in photographs reprinted on these pages.

Lois M. Stanley is a retired high school English teacher and longtime Swedesboro resident. Russell C. Shiveler Jr. grew up in Woolwich Township and is a farm boy at heart. Both coauthored an earlier work published by Arcadia Publishing entitled Images of America: Swedesboro and Woolwich Township. This book is produced with the cooperation of the Swedesboro-Woolwich Historical Society.

Explore the creepiest legends of this southern community in Supernatural Saratoga.

Amid the famous mineral springs and horse races, Saratoga Springs is a hub for the supernatural. Author Mason Winfield, operator of Saratoga's Haunted History Ghost Walks, chronicles the Spa City's spookiest legends, from the Iroquoian zombie-like vampires to Benedict Arnold's Halloween apparitions. The heart of the city brims with lore, as covens work in secret in the Devil's Den neighborhood and phantoms linger at the Arcade on Broadway. In the shadow of the Adirondacks, spectral lights appear on remote Snake Hill, and the Woman in White haunts Saratoga Spa State Park. Explore the creepiest legends of Saratoga history, where some gamblers never leave and demons lurk in the forests.

Looking out over the majestic waters of Oyster Bay, the village of Cove Neck has played an outsized role in the history of Long Island and the nation.

The size of this tiny village belies its significant history. Nestled inside the town of Oyster Bay on Long Island, Cove Neck is only one of thirty-five other villages and hamlets of Oyster Bay, but Cove Neck is arguably the most important. The village played a role in the early days of motion picture history as the location of James S. Blackton and his Vitagraph Studios while Theodore Roosevelt's Sagamore Hill was home to the federal government during the summers of his presidency and remained his cherished residence throughout his life. Even the colonial farm of Mary Cooper still stands in Cove Neck, the hardships of the village's agricultural past detailed in her diary and studied by succeeding generations, even today. Authors John E. Hammond and Elizabeth E. Roosevelt cover the surprising history of Oyster Bay's historic Cove Neck.

Visit the alleys of Philadelphia's Kensington and Fishtown neighborhoods for stories from the Speakeasy War and more.

The docks and alleys of Philadelphia's riverward neighborhoods teem with forgotten stories and strange histories. In the overlooked corners of Kensington and Fishtown are the launching of the Industrial Revolution, the bizarre double suicide of the Rusk twins and the violent Cramp Shipyard strike. With a collection of his "The Rest Is History" columns from the Fishtown Star, local historian Kenneth Milano chronicles little-known tales from the Speakeasy War of 1890 to stories of seldom-recognized hometown hero Eddie Stanky, who went on to play for the 1951 New York Giants. Join Milano as he journeys into the secret history of two of the city's oldest neighborhoods.

Clayton depicts and documents the history of this diverse New York community.

The town of Clayton, located in northern New York State, was established on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence River. At the turn of the last century, Clayton was in its heyday, and was one of the most famous resort destinations in the northeastern United States. During this period, Clayton was a place of affluence, its economy and culture built on the timber trade, shipping, boat building, and tourism industries. This book highlights the collection of Lester Corbin. Mr. Corbin, known as the Dean of the Thousand Islands Photographers, dedicated his life to compiling the photographic history of Clayton and the surrounding Thousand Islands Region. Whether shooting his own photography or restoring the collections of photographers who went before him, Mr. Corbin was able to develop one of the most extensive collections in the area. Every photograph in this book is taken from an original glass plate or negative found in the collection.

Much like the building material of the same name, the township of Brick has a sturdy and reliable history.

In 1850, when the New Jersey Legislature created Ocean County among a region of virgin woodland. The new township was named after its most prominent resident, Joseph W. Brick, the industrious and successful owner of Bergen Iron Works; as Brick’s and other local industries expanded, more and more people began to call the town their home.Brick Townshiprecords these lives of these founders, as well as the events and places that helped them shape their community. By 1920, parts of the township had declared their independence, and the remaining parts of Brick began to evolve into a resort community. Brick continued to be an intimate but prosperous resort area into the 1950s, when the Garden State Parkway opened, and the subsequent residential and commercial development created dramatic growth in year-round residents.Brick Townshipcaptures scenes of life in Brick from 1850 to the 1950s and beyond—from the early European settlers to the suburbanites who now call Brick their home.

As early as 1895, seeking to avoid the summer heat of the city, executives, heirs and heiresses, bankers, and others began to flock to the countryside of East Hampton.

This influx began its second phase of development. Behind it lay the village's colonial heritage and ahead lay the estates and condominium subdivisions of today. With over 200 photographs, mostly gathered from the Long Island Collection of the East Hampton Library, East Hampton traces the dramatic development of one of America's foremost summer colonies. This photographic account reflects its early settlers and hotels, now only a memory; its distinctive shingle-style cottages; and images of elm tree-lined Main Street. Windmills, suffrage meetings on the village green, and of course fine homes designed by the most sought-after architects are recaptured in this enchanting pictorial history.

Every Labor Day weekend, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Courthouse Square in Scranton for the largest ethnic festival in northeastern Pennsylvania: La Festa Italiana.

The Italians of Pennsylvania have been proudly celebrating their heritage since their arrival in this country with traditional festivals, including La Corsa dei Ceri in Jessup and Dunmore's procession in honor of St. Rocco. Using vintage and contemporary photographs, Italians of Northeastern Pennsylvaniashows how the Italian immigrants to this area, some of whom arrived with little more than the clothes on their back, became well-respected community leaders. Through hard work and dedication, they have made northeastern Pennsylvania into an area fiercely loyal to Italian traditions.

Migrants from Puerto Rico to New York beginning in the 1890s created a vibrant and active community and culture, documented here.

The history of Puerto Ricans in the so-called Babel of Steel dates back more than a century. Through hundreds of images of the pioneers-those Puerto Rican migrants who established themselves in New York City between the 1890s and the end of World War II-we capture a glimpse of their daily lives and of their individual and collective stories. This rich collection of images from the Archives of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College helps to examine the history of the Puerto Rican community at a time when it was spreading its roots in New York City's social, political, cultural, and economic life.

A fascinating history of Otisco Lake Community, documenting this New York State Finger Lake area's beginnings.

With Otisco Lake Community, Roger N. Trendowski chronicles this New York State Finger Lake area's history from the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Gathered from many local archives, private collections, and town historians from Otisco, Marcellus, and Spafford, the unique published and unpublished images show the area's natural beauty. The pictures transport us to the past where some of the same adventurous and entertaining activities still remain today.

Paterson, New Jersey: A place of comings and goings for generations.

Images of America: Patersonexplores the city's past with vintage photographs and interesting history and folklore. Some notables associated with the Silk City include Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League, shuttle astronaut Kathryn Sullivan and actress Sue Ann Langdon. An industrial giant envisioned by Alexander Hamilton, Paterson gave birth to the famed Colt revolver, the modern-day submarine, the locomotives that linked America's coasts, and the engine that powered Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis.

Also included are historic buildings such as the Fabian, the theater that Lou Costello frequented for premieres and Paterson's Danforth Library, which was designed by architect Henry Bacon, who was the creator of the Lincoln Memorial.

When Buffalo was incorporated as a city, the East Side represented a vast forested area and farmland that would one day be booming with industry.

By 1832, the beginnings of the major arterials of Genesee, Sycamore, Broadway, William, Clinton, and Seneca were there. These streets were laid out in 1826 and represented the seeds of the East Side's explosive growth. The development of railroads and the Buffalo Belt Line, constructed in 1883, created a semicircle pattern that outlined the East Side. Industries began sprouting up, eager to use their proximity to the belt line to transport wares all over the country. Immigrants from Germany, Poland, and Ireland, along with African Americans from northern and southern states, began establishing their lives around these industries. Access to land, water, roads, and rail lines and eager immigrants and natives looking for work led to the development of Buffalo's East Side industry, an immensely diverse industrial base and workforce.

The images in this collection capture the diverse history of Georgetown.

Georgetown, a thriving neighborhood in the nation's capital, was established in 1751 as an independent city. As the land to its east was being developed into Washington, DC, the once sleepy river town grew and evolved. George Washington's adopted descendants lived down the street from where Kennedy lived before Camelot; Julia Child walked past the home of Robert Todd Lincoln; and a successful community of free black Americans was built around the corner from what had previously been a slave market. Georgetown depicts the history of a community whose roots span far beyond the prestigious university and upper-class neighborhood for which it is known. The images capture mansions and slums, thriving businesses and crumbling facades, an industrial revolution, and the closing of the C&O Canal.

Fort Mott held a prominent role in the military history of the area from the late 1800s until WWII.

Located on the banks of the Delaware River, Fort Mott was once part of a three-fort system that protected the ports and industry of New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. When completed in 1896, Fort Mott was one of the most technologically advanced fortifications of the period. Originally called the Battery at Finns Point, in 1897 it was renamed in honor of Maj. Gen. Gershom Mott, a New Jersey native who commanded with distinction during the Civil War and later served as state treasurer and commander of New Jersey's National Guard. When fully garrisoned with troops, the Army post was its own little town, complete with a hospital, bakery, stores, and sport fields. Coast Artillery Corps soldiers manned the fort until 1944, when the Army decided to abandon the site. In 1947, the state purchased the property, and in 1951, Fort Mott State Park opened to the public. Today, many of the buildings and fortifications are open for tours, and ongoing preservation and rehabilitation efforts are preserving the site for future generations.

From the Roaring Twenties to a Rock 'N' Roll Landmark

Since it opened in 1925, the Gramercy Park Hotel has always been one of New York’s premiere cultural hotspots. Early in its history it served as the backdrop to Humphrey Bogart’s first marriage and housed a young John F. Kennedy. Soon Babe Ruth was a regular at the bar, and Joe DiMaggio was feted there. Most famous, perhaps, was the period in the 1970s, when rock ’n’ roll royalty dubbed the hotel “the Glamercy,” and acts such as the Clash, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Madonna, and more stayed “on the way up or on the way down.” The hotel’s history also includes the harrowing personal story of the Weissberg family who owned it for many years and lived there. Author Max Weissberg reveals an inside look at the hotel’s storied past as a rock ’n’ roll muse and a New York icon. 

In the early twentieth century, an interconnected web of men and women, led by Dr. V.E. Vivian, fought for a better future in Whitesbog Village, a forgotten town in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. And they won.

Before their heroic efforts, air, land and sea were riddled with pollution, with few protections. Hope for a better tomorrow seemed unlikely. When they were done, the 1.1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve became the largest protected and preserved open space on the East Coast.

With the help of numerous color images dedicated to Dr. Vivian, author William J. Lewis chronicles and celebrates the educators and historians who started New Jersey’s conservation movement and successfully crusaded for a better, cleaner world.

The history of Chester County, the fastest developing county in Pennsylvania, is revealed by the uses of the land through the years, from the agriculture and industries of the nineteenth century to the specialty agriculture and service industries of today. Chester County visits the landscape and community that has endeared generations of residents. Rediscover Saturday night movies at the Warner Theatre in West Chester and root-beer floats at the Guernsey Cow in Exton. Visit the industries that built a strong economy in Chester County, such as Lukens Steel and the Sharples Separator Company, and learn about the site of a paper mill that is now a nature preserve for rare Brandywine bluebells.

True Blue for Union

In the middle of the nineteenth century, Cape May County was an isolated and lightly populated peninsula at the southernmost tip of New Jersey. Nevertheless, its citizens answered the call for the Union effort during the Civil War. The 7th U.S. Infantry regiment recruited substantially from the region, and the entire community came out to usher the gallant troops to war, departing from Cape Island. On the homefront, supporting rallies were staged, food drives enacted and medical supplies shipped to the front. Railroad tycoons eyeing the underdeveloped beaches of Cape May began developing the county’s resorts beyond Cape Island even before troops returned home. Author Ray Rebmann presents the valiant efforts and changing times of Cape May County in the Civil War era.

Morven stands on five acres in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey, and has played a role in the state’s and nation’s history for more than 200 years.  After Morven was built for Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, four generations of Stocktons resided there through the early 20th century before the property was leased to Robert Wood Johnson, chairman of Johnson & Johnson. He was followed by five New Jersey governors when Morven served as the state’s first governor’s mansion. Morven has hosted presidents from George Washington to John F. Kennedy and other notable people, including foreign leader Fidel Castro, movie star Grace Kelly, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and star athlete Althea Gibson. Morven opened as a museum and garden in 2004. The mansion building that serves as the museum is the largest structure on the property, but other notable landmarks include the 1930s pool house, 19th-century carriage house, and colonial revival garden. Morven depicts over 225 years of history and includes views of a home and property that survived wars, fires, and changing tastes. /Authors Elizabeth Allan and Jesse Gordon Simons, who make up the curatorial department at Morven Museum & Garden, have produced 20 museum exhibitions together. Here, they draw on Morven’s archives and local New Jersey collections to celebrate the life of this national historic landmark. / 

Discover the history of the development of Long Island and its intimate relationship with New York City. /

Beginning in the Roaring Twenties, Wall Street money looked eastward to Nassau and Suffolk counties looking generate wealth from a land boom. After the Great Depression and World War II, Long Island was the site of the creation of the quintessential postwar American suburb, Levittown. Levittown and its spinoff suburban communities served as a primary symbol of the American dream through affordable home ownership for the predominately White middle class and established a core attribute of the national mythology. Starting in the 1960s, the dream began to dissolve, as the postwar economic engine ran out of steam and Long Island became as much urban as suburban. Author Lawrence R. Samuel charts how the island evolved over the decades and largely detached itself from New York City to become a self-sustaining entity with its own challenges, exclusions and triumphs.

Trimper's Rides! Synonymous with Ocean City, MD for generations of thrill seekers...step right up and enjoy the ride!

No trip to Ocean City, Maryland, is complete without a visit to Trimper's Rides. The unforgettable bright lights, carousel music, and elated screams from riders on the Tidal Wave are cherished memories for generations who return to the park annually. The evolution and success of Trimper's Rides embodies the American dream. It began when an enterprising German immigrant named Daniel B. Trimper and his large family took a chance on a little-known seaside town. They built a top-notch family-entertainment experience that continues to delight visitors today. The Trimpers rebuilt after storms, endured wartime challenges, and experienced periods of rapid growth and prosperity. Trimper's Rides chronicles this journey with nostalgic images of past attractions and the people who made Trimper's Rides the destination for family fun.