Forgotten Tales

There's more to Vermont than maple syrup and covered bridges. A book about Vermont's history will likely bring to mind such topics as Abenaki Indians, the Green Mountain Boys and the state's famed covered bridges, but Forgotten Tales of Vermont takes readers far beyond traditional histories to uncover little-known stories from Vermont's quirky past. Who knew that students from Castleton Medical School moonlighted as grave robbers until they were caught hiding Mrs. Churchill's head in a haystack? Or that an Egyptian mummy once turned up in Middlebury and is now buried at the local cemetery alongside the town's founders? Stories such as the Willoughby Lake "monster" and "Slipperyskin," the bear that terrorized Lemington, are sure to bemuse, baffle and surprise even Vermonters who think they've heard it all. Culled from newspapers, books and journals, William M. Alexander's fascinating tales will entertain and inform readers for generations to come!

Maine has a collection of unique characters and tales that has helped to shape its identity. Meet the Artist Who Played Robin Hood, the Hermit of North Pond and the Mysterious Billy Smith.

Uncover the state's hidden gems with stories like the Midas Scam in Lubec, which left investors with little but salt water to show for their investment. From the tragedy of the Wreck of the Circus Ship to the uplifting story of the Schoolgirl Ambassador, Maine author and veteran storyteller Jim Harnedy brings out the offbeat characters and events that have made the Pine Tree State so unique.

Few Rhode Islanders remember the day a German submarine suddenly surfaced in Newport Harbor, or the escape of a bear, tiger and panther from a circus train on the Stonington Railroad. Still fewer may have heard about the World War II fighter plane that crash-landed in the middle of a secret listening post for intercepting enemy radio signals, tucked away on a farm in Scituate. Forgotten Tales digs deep into Rhode Island's history and unearths little-known stories and folklore that span three centuries. Read about the undertaker who dug his own grave, midnight gold diggers using magical diagrams, Smithfield's 'suicide bridge' and a pet elephant with a unique Achilles heel. Jim Ignasher delivers a strong dose of local color in this fascinating anecdotal history of the Ocean State.

W hen the first Pilgrims arrived on the shores of Massachusetts, they set foot in a world full of promise and new beginnings. Colonists witnessed the births of new children, governments and traditions, but even the Puritans could not wholly escape the Old World's basest human instincts. In Plymouth, John Billington committed the nation's first murder, and in Boston, the "Mass Bay Madam" Alice Thomas opened the first brothel. A Charlestown midwife and healer was hanged for witchcraft. Yet Massachusetts also produced William Phips, America's first undersea treasure hunter; Peter Salem, the first black war hero; Ann Bradstreet, pioneer poetess; and William Ives, printer of the first board game. In these dramatic and vividly imaginative tales, Peter Stevens narrates fascinating episodes from Massachusetts history, piecing together forgotten yet essential aspects of American identity.