New Book Releases

Eerie Erie explores the dark and bizarre corners of this county's creepy history, from vampire crypts to phantom ships.

A tall creature that howls on the devil's backbone near Harbor Creek Township, phantom ships that erupt into flames and melt into darkness, UFOs on Presque Isle—these are some of the strange tales from the lakeshores and shadowy woods of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Local paranormal expert and author Reverend Robin S. Swope explores the dark and bizarre corners of the county's history, from the forgotten 1812 dead of the brig Niagara and the mysterious earthen mounds that dot the landscape to the legend of the ravenous Storm Hag and the rumored vampire's crypt in Erie Cemetery. Join Swope as he searches for answers in the lost pages of Erie County history and lore.

The only comprehensive history of one of America's most infamous prisons, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA.

Looming on the horizon like a storm cloud made of stone, the Eastern State Penitentiary spent more than a century as the fortress that both the law-abiding and criminal feared. In this superbly balanced and thoroughly researched volume, Paul Kahan presents the history of this revolutionary penitentiary, from its inception as a model of the revolutionary Pennsylvania System of incarceration in 1829 to the demands for its closure in the wake of ever-increasing violence in 1971. Through tales of spectacular escapes, official corruption, reformation and retribution, Kahan chronicles the tensions that plagued Eastern State since the arrival of its first prisoners.

Historic photographs of the German and Croatian immigrants who flocked to this area on the outskirts of Allegheny City, and their customs, religions, skills, and traditions.

The Reserve Tract across from Fort Pitt was set aside in the 1780s by the government of Pennsylvania as a way of raising funds to pay the troops who had served during the American Revolutionary War. Although many areas in the commonwealth were set aside like this, few grew to such prominence as the distinct neighborhoods of Troy Hill, Spring Garden, Spring Hill, and Mount Troy. Photos of the German and Croatian immigrants who helped build a new nation by providing steel, leather products, food, and even beer; their spirit and work ethic set a standard that many Americans to this day try to emulate. The Heinz complex, the old E&O Brewery, St. Anthony's Chapel, Most Holy Name Church, and the Teutonia Mannerchor are several of the local landmarks that were established generations ago and are still being utilized today.

Ghost stories from America’s Steel City have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Pittsburgh’s haunted history and local legends come to life—even when the main players are dead. Find out if the ghostly entities at the Monongahela Incline actors or specters. Learn about the restless ghost of Henry Clay Frick lurking in his beloved Clayton. Discover that multiple Carnegie libraries are visited by the undead. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of spirits and phantoms, bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

Ghost stories from Southwest Pennsylvania have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! 

The haunted history of Prescott comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Walk across the haunted bridges of Beaver County. Or take a drive down Shades of Death Road, but beware of wandering 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.

Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, is one of America's most beautiful urban villages thanks to the fusion of physical setting, notable architecture, historic preservation, and careful planning.

During the Colonial period, Chestnut Hill was a rough-hewn village of farmers and millers; after the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill's natural splendor and healthful atmosphere made it a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy. Soon, it was ringed by magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer, though living side-by-side with the wealthy were hardworking communities of Italian, Irish, and German immigrants. This fascinating photographic record of Chestnut Hill's past reveals some surprising secrets about this vibrant community, such as the current community center was once the site of a perpetual motion machine hoax that swindled 19th century Philadelphians, and how one local hotel provided liquor (and perhaps other illicit services) to Chestnut Hillers during Prohibition. The stunning photographs and riveting stories of Chestnut Hill include those of the anti-Catholic Know-Nothings, who threatened to halt the construction of Our Mother of Consolation Catholic Church in the 1850s, and of Richard Norris Williams II, who survived the sinking of the Titanic and went on to win the national tennis championship twice at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

Gay and Lesbian Philadelphia is a historical look at the neighborhoods, events, and people that have been a part of this community. The 1920s saw the birth of private dance bars on Rittenhouse Square. It was a time when drag shows in straight bars were the order of the day, as was the presence of men in drag during the annual Mummer's Parade on New Year's Day. The pre-Civil Rights era, when segregation was the status quo, saw the proliferation of African American house parties in neighborhoods such as North Philadelphia, where black gays and lesbians formed a community. During the 1950s and 1960s, Rittenhouse Square was the site of informal public gatherings. These gatherings of friends and strangers helped set the stage for the Annual Reminder, the first public protest in support of "homosexual equal rights," which took place every Fourth of July at Independence Hall. Throughout all of these eras, members of the community faced challenges, celebrated victories, and continued to try to blend their lives with those of their gay and straight neighbors.

On July 12, 1926, Frances Bowermaster McBride, a forty-year-old divorcee, called off her affair with twenty-seven-year-old Norman Morrison. Driven into a rage, Morrison tracked Frances to her home in Carlisle's East End, where she sat on the porch with her three-year-old daughter, Georgia, on her lap. Morrison shot and killed Frances before turning the pistol on himself. Morrison lived but was blinded. Young Georgia fell to the pavement unharmed. Eventually standing trial, Morrison was convicted of first-degree murder. Historian Paul D. Hoch goes beyond the conviction as he traces the later lives of Morrison and Georgia McBride as she came of age in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Hoch spins a tale of murder, perseverance and, ultimately, redemption.

Carlisle is the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

It is about 18 miles west of Harrisburg, the state capital.Carlisle was planned and founded in 1751 when it was a pioneer town and became the gateway to the westward movement.It was a prominent military post in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.Carlisle was the home of two signers of the Declaration of Independence and a heroine of the Revolutionary War, Molly Pitcher.It was also one of the most northern towns occupied by the Confederate army during the Civil War.The town was the location of a number of known manufacturers, such as Carlisle Tire and Rubber Company, Quartz Crystal Company, and C.H.Masland Company.Carlisle is known today as the “Trucking Capital of the World.” It is also the home of Dickinson College, the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, and the US Army War College.

In 1755, Major General Edward Braddock and two army regiments set out from Alexandria with the objective of capturing Fort Duquesne, near present-day Pittsburgh.

To transport their sizable train of artillery and wagons, they first had to build a road across the rugged Appalachian Mountains. It was almost 289 treacherous miles from Alexandria, Virginia, by way of Fort Cumberland in Maryland and on to the French fort; the road they built was one of the most impressive military engineering accomplishments of the eighteenth century. Historian Norman L. Baker chronicles the construction of the road and creates the definitive mapping of those sections once thought lost. Join Baker as he charts the history of Braddock's Road until the ultimate catastrophic collision with the combined French and Indian forces.