Photography

Take a flight with the Long Island aviation companies that helped make the industry the integral part of our world that it is today.

Significant aircraft manufacturing began on Long Island in the early 20th century and boomed during the war years. Long Islanders helped transform aviation from a dangerous sport to a viable means of transportation, while also producing a large portion of the nation's aerial arsenal in times of war.

From the first frail biplanes to the warbirds of World War II and the sleek fighters of the jet age, aviation companies on Long Island helped make aviation the the essential business it is today. During the 20th century, over 70 firms came to build aircraft on Long Island. Some of these firms lasted for decades and became famed builders of historic aircraft, such as Grumman, Republic, Curtiss, Fairchild, and Sikorsky.

In 1911, the operators of Coney Island's Luna Park premiered a miniature, radically banked racetrack for staged automobile races that seemed to defy gravity.

For a fee, patrons would watch from the perimeter of the 85-foot wooden saucer as daredevil drivers raced on the steep angle of the tiny track. The attraction created a sensation and was quickly copied with a show that featured motorcycle riders performing breathtaking stunts. When portable versions were made available, every traveling carnival owner in the United States rushed to have one. Motordromes with perfectly vertical walls soon followed, which permitted riders on their Indian motorcycles to climb, sometimes to a height of 20 feet, with nothing but centrifugal force between them and a trip to the trauma ward. And when full-grown lions were added to pursue riders in the arena, no one could resist buying a ticket! The Wall of Death, a name these shows received in 1917, remained a staple attraction on American carnival midways until the 1970s.

Surrounded by natural beauty and a rich human legacy second to none, Albany lies in the Hudson Valley about 150 miles north of New York City.

First settled in 1648, the area quickly grew into one of the most important trade, transportation, and military regions in North America. Albany became the permanent state capital in 1797 and has long been a major political center, key to New York's growth and prosperity. Some of the nation's leading statesmen, scientists, and presidents have called Albany home: Martin Van Buren, Joseph Henry, Hamilton Fish, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt, to name a few. Albany is a photographic essay of the city's 19th- and early-20th-century history; it focuses on the architectural treasures downtown and moves on to transportation, institutions, and disasters.

Albany is also more than that: it is a field guide, challenging the reader to see the changes that have occurred over time and, at quiet hours, to hear the clamor of horse and wagon and streetcar navigating State Street and the blaring horns of steamboats plying the Hudson River.Images of America: Albanyincludes more than 235 images.

Twenty-five miles north of New York City lie two scenic villages: Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. These villages, bordering the majestic Hudson River, are rich in the charm and mystery of their shared historic past.

From the era of Weckquaesgeek to the close of World War II, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow depicts scenes of area residents' mothers, fathers, grandparents, and ancestors at work, home, school, and play. Treasured images of Revolutionary War sites, the growing villages, and stately mansions and castles bring the past of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow to life. Also vividly brought to life is the location Washington Irving made famous with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In 1906, Cord Meyer Development Company purchased 600 acres in Whitepot and renamed it Forest Hills after its high elevation of rolling hills and proximity to Forest Park.

After the Russell Sage Foundation acquired 142 acres and Grosvenor Atterbury and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. partnered, the Forest Hills Gardens, founded in 1909, became America's earliest planned garden community. When Henry Schloh and Charles Hausmann of the Rego Construction Company came upon farmland in Forest Hills West, they renamed it Rego Park in 1923 after their slogan, "REal GOod Homes." Between the Tudor and Colonial landmarks, one can sense the footsteps of a few hundred notables who granted soul to the community and society. At the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, imagine the Beatles landing in a helicopter in front of screaming fans in 1964, or when Althea Gibson became the first African American to win a US national tennis title in 1957. Forest Hills High School was a cornerstone for notable alumni, such as composer Burt Bacharach; musical duo Simon & Garfunkel; Bob Keeshan, who portrayed Captain Kangaroo; and the first space tourist, Dennis Tito.

From Fantasy Island to Darien Lake,  Western New York's 100 year amuseument park history is documented in this fast-paced photographic tale.

For more than 100 years, western New Yorkers have enjoyed the region's exciting amusement parks. During the days of trolleys and steamships, area businessmen created Celoron Park, Crystal Beach Park, and other fine local summer resorts. Decades later, lifelong memories were formed for neighborhood baby boomers who visited Glen Park and Fantasy Island, as well as one of New York State's finest theme parks, Darien Lake. Western New York has always been a proving ground for some of the nation's most famous roller coasters. The terrifying Cyclone, the fast and furious Silver Comet, and the extreme Ride of Steel have attracted the very bravest of visitors. In the new millennium, the summer tradition of visiting local amusement parks continues with a blend of family-orientated parks and theme parks that appeal to all ages.

John and Laura Leita delve in to the oddities that make Long Island unique and it may be more odd than you thought possible!

Long Island's history is well known, but often overlooked are the island's unique and bizarre stories and treasures--the most interesting locations and darkest legends. From hidden haunts and legends like the Indian Princess of Lake Ronkonkoma to well-known events like the Amityville Horror House murders, this collection chronicles the tales of restless spirits, unrequited loves and otherworldly visits that riddle the island. There is much to be seen along the roadside, too, including the beloved Big Duck, the Riverhead Indian and even the grave site of Nixon's dog, Checkers. Through history, pictures and the personal experiences of a ten-year endeavor, authors John and Laura Leita brings to life Long Island's abandoned structures, including psychiatric hospitals and other ruins waiting to be rediscovered. Join the Leitas as they go in search of the delightfully quirky side of Long Island.

Glens Falls presents a photographic essay of a community on the Hudson River, midway between Saratoga Springs and Lake George.

The book spans the years from 1860 to 1925, when Glens Falls was reaching its peak in economic, social, political, and cultural growth. Depicted in stunning images are the city's simple beginnings, the days of dirt roads traveled by horse and buggy, and its cultural emergence with opera houses, exquisite mansions, and public transportation. Clearly portrayed are the educational, religious, business, and recreational opportunities of the time.

Over 200 never before published photographs are presented in this pictorial history, which spans the early 1800's through the early 1950's.

As we approach the end of the century, this new book looks back at over one hundred years of Canandaigua's history, with photographs of the people, places, and events that have defined the proud and vibrant community we know so well today. Readers will be fascinated by the immense changes that have occurred since the early days, but will also draw connections to the present and can savor the fact that Canandaigua still holds numerous charms of yesteryear. Works from the collection of renowned area photographer Henry Boyce are featured here. This artist's work documented the events and people that shaped Canandaigua's history and community. Rare images of philanthropist Mary Clarke Thompson and her Sonnenberg Gardens will delight readers. Also included are many photographs of Canandaigua's early downtown area. (This is a reissue of ISBN 0-7524-0464-4)

Plainview-Old Bethpage presents an intriguing story of two vibrant Long Island communities that share a colorful 300-year-old history.

They were once quaint farming communities that almost overnight found themselves facing seismic cultural changes. In just 10 years, from 1950 to 1960, the combined population of Plainview and Old Bethpage soared from 2,000 to over 33,000. Plainview-Old Bethpage presents a journey back in time to the Native Americans, the settlers who followed, the farmers who worked the land, and the thousands who came to make a better life for their families. Discover why every town surrounding Plainview-Old Bethpage has a railroad station but it does not. Read about the resident who raised a Confederate flag during the Civil War and drew the ire of his neighbors. Ride along with race car drivers as they hurtle along dirt roads at breakneck speed. Learn about the deadly brawl on Election Day in 1890, the infamous Plainview kidnapper who got the electric chair, and a local company's role in molding a national memorial to Vietnam veterans.

Overshadowed by the fame of Harlem and the wealth of the Upper East Side, East Harlem is rarely noted as a historical enclave.

However, from the early 1800s through today, East Harlem has welcomed wave after wave of immigrants struggling for a place in the nation's most famous city. African Americans, Irish, Germans, European Jews, Italians, Scandinavians, Puerto Ricans, and Latinos are among the ethnic groups who have shaped this neighborhood, bringing with them their religious, social, and culinary traditions. East Harlem is the first volume to tell this neighborhood's history through images. Photographs of the iron, stone, and rubber factories, the tenements, the 100th Street community, famous politicians such as Fiorella LaGuardia, the Second and Third Avenue elevated subways, St. Cecilia's, and many other subjects capture East Harlem's past in one memorable collection.

Take a virtual ride on the Staten Island Ferry, back when the fare was just 5 cents. With over 200 rare and historic images, the curious story of Staten Island comes to life, revealing a fascinating history.

Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, is still remembered fondly for the 5¢ Staten Island Ferry ride to Manhattan. The rolling hills of Staten Island greet ships as they enter the Narrows of New York Harbor and sail beneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The island's ever-evolving history dates back to days as a hunting ground of the Lenape Indian tribe. Today, it is a thriving suburban community. In this volume, the reader will explore the roots of this historic island, tour its streets, and meet some memorable Staten Islanders--Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of one of the largest fortunes in America; Governor Daniel Tompkins, who served as vice president of the United States under President Monroe; and Alice Austen, one of the pre-eminent women photographers of the nineteenth century. Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi and inventor Antonio Meucci created a legacy on the island, as did the oystermen from Snow Hill, Maryland, who founded Sandy Ground. The reader also glimpses historic charitable organizations such as Sailors' Snug Harbor and Mount Loretto and visits the living village known as Historic Richmondtown.

Oyster Bay details the rich history of this diverse community.

Settled by the Dutch and English in the mid-17th century, the small hamlet of Oyster Bay has a rich history and retains much of its charm and character. Theodore Roosevelt purchased land at Oyster Bay in 1880 on which he built his home, Sagamore Hill. Oyster Bay became the focus of national attention from 1902 through 1908, when Roosevelt brought the executive branch of the government to Oyster Bay each summer. Many other wealthy New York City families built summer homes at Oyster Bay in the late 19th century, forming the nucleus of what became the gold coast setting for F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Louis Comfort Tiffany built his 110-room mansion at Oyster Bay, and ""Typhoid Mary"" Mallon was identified while working as a cook in the hamlet.

Long Island's history is filled with fascinating firsts, magnificent mansions and captivating characters.

From Glenn Curtiss, the first pilot to fly a plane on the island, to Earle Ovington, who carried the country's first airmail, the area has been known as the cradle of aviation. Millionaire William K. Vanderbilt's Long Island Motor Parkway, remnants of which still remain, was the nation's first highway. The desolate ruins of an exiled Albanian king's estate lie in the midst of the woods of the Muttontown Preserve. Captain William Kidd, pirate chaser turned pirate, is rumored to have buried treasure on the island. Richard Panchyk reveals the rapidly vanishing traces of Long Island's intriguing history.

Explore the fascinating history of Jefferson County, New York with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

During the height of industrialization, Jefferson County, New York, came into its own as a prosperous and bustling center of trade and manufacturing. Join author Elise Davis Chan of the Jefferson County Historical Society in celebrating the growth of this great region, from the county's early settlement c. 1800 to the area‚'s post-World War II prosperity in the 1950s.

With a simple turn of the page, readers travel back in time to the small towns that hug the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and we visit the city of Watertown and the inland towns dotting the Jefferson County landscape. In the early 1900s, the grand hotels along the St. Lawrence were popular destinations for out-of-town guests during the summer months. Images of the area's hotels, churches, train stations, schoolhouses, homes, and workplaces all give us a distinct picture of what life was like for the people living in this region in the 1800s and early 1900s. Private homes are also featured, like the grand abode of former New York Governor Roswell P Flower, and the island castle of George Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

From birthplace of the American Revolution to Home of Uncle Sam, the ""Collar City's"" storied history is told through 200 photographs.

Troy, New York has earned some distinctive titles in its more than 200 years of existence. ""The Home of Uncle Sam,"" ""The Collar City,"" and the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, Troy has a colorful and engaging history. The city's rich human and industrial legacy is explored in this unprecedented pictorial collection. Troy celebrates the city where 19-year-old Kate Mullaney, an Irish Immigrant, organized 200 women for the first all-female labor union (Collar Laundry Union) more than a century ago. It is where Bessemer Steel was first poured in America, and where the plates for the ironclad ship, the Monitor, were manufactured--an event that lead to a turning point for the North during the Civil War. Troy was the home of Samuel Wilson, who packed beef for the U. S. Army during the War of 1812, and where the famous trademark U. S. , better known as Uncle Sam, originated. The premier cast-iron stove manufacturing center during the early 19th century, Troy was responsible for heating homes around the world. It earned the reputation of ""The Collar City"" when, at one time, 15,000 workers produced more than $40 million worth of collars, cuffs, and shirts per year. With more than 200 photographs, most of which come from the rich archives of the Rensselaer County Historical Society, Troy spans much of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Ossining, New York with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Ossining commands a position high on the banks of the Hudson River, at the edge of Westchester County, New York. Perhaps best known as the location of Sing Sing Prison, Ossining is rich in history and in personal memories. The history and memories come through clearly in this book of exceptional photographs.

Ossining Remembered focuses on the heart of the town, from Main Street out to the river. Included are images of places that made downtown Ossining the dynamic community it once was--the theater, the cigar store, and the bakery. Also featured are vintage photographs of the riverfront mansions and estates, the numerous educational institutions and churches, and, of course, the famous prison.

Most of the photographs in this collection come from the archives of the Ossining Historical Society Museum. Others have been loaned by local residents. Through these images, members of the society portray the town as they knew it, lived in it, and loved it before much of it was erased by shopping centers and parking lots. A valuable and entertaining source of local history, Ossining Remembered captures the vibrant spirit of the community and celebrates the people and places that helped shape its remarkable past.

Uncover the story of the vicious and confounding killing of Pennsylvania School Teacher, Irene Izak, that has remained unsolved for four decades.

It was the summer of 1968, and she had been driving for days. Irene Izak, a young French teacher from Scranton, Pennsylvania, was headed toward a new job and the promise of a new life in Quebec. She never reached the border that early June morning. Savagely bludgeoned, her face and head pummeled with rocks, Irene's body was discovered in a ravine by a state trooper patrolling Route 81 in Jefferson County, New York. Blending suspense with true-crime reporting, author Dave Shampine investigates the brutal murder that shook the communities of northeast Pennsylvania and New York's North Country. Join Shampine as he tells the story of this vicious and confounding killing that has remained unsolved for four decades.

  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.

Founded in 1653, the town of Huntington is situated on what is known as the Gold Coast of Long Island.

The incorporated villages within the town are Huntington Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Asharoken, and Northport. Huntington has always attracted a population that has created a foundation of diversity. Settlement-era properties, castles of the Victorian period, and main streets still adorn the town as witnesses of the people who lived here and a community that is still thriving. A few of the castles and mansions that once existed in the town have disappeared, some by wear and tear and others through neglect. Still others have been converted into academic institutions and museums. Around Huntington Village shares photographs that give meaning to the events in the lives of the people who lived here.

Lake Ronkonkoma, located in the center of Long Island, became a summer camp for wealthy New Yorkers with the arrival of the railroad in 1843.

By the 1890s, the luxurious hotels built around the lakeshore attracted visitors in droves. By day, people would enjoy the sparkling waters of the lake for boating, fishing, and swimming; at night, hotel guests could dance, gamble in the casino, and enjoy sumptuous meals. By the 1920s, as more people could afford automobiles, beach pavilions began decorating the shoreline of Lake Ronkonkoma. Thousands of people flocked to the summer paradise--buoyed by the promises of camping, canoeing, live music, and fireworks--up until World War II when gas rationing limited travel. By the 1950s, Lake Ronkonkoma had become a town populated by year-round residents

Trace the history of the Garland City, Watertown, New York in over 200 images.

Watertown began as a small hamlet of three cabins located in a wilderness. In time it grew to become the county seat of Jefferson and, from the early 1800s through the mid-1900s, a major industrial and trade center in northern New York State. With more than 200 images, Watertown tells the fascinating history of this community, once known as the Garland City. This pictorial history looks back at a time when horse-and-buggy travel was a way of life, when crowds gathered to cheer for the returning troops, and when life seemed less hectic. Here are the Watertown public square, the first ten churches that were built in town prior to 1850, and the faces of schoolchildren-the ancestors of today's residents. Also in view are the early days of the Watertown Police Department, the industries that supplied jobs for thousands, the mighty Black River which powered these industries, and Thompson Park and the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library-two gifts donated by benefactors who anticipated the community's needs.

In the 1840s, the Erie Railroad construction, which runs along the floor of the Canisteo Valley, began.

The first train traveled through the valley on May 14, 1851, opening the region to industry and shipping. The town grew rapidly, and several hamlets sprung up within the township. In the 1930s, an alfalfa farmer planted Scotch pines on the hillside overlooking the valley, spelling out the name Canisteo to the world; the sign appeared in a Ripley's Believe It or Not! book. Today, Canisteo is a bedroom community, as most residents enjoy the peacefulness of the valley they call home while traveling to surrounding communities to work. Local farms produce cattle and crops while many visitors come for the hunting.

Few roads can match Route 20's beauty, history, or contribution to New York's vitality. In 1926, Route 20 became a federal highway and evolved into New York's foremost east-west road. But unlike most early highways, it has survived almost completely intact. The story of Route 20 is told through more than 200 vintage postcards showing scenes from the Shaker communities in Columbia County to the Lake Erie Shore. The postcards show the personality of the road: main streets, the Finger Lakes, and scenic vistas. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made travel possible.

In The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, Carol Karels and her team of scholars weave a masterful account of the war in northeastern New Jersey. Here in Bergen County General Washington took the young Marquis de Lafayette under his wing; here in Bergen County the future antagonists Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were baptized by fire; here in Bergen County families--in a prelude to the Civil War--split bitterly along Loyalist and Patriotic lines. From Washington's miraculous November 1776 retreat to the Delaware to the beginning of the Continental Army's epic August 1781 march to destiny at Yorktown, The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, comprehensively encompasses one of the Revolutionary War's most dramatic and pivotal fronts.

The the story of Binghamton, preserved in images captured by hundreds of unknown photographers, reveals stories from everyday life from bygone days.

Binghamton, once known as Chenango Point, has since been affectionately called the Parlor City. It is a city that grew at the juncture of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers, a land of sweeping hillsides embracing a valley containing a rich mosaic of cultures. As the seat of Broome County, the city has been the center of economic and cultural development, fulfilling a destiny dreamed of by early settlers.  At the heart of this volume are the faces of early residents, rare views of small enterprises, and vintage scenes of familiar landmarks. The accompanying text is often expressed in words from the past gleaned from letters, diaries, and newspapers-stories of real people from the beginning days of Binghamton through the 1950s.

Follow the history of New York's Long Beach from abandoned barrier island to bustling City By the Sea.

In 1906, Sen. William H. Reynolds purchased an abandoned barrier island along the south shore of Long Island and vowed to turn it into a great city. What is now Long Beach, the "City by the Sea," soon drew visitors who came for its summer resorts, boardwalk, dance pavilions, casino, and luxury hotels. Two world wars, Prohibition, and easy railroad access turned summer residences into year-long homes for thousands eager to live by the seaside and raise families in what has been known as "America's Healthiest City." The images of Long Beach reflect the diversity of the city's architecture, culture, religions, and unique neighborhoods. Photographs show the storied inhabitants and bungalows of the West End, water-lined homes of the canals, the 2.1-mile boardwalk, and long white sand beach.

Residents of Beacon, New York, are justifiably proud of a community that is rich in history and promise.

In this exquisite collection of images, local historians Robert J. Murphy and Denise Doring VanBuren uncover the fascinating past of Beacon and the people who have called it home. The community's earliest permanent European settler was Madam Catheryna Rombout Brett, whose c. 1709 home is preserved within the city as the the oldest building in Dutchess County. Within the vicinity of the Madam Brett Homestead, two distinct villages grew: Matteawan, a manufacturing community at the foot of the mountain, and Fishkill Landing, a Hudson River port. Both villages prospered and eventually merged in 1913. Through the decades, the community was hailed as a model of a successful manufacturing center and became the location for several significant Hudson River estates. It played host to one of the longestrunning ferries in American history and introduced one of the first electric streetcar systems in the Hudson River Valley. Perhaps its most well-known feature was the Mount Beacon Incline Railway, a feat of engineering documented as the world's steepest incline railroad.

Forest Hills grew out of an experiment - the transformation of 142 undeveloped acres into America's first garden city.

From the early renderings of 1909 came a "fairy-book suburb," as Sinclair Lewis wrote, with architecture that was inspired by medieval villages. The success of the community bred development of homes, churches, and businesses on nearby plots. Forest Hills landed the most prestigious tennis tournament in the country. Theodore Roosevelt visited. Helen Keller moved in. Only generations later would the peace shatter when residents viciously protested a historic proposal for public housing.

As a growing city on scenic Lake Erie, Buffalo was considered the second largest railroad hub in the Unites States.

Given its location, it saw the effects of westward expansion as the country grew and greatly benefited as a result. Buffalo rapidly became a city of importance as the stockyards, grain, steel, automotive, and other industries began to establish themselves in the area. Drawn by vast amounts of freshwater, inexpensive hydropower, and excellent means of transportation, the Buffalo region grew, and with it, the railroads expanded to support the area and help a young nation prosper. Buffalo earned the name of the Queen City as it became the second-largest city in the state of New York, and it was the railroad that brought the city to prominence.

This book portrays Niagara Falls as it once was between the mid-1800s to the late 1960s.

Once a small tourist town, a great industrial city was built based upon the very thing that first attracted visitors; the Falls became a revolutionary source of hydroelectricity. After World War II, however, the city's industries gradually declined and, one by one, relocated to other parts of the United States. The late 1950s and 1960s show a paradoxical time for the city. An immense new power station was constructed immediately north of the city, while ""urban renewal"" methodically destroyed the city's beloved, albeit by then grossly neglected, Falls Street business district, leaving behind a confused patchwork of vacant lots.

Devour this delectable, surprising history of one of America's most beloved confectioners with first-hand accounts and stories.

In 1898, Switzerland's Nestlé Company was searching for a location to build its first milk processing plant in the United States. Upstate New York's bountiful dairy farms sealed the deal for a factory in Fulton. Soon another Swiss company requested space at the factory to produce a confection that had taken Europe by storm: the milk chocolate bar. Over the next century, factory technicians invented classic treats including the Nestlé Crunch Bar, Toll House Morsels and Nestlé Quik. With 1,500 workers churning out 1 million pounds of candy per day, Fulton became known as the city that smelled like chocolate. Author Jim Farfaglia recounts the delectable history of Nestlé in Fulton.

Once portions of a farming community called Fosters Meadow, Elmont and Rosedale have changed dramatically since Thomas and Christopher Foster first farmed the land in the 1600s.

In the 1850s, immigrant German farmers settled in the area abutting Elmont Road, Brookville Boulevard, Linden Boulevard, and Merrick Boulevard. The remnants of that German farming community continued into the early 20th century, despite encroaching suburbanization, renamed streets, and subdivided farmland, along with Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants changing the area's ethnic makeup. This new suburban area covering the southern corners of Nassau and Queens Counties became home to landmarks like the Argo Theatre, Rottkamp Farm, Schmitt Farm, Laurelton Parkway, Gouz Dairy, Sapienza Bakery, St. John's Methodist Church, and world-famous Belmont Park. Today, Elmont, Rosedale, and the rest of the former Fosters Meadow are home to a large population of Caribbean immigrants, bringing a new culture to the area and, with it, new landmarks and new ideas.

Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry and explore the rich history behind New York's maritime attraction.

Considered the ""Best Ride in New York City,"" the Staten Island Ferry has been immortalized over the years in art, literature, film, and music. In the 19th century, cross-bay ferry riders complained of dangerous and unreliable private service. On October 25, 1905, the newly incorporated City of New York assumed ownership of the service, and the Borough class--the Brooklyn, Bronx, Richmond, Queens, and Manhattan ferryboats--was introduced. These were the largest ferries on the East Coast and made the crossing in 22.5 minutes. Today, the ferry is recognized as a New York icon and a symbol of the borough. A favorite destination for tourists, the Staten Island Ferry carries 22 million passengers annually. On a typical day, 109 trips move about 70,000 people across the harbor, making the Staten Island Ferry one of the most reliable forms of mass transit in the city.

Sharing its name with a notorious ancient city, Babylon village has been the home harbor of Long Island baymen, a post–World War II suburban boomtown, and the birthplace of the nation's first professional black baseball team.

The modern village is well known for its picturesque Argyle Park and flourishing downtown, but it was once revered as a vacation resort destination for those near and far. The community has evolved from decades of residents, visitors, and experiences that have contributed to and created the history of Babylon village, one of the oldest established communities on the South Shore of Long Island.

Settled in the 1600s, Brooklyn Heights is one of New York's most historic neighborhoods.

Its strategic location overlooking the harbor proved instrumental during the Revolutionary War's Battle of Brooklyn. In the 1830s, steam ferries transformed it into America's first suburb, where abolitionism flourished and one of the largest Civil War Sanitary Fairs was held. Throughout the nineteenth century, wealthy philanthropists and entrepreneurs built high-styled Gothic Revival and Italianate homes and founded many landmark Brooklyn institutions. Though the neighborhood declined with the new century, it became a target of Robert Moses's urban renewal projects in the 1930s. Its designation as the city's first historic district saved Brooklyn Heights, and it has since blossomed into one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods.

Following World War II, Puerto Ricans moved to New York in record numbers and joined a community of compatriots who had emigrated decades before or were born in diaspora.

In a series of vivid images, Pioneros II: Puerto Ricans in New York City 1948-1998brings to these immigrants' stories and struggles, culture and values, entrepreneurship, and civic, political, and educational gains. The Puerto Rican community's long history and achievements not only influenced American culture, but opened pathways for the New York's other Latino immigrant communities that would soon join them.

La primera gran oleada migratoria aérea del siglo XX a Nueva York fue la de cientos de miles de puertorriqueños que llegaron después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Éstos se unían a una nutrida comunidad de compatriotas que habían emigrado a principios del siglo pasado y a los nacidos en la diáspora. Pioneros II recrea visualmente sus historias y luchas durante estos años de crecimiento; su trabajo, cultura y valores; esfuerzos empresariales y organizativos; la valía de su ciudadanía, y los reclamos por sus derechos civiles, educativos y políticos. Con sus muchos años de historia y sus logros, la comunidad puertorriqueña allana el camino para las comunidades latinas recién llegadas.

Discover the intriguing history of these Finger Lakes towns from wineries and aerodynamics to legendary people like Glenn Curtiss.

This historical work covers the periods from the 1850s to the 1960s, the period of black-and-white photography in this area. At one time Keuka Lake was host to a number of wineries lining the lake's shores. Several no longer exist, but through the pages of this book, one may look back and share in the magnificence of these businesses' hey days. A chapter is devoted to Glenn Curtiss, an innovative man who was building and testing airplanes at the same time the Wright brothers were working in aerodynamics. Hammondsport has definitely had a number of interesting characters and momentous occasions.

New York's Finger Lakes region is filled with compelling characters, tragic disasters and fascinating mysteries.

Famed daredevil Sam Patch, known as the Yankee Leaper, thrilled audiences at Niagara Falls but took his last jump into the Genesee River with his pet black bear, plummeting to his death. The first ever Memorial Day was celebrated in Waterloo in 1866 and inspired a nation to adopt the holiday. Seneca Lake claims its fair share of ships, including the Onondaga, which was blown up with dynamite as part of a spectacle to commemorate the sinking of the USS Maine. Author Patti Unvericht reveals the forgotten history of the Finger Lakes region.

Discover the transformation of the small community of Breslau, built by German immigrants, to the vibrant village of Lindenhurst, New York.

The 1867 advent of the South Side Railroad provided the transportation infrastructure for a new Long Island community conceived by Irish immigrant Thomas Welwood and Prussian immigrant Charles Schleier. Specifically marketed to German immigrants, the city of Breslau was dedicated in 1870. Welwood and Schleier encouraged business and manufacturing growth, providing local employment and economic stability. The gentlemen planned a model community, but their business dealings were not as harmonious and ended in years of litigation. Although thriving, in 1891, the community sought to discard the name Breslau, and residents chose the name Lindenhurst, honoring the proliferation of local linden trees. In the early 20th century, local business prospered, the population blossomed, and the community built by German immigrants strove to demonstrate their American patriotism when the United States joined the war against Germany.

After this survey of Rochester's super natural history and tradition, ""the Flour City"" will never look the same!

Avenging specters, demon-tortured roads, holy miracles, weird psychic events, prehistoric power sites, ancient curses, Native American shamans, active battlefields, ghost ships, black dogs, haunted monuments and the phantoms of Rochester's famous--all are part of the legacy of Rochester and the lower Genesee. Supernatural historian Mason Winfield and the research team from Haunted History Ghost Walks, Inc., take us on a spiritual safari through the Seneca homeland of the ""Sweet River Valley"" and the modern city in its place. After their survey of Rochester's super natural history and tradition, ""the Flour City"" will never look the same.

See how the Upper West Side of Manhattan became a neighborhood as diverse in its population as it is in its architecture.

The Upper West Side of Manhattan, the residential and retail neighborhood between Central Park and the Hudson River, is famous for its liberalism, cosmopolitan culture, and appetizing. It is a neighborhood as diverse as there is. Known as Bloomingdale in the mid-19th century, it was renamed the West End by the century's end when real estate speculation and mass transportation made their way inevitably northward in Manhattan. It was at this time that the grand boulevards and avenues Central Park West, Broadway, Columbus Avenue, Amsterdam Avenue, West End Avenue, and Riverside Drive each quickly assumed their impressive and distinct characters.

From the Niagaras to the Buffalo Bisons, baseball has been an important part of life  in Buffalo, New York. Read of the Queen City's rich baseball heritage.

Since the time of the Civil War, baseball has played an important role in Buffalo, New York. Though most of the area's baseball pioneers, including Ollie Carnegie and Luke Easter, are gone, they live on in the memories of fans, and some of their names have even graced the facades of facilities, like Offermann Stadium. In this book, Paul Langendorfer and the Buffalo History Museum have included each inning of the Queen City's rich baseball heritage, from the 19th-century Niagaras and the 1913–1915 Federal League to the Buffalo Bisons.

200 images from the archives of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service that tell the history of the Appalachian Trail in NY, NJ and CT.

Crossing through 14 states from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail enters New Jersey through the Delaware Water Gap, crosses New York's Hudson River, and rises over Connecticut's Lion's Head. The area is considered by some to be the pathways birthplace, for in 1923, just two years after Benton MacKaye originally proposed the trail, the first few miles specifically constructed for the Appalachian Trail were built by volunteers in New York's Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. These photographs and the corresponding narrative present a historical perspective on what it took to create the trail, including the thousands of volunteers and the arduous tasks they performed, those who lived along the trail before and during its creation, the many people who have enjoyed the trail through the years, and the original routes that are no longer part of the present-day Appalachian Trail.

The history of Buffalo, New York, is intimately bound with its majestic waterways.

Located for generations at the easternmost navigable end of the upper Great Lakes and the western terminus of the Erie Canal, Buffalo flourished first as a commercial hub, then as a center of major industry, all due largely to its location. Buffalo was the birthplace of the modern grain elevator and continues as the leading flour milling center of the nation. It was home to one of the first lakefront steel mills, and was a center for commercial coal and lumber traffic. A glance through Buffalo's Waterfront provides crystalline
views of bygone days. The images within cover the period of Buffalo's major economic strength from the immediate post-Civil War period through the 1950s. Memories captured by photographs abound on every page, showing wooden grain elevators and cargo docks, whaleback steamers and two-masted schooners, Erie Canal shanties and their inhabitants, and tranquil summer days aboard passenger steamers plying the waterways for all to enjoy.

Discover how Williamsburg came to be one of New York's trendiest neighborhoods.

There is no New York neighborhood that boasts a richer history or more exciting present than Williamsburg. At first a quiet waterside community, Williamsburg briefly became a wealthy suburb of Manhattan in the middle of the nineteenth century. Heavy industrialization and a tidal wave of immigrants later turned Williamsburg into New York's poorest, most crowded quarter. With images drawn chiefly from the rich photographic collection of the Brooklyn Historical Society, Williamsburg illustrates the neighborhood's transformation from one of New York's most impoverished and least fashionable neighborhoods to a modern-day example of the city's capacity for self-renewal.

The history of Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill is interesting not only because the communities played a major role in the American Revolution -

but because of their cultural and educational institutions and residents whose culture and ethnicity have contributed to the well-being of the area.. These communities have always been a haven for immigrants who have come here to live and work since the pre-Columbian era. Native Americans came to tradegoods, Jewish refugees came during the 1930s to flee the tyranny of the Nazis, and since the end of World War II there has been an influx of the Latino community. The area is also noted for its dolomitic Inwood marble, which has been quarried for government buildings in New York City and some of the federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Through vintage images, Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill illustrates the transformation of this area over the decades.

This book offers an inside look at the beginnings and story of Caumsett State Park, from great English estate to nationally protected land.

Marshall Field III was 28 years of age and one of the richest people in the world when he came upon the idea of replicating the environment in which he had spent his youth. Raised and educated in England, Field sought the life of an English gentleman here in the United States. In 1921, Field purchased almost 2,000 acres of waterfront property on Long Island's North Shore, which would become Caumsett. Forty years later, Field's third wife, Ruth, opened bids for the right to purchase Caumsett and all that it had become. The highest bid, in excess of $5 million, came from a builder who planned to subdivide the estate and construct 700 homes. A second bid, from Robert Moses, then parks commissioner of New York State, was more than $1 million less. Ruth reflected on her life and what her late husband would have wanted. She turned to trusted adviser and confidant Adlai Stevenson and stated that she wanted to accept the lower bid. Fourteen months later, Caumsett State Park was born.

Still a relief from everyday life, theme parks are popular now. Rediscover the thrills of the past from the lost amusement parks of New York City.

Coney Island is an iconic symbol of turn-of-the-century New York, but many other amusement parks thrilled the residents of the five boroughs. Strategically placed at the end of trolley lines, railways, public beaches and waterways, these playgrounds for rich and poor alike first appeared in 1767. From humble beginnings, they developed into huge sites like Fort George, Manhattan's massive amusement complex. Each park was influenced by the culture and eclectic tastes of its owners and patrons--from the wooden coasters at Staten Island's Midland Beach to beer gardens on Queens' North Beach and fireworks blasting from the Bronx's Starlight Park. However, as real estate became more valuable, these parks disappeared. Rediscover the thrills of the past from the lost amusement parks of New York City.