Legendary Locals

Name: Legendary Locals of Mount Clemens
Brand: Deborah J. Larsen
SKU: 9781467100120
Price: 18.74 USD
Availability: InStock

The Legendary Locals American history book series spotlights the unique individuals and groups that wrote our local communities' past and present. Get to know the people who shaped iconic towns like Daytona Beach, Oakland, Bel Air, and more. Meet expert cattle herder and autism rights activist Dr. Temple Grandin from Fort Collins, visit the high school of Simon and Garfunkel, and discover how Edwin Binney invented Crayola crayons. Through vintage images and historical vignettes, the Legendary Locals series assures these names will go down in American history. [View all Legendary Locals books]

221 products

Sort

Legendary Locals of Mount Clemens

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Wheeling

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Concord

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Middletown

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Ukiah

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Gallup

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Oakland

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Elizabeth City

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Plymouth

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Greer

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Asbury Park

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Prairie du Chien

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Bethlehem

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Pine City

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of the Mendonoma Coast

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Metairie

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Tippecanoe to Tipp City

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Alamogordo

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Detroit

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Legendary Locals of Portsmouth

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Previous 1 2 3

Legendary Locals of Mount Clemens

9781467100120

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Judge Christian Clemens founded Mount Clemens in 1818 and established it as the seat of justice for Macomb County when Michigan was yet a territory. While the town prospered on the strength of its strategic location on the Clinton River and proximity to Lake St. Clair, it was the mineral water beneath the citizens' feet that would propel Mount Clemens to national prominence as a health resort. As it grew, the "Bath City of America" attracted the likes of stage actress Sadie Hasson, the Nelson family of circus performers, and baseball all-star Vic Wertz. Numerous visitors who came seeking a cure--or to find work in the hospitality industry--stayed to call Mount Clemens home, adding their own peculiar brand of warp and weft to the town's rich historical tapestry.

Legendary Locals of Wheeling

9781467100625

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From its founding as a frontier outpost through its role as the birthplace of a new state during the Civil War and its evolution into a manufacturing center, Wheeling has been home to a fascinating array of personalities. The old legends feature Betty Zane's bold dash to save Fort Henry and Samuel McColloch's daring leap on horseback from Wheeling Hill. Businessmen like Henry Schmulbach and Michael Owens contributed to Wheeling's industrial rise, while Augustus Pollack and Walter Reuther earned fame as friends of labor. And even as notorious men like "Big Bill" Lias capitalized on Wheeling's wide-open ways, community leaders like James "Doc" White worked quietly for racial justice. On local ball fields built in the shadows of steel mills, Wheeling's gritty sports heroes, like Chuck Howley and Rose Gacioch, demonstrated their athletic prowess. Notoriety in the arts was earned through the music of Doc and Chickie Williams and opera star Eleanor Steber as well as the works of writers like Keith Maillard and Marc Harshman, the current West Virginia Poet Laureate.

Legendary Locals of Concord

9781467101967

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The land now called Concord was originally inhabited by the Abenaki people and the Penacook tribe. Concord's first settlers, such as Ebenezer Eastman, began laying out the Plantation of Penacook, as it was known in 1725, along the fertile fields of the Merrimack River. It was incorporated in 1734 as Rumford and then renamed to Concord by Gov. Benning Wentworth in 1765. Concord experienced a surge in transportation and manufacturing in the 19th century, producing the Concord Coaches, Prescott Pianos, and steam boilers. As Concord celebrates its 250th anniversary, the city flourishes as the state capital and has a thriving community of restaurants, entertainment, and culture for all to enjoy. It retains its town sensibility as it plans for the continued growth of the local economy. Today's civic leaders, like Byron Champlin and James Carroll, work conjointly with business leaders, such as Tom Arnold of Arnie's and Juliana Eades of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, to build and enhance Concord's cultural, social, and economic identity.

Legendary Locals of Middletown

9781467101202

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Although the town benefits from a position on a major navigable waterway, Middletown's success is primarily due to the energy, creativity, and diversity of its people. These include James Riley, whose autobiography detailing his trials as a white slave in Northern Africa showed millions of Americans the evils of slavery; Max Corvo, who helped the World War II Italian underground defeat the fascist regime; and Christie Ellen McLeod, longtime chief pathologist at Middlesex Memorial Hospital. Middletown can boast of athletes such as Helen "Babe" Carlson, a tremendously strong competitor who participated on men's baseball teams; Willie Pep, who, while going for the world featherweight title, had a record of 134 wins and only one loss; and Corny Thompson, who sparked the University of Connecticut basketball program's rise to national prominence. More notables include Allie Wrubel, a prolific songwriter and Academy Award winner for his song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah;" Vivian McRae Wesley, a teacher, reading director, and leader of Middletown's African American community; and Francesco Lentini, who was born with three legs and appeared in every major circus and carnival.

Legendary Locals of Ukiah

9781467101820

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Mountains. Trees. A lake. What makes a city, town, or village come to life are the people--those who have gone before and those who are there today. They are what shape and build the community of Ukiah. With their personalities, foibles, compassion, and humor, some of these influential men and women stand out by design and some quietly exist on the sidelines. Utah Haley, a disabled veteran, drives other veterans to doctors' appointments. Rick Paige is always the first on-scene to help in a disaster. Spencer Brewer started the "Sundays in the Park" free concerts more than two decades ago. Ukiah is a town that supports its businesses, and those same local businesses give back to the community in many ways. Shannon Riley of Shoefly and Sox holds an annual shoe drive. Jan Hoyman and Doug Browe of Hoyman Browe Studios donate countless pieces of their work to charitable auctions. Ann Kilkenny of Mendocino Book Company gives time and assistance to local organizations. Marty Lombardi, who spent 40 years with Savings Bank of Mendocino, was always lending a helping hand to local nonprofits.

Legendary Locals of Gallup

9781467125673

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Geography has conspired to make Gallup, New Mexico, a special place with unique people and a colorful history. It has been a place of struggle and extremes where cultures have clashed, mixed, and melded. Gallup is a community that is simultaneously challenging and uplifting, heartrending, and redemptive. To local Native Americans, the Navajo and Pueblo people, Gallup is located on their ancestral homeland and bordered by their sacred sites. To early settlers, Gallup was a place that permitted transportation across the continent, first by foot and horseback, then by stagecoach and railroad, and ultimately, by America's Mother Road, Route 66. With its founding, Gallup became a place where European, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants—with hands that built America—came to construct a transcontinental rail line, harvest timber, mine coal, and establish businesses, while seeking a new life among the region's original native people.

Legendary Locals of Oakland

9781467102094

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Oakland has been shaped by the transcontinental railroad, freeways, earthquakes, and its location on the shores of San Francisco Bay. But what makes Oakland such an amazing city are the people who have called Oakland home over the years, like Mayor Samuel Merritt, who helped make Oakland the terminus of the transcontinental railroad; Elizabeth Flood, who worked to desegregate Oakland schools in the 1870s; and F.M. Borax Smith, who created the Key System. Oakland has been home to game-changing athletes like father of modern tennis Don Budge and Curt Flood, who helped bring free agency to sports; artists like writer Jack London, dancer Isadora Duncan, poet Joaquin Miller, and cartoonist Morrie Turner; and culture-shaping movements like the Black Panther Party. However, the impact of Oaklanders is not just historical. From Oscar Grant to Favianna Rodriguez to Marshawn Lynch to Jerry Brown, people in Oakland continue to shape not just the Town, but the entire country.

Legendary Locals of Elizabeth City

9781467101608

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Elizabeth City is rich in legend and lore. The pirate Blackbeard was a frequent visitor to the area, selling his ill-gotten goods to a willing populace. The Wright brothers made Elizabeth City the first leg of their trips to Kitty Hawk, and they bought materials to build their flying machine from Kramer Brothers, a local lumberyard. Champion nine-ball player Luther Wimpy Lassiter was born and died here. Young Beautiful Nell Cropsey was murdered in 1901; her death is the town's most enduring mystery. Newspaperman W.O. Saunders, editor of the Independent, was known nationally after he walked down New York's Fifth Avenue in pajamas to protest uncomfortable work attire. Young Tamsen Donner, a member of the ill-fated Donner Party, was a teacher here in the 1830s. Fred Fearing's Rose Buddies welcomed boaters to Elizabeth City with homegrown roses and wine and cheese parties. He has entertained Walter Cronkite and Willard Scott, among other luminaries. These are just a few of the stories, mysteries, and legends of Elizabeth City's past and present.

Legendary Locals of Plymouth

9781467100373

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Plymouth, a charming town 40 miles west of Detroit, is rich with history and interesting people. Though the community has undergone many changes and much growth throughout the years, it maintains a small, stylish downtown feel. Much of that can be attributed to the town's residents--dedicated folks who take pride in their community and aim to make it stronger and better, year after year. The Houghs helped put Plymouth on the map when they mass-produced the Daisy BB gun, employing hundreds of residents; Debra Madonna is a promoter of arts and education who is devoted to children with special needs; Phoebe Patterson helped pave the way for women's rights; Margaret Dunning's generosity and vision have provided special buildings for education; and museum volunteer Sanford Burr, whose family history runs deep in Plymouth, loves sharing the community's heritage. Whether through industry, education, volunteer work, the arts, or philanthropy, the people in Legendary Locals of Plymouth saw a need and acted on it, helping make Plymouth what it is today.

Legendary Locals of Greer

9781467100229

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Greer, an 1876 railroad town, was founded by people who moved from farms, the mountain region of the Dark Corner, and other small communities to the area around Greer's Depot with high expectations of prosperity promised by railroad commerce and, later, the cotton mills. Like a colorful quilt with its individual patches, the early population of Greer included farmers, store keepers, laborers skilled and unskilled, and their wives and families. As the town grew, investors funded three local cotton mills; mill hands and supervisors arrived to operate them. The bankers, attorneys, physicians, teachers, and ministers followed. Eager to succeed, they all labored long and hard, some heroically like Officer William Foster and volunteer fireman Carl Miller, who died in the line of duty. Greer folk reared families, provided education, and imbued their children with strong moral and religious values. Their descendents continue to populate the city today with a strong sense of community pride.

Legendary Locals of Asbury Park

9781467101943

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

It is a pious paradise wrested from the dunes; a salty carnival of dreamers, drifters, and just plain folks; a city made legendary by Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Crane but grounded in generations of turbulent American reality. Even those who never lived there feel proprietary about Asbury Park--a place of shared experiences and strong passions, where grand sandcastle plans wash up against changing times and tides. Legendary Locals of Asbury Park captures a parade of personalities, from the visionaries who challenged nature to the true believers who sought, against tremendous odds, to make a year-round life in this city of summers. The shopkeepers and show people, the advocates on the front lines of social change, and the chroniclers who witnessed history are all among those who helped a small town cast a giant profile, here and on the big boardwalk beyond.

Legendary Locals of Prairie du Chien

9781467101936

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From the day Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet entered the Mississippi River in 1673, fur traders, and then settlers, were drawn to Prairie du Chien. Red Bird and Black Hawk opposed American expansionism, while Zachary Taylor enforced the change. John Muir admired the majesty of the Mississippi River, and John Lawler accepted the challenge to bridge the waters. As people came to Prairie du Chien, generations worked to form a small, cohesive community. Some, like George and Dorothy Jeffers, Ralph and Albina Kozelka, Henry Howe, and Frank Stark, began businesses that descendants continue to operate. John Peacock and Mike Valley found a livelihood from the river. Art Frydenlund, Jim Bittner, and Fred LaPointe promoted and encouraged all to come. B.A. Kennedy and Jack Mulrooney created an outstanding educational and sports program. Peter Scanlan and Cal Peters recorded the rich history. Roy and Geraldine George established the George Family Foundation, and Morris MacFarlane led a movement to create scholarships. Lori Knapp helped disabled people without realizing her impact. Politician Patrick Lucey and cowgirl Elaine Kramer gained national recognition. All these people and others, like Dr. T.F. Farrell and Robert Garrity, were neighbors. Their stories fill these pages.

Legendary Locals of Bethlehem

9781467100830

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Since its founding in 1741, many extraordinary people have called Bethlehem home. Teacher Polly Blum introduced needlework to her Moravian Seminary students in 1818 and soon received a request from the wife of Pres. John Adams for one of their pieces. In 1932, Sam Born established Just Born Candy Company, maker of the famous marshmallow Peeps. Dorothy Stephenson was the first female executive for Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Reggie Cora was the first Hispanic to serve as a county detective. Musicians, artists, and athletes have also contributed to the cultivation of this city. Gelsey Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet and became the dance partner of Mikhail Baryshnikov. Frank Mikisits hosted a Hungarian music radio show for 40 years, preserving the music of his childhood. John Spagnola played in 11 NFL seasons. Legendary Locals of Bethlehem chronicles more than 200 residents who through leadership and courage have made Bethlehem a wonderful place to live.

Legendary Locals of Pine City

9781467101196

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Throughout the history of Pine City, individuals have dreamed, struggled, and created a remarkable place of American culture. Legendary Locals of Pine City represents an amazing mix of talents and activities, sometimes with far-reaching effects. The Pine City story is told here in the faces of its people: the innovators who brought industry and commerce; generous people and institutions who have given back to the community in a variety of ways; participants in Pine City's thriving cultural life embracing a spectrum of interests and enthusiasms; and ordinary people living everyday lives who have done extraordinary things or had remarkable experiences. This book honors such individuals as the renowned Karla Nelsen, the world's most muscular woman; Anna Dickey Olesen, the first woman to break the glass ceiling and run for US Senate; and Shane Bauer's mom, Cindy Hickey, who worked diligently for more than two years to free her son from captivity in Iran, along with many other memorable people.

Legendary Locals of the Mendonoma Coast

9781467100137

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Sonoma Mendocino coastline, famous for jagged cliffs, timber-filled ridges, and pounding surf, has been home to many people from varying histories and backgrounds. Pomo tribes, renowned for basketmaking, who were the first settlers and descendants, still live in the area. From early pioneers such as George Call, H.A. Richardson, Cyrus Robinson, J.A. Hamilton, and Antonio Stornetta to Pomo spiritual leader Essie Parrish and the founders of Sea Ranch (Al Boeke, and the team of designers and architects Lawrence Halprin, Charles Moore, William Turnbull, Donlyn Lyndon, and Richard Whitaker), the Sonoma Mendocino coast has many legendary locals. This area also has been home to renowned artists, musicians, writers, scientists, educators, and business leaders. Community services are especially vital to rural areas. Dedicated volunteers created Gualala Arts, services for seniors and youth, the Coast Library, theater groups, and restored historic buildings such as the famous Point Arena Lighthouse. These unsung heroes have brought new meaning to this vibrant community.

Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale

9781467102209

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From the first settlers, the Lewis family in the 1790s, to the New River Settlement led by William Cooley in the 1830s, to the arrival of Frank Stranahan in 1893, Fort Lauderdale is an "old" young town. Named for the Second Seminole War fort commanded by Major Lauderdale, the town incorporated in 1911. The land boom of the 1910s-1920s brought an influx of people including publicist Commodore Brook, architect Francis Abreu, developer Charles Rodes, and businessmen Moe and Mack Katz. Following the economic downturn after the 1926 hurricane, the postwar boom transformed the sleepy town into the tropical paradise and tourist destination that it is today. Hotelier Bob Gill, developer James Hunt, "Crazy Gregg" Newell, and entrepreneur Wayne Huizenga led that charge. Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale also tells the story of groundbreaking civil servants such as Easter Lily Gates and Andrew DeGraffenreidt, civil rights activists Eula Johnson and Dean Trantalis, educators Mae McMillan and Sister Marie Schramko, and sports stars Katherine Rawls, Chris Evert, and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Legendary Locals of Metairie

9781467100601

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Metairie is often considered the dull stepchild of New Orleans--a concrete "Anywhere, USA" lined with shopping malls frequented by fast-food eating, drive-up-daiquiri-drinking, cultureless suburbanites. Despite stereotypical misconceptions, sons and daughters of New Orleans who call Metairie home are every bit as colorful, talented, devious, and gracious as their relatives in the city. Johnny Wiggs kept New Orleans jazz alive. Verne Tripp invented
"perma-press" and pioneered use of the electron microscope. On Atherton Drive, David Ferrie plotted a Cuban coup. Peter Gennaro left his father's bar to become a Broadway star. Shirley Ann Grau raised her children here while writing novels. Al Scramuzza built a crawfish empire and coached Metairie children. Ellen Degeneres found national fame, while Becky Allen won our hearts at home. Those who may not be widely known but have impacted lives in the community and afar are also included in this book, which is a tribute to the people of Metairie.

Legendary Locals of Tippecanoe to Tipp City

9781467101592

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Lock No. 15 on the Miami and Erie Canal ensured the development of Tippecanoe, Ohio, but the village would not have grown into the busy Tipp City of today without people determined to build futures for themselves and their families. John Clark established the town, and prosperity came with men and women like Joshua Horton and his newspaper, John Garver and his furniture factory, James Scheip of Tipp Novelty, Peter Bohlender of SpringHill Nursery, and the Timmers of TipTop Canning. The strong school system evolved thanks to innovative leaders like James Bartmess and L.T. Ball. The entire community benefited from the vision of Sidney Chaffee and his opera house, and it benefits still today with the visions of volunteers like Bob and Jackie Wahl and Peg Hadden, who, along with so many others, give their time, talent, and love to Tippecanoe and Tipp City.

Legendary Locals of Alamogordo

9781467102117

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

By the time Alamogordo's founders platted the town in the late 1800s, bestowing it with the Spanish name for Fat Cottonwood, the region's lush grasses were luring cowboys such as Oliver Lee. Then, in 1941, an event more than 3,000 miles away changed the quiet community. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, chamber president Mose Cauthen quickly spearheaded bringing the Army's mission to train bomber pilots to the Tularosa Basin. During the Space Race, Dr. John Stapp oversaw the programs at Holloman Air Force Base that sent Joe Kittinger, Dave Simons, and Demi McClure floating heavenward underneath balloons. Soon after, Ed Dittmer was training chimpanzees to rocket out of Earth's atmosphere and prove man could survive in that hostile environment. Alamogordo is where the Old West melds with ever-evolving technology, along with a rich artistic and literary legacy championed by such women as Linnie Townsend, Maude Rathgeber, and Margaret Flickinger.

Legendary Locals of Detroit

9781467100427

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Detroit sports a very uneven background. The city dates from 1701, when Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac planted the flag of New France, some 75 years before America became a nation. Almost two-thirds of Detroit's history was spent as little more than a frontier military outpost--home to French farmers and fur traders who shared the quarters with the soldiers. But as the 20th century arrived, the impact of the automobile roused the city from its slumber. Within a century's time, the industry set in motion by Henry Ford produced a skyrocketing population, a diverse mosaic of ethnic groups, and levels of culture and affluence rivaled by few other places. The literature of Joyce Carol Oates, the architecture of Albert Kahn, and the music fostered by Berry Gordy enriched life and created the "Paris of the Midwest." But growing pains were inevitable: growing racial instability culminated in the insurrection of 1967, inflicting deep wounds yet creating new opportunities for harmony and justice that were capitalized on by Rev. William Cunningham. Today, efforts continue to remove the tarnish from this corner of the "Rust Belt."

Legendary Locals of Portsmouth

9781467100762

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From its beginnings as an English settlement to its evolution into a postwar tourist destination filled with restaurants, shops, and historic infrastructures, Portsmouth has seen its fair share of famous residents and local legends. The prominent people of Portsmouth range from the infamous Frank Jones, a merchant who became a world-famous brewer and eventual political playboy, to the lesser-known but equally influential Constance Bean, an administrative assistant in the city's recreation department who changed the lives of countless children through her care and compassion. While mindful of the past, Legendary Locals of Portsmouth focuses heavily on the city's contemporaries. Today's legendary locals include the likes of Frank Catalino, a local businessman whose love for pizza and people earned him a slice of his success on State Street; and Jim Splaine, a lifelong local politician who led the charge to legalize same-sex marriage and solidify New Hampshire's lead role in the presidential primaries. The story of Portsmouth could not be told without these people and other such notable names as "Sal the Barber," Evelyn Marconi, Celia Thaxter, Joe Shanley, Valerie Cunningham, and Macy Morse.