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Old Lyme, Lyme, and Hadlyme is a compelling tribute to an area that is extraordinary in many ways.

Where the Connecticut River empties into Long Island Sound, a community that eventually became known as Lyme was settled in 1639. The community ran up the eastern riverbank to what is now East Haddam, along the Sound to Niantic, and into parts of Salem. In time, Lyme was divided into small towns and villages: Old Lyme, Lyme, Hadlyme, Hamburg, Sterling City, South Lyme, and the coastal communities. The area is notable due to its people, many of whom were attorneys, judges, legislators, and governors; for its commerce, which brought ships from up and down the East Coast and as far away as the West Indies; and for its beautiful homes, some of which survive today thanks to a strong preservation ethic.

Journey to picturesque York County's past in this photographic history.

Rural York County, with its charming historic towns and villages, has long been one of the most delightful areas of Maine. While tourists from the nineteenth century onward sought out the high life that made Maine's coastal areas so famous, the residents of the more peaceful, pristine countryside kept the serenity of their backyard a secret. The fascinating selection of images that make up this visual history have been carefully selected as a journey into the past, a journey from Kittery up the coast to Saco; through the Berwicks and Lebanon; to Alfred and Springvale, and Sanford close by; around Acton, Shapleigh, Newfield, and Waterboro; then on to Parsonsfield, Porter, Kezar Falls, and Cornish.

A charming collection of Bridgeport stories and historic images bring this eccentric, enchanting history to life.

In the late nineteenth century, P.T. Barnum was known worldwide for his traveling circus, but to the city of Bridgeport he meant much more. The city's mayor and benefactor, Barnum was also a mastermind at urban planning. Thus, amid Bridgeport's growing industrial factories, orchestras played from the bandstand at Seaside Park and bucolic hills surrounded Bunnell's Pond. In this collection of narratives, Eric D. Lehman captures the city's natural beauty and richly eccentric history. From the brave women of the Black Rock Lighthouse to war heroes of 'the nation's arsenal', from 'the tiniest general', Tom Thumb, to the tragic death of Jumbo the elephant, these are the best stories from Connecticut's 'Park City.'

With the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century the grandeur of Littleton's mountain scenery soon began to attract photographers to the area, and their images of the mirror-like lakes, winding rivers, dense, dark forests, and craggy mountains began a tourist boom that continues to this day.

In the summer of 1643, John Sanders was granted land bordering the Mousam River in Kennebunk.

From this early grant to the present, many generations have called Kennebunk home.Through nearly two hundred vintage photographs, Kennebunk portrays life in this charming village from 1850 to 1940.From the architecture of its downtown neighborhoods to scenes of the rural countryside, the images in this book provide a window on Kennebunk’s past.They also capture the people who made up the fabric of this community, from early sea captains to hardworking farmers.Among them are immigrant Sam Tvedt, an eccentric preacher who sported shoulder-length hair and a long flowing coat while shouting sermons from beside the town pump, and Colby Jack Coombs, the famous World Series pitcher, shown spending time with his family on their Alewive farm.

In Somers, the unique history of this rural New England town is captured in photographs, postcards, and artists' renditions from the last half of the 1800s to the present. Each image is identified with extensively researched and informative captions. The chapters depict early homes and farms (many still in existence), families and individuals, businesses, schools, and churches. They show the transition from largely produce farms to horse farms and tree farms, and to residential developments, as well as the rescue from decay of the unique, century-old Free Public Library.

Brewster tells the unique story of a town that prospered through the good times and held on amazingly during the bad times. It presents captivating photographs of the residents' struggle for existence as farmers, fisherman, and sailors. The book shows what the barbershop looked like and where the early residents of Brewster lived, played, and went to church. Brewster captures the charming moments of a time gone by.

Norwell was originally part of the maritime town Scituate, an area that boasted a thriving shipbuilding industry for over 200 years on the North River. In 1848, taxpayers from the south end of Scituate wanted more control over their finances and voted for secession. This area, originally known as South Scituate, was renamed Norwell in 1888 after the town s generous benefactor Henry Norwell. What remains of this quintessential South Shore community are many charming neighborhoods such as Ridge Hill, which has remnants of a commercial era long since passed, and Norwell Village, with a quaint small-village atmosphere that survives today."

The resources brought together in Plaistow, Westville, and the North Parish illustrate the town's development from the railroad's arrival in the 1830s through the 1960s. This collection of images, most of which have never before been published, is drawn from the archival resources of the Plaistow Historical Society, the Haverhill Public Library, and several private collections. Among the rare photographs are an interior view of Peaslee Mill; a view of Mount Misery, the town's highest point; and the 1704 Hurd House, Plaistow's oldest structure.

Author Eric D. Lehman chronicles the lives of two dozen men and women who left their marks on Connecticut and the world as a whole.

Noah Webster, Charles Goodyear, P.T. Barnum and Katharine Hepburn all have Connecticut in common. Like so many other residents, they had an inventive spirit and drive that changed the course of history for the rest of the state. Some of the state's natives, like Eli Whitney and Henry C. Lee, pioneered new methods. Prudence Crandall and Helen Keller championed the rights of the underprivileged. Some, like Frederick Law Olmsted and Sol LeWitt, changed our perception of the world.

With more than two hundred exceptional photographs and narrative, Deep River and Ivoryton tells the story of how ivory shaped the economy and culture of these villages. Two companies, Pratt, Read & Company and the Comstock, Cheney & Company, employed thousands of people in satisfying the demand for new pianos. Probably more than ninety percent of the ivory processed in this country was handled in Deep River and Ivoryton. The demand for new instruments slowed with the invention of the radio, followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the flow of material stopped altogether in the 1950s, when the use of ivory in the United States was banned.

Highway historian and retired highway engineer Larry Larned, author of Traveling the Merritt Parkway, has appeared in television and radio interviews speaking about Route 15 and the nation's early roads. Route 15: The Road to Hartford presents images from his forty years of collecting and documenting Connecticut roadside culture, architecture, and engineering. His detailed account of the road to Hartford includes personal recollections of traveling Route 15 as a youngster and studying the details along the way-the tollbooths, the bow-tied gas station attendants, the families on picnics at rest stops.

Five of the Elizabeth Islands-Naushon, Pasque, Nashawena, Cuttyhunk, and Penikese-date from 1602, when the Englishman Bartholomew Gosnold explored the waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay aboard his ship the Concord.

Although the small encampment Gosnold built on Cuttyhunk for trading with the Wampanoags was used for only a few weeks, journals kept by two crew members have survived and give vivid accounts of that voyage. Naushon, Pasque, and Nashawena are currently privately owned. Penikese, once a leper colony, is now the site of a school for troubled boys. Cuttyhunk is now the only island with a village center and easy public access. Captivating photographs and postcards in Cuttyhunk and the Elizabeth Islands trace the special experience of island life from the unspoiled habitat of Gosnold's time to the first invasion of summer folk in the 1950s. These vintage images not only show how the islands' rock-strewn landscapes reflect the hard lives of the early islanders but also attest to the pleasures of picnics and boating as tourism and summer residents brought a modest degree of prosperity. Many previously unpublished photographs of large estates on Naushon portray a life of privilege. Views of Penikese depict the barren dormitories of the lepers who lived out their lives there.

Join authors Elaine Malloy, Daniel Malloy and Alan J. Ryan as they recount the history of Hopedale, Massachusetts through vintage images, some never before seen.

It began quietly in 1842 as a utopian community known as the Dale of Hope on farmland that was then part of Milford. The followers of Rev. Adin Ballou settled in that year, sharing a farmhouse and chores, as well as ideals and abolitionist inclinations. After the longest-running utopian experiment in Massachusetts faltered, however, the community underwent a dramatic renaissance beginning in the 1850s. Within a few short decades, the Draper family became a driving force-instrumental in the community's separation from Milford, incorporation as Hopedale and development as the cotton loom-making capital of the Industrial Revolution. Hopedale contains more than two hundred photographs portraying life, leisure, and community spirit in Hopedale from the 1840s to the early 1960s. Included are the town's industrial center, public buildings, parks, unique duplex housing, and ostentatious mill-owner homes. Hopedale depicts the town undergoing times of prosperity and facing floods and other disasters. It also examines the citizens working hard, enjoying time off, and displaying their patriotism.

The town of Gilford has always known its purpose, and even today, residents take pride in their town’s history.

Initially settled in 1777 within the town of Gilmanton, Gilford became incorporated on June 16, 1812. Unique in relation to its neighboring towns, Gilford originated as a farming settlement, with pastures being cleared as early as 1762. The construction of the Lake Shore Railroad brought many tourists, so many that residents began to build additional stories onto their homes in order to offer lodging to these travelers. Visitors flocked to the area to enjoy the beautiful Belknap Mountain Range, scenic roads and hiking trails, and the beaches and boat docks on Lake Winnipesaukee. Kimball Castle atop Locke's Hill is a focal point that has been viewed by generations of people traveling to Gilford and is noted for being one of the most haunted places in the state. The town remains a sought-after destination, and the historians of Gilford continue to work diligently to preserve the town's village, historic treasures, and past.

Tracing the town of Lexington's life as it transformed from a provincial farming village to attractive Boston suburb.

It was established by the Puritans in 1713, but Lexington entered the history books as the ""Birthplace of American Liberty"" one April morning in 1775. However, the town's history did not begin or end with that event. Though primarily agrarian, early-19th century Lexington contained 12 taverns, a large fur industry, and other manufacturing businesses. The 20th century brought a streetcar system with Lexington Park, replete with a zoo and a theater, at its terminus. With the construction of Route 128, Lexington's population rapidly increased and the farm era faded, changing the shape of the community.

Through fascinating vintage images within these pages, you will visit Massachusetts House and Russell House, where wealthy Bostonians enjoyed summering in the town's ""good air"" after the Civil War; beautiful estates, including the Hayes Castle, that dotted the town's hills once the railroad to Boston became a reality for commuters; and the Lexington station, the last remaining depot train shed in Massachusetts, which stood at the foot of Meriam Hill.

The history of North Adams is a portrait of survival and a celebration of diversity.

This celebration is not only expressed in its citizens and their ancestry but also in the many faces that the city and its environment have taken on through the years. From the isolated military outpost that fought a dramatic battle in the mid-1700s, through the roller-coaster ride of prosperity and economic depression endured by its citizens, North Adams exemplifies the strength that is a trademark of New England. North Adams contains an unusual collection of rare photographs that celebrate every aspect of the city. The book exemplifies how the population is a mosaic of cultures that sought a better life and wove an atmosphere of acceptance and sharing. An important part of that better life included the industry that made indelible imprints on the nation's history by producing pig iron for the Civil War's famous Monitor ironclad, by the engineering feat of the Hoosac Tunnel, and by leading the nation in the manufacture of fabrics, shoes, and electric capacitors. The diverse architecture that dominates hillside church steeples, the long gone Victorian depot station, the devastating floods, the majestic hot-air balloons, and the everyday faces of citizens are all captured here in striking photographs. Together they create the story of a city that always found a way to survive.

Long neglected in the annals of American music, the Nutmeg State's influence on the history of rock'n'roll deserves recognition.

Connecticut's musical highlights include the beautiful harmonies of New Haven's Five Satins, Gene Pitney's rise to fame, Stamford's the Fifth Estate and notable rockers such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Saturday Night Live Band's Christine Ohlman. Rock Hall of Famers include Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads and Dennis Dunaway of the Alice Cooper Band. Some events became legend, like Jimi Hendrix's spellbinding performance at Yale's Woolsey Hall, Jim Morrison's onstage arrest at the New Haven Arena and teenage Bob Dylan's appearance at Branford's Indian Neck Folk Festival. With in-depth interviews as well as rare, never-before-seen photos, author Tony Renzoni leads a sonic trip that captures the spirit and zenith of the local scene.

The earliest settlers-such as Nehemiah Marks, who was living and doing business in Stamford as early as 1720-opened stores and other commercial enterprises. By the mid-1800s, city dwellers began coming to the region for summer vacations. After 1880, settlers arrived via the peddlers' routes and, after accumulating a little capital, stayed to open shops and establish themselves socially and politically. The greatest influx came in the 1890s and early 1900s, when many Jews arrived from the Pale of Settlements, eastern and central Europe, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Romania, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Rowley has much to offer: scenes of the village, and the historic town common, or the "Training Place," where Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec encamped in 1775, the picturesque Glen Mills area with its 1642 stone arch bridge, and the site of the first fulling mill in the colonies (1642-1643), which manufactured the first cloth made in the Western world. The book displays images of country stores, wagon peddlers, and early gristmills and sawmills. It also shows shoe manufacturing, boatbuilding (at its peak in 1900), farming, and salt marsh haying. It truly brings to life another era in American history.

Through captivating images and narrative, read why the historic St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church has endured for 150 years as a source of service and faith-based community in the small town of Marion, Massachusetts.

Author Jake Klim chronicles the attack from the first shell fired to the aftermath and celebrates the resilience of Orleans at war.

On the morning of July 21, 1918--in the final year of the First World War--a new prototype of German submarine surfaced three miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The vessel attacked an unarmed tugboat and its four barges. A handful of the shells fired by the U-boat's deck guns struck Nauset Beach, giving the modest town of Orleans the distinction of being the only spot in the United States to receive enemy fire during the entire war. On land, lifesavers from the U.S. Coast Guard launched a surfboat under heavy enemy fire to save the sailors trapped aboard the tug and barges. In the air, seaplanes from the Chatham Naval Air Station dive-bombed the enemy raider with payloads of TNT.

This remarkable photographic history of Federal Hill features images of the community from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s, chronicling the arrival of immigrants from many countries over the years.

During the thirty-four year period from 1898 to 1932, more than fifty thousand Italian immigrants arrived at the port of Providence. The majority of them settled on Federal Hill, the three-hundred-acre land mass that stands high above Rhode Island's capital city. Federal Hill is a rich community in many ways. Its hard working and tenacious settlers started out with a deep and abiding faith in God. Their numerous accomplishments are evidenced today in the many thriving family-owned businesses and stunning architectural achievements so prevalent in the downtown area. Many people from around the state enter Federal Hill through the welcoming pine-cone arch for seasonal festivals or a night on the town. The vitality and hospitality of this historic area are truly cherished by many in the modern era.

Paddle from Enfield Rapids to Long Island Sound and travel down one of America's most famous waterways, the Connecticut River.

Its calm waters conceal an unruly past, where native tribes lost ground to Dutch and English colonists who vied for the river's immense economic power. The skyline of Hartford looms on the western shore, with the gold dome of the capitol as a remnant of this robust economy centered on world trade. Many have found a deep inspiration along the river, including Lady Fenwick, a local legend; David Bushnell, creator of the first American submarine; and even Albert Einstein, who contemplated the cosmos while relaxing on the riverbanks. Author Wick Griswold takes readers on a provocative journey as he traces the history of the Connecticut River.

With rich historical photographs and stunning side-by-side contemporary comparisons, journey back in time and discover a new side of the Maine coast.

Blessed with extraordinary natural beauty, the village of Ogunquit has attracted artists of every kind. The artistic culture introduced by Charles Woodbury and Hamilton Easter Field, and later enriched by the success of the Ogunquit Playhouse, greatly added to the natural beauty of Ogunquit's Marginal Way, white sand beach, and harbor in Perkins Cove. Authors Kathryn M. Severson, Susan Day Meffert, and Marie D. Natoli have collaborated to capture the enduring charm of this "beautiful place by the sea.'?

Boston's Boxing Heritage: Prizefighting from 1882 to 1955 covers the early bareknuckle years of boxing through the sport's post-World War II boom. When Boston's John L. Sullivan won the heavyweight crown from Paddy Ryan in 1882, he took prizefighting from an illegal, red-light district pastime to the country's most popular sport and in essence put Bean Town on the sporting map. For the next sixty years, Boston remained one of the elite cities in the boxing world spawning ring immortals such as George "Little Chocolate" Dixon, Joe "the Barbados Demon" Wolcott, William "Honey" Mellody, Rocky Marciano, Jack "the Boston Gob" Sharkey, and Sam "the Boston Tar Baby" Langford.

Without reservation, she opened the door. Without hesitation, she hopped into the car, adjusting the skirt of her summer-weight navy blue suit to keep it unwrinkled as she sat down.

And just like that, 19-year-old Frances Cochran jumped into the void. 

On July 17, 1941, in Lynn, Massachusetts, attractive nineteen-year-old Frances Cochran stepped off a commuter bus and into a mysterious black automobile. Three days later, police discovered her mutilated body in a Salem lovers' lane.

Her murder made national headlines on the eve of World War II. Investigators checked twelve thousand cars and interviewed almost two thousand witnesses. They scrutinized a “Peeping Tom” men’s club. Despite leads that spanned the continent, decades passed and the killer was never caught. Like a poisonous vine, the death of Frances Cochran is tangled with other unsolved murders, including the 1947 Los Angeles Black Dahlia case.

As local author Rob Fitzgibbon reveals, it is also a story shrouded in the "Salem Factor,” the odd and inexplicable coincidences that occur in an area notorious for witchcraft and hauntings.

Your Guide to American Revolutionary History in Today's Vibrant Boston

From its founding in 1630, the "City on the Hill" has been home to those who seek freedom. Without the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the midnight ride of Paul Revere, there would have been no American Revolution.

Sam Adams, John Hancock, and John Adams put Boston in the forefront on the path to Independence and the creation of the United States. Later reformers and trailblazers included Dorothea Dix, who advocated on behalf of the mentally ill, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who created the city’s “Emerald Necklace” of parks.

From the Old North Church to the Freedom Trail and the Irish Famine Memorial, follow historian Alison Fortier as she reveals how the history of this city tells the story of our country.

Millions visit Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market each year—drawn by the food, the shops, and the rich sense of history. But behind the brick and granite walls are stories that most visitors (and even many locals) have never heard.

Faneuil Hall, opened in 1742 as a gift from wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil, was a marketplace and meetinghouse. While vendors sold meat, fish, and produce from first-floor stalls, the upstairs Great Hall hosted fiery debates and spirited gatherings on the issues that helped shape Boston and the nation—from the fight for independence to the struggle for civil rights. By the 1820s, Faneuil Hall could not keep pace with the needs of a booming Boston. Enter Quincy Market, three grand market houses that brought new life to the waterfront. Yet the market was nearly lost in the mid-20th century—until a bold reinvention in the 1970s turned the historic buildings into a national model for urban revival. Packed with colorful characters and forgotten chapters of Boston’s history, this book is perfect for everyone who wants to see the city with fresh eyes.

Vintage postcards celebrate the charming, historic town of Norwell's timeless appeal, capturing scenes of daily life, natural beauty, and beloved landmarks from the early 20th century.

In 1849, Norwell took on a life of its own when it split off from Scituate to become known as South Scituate. In 1888, the town adopted the forever name of Norwell and its own identity. In the early 1900s, the automobile was changing the complexion of Norwell. Residents were able to commute to better-paying jobs, while nonresidents were discovering the town’s country charm and natural beauty. Included in the book is a special section of postcards on the North and South Rivers, both of which played an important role in Norwell’s history.

The Complex History of One of Our Great State Parks.

Middlesex Fells, located north of Boston, is one of the most storied state parks in the United States.

Home to Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years, this land became part of Charlestown, the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Puritans transformed the landscape, marked woodlots with stone walls, and gave the largest lots to wealthy men. They harvested timber and quarried stone from the Fells to build houses, ships, and walls and to fuel brickmaking and rum distilling. Enslaved labor, acquired through the transatlantic trade, supported these markets.

Today the Fells is preserved, but beyond its trails and wooded vistas lie deeper stories of Indigenous communities and colonial transformation. Alison C. Simcox and Douglas L. Heath trace this history with new research published for the first time.

Fishermen, Farmers and Gangsters on the Cape Risk Everything to Bring in the Rum.

During Prohibition, rumrunning was big business on Cape Cod.

Fishermen and farmers, such as Provincetown’s Manny Zora and Eastham’s Bud Cummings, headed offshore to “Rum Row” under cover of darkness, bringing the criminal yet coveted alcohol home. They risked heavy fines, jail time, and even their lives in encounters with law enforcement, hijackers, and gangsters. Sandwich’s Eugene Haines, a staunch supporter of Prohibition, mysteriously disappeared, believed to have been murdered by rumrunners. Legend has it that Boston Mayor James Curley escaped out a window during a police raid at Yarmouth’s Casa Madrid.

Local author Don Wilding uncovers the stories, ranging from horrifying to humorous, from this unforgettable age of contraband and controversy on Cape Cod.

The Era of Grand Hotels and Resorts, and the Efforts to Preserve Vermont's Past.

Northern Vermont was bustling with resorts and grand hotels in the nineteenth century.

New Englanders came to take in the country air. Patients from across the country drank from the mineral springs and tried to improve their health. People from around the world visited and experienced the unmatched beauty, the quiet calm, and the small-town atmosphere. French Revolutionary War hero General Lafayette, Henry David Thoreau, and famous speakers like Henry Ward Beecher all came to this part of the country to write and reflect.

From Burlington to Sheldon, from Highgate to the Lake Champlain Islands, some of the buildings have faded from memory, while others have been lovingly restored to their former glory.

Award-winning teacher and author Jason Barney uncovers slice-of-life stories, humorous moments, and the history behind some of the state’s most beautiful hotels.

How Powerful Storms Shaped Martha’s Vineyard and Its Resilient Spirit

Martha’s Vineyard is no stranger to storms. Its location puts it in the direct path of any weather system moving up the Atlantic coast. In 1635, the Great Colonial Hurricane devastated the island, and the 1898 Portland Gale is well remembered to this day for its fury and death toll. In 1944, Gay Head was isolated when the access bridge was washed away. Other storms included the famous 1938 Hurricane, Carol and Edna in 1954, and the Perfect Storm in October 1991. Each storm was unique in its creation, impact, and resulting changes in the landscape of the island. Tom Dresser reveals how each of these devastating events affected life on the island, as well as the future dangers posed by an ever-warming climate.

Explore the hidden history of Portsmouth and uncover the city’s enduring spirit

One of New Hampshire’s oldest towns, Portsmouth has always been known for its historical sites. These encompass a rich heritage that has often been well documented. And yet, there is more to this seaside city than meets the eye. A closer look reveals some colonial-era advertising on historic headstones, while the remnants of the old statehouse are now in a shipping container. The houses on The Hill only hint at the historic neighborhood that once existed in the northern part of town, and the Portsmouth African Burying Ground Memorial points to an extensive history that dates back more than 375 years. Of course, maritime and naval history abound here, while St. John’s and North Church are representative of a religious history that stretches far back in time. Join historian and author Glenn Knoblock as he uncovers some hidden gems of Portsmouth history.

In an alternate universe, Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood would be the Big City, as it was founded several months before the more famous Beantown.

Established in 1630, the population grew exponentially with the ease of transportation via the Old Colony Railroad revolutionized Dorchester in the period between 1850 and the Civil War. Primarily still a rural town with a population of about 12,000 by 1870, the town was annexed to the city of Boston, and by the turn of the century, Dorchester was one-fifth of the entire city. This fantastic collection places vintage images alongside contemporary photographs to explore the history of this community's public schools, places of worship, transportation, streetscapes, and historic houses, such as the “three-decker” apartment building, a trademark of the Dorchester community.