New York

From sprawling potato farms and incredibly lavish estates, to whaling ships and early race cars, Long Island has an incredibly rich history often lost through the generations. In the world of racing, Long Island was once the horse racing capital of the state and hosted the nation's first professional auto races. Though farming still thrives in Suffolk County, there are only a few working farms left in Nassau County, where hundreds of farms dotted the landscape generations ago. Cold Spring Harbor, Greenport, Sag Harbor and Southampton were centers of the whaling industry in America and maintain a whaling heritage today. Author Richard Panchyk reveals fascinating narratives of Long Island's lost history.

Both Roosevelt and Churchill recognized the importance of the land and naval battles of Plattsburgh. Many other, more famous, engagements were ruses meant to divert U.S. troops away from the prize Plattsburgh would afford: a clear pathway into New England. If not for the exemplary skills of two young military officers, Commodore Macdonough and General Macomb, and the force they commanded, regular army and naval personnel, New York and Vermont Militia, Native Americans, Veteran Exempts and boys from the local school, the war and the nation would have been lost. Using original source documents, author Keith Herkalo retells the battles at Plattsburgh, the key battles of the War of 1812.

Love Canal originated in 1894 as part of William T. Love's dream
to build a model city and power canal. The neighborhood emerged in the 1970s as an environmental nightmare and harbinger of the worldwide hazardous waste crisis. Photographs in Love Canal tell the story of the community's early development and the subsequent use of the canal by Hooker Electrochemical Company to discard industrial chemical waste from 1942 to 1953. In the late 1970s, the seemingly dormant dump began to leak, and residents found themselves in a slowly unfolding nightmare, learning that the waste dumped in the canal decades before was not simply garbage but actually a toxic brew of dangerous chemicals that were hazardous to life, health, and property.

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Created by Samuel Ruggles as a haven for wealthy New Yorkers, both Gramercy Park and Union Square have been among Manhattan's most desirable neighborhoods for more than 150 years. From writers and artists to powerful politicians, illustrious figures like O. Henry, Andy Warhol, Samuel Tilden and Joseph Kennedy have walked its streets. The National Arts Club and the Players Club attract patrons from around the city who are in search of a taste of grander times. Tourists flock to historic sites like the Theodore Roosevelt House, the Gramercy Park Historic District and the picturesque Union Square Park. Local tour guide Alfred Pommer and coauthor Joyce Pommer reveal the stories on the streets of the neighborhoods.

In the 1700s, Amsterdam was just a small trading village in upstate New York. Utilizing its superior location astride critical waterways, the village grew during the westward expansion of the early 1800s to become an industrial powerhouse. By the 20th century, Amsterdam had become America's foremost rug-making center, nicknamed the "Carpet City," and the seventh largest city in New York. Waves of Dutch, German, Irish, Italian, and eastern European immigrants were drawn to the city for work. Some became mill workers while others became millionaires. The vintage postcards in Amsterdam tell the story of an American dream created, lost, and still pursued on what was once America's frontier.

  A tiny hamlet on the Hudson River, Garrison has deep roots in our nation's history.

Author George Carroll Whipple III has compiled beautiful images of this tiny hamlet and made efforts toward restoring to its former grandeur the iconic 1881 Castle Rock, the estate of William Henry Osborn, a visibly prominent and renowned landmark for all who reside in or visit Garrison. Many wealthy New Yorkers such as William Henry Osborn, Edwards Pierrepont, and Hamilton Fish built their impressive summer estates here and many of those manors still stand today.

William Bond became the first Warrensburg settler, when he arrived in the Echo Lake area, in 1787. Shortly thereafter, Warrensburg became known as "the Bridge" because it was the location of the only bridge in the area that crossed the Schroon River. In February 1813, the town of Warrensburg was formed from part of Thurman. By the mid-1800s, A. C. Emerson and B. P. Burhans had moved to Warrensburg and begun to harness the waterpower of the Schroon River and utilize the nearby timber resource. The Emerson sawmill and Burhans's tannery and gristmill provided employment and capital to support a growing and thriving town. Other industries, such as a woolen mill and pants factory, sash and blind factory, shirt factory, and shoe peg factory, soon followed. With the dawn of the 20th century, improved transportation in the form of railroads and the automobile began bringing more people to Warren County. This trend continues today as numerous visitors summer in the Adirondacks to enjoy the clean air and water of the north country.

The bustling multicultural borough of Flushing, Queen's early history is shared in this volume of photos and remembrances.

In 1645, English immigrants settled in Vlissengen, an area of Queens now known as Flushing. After bitter disagreements with Governor Stuyvesant over the issue of religious freedom, they produced the Flushing Remonstrance, one of the first public statements defending the separation of church and state. The village of Flushing was incorporated into the larger New York City area in 1898, and the community soon became famous for its beautiful tree-lined streets, a reminder of its rich horticultural heritage. The Bowne House, the First Quaker Meetinghouse, Kingsland Homestead, Flushing Town Hall, and St. George's Church are a few of the buildings known for their architectural merit and historic significance.

Outgrowing its remarkably shortlived location in midtown Manhattan, Columbia College moved uptown in the mid1890s, not only transforming itself into an urban university under university president Seth Low, but also creating an urban campus guided by Charles McKim, William Rutherford Mead, and Stanford White's master plan. The university became a major constituent of what would be described as New York's Acropolis on Morningside Heights. It was preceded in this endeavor by the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and St. Luke's Hospital, and it was soon joined by Barnard College, Teachers College, and Union Theological Seminary, among others. The arrival of the Interborough Rapid Transit Subway in 1904 spurred residential and retail development.

Long known for its Dutch heritage associated with windmills, tulip festivals, and distinct surnames, there is more to share about the town of Clymer. Traveling country roads through the rolling hills of southern Chautauqua County, a fertile valley with a village at the center that features a lone flashing red traffic light can be found. Established in 1821, Clymer has a rich history and a proud tradition of both individual and community accomplishment. Self-reliance and an entrepreneurial spirit led to the creation of public utilities, flourishing businesses, and schools that educated future professionals and farmers alike. Its small-town charm remains today, with an amazing one-stop general store, an all-you-could-need hardware store, and a widely known and popular restaurant with delicious sweet rolls.

As a retired teacher who grew up in Clymer, Rod Beckerink shares photographs and stories that act like individual pieces of a puzzle that, when put together, give a better understanding of what shaped the Clymer of today. With images primarily collected from the Clymer Area Historical Society, readers can take a trip down the nostalgic memory lane of Clymer’s past to catch a glimpse of the people, places, and events of the area’s interesting history.

The great seaport of New York, one of the largest and busiest natural harbors in the world, was defended for nearly four centuries by a series of more than sixty coastal fortifications. These fortifications were occupied by the Dutch, then the British, and finally, the Americans, who after winning their independence, needed to protect the country they had established. New York City's Harbor Defenses, with more than two hundred vintage photographs, reveals the unusual history of these coastal and island forts and tells of the men and women who served at them during peacetime and while the country was at war. Most of these fortifications are no longer active, but they can still be visited. Gone are the mighty guns, some of which could fire a twenty-four-hundred-pound shell a distance of twenty-six miles. Many of the buildings constructed during national emergencies have been leveled, and the millions of soldiers who lived, trained, and served their country there are absent. This visual history shows what once were the extensive fortifications that defended New York City's harbor.

The village of Clinton and town of Kirkland are neighboring communities in central New York. Clinton was founded in 1787 and has served as an educational hub anchored by Hamilton College. Clara Barton, Grover Cleveland, and Leland Stanford were educated here, along with Elihu Root, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912. The natural resources of Clinton and Kirkland, including Oriskany Creek and hematite ore, facilitated local prosperity.

Clinton native Zach Lewis, an educator, journalist, and photographer, explores the area’s heritage, highlighting the evolving landscape and why he believes that “all roads lead to Clinton.”