Arcadia Bestsellers

Marblehead’s fishermen, merchants, slaves and heroes are buried in graveyards throughout this historic town.

There are thirteen burial sites, including large cemeteries and small family tombs. Old Burial Hill was established in 1638, and the “new” Waterside Cemetery was opened in 1859.

Revolutionary War hero General John Glover, famous for rowing General Washington across the Delaware River in 1776, is buried at Old Burial Hill. The final resting place of an enslaved woman, marked simply “Agnis Negro” was recently reproduced and rededicated. Green Street holds the graves of Elisha Story, who took part in the Boston Tea Party, along with Josiah Cressy, record-breaking captain of the Flying Cloud clipper ship. Mary Alley, who left property to establish the town’s first hospital, is buried at Harborview Cemetery. Local author Pam Matthias Peterson reveals five centuries of history behind these markers of the past.

Gone but not Forgotten in the Electric City

The unrelenting passage of time inevitably brings dramatic physical change. Thus, many of Great Falls’ iconic figures and landmarks persist only in memory. Internationally famous “cowboy artist” Charles M. Russell favored socializing at the Mint and Silver Dollar Saloons. The Ozark Club broke down racial barriers, where African American businessman Leo LaMar presented the hottest jazz acts touring the West. Mark Twain and other luminaries graced the Grand Opera. City-sanctioned brothels littered the infamous 10th Alley South. The Big Stack, once the world’s tallest structure, stood as a testament of industry and progress. Award-winning historian Ken Robison turns back the clock for a nostalgic tour of the city’s lost architectural, social and cultural heritage.

Author Larry Humes traces the events and characters that put Venice on the proverbial map. Venice is certainly not among the oldest cities in Florida. The fact that it even survived its rocky beginning is nothing short of remarkable. But it was luck and persistence that transformed the little City on the Gulf into one of Florida’s most sought-after destinations. Venice wouldn’t be what it is today without the Kentucky military school that saved the town from bankruptcy and the construction of an army air base that helped America win World War II while increasing the local population tenfold. And don’t forget the “Greatest Show on Earth,” which called Venice home for more than three decades.

The Dark Side of Durham

Explore the dark side of the Bull City. If the red brick walls that once held tobacco warehouses and textile mills could talk, they would tell the tale of how the crossroads settlement of Pin Hook turned into the vibrant city of Durham in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Since its genesis, Durham has been a city where crime was woven into the very fabric of its existence. Over the years, there have been many murders, robberies and shootouts on the streets, in the alleys and on the outskirts of town. Some crimes have caught the attention of the entire nation, but most have remained just in the conscience of the locals. Local historian Rick Jackson narrates the mysteries of one of North Carolina's most important cities.

Some say it was the biggest theft in American history. Maybe it was.

The multimillion-dollar burglary at eccentric gambler LaVere Redfield’s Reno mansion was an endless comedy of errors. A target who hides from cameras and gets embarrassed for his dog. A failed songwriter “mastermind” who can’t keep her mouth shut. A safecracker who can’t pick a lock. And a convicted killer who allows his ill-gotten gains to be stolen while his pants are down. In almost every way, the 1952 Reno Heist is a study in how not to commit a crime, which is likely why the case lives on in infamy.

Historian Gavin Schmitt unfolds the notorious misadventures of bumbling crooks, shady casino owners and femme fatales.

Casting a legacy

Long before automobiles made Detroit the Motor City, the city boasted a flourishing and diverse industrial economy, albeit on a more modest scale. Among the myriad industries that defined the nineteenth-century city, none held greater significance or broader influence than stove fabrication. Three manufacturers—Detroit Stove Works, Michigan Stove Company and the Peninsular Stove Company—dominated this sector, collectively contributing more than 10 percent of all cast-iron stoves produced and distributed throughout North America. At the forefront of this triumph were Jeremiah and James Dwyer, whose vision and ingenuity played pivotal roles in shaping the industry’s success.

Historian Gerald Van Dusen explores the key role that this early industry played in laying the groundwork and facilitating the production of automobiles.

“Cold Case” Clay Bryant unravels a 20-year old cold-case murder. After a daring escape from certain death in a North Vietnamese prison, followed by years in a refugee camp in Thailand, Savang Phovixay and his family sought safety and a better life in the United States. That dream was shattered when their daughter Vieng disappeared in October 1987. In spite of substantial leads, she remained missing until 1989 when her skeletonized remains were found bound to a tree in rural West Georgia. The crime remained an unsolved tragedy for nearly two decades until Bryant took on the case in search of justice for Vieng and her family. 

Central New Mexico remains a vault of long-buried secrets and restless ghosts. Bloodcurdling tales from a haunted Civil War battlefield at Val Verde mingle with the whispers of unsettled spirits in Socorro. The notorious Luna mansion and the cursed rooms of Mountainair’s Shaffer Hotel gather in the otherworldly apparitions of a shadowy past. Cody Polston, a local ghost hunter, skeptic, and collector of the macabre offers a spine-tingling selection of stories from Central New Mexico’s haunted heritage. 

“A well-told, richly contextualized investigation of an appalling episode in American history” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Between 1927 and 1979, more than 8,000 people were involuntarily sterilized in five hospitals across the state of Virginia. From this plain and terrible fact springs Elizabeth Catte’s Pure America, a sweeping, unsparing history of eugenics in Virginia, and by extension the United States. Virginia’s eugenics program was not the misguided initiative of well-meaning men of the day, writes Catte, it was a manifestation of white supremacy. It was a form of employment insurance. It was a means of controlling “troublesome” women and a philosophy that helped remove poor people from valuable land. It was cruel and it was wrong. As was amply evidenced by her acclaimed 2018 book What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia, Catte has no room for excuses; no patience for equivocation. What does it mean for modern America, she asks here, that such buildings are given the second chance that 8,000 citizens never got?

“Riveting and tightly argued,” Pure America is another necessary corrective to the historical record, a must-read for anyone concerned with how to repair its damage (The Wall Street Journal).

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2021

Positioned west of the Cuyahoga River and occupying 96 acres is Riverside Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. Established in 1876, Riverside Cemetery was the long-term solution to the ever-growing suburbs of Cleveland’s west side.

A nephew to one of the earliest settlers, Titus Brainard sold 102.25 acres of his farm to the association under conditions that the cemetery never be sold to the city and that all persons be accepted for burial regardless of background. And so began the development of the landscape and roadways, much of which has changed in the nearly 150 years of service. Riverside Cemetery has become the permanent home to generations of families, each with their own stories, accomplishments, hardships, and journeys that we strive to capture in this book.

Jamie Lynne Owens is a fifth-generation staff member of Riverside Cemetery and has committed herself to the historic preservation of the cemetery. William G. Krejci is a local historian and author whose special interest in Riverside Cemetery lies within his interest of early cemeteries of the Western Reserve, with Riverside’s garden-like setting being one of the greatest examples. Images found in this book are from the archives of Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland Public Library, and the Library of Congress as well as original work of photographer Deb Zimmerman. 

Russell County, Kansas, is the heart of the heartland.   

Settled in 1871 by a colony of Volga Germans from Ripon, Wisconsin, the area that would become Russell County attracted homesteaders from as far away as Russia, Poland, and Germany. The county was a hub for farming, livestock, and eventually oil and was served by stagecoaches, the railroad, and the interstate highway system. The city of Russell, with a population that has never surpassed 7,000, was the childhood home of two US senators—Bob Dole and Arlen Specter. The county is best known as the home of Wilson Lake (renowned for the clarity of its water), for its buildings and fences made of native limestone, and for the hearty breed of people who continue to make this their home. 

Author Linda Crowder has worked with the Russell County Historical Society to select images that best tell the story of the county’s first 150 years. The city of Russell is home to half of the county’s population, but the communities of Milberger, Dorrance, Dubuque, Fairport, Paradise, Waldo, Luray, Lucas, Bunker Hill, and Gorham are an important part of the story. The history of Russell County is the history of the American prairie.

Long Beach, California, founded in the 1880s by conservative, pro-temperance settlers, has been known as “American Colony,” “Queen of the Beaches,” “Iowa-By-The Sea,” “Home of the Pike,” and “Paradise for Pansies.” This book gives a glimpse of how Long Beach went from making national headlines in 1914 for entrapping 31 gay men as “social vagrants” to receiving a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s “Municipal Equality Index” for issues that contribute to a positive climate for LGBTQA+ people. Over time, Long Beach changed, becoming one of the most diverse cities in California. Voters elected a lesbian to city council in 2006 and a gay mayor in 2014 who they sent to Congress in 2022. Its new main library is named in honor of its hometown lesbian heroine, Billie Jean King. Today, Long Beach has the third largest “Pride Parade and Festival” in California.

The town of Stoddard, located in the Monadnock Region of southwest New Hampshire, is blessed with a handsomely severe landscape of forests, lakes, and hills admired for their natural beauty. Hundreds of farm families settled in the town between 1768 and 1820. When the rock-laden and thin-soiled farms failed in the mid-1800s, the town turned to industry to survive. An extensive woodenware industry and a nationally known glass industry provided employment through the 19th century. Those industries also failed by the early 20th century, and the town’s population toppled by more than 90 percent. The introduction of the automobile revived the community, allowing families to easily visit the town’s numerous lakes and ponds. Stoddard became a tourist destination as the 20th century progressed. Today, two-thirds of the land area has been conserved as natural open space, most of it available for public use. Stoddard’s natural beauty and unaltered historic character are enjoyed by visitors and a growing population of permanent residents.

Ghost stories from the Hoosier State have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!/

em>Welcome to the spooky streets of Bloomington, Indiana!/em>

Stay Alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that there are haunted paintings on the walls at Indiana University's Memorial Union? Or that a ghostly woman in black follows people around downtown? Can you believe that two children haunt one of the most beautiful houses in town?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Bloomington forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

A fledgling community in the midst of stunning natural scenes, the St. Paul of yesteryear had a well-earned reputation for beauty and danger.  

Whiskey made the river city a byword for peril. Men brawled over small offenses and killed one another with near impunity. As crime flourished beyond the power of police control, vigilantes patrolled the streets. Irresponsible speculation and white-collar crime wrecked the local economy, devastating families and driving thousands out of town. The remaining St. Paulites rebuilt their community and economy, stimulating immigration, but more people meant more crime. In the 1870s, vice and violence spiraled into the Bloody Fall of ‘74, and St. Paul regained its reputation as a “dead tough” town.

Historian Ron de Beaulieu reveals the past travails of life in this turbulent city.

Ghost stories from America’s Old Wild West have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Tombstone, Arizona!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that Tombstone is home to the most infamous shootout in Wild West history? Or that those rowdy outlaws are now gunslinging ghosts? Can you believe there’s a secret tunnel below Tombstone’s streets and saloons…that just might lead to a haunted silver mine?  

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Tombstone, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Remembering the rich past of the Princess City

Mishawaka's history overflows with forgotten stories of people and events that shaped the city and even influenced the nation. The city celebrated one of its most exciting days on July 5, 1909, when thousands watched a massive parade and the dedication of Hotel Mishawaka. A timeless but overlooked photograph captured the patriotism of brave volunteers as they left to fight in World War I on May 10, 1917. The 1926-27 Mishawaka High basketball team made the school's only appearance in the state finals. During the Vietnam War, Talos missiles manufactured in town struck North Vietnam and avenged a captured local pilot.

Author Peter J. De Kever brings to life these and other stories from the Mishawaka of yesteryear.

For nearly two centuries, the beacons of light stations guided vessels through the deceptively hazardous waters in and around Hampton Roads.

Eleven light stations have dotted the southeastern coast of Virginia since the days of the early republic. Starting with Alexander Hamilton’s establishment of the federal lighthouse service, their story meanders through the American Civil War, Reconstruction, the Second World War and beyond, tracing the development of maritime commerce in the region. The keepers themselves were mostly white men from Virginia or North Carolina, however, caretakers also included immigrants, women, and formerly enslaved men. For almost two hundred years, these stalwarts maintained the beacons that guided vessels through these waters.

They also rescued those in peril. Far from being isolated, their collective lives were intertwined with the events and innovations that shaped the nation. Local historian Benjamin Trask tells their stories.

The first institution of its kind in the state of Maryland, the Rosewood Center opened its doors in 1888, serving individuals with disabilities for over a century.

Rosewood was born out of humanitarian ideals with a focus on education and training, but it was later plagued with overcrowding, staff shortages, and a number of scandals. By the mid-20th century, it had declined to a point where, for many residents, it offered little more than the most basic custodial functions. This book explores Rosewood’s history, from its optimistic founding, later struggles, and reform attempts to its ultimate closure in 2009. It also traces the larger story of the treatment and care of the disabled in the United States and the deinstitutionalization movement that is still being debated to this day. Today, a handful of extremely dilapidated structures scattered across a hillside in Owings Mills, Maryland, are all that remain of the Rosewood Center.

Long forgotten tales of crime and chaos from Ohio's capital city

Every city's history has its dark underbelly of crime. Columbus is no exception. From the turn of the century to the dawn of World War I, scandals involving an opium den and a sadistic murderer rocked a respectable downtown community. Around the same time, a cop killer masterminded a plot to free himself from the Franklin County jail by having his gang attempt to blow the place up with nitroglycerin. In 1946, dead bodies kept popping up after a prim, young teacher disappeared from a quiet Grandview Heights neighborhood. Two years later, a middle-aged housewife was killed with a butcher knife the same day that a tattooed mystery woman was found knifed to death in a downtown hotel.

Join Nellie Kampmann as she explores the back alleys of Arch City history.

From a small rural retreat to a center of industry and finally into protected wildlands, this is the story of the Adirondacks' Cranberry Lake.

Initially, the remote Cranberry Lake region attracted hunters and fishermen such as Reuben Wood, world-champion fly caster, as well as artists like Frederic Remington, writer Irving Bacheller, and Arts and Crafts movement philosopher Elbert Hubbard. Between 1886 and 1896, when railroads began to approach the lake, both industry and tourism flourished. Extractive industries like mining and lumbering coexisted with a lively trade catering to leisure travelers and recreationists, though the same industries depleted much of the lake's resources. Several generations later, the natural beauty and wilderness characteristic of the Cranberry Lake region has been restored, and outdoor recreation is still an enticing draw to the area, though the stumps of old trees still litter the land like pockmarks of history, never to fully heal.

New Orleans’ Magazine Street has undergone remarkable changes over it’s long history. From an overlooked district of mostly unassuming residences and businesses, it has evolved into one of the country’s most dynamic and attractive business thoroughfares. Once host to neighborhood grocers, druggists, and cleaners, today Magazine has become a destination of fashion boutiques, gift shops, design studios, antique stores, and galleries. It is also one of the most important dining and drinking streets in town. Still home to little neighborhood eateries, Magazine now hosts some of the city’s most renowned restaurants. Yet even with the transformation the street has seen, the soul of Magazine retains its residential charm.

A beautiful coffee table book, The Incomparable Magazine Street traces the history and culture of the road that curves between stately St. Charles Avenue and the river. It speaks to not only how Magazine fits into the urban growth of the Crescent City, but it also highlights what it has become: an enchanting combination of both elegance and the down-to-earth.

A stroll through the book immerses visitors in history and nostalgia while introducing them to the people and places that make the six-mile-long street one of New Orleans’ greatest assets. Glowing photographs capture the small details, the varying streetscapes, and the unique people that make Magazine Street one of a kind. While areas of the city have evolved into a world of visitors, Magazine Street has developed its own character that combines the past and present to become a vibrant community destination.

Downtown Providence, Rhode Island, became an important business center in New England beginning in 1866 due to an increase in immigration, urbanization, municipal planning, public and private investments, and new technologies. The business buildings of the past, some of them gone, still coexist with the modern structures of today in the 21st century.

Louis Azar II chronicles the history of the commercial downtown with historic postcards and present-day photographs from his collection along with images from the Providence Public Library and research from the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Encounter fascinating characters and forgotten stories from the Texas Hill Country’s past, before the crowds and amenities made life complicated.

Settled by German immigrants in the 1840s, Fredericksburg’s corner of the Texas Hill Country bustles with the trendy energy of an international tourist destination. But there was a time not long ago when the quiet community remained off the beaten path, even if it continued to draw in luminaries like O. Henry, Buck Taylor and Bob Hope. A working knowledge of Town Creek German wasn’t necessary, but it sure came in handy. From the White Elephant Saloon to the 87 Drive-In, Michael Barr tours the bygone byways of the Hill Country, showcasing the heritage that predates the overbooked wine tours and vacation rentals.

A gay love triangle, drug deals, and a murder. Just another night in West Palm Beach in 1984?

Jeffrey Heagerty was like most young gay nineteen-year-olds in South Florida in the 1980s, commonly finding himself and his friends at the popular Kevin’s Cabaret in West Palm Beach on Saturday nights. On one of those Saturday nights in 1984, Jeff vanished from the club, leaving his friends behind even though he was their ride home. His body was found in a canal the next morning and his car was missing, only to be found a month later, abandoned on the other side of town. Rumors of a love triangle, drug dealings and sexual encounters snarled police efforts at solving the case. The investigation stagnated and the case grew cold until the solution came from two unexpected sources: overlooked details in police photographs of Jeff’s car and a mysterious letter from an inmate in the Palm Beach County Jail.

The Connecticut Hurricanes Drum & Bugle Corps was founded in Derby, Connecticut, in 1932 as the John H. Collins Post Fife, Drum, and Bugle Corps.

Since its transformation to a competitive drum and bugle corps in 1955, the group has garnered notoriety throughout the region as well as national acclaim for its competitive success.Over the course of their 87-year history, the Hurricanes have become a highly regarded institution of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.They were first sponsored by the John H.Collins American Legion Post 24 and subsequently by the Sutter-Terlizzi American Legion Post 16 of Shelton, Connecticut.They are currently sponsored by the Emil Senger American Legion Post 10 of Seymour, Connecticut, and have continued to maintain strong community ties across the Naugatuck Valley region for nearly nine decades.

From 1837 to 1900 the tiny borough of Stonington, Connecticut was a major transportation hub on the route between New York and Boston. Steamboats leaving Manhattan followed Long Island Sound to Stonington Harbor where passengers boarded trains for the rest of the journey to Providence or Boston.

Stonington’s Steamboat Hotel, built in 1838 near the piers and railroad yard, was home to saloons, restaurants, a pool hall, a cigar shop, a tailor and a barber shop. Merchants, hotel keepers and saloon workers passed through the building, each with their own unique story.  Many of them were immigrants or first-generation Americans, and they are a window onto a late 19th-century class of merchants and service workers.

   Join local author Stuart Vyse as he reveals a lively portrait of remarkable harmony in a small village that was far more diverse than it is today.

Noe Valley is known as San Francisco’s “Village within the City.

” Originally part of Jose de Jesus Noe’s old Spanish land grant, Noe Valley became a vibrant neighborhood that is considered to be one the city’s most desirable residential areas.

Bill Yenne is an award-winning, best-selling author and historian whose many works include previous books on Noe Valley and San Francisco. He and his wife have lived in Noe Valley for four decades, watching their children and grandchildren grow as members of this community.

What did Lake Norman look like before it became a major tourist attraction for Mooresville? This volume of historical postcards features buildings, businesses, and sites that are no longer around, with topics ranging from early life in the town to advertisements for early hotels, trains, World War I and World War II, churches and schools, and the importance of the lake to the community. Images for this volume come from the Mooresville Postcard Collection, part of the Local History and Archives.

Author Henry A. Poore is a lifelong Mooresville resident whose roots trace back to Mooresville and Iredell County since the 1700s. He has collected and researched postcards that were printed in Mooresville and worked to create the archives at the town's library. He has served as curator, archivist, and town historian and is the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission for Mooresville and a founding member of the Mooresville Museum.

Melt your face off with the guitar greats of Jacksonville.

In the 1960s, the electric guitar became for boys what Barbie was for girls. Legions of bands formed, composed of teens making a ruckus in the garage. But who could have guessed how many world-renowned greats would arise from the clangor? Guitar gods came forth from Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Nashville. But there is a southern city often overlooked, an unlikely incubator that produced more than a dozen greats. Legends such as Dickey Betts, Dave Hlubek, Duane Allman, Jeff  Carlisi, Mike Campbell and Derek Trucks emerged from Jacksonville, a far-flung city detached from the music hubs. Why did Jacksonville give rise to so many greats? Author Michael Ray FitzGerald explores the origins of this rocking story while paying tribute to the youngsters from Jax who joined the ranks of the guitar gods.

Established around 1848 as Deer Creek Settlement, Crowley grew from a small pioneering community just south of Fort Worth, Texas.

When Galveston, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad Company constructed a rail line during the 1870s connecting Cleburne to Fort Worth, the settlement relocated about a mile west. The first train ran through Crowley on December 8, 1881. An integral part of Crowley’s growth, the railroad provided ease of shipping cattle and crops and access to transportation. Cattle were either loaded on to railcars or unloaded and sent directly to stock pens. From there they went straight to an auction barn. A feed mill was built, and grocery and hardware stores soon opened. Records indicate that the first post office was housed in Hayes Brothers General Store and opened in 1883. Crowley was officially on the map as a thriving town. By the end of the 20th century, Crowley boasted approximately 8,000 residents. Since then, the population size has doubled.

Sandie Isaacs, MLS, community engagement librarian, works for the Crowley Public Library. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in library information studies. Images used in this book are from The Portal to Texas History, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collections, Special Digital Collections Library from the University of Texas at Arlington, and citizens of Crowley who shared family photographs.

With more than 30,000 interred in its 15 acres, Zion Cemetery is the largest African American community burial ground in Memphis. It was opened in 1876 by former slaves to establish a sacred burial ground for people of color. It is the final resting place of luminaries like Reverend Morris Henderson, who led the founding of the cemetery, and Dr. Georgia Patton Washington, Tennessee’s first African American physician. Lynching victims Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell and William Stewart rest there. The cemetery is also the final home of Thomas Franks Cassels and the grandparents of Dr. Benjamin Hooks. Dr. Peatchola Cole-Jones details the rich history and more.

The Great Depression came early to St. Augustine with the end of the Florida land boom in 1926, followed by the stock market collapse in 1929.

Hotels closed, a major bank failed, subdivisions folded, and tourism was reduced to a trickle. The city’s main employer, the Florida East Coast Railway, went into receivership in 1931, and public works projects sought to bring relief to the unemployed. The economy slowly improved toward the end of the 1930s, but it was World War II that brought economic recovery to the town. Local hotels were taken over for military training, and servicemen on leave from nearby military bases flooded the town, bringing prosperity once again to the Ancient City.

Ghost stories from the Southwestern United States have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of the Southwest comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit Fort Huachuca to catch a glimpse of the ghosts of Buffalo Soldiers. Or spend the night at the Museum of Colorado Prisons in Canon City, but don’t count on getting much sleep while surrounded by restless spirits. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

“In Lindsley’s vigorously brushed rural scenes, the comically gesticulating red rooster often occupies the foreground as, behind, a multiracial procession of revelers in colorful festival costume goes from farm to farm begging for a handout.”
—Kirkus

With her trademark lyricism, Louisiana musician and author Johnette Downing draws readers through an Acadian landscape. This brand-new tale introduces a cagey rooster who vows not to be in the communal gumbo pot this Courir de Mardi Gras. Downing provides a glossary of traditional French-Cajun words used in the story and a delicious recipe for gumbo z’herbes .

Award-winning musician and author Johnette Downing has performed on five continents. Her book Petit Pierre and the Floating Marsh represented the State of Louisiana in the Pavilion of States at the 2016 National Book Festival.

A relative of Dennis (Denus) McGee, the Cajun musician whose grave is a traditional stop on the Courir de Mardi Gras, Jennifer Lindsley works with all ages, introducing them to the pleasures of creativity.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Seattle’s interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know about the Seattle Underground right beneath the Emerald City’s busy streets? Or that Seattle was a stop along the way during the gold rush? Have you ever seen the infamous—and gross!—gum wall? From the iconic Space Needle, to the Pike Place Market, Super Cities!: Seattle covers it all, and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this city great. Dive into Puget Sound, grab a ticket to the World’s Fair, and rock out with Jimi Hendrix, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of Seattle!

This detailed history of a beloved Queen City institution is sure to offer something new on Findlay Market for the even the most hardcore local history buff.

Located in Over-the-Rhine in the heart of Cincinnati, Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest continually operating market. It opened in 1855 to serve a growing population and quickly became a central neighborhood hub for goods and services. Despite its success, the market experienced dwindling customers and storefront vacancies in the mid- and late twentieth century, reflective of the struggles and decline confronting many cities in those years. Over the last twenty years, market revitalization efforts signal ongoing reinvestment in the city center--a trend transforming many American cities.

Gathering personal stories of the merchants of Findlay Market, historian Alyssa McClanahan shines a light on the past to reveal the market's place in local and American urban history.

Not so fast Rudolph-Willy guides Santa's sleigh in Texas! When Santa visits Texas, he encounters dense fog and needs a local's help to deliver gifts. Willy, a longhorn longing to fly with Santa, jumps at the opportunity to help. With the help of glowing blue paint, his horns light the way. Follow Willy and Santa on their journey to every house in the Lone Star State as they fly over Texas landmarks to deliver presents and a Texas-sized portion of cheer.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door.

Learning about Detroit's interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Explore the untold stories of Terre Haute's history.

The Queen City of the Wabash has a well-known, albeit long-gone, reputation as a "sin city,'? but that hardly tells the whole story. Unknown to all but a few, the city was home to a POW camp for Confederate prisoners and divers once plucked valuable freshwater pearls from the Wabash River. Druggist Jacob Baur discovered a way to liquefy carbon dioxide, earning him the title "King of Soda Fountains.'? Before the advent of Hollywood, motion pictures were made here. And one of the biggest child stars of the 1930s and '40s was a local boy named Billy Lee. He joined another child star from the area, Carl "Alfalfa'? Switzer of Our Gang fame.

Historian and author of Wicked Terre HauteTim Crumrin reveals the overlooked events and people in the city's past.

Get ready to stomp and chomp to that mambo beat! When carnival time rolls into New Orleans, these hip dinosaurs want to boogie on down. Iguanodon wiggles to the music of a marching band, while Zigongosaurus dances zydeco and Pterodactyal swoops into the crowd. From singing tunes and tossing beads, these big beasts sure know how to party. Laissez les bon temps rugir!

From the host of several PBS cooking shows, a second cookbook featuring Cajun-inspired recipes and humor.

In this treasury of authentic Cajun recipes, Justin Wilson has assembled a wide range of dishes that perfectly complement his highly successful first cookbook, The Justin Wilson Cookbook, which has gone through numerous printings.

For those who want to know the secrets of Cajun cooking, or for those who simply want mouthwatering recipes, Wilson's collection serves as an excellent resource. Savor, for example, Wild Ducks and Turnips, Cajunized Oriental Pork Chops, Stuffed Cucumbers, and Leftover Spaghetti Casserole. Also enjoy a variety of recipes under the "Cooking in a Bag" section, in which Wilson discloses the secret of cooking meats more quickly―and making them more tender―than non-Cajuns ever dreamed of. These are but a few of the certain-to-please recipes in The Justin Wilson #2 Cookbook, many of which were developed for Wilson's TV show.

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.

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.

James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States and expanded the country’s border to the Pacific Ocean, adding more territory than any other president. Explore his life, marriage, presidency, and more in this intimate view of his life presented through photographs, portraits, letters, and other images and stories. This book also discusses the death and legacy of President Polk, the long widowhood of Sarah Polk, and the complicated business of preserving the legacy and memory of a president. 

Rachel Helvering, Kate Gunn, and Jaryn Abdallah are staff members at the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, a site dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of the Polks. Zacharie Kinslow has done extensive research and writing on James K. Polk and his family. Founded in 1924 by Sarah Polk’s great-niece Sarah Jetton Fall and her daughter, Saidee Fall Grant, the James K. Polk Memorial Association is committed to preserving artifacts, history, and property that belonged to the Polks. The association purchased James’s parents’ home in 1929 and opened it as a museum later that same year. All royalties from this volume will go toward the continued mission of the association.

It started flowing during the gold rush, when saloons were much more than just a place to grab a drink. They were post offices, restaurants, hotels, social clubs, union halls, and more. But then, Colorado banned alcohol—four years before Prohibition hit the rest of the country—and a state born in a saloon ran dry for almost twenty years. Beer led the way back, and by the 1970s, brewing was big business again—really big business. Now, homebrewers have gone pro, and Colorado is one of the best places in the world to grab a brew. Join historians Sam Bock and Jason Hanson on a tour of Colorado history as seen through a pint glass. More than just a tale of ale, this is Colorado’s story—told over a few beers.

“This isn’t just a book about beer. It's a book about us. The beauty of beer is that it intertwines with so many other aspects of life—history, cultural significance, and economic impact. Bock and Hanson explore those threads offering a unique understanding as to why Colorado has become a thriving hub for beer culture! The stories, insights, as well as the connection to present day and the future of brewing is the perfect read for anyone. Bonus—you have permission to enjoy a cold brew while reading!” —Karen Hertz, Chief Brewista and Founder, Holidaily Brewing Company

Malice, Menace and Mendacity

The cast of characters coloring the Black Hills’ raucous past has inspired memorable Hollywood productions. Al Swearengen, “Wild Bill” Hickok and Calamity Jane have become celebrities, but many of the most malevolent moments did not produce household names. One of the more bizarre and unsolved murders was the Chinatown killing of a beautiful and rich woman named Di Lee. In 1894, Lakota Sioux warrior Chief Two Sticks was hanged for his band’s involvement in the brutal slayings of several cowboys and a few policemen at the Isaac Humphrey Ranch. Swearengen’s Gem Theater often played host to violence involving prostitutes, performers and patrons. Soiled dove Kitty Clyde was the victim of her spurned lover Charles Wilson, while “Banjo Dick” murdered his lover’s ex-husband in supposed self-defense. Author Deborah Cuyle combed local archives to tell the unvarnished accounts of Deadwood’s most daring and dastardly denizens.

Do you know why nutrias have orange teeth? Neither does Boudreaux the nutria.

Join this confident critter as he discovers why the thing that makes him different is also what makes him great!

A Treatise on the Power of Optimism

Rendered deaf and blind by scarlet fever at the age of a year and a half, Helen Keller— with the help of Anne Sullivan, other teachers, and her own determination— learned to read, write, and speak several languages. Keller became an advocate for people with disabilities and fought for human rights her entire life. In 1903, while attending Radcliffe College— she was the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree— she wrote Optimism Within. This short work is part of Applewood’s American Roots series, tactile mementos of American passions by some America’s most famous writers and thinkers.

Discover the Shipbuilding Dynasties that Built Philadelphia's Maritime Industry

The waterfront of Kensington and Fishtown in Philadelphia attracted a host of innovative and hardworking shipwrights from America’s earliest days. As fleets transitioned from wooden-hulled ships of sail to iron steamships, the tradesmen of Kensington’s shipwright dynasties were at the forefront of the global shipbuilding industry throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Kensington’s shipyards saw the birth of screw propulsion, revolutionizing the speed and reliability of ships forever afterward. The Industrial Revolution in Philadelphia, which earned the city its motto “Workshop of the World,” fostered innovation and invention in the local maritime industry. For this reason, Kensington shipwrights commanded worldwide respect.

Ducks across the Big Sky

To hunt ducks in Montana—where the land breathes history—is to experience extremes in geography, weather and wildlife. The breadth of mountains and prairie is unlike anywhere else in the Lower 48. Both the Central and Pacific flyways span the state’s iconic wetlands, rivers and lakes. Hunting opportunities abound thanks to the state’s wildlife conservation legacy on public and private lands. Hunters walk in the footsteps of plains Indians, Lewis and Clark and mountain men while looking for a spot to pitch decoys. Embark on an epic and distinct Big Sky journey with author and hunter Matt Wemple, where a moose or grizzly bear could stroll through the decoys at any time. 

Local author Rena Glover Goss unfolds the intricacies of the murder that rocked Jefferson County.

In 1899, the Cramblett and Gosnell families lived on Perrin Run. Quincy Cramblett, romantically involved first with Elva Gosnell and later with her sister Cora, frequently proposed marriage. Both girls declined because of their father’s objections to the young man. Growing desperate, Quincy proposed that he and Cora commit suicide. She refused. Weeks later, their father, James Gosnell, was fatally shot. Immediately suspected, Quincy was indicted for murder after a brief hearing. Over the course of two trials in 1900, local critics differed vehemently about his guilt or innocence, and crowds packed the courtroom to witness the drama. Qunicy was acquitted, but none one else was ever questioned or indicted for James Gosnell’s murder.

The rugged scenery of the New Mexico Territory formed a dramatic backdrop for get-rich-quick schemes and brazen acts of violence. The cast included serial killers, cattle thieves, train robbers and other evildoers who simply did not know when to quit. Roving bandits like the Black-Jack Ketchum Gang disturbed the peace along with outlaw lawmen like Albuquerque’s Milton Yarberry. Donna Blake Birchell recounts the incredible exploits and fantastic tales of New Mexico’s shamelessly dangerous characters.

A brief, elegant memoir of the author's work as a Red Cross volunteer delivering emergency water to residents of Flint, Michigan. A heartfelt portrait of a city, and a man, grieving.―Kirkus Reviews

A collection of short essays and exquisitely chiseled vignettes, Standpipe: Delivering Water in Flint sets the struggles of a midwestern city in crisis against David Hardin's narrative of his personal journey as his mother succumbs to dementia and death. Written with a poet's eye for detail and quiet metaphor, Standpipe offers an intimate look at one man's engagement with both civic and familial trauma. It's also a vivid investigation into how we all heal as a community.

This gentle, observant book is for readers looking to understand the human experience of the Flint Water Crisis, and as well as the deplorable conditions in Flint and the injustices that have plagued it for generations.

Let the GHOUL times roll!

Henry can’t wait for his field trip to the French Quarter, New Orleans’ oldest—and spookiest!—neighborhood. Not only will he and his best friend, Lily, find some cool facts for their local history project, they’ll get to eat delicious beignets while they’re at it. (Yum, y’all.) 

But inside historic Meredith Mansion, they find way more than they bargained for—including paintings that move, a possibly haunted music box, and one VERY grumpy ghost! Along with their friends, Henry and Lily will have to follow the creepy clues, explore mystical signs and symbols, and uncover an old family secret that someone may still be guarding, even from beyond the grave! And if they can’t . . . it could be the last field trip any of them ever take.

Join a trio of Florida historians on this exploration of Florida by air. 

Few states can claim an aeronautical heritage as rich as Florida’s. From early flights in tiny cloth-covered planes to the latest rocket ships, and from the first passenger flights to journeys that span the globe, Florida skies have seen the most primitive forms of aviation evolve into the most technologically advanced. In 1910, Lincoln Beachey won $1500 at the Orange County Fair for staying in the air for five minutes, just three years before Domingo Rosillo made the 90-mile flight across the Florida Strait in two hours and eight minutes, setting world records for both distance flown over water and altitude attained. A couple decades later, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan left Miami on the first leg of their around-the-world flight that ended in disaster.

The untold story of the Bolsa Chica Gun Club, one of Southern California’s most important power centers.Before the rise of Huntington Beach, the Bolsa Chica Gun Club stood as a captivating testament to power and ambition. Influential figures like Jared Sidney Torrance and Henry Huntington were members of this exclusive haven where businessmen, politicians, and even stars of early Hollywood gathered to relax and socialize. Once rapid development and the discovery of oil began encroaching on the club lands, it slowly faded into memory, but its influence remains.Join author Chris Epting as he explores the remarkable and sometimes controversial events that unfolded on the club’s hallowed grounds.

Ghost stories from America's Valley of the Sun have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Phoenix, Arizona!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that the booming, modern metropolis of Phoenix is a city filled with ghosts? Like the spirits who haunt the Smurthwaite House, which sits on the grounds of Phoenix's oldest cemetery? Or the restless souls who linger within the walls of Phoenix’s Mystery Castle, old train depots, and eerie historic mansions? Can you believe the mysterious Hohokam tribe, whose people once inhabited the Pueblo Grande Ruins and later vanished, may not have vanished after all?  

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Phoenix forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

The Maitland Art Center, historically known as the Research Studio, is one of the most intact examples of Mayan Revival architecture in the United States. With over 2,500 hand-carved reliefs and sculptures, the winding stucco and concrete compound was founded in 1937 as a winter artist’s retreat and for over 80 years has continuously provided artists with a sanctuary for artistic exploration. At the heart of this living historical site is a story, and at the heart of this story is one man: the site’s founder, Jules André Smith, whose singular artistic vision led to the creation of one of the most ambitious artistic communities in the nation. This pictorial retrospective of the history of the Research Studio introduces readers to Smith’s early years as a Cornell-trained architect, his later exploration of surrealist expressions that would inspire the center’s fantasy design, and the golden years of the Research Studio, in which Smith welcomed over 60 nationally acclaimed artists to live and work at the site.

Author Rick Vaughn uncovers the stories that keep Tampa’s passion for the National Pastime burning.  Since 1913, Tampa has provided the background for some of the Major League Baseball’s most iconic spring moments led, of course, by the longest home run of Babe Ruth’s career. Tampa was the scene of the Grapefruit League’s first no-hitter and the only spring time All-star Game. It was the first gathering place of the Big Red Machine and the Core Four. Well over 125 Hall of Famers honed their craft among the city’s three major league ballparks: Plant Field, Al Lopez Field and Steinbrenner Field. All of it resulted from a diverse city’s love of the game that began with baseball-crazed cigar factory workers before the turn of the 20th century.

The discovery of a rich coal vein in northeast Livingston County, Illinois, in 1899 turned an open prairie into the large coal mining town of Cardiff within months. An explosion in the mine in 1903 that killed nine men looked like it might be the end of the mine and the town, but another mine shaft was sunk, and the town grew bigger than ever. However, the quality of the coal ran out in 1912. This time it was the end. The mine closed, and the buildings were transported elsewhere. The only thing left of Cardiff was its ghost town reputation. The town lasted only 13 years, but they were exciting years. This book brings the town and its people to life once again.