Arcadia Bestsellers

Explore the eccentric side of yesterday’s Queen City

Cincinnatians today wrap themselves in a comforting blanket of serene conformity, soothed by the myth that the Queen City has always been a bland, somewhat Germanic, little backwater. History tells us otherwise. Old Cincinnati was a pretty strange place. UFOs? Witchcraft? Sea Monsters? Occult societies? Public executions? All very common in Old Cincinnati. Over its history, this burgeoning river metropolis pursued the unusual, the sensational and the controversial. Cincinnati was big – among the ten largest U.S. cities. And it was rude and crude, still shaking off the dust from its years as a frontier outpost. Much of the popular nightlife then would be illegal today.

Buckle up as author Greg Hand leads a rambunctious tour through the old, weird Cincinnati.

Cross over to the spooky side of Hamilton history

To the casual glance, Hamilton is a typical Midwestern town, but a closer look reveals strange and inexplicable events of possibly supernatural origins. A mischievous poltergeist plays its tricks in a High Street tavern. More than a century ago, a young boy narrowly escaped death in a fall that left him gravely ill, and some say his cries still echo in his family home. A vaporous woman appears on the stairs of a Hamilton home once owned by one of the county's richest men. Could this be his daughter who died from suicide?

Hamilton native and contributor to the Dayton Lane Ghost Walk Shi O'Neill mines the history of the town's many spectral occurrences.

Prior to the Civil War, thousands escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad. Untold others failed in the attempt.

These unfortunate souls were dragged into bondage via the Reverse Underground Railroad, as it came to be called. With more lines on both roads than any other state, the Free State of Ohio became a hunting ground for slavecatchers and kidnappers who roamed the North with impunity, seeking “fugitives” or any person of color who could be sold into slavery. And when they found one, they would kidnap their victim and head south to reap the reward.

David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker, authors of Historic Black Settlements of Ohio, reveal not only the terror and injustice but also the bravery and determination born of this dark time in American history.

Locals and visitors alike will enjoy this step back through time into Put-in-Bay's forgotten past.

An island vacation getaway on Lake Erie, Put-in-Bay is known today for its family fun, cocktail culture, dining and live entertainment, but a deep-rooted history lies beyond. Grand hotels like the Hotel Victory and Put-in-Bay House were reduced to embers and ash and exist today solely in stories and song. Roller coasters, carousels and an electric railroad now rumble and sing only in memory. The many steamboats that brought visitors to the island run no more. Virtually no traces remain of a blockhouse and cemetery dating back to the War of 1812.

Join author and investigative historian William G. Krejci on this journey to an island of yesterday.

A notorious case of terror and extortion in the Buckeye State

In the early 1900s, a criminal society known as the Black Hand became feared across the United States as it extorted hard-working immigrants. In 1908, Agostino Iannarino received a series of threatening letters and when he refused to pay, a bomb exploded at the entrance of his Columbus home. His family fled to Sicily only to continue receiving threats. The following year, U.S. Post Office Inspectors learned that a Black Hand gang called the Society of the Banana was headquartered in Marion, Ohio, and authorities attempted to put an end to the violent outrages occurring across the Midwest.

Revealing twenty-four extortion letters written by members of the Society of the Banana, author Shane W. Croston details factual and fatal accounts of the Black Hand.

See how Akron, Ohio, rode the economic roller coaster but overcame several adversities and remained a major force in many industries.

Best known as the Rubber Capital of the World, Akron, Ohio, was a major player in varioius industries long before Benjamin F. Goodrich moved there in 1870. From humble canal town to global industry giant, Akron rode the economic roller coaster through the Depression, wars, strikes, and financial booms. As a major manufacturing center of everything from sewer pipe to matches to oatmeal, Akron lured prospective workers from other towns, states, and even countries. This lively mix of diverse cultures helped to create Akron's unique beauty and boundless spirit.

Akron, Ohio, examines this special blend of industry, culture, tight-knit neighborhoods, and high society through historic photographs and images - some of which have not been seen ... until now!

Louisville, Stark County, Ohio, exudes charm and beauty as one of the great treasures of Northeast Ohio. As a French settlement, it was established as a Catholic center, erecting a large parish church, convent, parochial school, and orphanage. St. Louis Church became the envy of other communities for its brick work, stained glass, single log pillars with ornately carved stone capitals, and gold-gilt apse adorning the high altar. It is on par with the best French parish churches and cathedrals. Over time, Louisville would attract many different people from various Eastern European backgrounds. In particular, Louisville would be attractive to local Germans, who were of the Reformed and Lutheran faith, and Anglo-Methodists with their revivalistic flare.

It is notable that this city disseminated many children who would create a strong connection to their hometown, a feeling that exists to this day among so many who came from Louisville families.  In the 20th century, the Louisville School District became one of the strongest educational institutions in the region, with schools that became models for other schools around them. Louisville has intrigued many for years with its alleged Klu Klux Klan ties. Racism was a part of its history despite it being named the “Constitution Town” in 1957. Yet its industry, rural surroundings, and key figures rose above hate and division. Today, Louisville is much more diverse; its residents come from many different ethnic backgrounds and geographic locations. Its annual Constitution Week draws people from all around who are charmed by this little town and  its history.

Rock and roll has been as much a part of the north coast city of Cleveland as the lake that hugs it.

Ever since Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed first called the records he was playing ""rock and roll,"" northeast Ohio has been a driving force in this musical phenomenon. From the disc jockeys who spun the music to the musicians who played it, the clubs that welcomed it and fans who encouraged it, rock and roll has been as much a part of this north coast as the lake that hugs it. It was those early years, from the 1950s on, that led Cleveland to becoming the ""Rock and Roll Capital of the World"" and ultimately home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. While the city spawned several widely recognized names, such as the James Gang (with Joe Walsh), the Raspberries (with Eric Carmen), and Bobby Womack, it is the music itself that will keep this town rocking on the shores of Lake Erie, and beyond, for a long time to come.

Over the years, Bobby Mackey's Music World has played host to countless real-life horror stories and a string of criminal activity. Illegal gambling and liquor abounded when it later served as the Bluegrass Inn.

The site has been the location of death and destruction since the nineteenth century, including illegal lynchings and a bridge collapse killing forty-one men. In more recent years, mafia bosses turned it into a mafia-controlled nightclub known as the Latin Quarter. Beginning with the caretaker who fell under a demonic possession to more recent encounters between patrons and the paranormal, author Dan Smith revives the chilling stories that make it the most haunted nightclub in America.

The Youngstown story often is told with a beginning in iron and steel and ending in decay with a subplot driven by violent mobsters and corrupt politicians. Aiming to provide a more well-rounded examination of Youngstown, this collection of essays provides an authentic look at the city through a diverse set of experiences from the perspectives of those who have lived there. Readers will gain a sense of the past, present, and future of the city. Edited by Jacqueline Marino and Will Miller, the book features contributions by Christopher Barzak, Rochelle Hurt, Eric Murphy, Ed O’Neill, Sarah Sepanek, David Skolnick, Sarah Stankorb, C Lee Tressell, Jay Williams, Andrea Wood & 35 others.

The Tombstone of Early Ohio  

Southeast Ohio’s Little Cities of Black Diamonds was a rugged region in the 1800s. Nowhere was this truer than in Corning and Rendville, mining towns reminiscent of the Wild West era. Gun duels, scandals, lynchings, and murders plagued these places, as intrepid European immigrants and tenacious Black miners relied on raw grit to survive rowdy saloons and perilous coal mines. These impoverished workers also took bold stands against affluent mine operators, leading to intense clashes with the Ohio National Guard./

Author and former Green Beret Jobie Siemer reveals stories of formidable union conflicts and the unyielding resilience of miners whose faith was a beacon in a chaotic struggle to restore order to Sunday Creek./

Butler County has a long and storied history with some spooky twists .

When European settlers arrived, they found not only Native settlements but also earthworks that remain a mystery—as are the strange lights still seen near them. The disturbed spirit of a frontier soldier roams the basement of the Soldiers, Sailors, and Pioneers Monument, and Busenbark is haunted by the Hatchet Man, who committed his crimes 175 years ago. At Miami University, the ghost of Helen Peabody wanders the building that bears her name. Just outside of town, many drive to see the Oxford Ghost Light, and a weekend visit to the Screaming Bridge of Maud-Hughes Road is a high school rite of passage.

Hamilton native and owner of an actual haunted house Daniel D. Schneider explores the terrifying train tracks, creepy canals, scary streets, and bewitched bridges of Butler County.

Extreme wealth could buy a mansion in Millionaires' Row but not immunity from unsavory business dealings or shameful behavior.

May Hanna gave her millionaire ex-husband's hired Pinkerton detectives the slip to sneak out of the country. To escape financial embarrassment, James Potter, the manager of a prominent Euclid Avenue apartment building, gave his family cough medicine laced with poison, killing his entire family including himself. Married to a Millionaires' Row doctor, the infamous con woman Cassie Chadwick posed as Andrew Carnegie's illegitimate daughter and forged a fake $5 million check. Author Alan Dutka delves into sixteen tales of anguish and deceit that offer a startling perspective on Cleveland's super-rich.

Discover how Over-the-Rhine's culture, politics and architecture have influenced Cincinnati's development for over 150 years.

Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhinecaptures a fascinating urban neighborhood in vintage photographs. Early German immigrants gave the neighborhood its moniker, after the bordering Miami-Erie canal, and also contributed to its beautiful architecture. Appalachian and African-American citizens later contributed to the cultural diversity. Today, a vibrant arts scene co-exists along with revitalizing social programs that aid its underprivileged residents. Over 200 images reveal Over-the-Rhine's urban characters, street life, and architectural landmarks, including Music Hall, Findlay Market and St. Mary's Church.

In nearly 200 rarely seen photographs and vintage postcards, discover Cincinnati as you've never seen it before.

Since its inception in 1788, Cincinnati has evolved from a brawling pioneer town to a thriving Midwest metropolis, experiencing rapid growth and unprecedented social and technological change. Highlighted in this volume are the city's spectacular architectural achievements, its centers of culture and learning, its hubs of industry and transportation, its legendary sports tradition, its diverse neighborhoods, and, above all, the spirit of its citizenry. Through these striking images, together with the insightful text, authors Kevin Grace and Tom White take the reader on a unique visual tour of this historic river city. It is a tour well worth taking.

Organized in 1819, Meigs County rests in the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio along the beautiful Ohio River.

The land’s deep reservoirs of coal and salt provided early residents work in mines and in shipping the goods via steamboat and railroad. Local communities also nurtured talented scholars like James McHenry Jones and poets and writers such as James Edwin Campbell and Ambrose Bierce, as well as Dr. Brewster Higley VI, whose poetry inspired the American classic “Home on the Range.” The county is home to Ohio’s oldest standing courthouse in Chester and to Pomeroy, the only town in America with no cross streets. Join historians Jordan and Calee Pickens as they recount times of prosperity and hardship that have been engrained on the timeline of Meigs County.

Believe in the Magic

The most wonderful time of the year has its own special meaning for those who grew up in the Queen City. The elves at Shillito’s and Pogie and Patter the talking reindeer were as integral to holiday merriment as caroling and eggnog. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden really knows how to throw a Christmas party for people and animals, and WinterFest at Kings Island provides much-needed warmth in the winter chill. Many city squares display Christmas trees bathed in lights and offer horse-drawn carriages or a skating rink. But only Cincinnati offers Santa rappelling down the face of a building and an ice skating rink with bumper cars.

Join local author Wendy Hart Beckman for a merry jaunt through Yuletide years gone by.

The beloved places and landmarks of Toledo's past still tint Ohio's memories, as well as those of its residents.

Catch the action of a Toledo Mud Hens game at bygoballpark Swayne Field. Watch the glittering marquees light up the downtown skyline with names such as Count Basie and Elvis Presley to B.B. King and KISS. Recall the birth of the Jeep, as well as the dozens of unique and prominent shoppes available to the residents of Toledo and tourists alike. Author David Yonke jogs fond memories of good times past in this nostalgic stroll through Toledo's heritage.

The past lies just under the surface in Lake County.

Interurban trains once carried wealthy Clevelanders to idyllic summer homes and resorts along the shoreline and up to Little Mountain. Stories abound of rum-running during Prohibition, enslaved people who were carried to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and stolen gold bars believed to be buried along a riverbank. Lake County was also once the site of a booming ship-building industry and a secret plant that created chemical warfare during World War I. Many residents fondly recall long-gone drive-in theaters and beloved drug store soda fountains and bakeries of the mid to late twentieth century.

Join author Jennifer Boresz Engelking as she reveals the history behind some of the county’s most intriguing people, places, and industries.

Explore Ohio's clay city as Kathryn Lynch and Michael S. Sims guide you through the history, development, and quaint staples that make up Zanesville.

Zanesville is located in a geographically fortuitous location in the southeastern part of the state, juxtaposed between the Licking and Muskingum Rivers and rich veins of clay, natural gas, and coal. Settled in 1797, Zanesville grew and prospered over the next 200 years as a transportation hub and a pottery-and tile-manufacturing center. Known for decades as either Clay City or the Y-Bridge City, Zanesville retains its charm and small-town qualities through its architecture, neighborhoods, parks, schools, downtown buildings, churches, and numerous bridges that crisscross the city. As you explore Zanesville's historic past, you may find yourself reminiscing about earlier days and learn why so many people have called Zanesville home.

Geneva on the Lake details the history of this town which resides on the coast of Lake Erie, one that is well-loved and enjoyed by many.

For over a century, Ohio and Pennsylvania families have made an annual trek to a special spot on the shores of Lake Erie. This tiny piece of Northeast, Ohio, has made a huge impression on the hearts of thousands of visitors. But what is it about this town that draws generation after generation back for a vacation every summer? Why, when other resorts and amusements crumbled apart in the mid-nineteenth century, was Geneva on the Lake able to sustain some of the most trying times in the entertainment industry? Perhaps, by tracing the history of the town, and by exploring what the town is today, one may discover the answers to these questions. By examining numerous accounts of happy times on the lakeside, one will discover that some feelings have held true since the resorts beginnings; Geneva on the Lake has a magical way of lingering in our memories, connecting us to our past, and forever remaining in our hearts.

While Cincinnati intended their new subway, started in 1920, to be a shining jewel for public transportation, the story of its origin and ultimate failure show the history of the Queen City.

Cincinnati emerged from a tumultuous 19th century as a growing metropolis committed to city planning. The most ambitious plan of the early twentieth century, the Cincinnati Subway, was doomed to failure. Construction began in 1920 and ended in 1927 when the money had run out. Today, two miles of empty subway tunnels still lie beneath Cincinnati, waiting to be used. The Cincinnati Subway tells the whole story, from the turbulent times in the 1880s to the ultimate failure of ""Cincinnati's White Elephant."" Along the way, the reader will learn about what was happening in Cincinnati during the growth of the subway-from the Courthouse Riots in 1884 to life in the Queen City during World War II.

Pioneers in Ministry/

When six Ursuline nuns stepped off a train in September 1874, they encountered a smoky industrial town still reeling from a recent economic downturn. Yet, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown went on to staff more than a dozen parochial schools, while organizing the city’s first Catholic high school.

Over the next century, they compiled an extraordinary record of community service. When the Mahoning Valley’s fortunes eroded in the wake of deindustrialization, the Ursulines gradually expanded their mission to address a host of new challenges.

Today, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown are celebrated for their groundbreaking efforts to assist the urban poor, single mothers and people living with HIV-AIDS. They remain more committed than ever to meeting the needs of the community, in the face of ever-changing social, political, economic and religious circumstances.

It is impossible to explore the history of Cincinnati without looking at the influence of German-Americans.

German Cincinnati is a pictorial history of the German-American experience in the Greater Cincinnati area: the people, places, and things that influenced that influenced this culturally rich city and made it what it is today. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in German-American or people Cincinnati history.

German immigrants first came to the region in the late 18th century and then arrived in great waves beginning in the early 19th century. These German American immigrants and their descendants have greatly influenced the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic growth and development of the area, earning Cincinnati a reputation for its German heritage. Today, nearly every other person in Cincinnati can trace some German lineage in their family tree. It is known as one of the corners in the famed German Triangle, along with St. Louis and Milwaukee. German Cincinnatians survived the hard times of the world wars of the last century, even experiencing an ethnic heritage revival that has reaffirmed the area's reputation as one of the major centers of German heritage in the United States today.

Join author Don Heinrich Tolzmann, curator of the German-Americana Collection and director of the German-American Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati, as he looks at the complex and prosperous history of German-Americans in Cincinnati.

True crime with a Midwest twist. Award-winning crime writer Jane Ann Turzillo recounts the stories of Ohio's most notorious vixens, viragoes and villainesses.

The Buckeye State produced its share of wicked women. Tenacious madam Clara Palmer contended with constant police raids during the 1880s and ’90s. Only her death could shut the doors of her gilded bordello in Cleveland. Failed actress Mildred Gillars left for Europe right before World War II. Because she fell in love with the wrong man, she wound up peddling Nazi propaganda on the radio as “Axis Sally.”

Volatile Hester Foster was already doing time at the Ohio State Penitentiary when she bashed in the head of a fellow inmate with a shovel. The sinister Anna Marie Hahn dosed at least five elderly Cincinnati men with arsenic and croton oil and then watched them die in agony while pretending to nurse them back to health.

Chrissie Hynde, Devo..Rubber City Rebels...The Rubber City's rebel musical roots

Music made in Akron symbolized an attitude more so than a singular sound. Crafted by kids hell-bent on not following their parents into the rubber plants, the music was an intentional antithesis of Top 40 radio. Call it punk or call it new wave, but in a short few years, major labels signed Chrissie Hynde, Devo, the Waitresses, Tin Huey, the Bizarros, the Rubber City Rebels and Rachel Sweet. They had their own bars, the Crypt and the Bank. They had their own label, Clone Records. They even had their own recording space, Bushflow Studios. London's Stiff Records released an Akron compilation album, and suddenly there were Akron Nights in London clubs and CBGB was waiving covers for people with Akron IDs. Author Calvin Rydbom of the Akron Sound Museum remembers that short time when the Rubber City was the place.

Cleveland storyteller Dan Ruminski discovered that the 6 acres under his home were originally part of a 1,400-acre grand estate known as the Circle W Farm.

The impressive estate was created by Walter White, founding brother of the White Motor Company. Drawn in by the fascinating history, Ruminski's investigation soon embraced the full legacy of Cleveland's industrial history and the indomitable characters who created the city's Gilded Age. John D. Rockefeller, Samuel Mather and more giants of industry built Cleveland's Millionaires' Row. Come peek inside the once-grand mansions these millionaires called home and hear the delightful stories that bring the past to life. Join Ruminski and Alan Dutka on a return to this section of Euclid Avenue, which wasn't merely the most stunning show of wealth in Cleveland but also in the entire country.

Author Noel B. Poirier takes readers into darkest reaches of Tuscarawas County history. Tranquility is the norm amid these rolling hills, but normal doesn’t mean always. In this version of county history, the Black Hand Syndicate whacks those they can’t extort, a Midvale man takes a hatchet to the head (a dozen times) and four teenagers happen upon a murder victim along Dover railroad tracks. From grave robbers looting the dead in New Philadelphia to a mutilated body turning up in Dennison and a bomb going off at Bolivar State Bank in 1910, author Noel B. Poirier takes readers on a harrowing journey into T-County’s unsettling past.

Since 1870, Cedar Point has been attracting visitors to its peninsula with beautiful scenery, cool breezes, and a multitude of rides and attractions. Entertaining millions of visitors each year, Cedar Point, billed the “World’s Largest Amusement Park,” is recognized around the world for its number and quality of rides—especially roller coasters. People have been making memories there for generations. This book shares the stories and photographs of Cedar Point with the purpose of seeing it through the years, relying on the photographs visitors took with their amateur cameras and the real-photo postcards they purchased. More than half the photographs used here have never been published in a Cedar Point history book, and included are images of the Space Spiral, the Monorail, and the Riverboat Ride. It is the hope that this book captures favorite memories of Cedar Point.

James A. Rogers, a career musician, is a widely published author of material related to music and a lecturer about music. A member of American Coaster Enthusiasts, he has authored several articles on Ohio’s historic roller coasters. He is usually the oldest person in line for the roller coasters.

Rediscover Cleveland’s Forgotten Hauntings/

Hiding in obscure corners and in plain sight, chilling tales from Cleveland’s paranormal past await reawakening. A tale from 1840 places the city’s first haunted house on the windswept commons south of town. Hanged murderers were said to roam the corridors of the Old County Jail, and the 1885 disinterment of the old Cleveland Medical College graveyard led to reports of nocturnal phantoms throughout the excavation. With the construction of Bulkley Boulevard in 1912, many West Side homes were demolished. Also destroyed was the entrance to what neighbors menacingly called The Cave of Apparitions.

Take a step back in time with author and investigative historian William G. Krejci on this journey through Cleveland’s long lost ghostly past.

Remember the favorites from Youngstown, Ohio in classic restaurants such as the MVR and the Boulevard, and other eateries that reflect a diverse and entrepreneurial history.

In Youngstown, Ohio take a tour of restaurants like the MVR and the Boulevard, which continue to reflect Youngstown's ethnic diversity and tenacious entrepreneurial spirit, as well as establishments like Overture, which offer a promise of urban renewal from a refurbished downtown. And raise your glass to the best-laid tables of a bygone era, from the Mural Room to the 20th Century.

Never been seen photographs are revealed in this fascinating history of the Cleveland Indians from American League to present.

The Cleveland Indians came into existence along with the American League in 1901, and their rich and fascinating history has been well documented in photographs. Many prints from the Cleveland Press archive, dating from 1920 until the newspaper's closure in 1982, are reproduced in this book, along with a brief history of the team's successes and failures in each decade. Most of these classic photographs, which include great Indians players like Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller and slugger Rocky Colavito, a fan favorite, have not been seen in print for decades. You will also see baseball legends Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio as they compete with the Tribe.

Explore the stories behind Columbus' most stunning landmarks, both those sadly lost and others miraculously saved.

As the crossroads city of the Midwest, Columbus has always thrived. Over the years, many of the city's most important and most beautiful buildings--packed with marble, ornate metalwork, painted ceilings and glitz and glamour--have been reduced to dust or left in disrepair. Union Station and stately mansions of well-to-do industrialists are no longer there to tell the story of the city. The Alfred Kelley Mansion, the Chittenden Hotel, the Franklin County Courthouse, and the Walk of Wonders in the Great Western Shopping Center were lost, but the palatial Ohio Theatre and the modest Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker home, both designated National Historic Landmarks, were saved. Tom Betti and Doreen Uhas Sauer, authors of Historic Hotels of Columbus and Historic Taverns of Columbus, recapture stories and memories of a forgotten Columbus.

From the Black Brigade's role in protecting the city against Confederate siege to the original 1937 Cincinnati Bengals, author Jeff Suess reveals the triumphs and tribulations of the first major American city founded after the American Revolution.

So many colorful stories are lost to time. The last passenger pigeon on earth, Martha, died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. Just outside the city, a young Annie Oakley beat her future husband in a shooting contest. The deadliest maritime disaster in American history was the explosion of the steamboat Sultana, built in the Queen City. The nation's first train robbery occurred in the Cincinnati area, and some clever victims hid jewelry in their hair and bodices.

Historic, haunted, chilling tales of the town of Akron as told by one of Northeast Ohio’s most respected paranormal investigators!

Run down the apparitions that float about Rubber Citystreets and façades like the shadow of a passing blimp. Stroll along forgotten canals amid the restless chatter and clank of spirits cut down before their hard lives became easier. Catch a show at the Civic Theater with a former engineer who prophesied that death wouldn't keep him from work. A more restive spirit is that of John Tedrow, a twenty-something mauled and murdered during a drunken brawl in 1882; he wails for help and resolution.

In this ghostly tour through Akron's haunted and sometimes brutal past, paranormal specialist and historian Jeri Holland digs into the ghost tales and local legends that linger here like this city's industrial heritage.

Images of America: Italians of Stark Countyfocuses on Italian immigration into Stark County beginning in the late 1800s.

In the late 1800s, Stark County's urban hub of Canton and the surrounding communities were in the middle of a thriving expansion driven by industry, transportation, and manufacturing. Along with this growth came the need for labor, with immigration filling many of those needs. Italians came to Stark County to work in the steel mills, in the coal mines, and on the railroad, as well as to start their own small businesses. Once established, Italian families began to replicate the community foundations from their native land, and in turn these foundations reinforced embedded values: family, food, religion, music, and freedom.

This photographic history illustrates these values while bringing to life the character, work ethic, determination, and love of life of the Italian people of Stark County. Local author and Italian American J.A. Musacchia was born and raised in Stark County and is a member of the Sugarcreek Township Historical Societyand the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.

Relive Conneaut's transformation from a sleepy agricultural village on the Lake Erie shore to a progressive, flourishing industrial center in this pictorial history.

From 1880 to 1890, the population of Conneaut doubled as a new railroad was formed and its yard and shops created new opportunities for people seeking a better way of life in this growing town.

The harbor, with its long-forgotten shipbuilding heritage, was revived and leaped ahead of its neighbors to become the fastest iron ore-unloading port in the world, thanks to the vision of a Scottish weaver's son. Italian, Finnish, and Hungarian immigrants arrived to work the docks and build the infrastructure needed to support the city's mushrooming population, doubling again in the next decade. During these early years, the residents enjoyed electric lighting, streetcars, and other amenities not available in larger cities throughout America.

Conneaut's history unfolds here through historic images that document the building of homes, schools, churches, hospitals, and new industries.

The dreadful howls of coyotes are common in the shadows surrounding Medina County, but perhaps something else, something entirely more fearsome, lurks in the night.

In 1906, the specter now known as the Woman in Black so terrified residents in Medina Square that a curfew was imposed. Restless spirits, rattling chains, and nefarious deeds are rumored to have occurred in a farmhouse in Sharon Township. Legend has it that about 100 years ago a witch preyed on the residents of Liverpool Township, and the ghost of a teenage boy is said to haunt the men’s restroom at Plum Creek Park in Brunswick Hills.

Join parapsychologist Brandon Massullo as he sheds light on the ghostly lore surrounding Medina County’s restaurants, libraries, freeways, parks, and more.

Welcome to Marietta, the elegant Ohio River city where this state's history begins. This informative guide will help you make the most of your time.

Explore ancient earthworks, stroll shady brick streets lined with glorious Victorian mansions, wander through museums and kick back in a wide variety of restaurants and taverns. Venture into nearby West Virginia and visit Fenton, America's oldest art glass company; Blennerhassett Island, where Aaron Burr hatched a plot against the U.S. government; and Henderson Hall, the majestic great house of a former slave plantation - all within fifteen miles of downtown Marietta. It includes an overview of the area's rich history, maps, dozens of vintage and modern photographs and descriptions of the best sites and attractions the region has to offer - including those that most visitors miss.

Ghost stories from Put-in-Bay have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of Pudding Bay comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit Perry’s Cave to catch a glimpse of its mysterious, otherworldly glow. Or look for ghosts amongst the hallways of Cooke’s Castle on Gibraltar Island. 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.

Cincinnati loves goetta.

Since its arrival with nineteenth-century Germanic immigrants, this humble dish has evolved from peasant staple to ubiquitous delicacy. Once upon a time, Cincinnatians found goetta mostly in neighborhood butcher shops, in Over-the-Rhine’s so-called Goetta Alley and through Sander Packing, its first commercial producer. Now hungry locals scarf it down at diners and white-linen establishments alike and in everything from egg rolls to Reuben sandwiches. Tracing goetta from its Germanic origins and its first stop in Greater Cincinnati to its largest commercial producers, Queen City Sausage and Gliers, food etymologist and “Goettevangelist” Dann Woellert explores goetta’s history in the city that made it regionally famous.

Cincinnati Television provides an informative entertaining look at Cincinnati's broadcast history through the images and stories of its participants.

Cincinnati has a distinguished television history. Beginning before WLW-T signed on the air in February 1948, its experimental station W8XCT broadcast from the 46th floor of the Carew Tower. WKRC-TV and WCPO-TV signed on in 1949, WCET in 1954, and WXIX-TV in 1968. Since then, television has become part of the family.

Uncle Al, Skipper Ryle, Batty Hattie from Cincinnati, the Cool Ghoul, Peter Grant, Al Schottelkotte, Nick Clooney, Ruth Lyons, Paul Baby, Bob Braun, and Jerry Springer visited Cincinnati living rooms on television. Remember Midwestern Hayride, TV Dance Party, PM Magazine, Juvenile Court, Young People's Specials, Lilias, Dotty Mack, Bob Shreve, Mr. Hop, Bean's Clubhouse, The Last Prom, and Ira Joe? They are part of the collective Cincinnati history, part of the Cincinnati culture, and part of the Cincinnati family.

Jim Friedman is a Cincinnati native and resident wordsmith who has created television shows since 1979. He has won 56 regional Emmy Awards for writing, directing, and producing television shows for WCPO-TV, WKRC-TV, WLWT, WXIX, and WCET. He created The Celebrate Series, The Dooley Show, Everyday Freedom Heroes, and the Dreambuilder movies. In Cincinnati Television, he shares memories from in front of the camera, behind the scenes, and all over town.

When Rubén Castilla Herrera died suddenly in 2019, he left an acute void in Ohio's grassroots organizing community. Notably at the forefront of many regional social justice campaigns, his life and work still reverberate through the lives of those he fought so hard for: immigrants, refugees, farmworkers, the displaced, and many, many others who refuse to simply comply with injustice. Synthesizing oral histories, community voices, and ideas from queer Latinidad and migrant worker activism, Trust the Circle details Herrera's intimate and vulnerable way of seeing the world and his role in it as an agent of change. Here, you'll learn about: - His childhood in Texas and Oregon, where he and his siblings were forced into agricultural labor after the early death of their mother, and where Herrera first encountered the Chicano activism of César Chávez and Dr. José Ángel Gutiérrez. - His move to Columbus, Ohio, and the development of his unique circle-based leadership approach. - His coming-out as a queer Latinx man in middle age. - His tireless work toward the end of his life to help provide sanctuary for undocumented migrants during the Trump administration.  Marked by the voices and remembrances of those who knew Herrera best, Trust the Circle is a biography about one grassroots organizer and the profound changes he was able to accomplish. But it's also about the ways that an intersectional and inclusive approach to organizing can be applied anywhere there is injustice.

In the history of Cleveland television, there is no more formidable pioneer than Betty Cope .

From her entry-level position as a receptionist at WEWS in 1947, Cope rose up the ranks to become the producer of some of the area’s most memorable early local programs. Together with a group of concerned citizens, she founded Cleveland’s educational television station, WVIZ, in 1965.

Under her management, Channel 25 became one of the nation’s largest producers of instructional classroom programming. Throughout Cope’s twenty-seven-year tenure, WVIZ maintained high-quality programming standards, and she kept her station financially sound largely through the funds raised from the popular annual televised Auction. After TV, she embarked on a new career as an advocate of land conservation and park preservation./

Compiling original interviews and never-before-seen photos, author Christine Martuch tells story of one of Northeast Ohio’s most remarkable women.

Every community begins with a dream - a dream of a better life

Home to thousands of settlements extending as far back as 13,000 years ago, Ohio has seen most of its architectural history fall to the wrecking ball. But there is still history all around if we know where to look. Located south of Dayton, SunWatch is the best-known Fort Ancient Indian village in the United States. On the other side of the state, Marietta is the oldest permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory. About fifty miles southeast of Cincinnati, antebellum Ripley grew to prominence as a bastion of abolitionism. Dennison, also known as Dreamsville, was born virtually overnight thanks to the railroads.

Authors David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker reveal twenty-one communities where the Ohio story can still be seen.

On Wednesday, November 5, 1930, Sunday Creek Coal Company Mine #6 at Millfield became the unenviable site of Ohio's worst coal mining disaster. Negligence caused an electrical spark to ignite accumulated methane and detonated untreated explosive dust. Within minutes 82 men were dead, 56 women became widows and 137 dependents found themselves fatherless. Approximately 120 men not in the direct line of blast and flame escaped. Miraculously, 19 others were found barely alive many hours after all were presumed dead. The tragedy could have been prevented if proper procedures had been followed and profit not put before worker safety. Author Ron Luce brings all of the facts together for the first time to tell the story of the Millfield Mine Disaster in full detail.

Every city has its odd and scary side, and Dayton is no exception. /

 The ghost of Paul Sorg still sits in his favorite seat in the Sorg Opera House more than a hundred years after his death. The so-called phantom terrorized truck drivers crossing the Englewood Dam before disappearing for good. The famed Butter Street Monster roams Germantown. Magee Park is home to numerous bigfoot and ghost sightings—and even a unicorn sighting. A building of many names, the tower on Patterson Boulevard in Kettering near Hills and Dales Park has been the source of many stories for generations, but only now is its true story finally told./

Dayton native, author, and host of the Dayton Unknown blog Sara Kaushal leads a chilling tour of Gem City’s strange and unusual history./

The struggles and successes of the industrious coal miners in Ohio's Mahoning Valley.

Year after year, local Welsh coal diggers supplied the ravenous and roaring ironworks in Mahoning Valley but the good times ended in the closing weeks of 1872. The demand for iron slackened, and with it, coal orders fell. Responding to plunging coal prices, mine owners cut wages, but rank-and-file miners would have none of it. On New Year’s Day, they went on strike. The bitter stalemate broke only when operators sidestepped local labor by employing African Americans from Virginia and Italian immigrants crowding the Eastern Seaboard. Violence followed. Yet this vicious strife opened the Mahoning Valley to permanent Italian settlement. Authors Ben Lariccia and Joe Tucciarone uncover this forgotten chapter in the region’s storied labor history.

Carved from the Connecticut Western Reserve, Madison Township was formally organized in 1811.

Lake Erie, the Grand River, and fertile land attracted New England settlers arriving by foot and oxcart. They cleared wooded land to make way for farms and survived Ohio winters in log homes. The discovery of bog iron created a boomtown near the mouth of Arcola Creek. Astute businessmen built smelting furnaces and ships. But when the iron pits were exhausted, both industries disappeared and so did the boomtown. Fertile land remained to support farms, and later a modern landscape nursery industry arose. In the 1920s, the Lake Erie shore was again discovered--this time by land developers and summer vacationers. Over the past 200 years, Madison's families built businesses, beautiful homes, schools, and churches. They left a historic legacy that remains to be enjoyed today.

Gathering the stories of the pioneers and the entrepreneurs of the past and the present, Enquirer food critic Polly Campbell unfolds how Cincinnati’s history has set the table for its menu today.

Over the years, Cincinnati has earned a reputation for conservatism and keeping to itself, especially regarding food, but that’s changing. Old favorites like cinnamon-scented chili on spaghetti, ice cream with huge chocolate chunks and old-fashioned German butchers selling goetta, brats and metts are being rediscovered—and in some cases re-created. A similar urge for experimentation and innovation from restaurants, farmers’ markets and food producers is bringing new energy to the city’s tables.

Hauntings and eerie tales abound in northern Ohio. Chillings legends, mysteries and hauntings.

Does Esther Hale, believed to have been executed for witchcraft, really haunt Columbiana County’s Bowman Cemetery? Is Lonesome Lock on the Ohio and Erie Canal as haunted as rumors say? Do restless spirits stalk the rooms at the Wolf Creek Tavern in Norton and the Rider’s Inn of Painesville? Do the ruins of Gore Orphanage echo with the ghastly wails of children said to have died in a fire long ago? Author William G. Krejci guides this supernatural journey through the most chilling legends of northern Ohio. Some stories are debunked. Some long-standing mysteries are solved. Some new mysteries come to light.

Discover why Indian Lake was known as Ohio's Million Dollar Playground for much of the 20th century.

Indian Lake, in northwestern Ohio, was originally a group of smaller lakes and wetlands occupying 640 acres. Over the years, the Lewistown Reservoir that served as a feeder lake for the Miami-Erie Canal was converted into Indian Lake State Park. Entrepreneurs were quick to jump on the opportunities Indian Lake offered. Sandy Beach Amusement Park offered roller coaster rides and other attractions and hosted concerts by nationally known big bands. Through the centuries, the character of Indian Lake has changed, and condominiums and permanent homes now dot the waterfront.

Canton, Ohio offers a photographic history, from the city's industrial awakening in the 1860s, through its near demise during the urban decay of the 1960s.

This fascinating photographic history focuses on Canton, Ohio, from its industrial awakening in the 1860s, through its near demise during the urban decay of the late 1960s. Timken, and John Dueber. Through photographs from the archives of the Canton Preservation Society and many others representing Canton's various ethnic groups, Ronald E. Sterling has brought historic Canton to life. The images in Canton, Ohio, tell the story of well-known residents including Bezaleel Wells, William McKinley, H.H. They also offer a glimpse into the ethnic communities of Canton, and the people who arrived in the city with not much more than lint in their pockets and a belief in the Promise of America.