Spooky Season Reads

The lure of beachcombing in New England has been around since Colonial times. From shipwrecks, relentless storms and spooky maritime mysteries, pieces of sea glass are tumbled treasures speaking to us about our past.

Many frosty cobalt blue shards come from medicine bottles from the early 20th century and can be found on beaches surrounding Boston Harbor. The seaside town of Rockport, where Hannah and the Hatchet Gang launched a destructive raid on liquor, still holds brilliant fragments of the past. The treasures of Captain Kidd are rumored to be hidden somewhere in Jamestown, Rhode Island, while lost seaside amusement parks in Connecticut produced shimmering treasures now rolling in the tides.

Roxie Zwicker reveals the secret clues hidden in the colorful glass, their origins, and the best places to discover them.

Far on the northeastern coast of Maine sits a small island whose size belies the depth of its storied past.

Over the course of its existence, Eastport has been a part of the ancestral homeland of the Passamaquoddy, seized from American hands by the British, who would occupy it for four years, and ground zero for the North American sardine industry. Its remote location and stunningly rugged environment make it appealing to a wide variety of people, from fisherfolk and sailors to artists and performers from all over the world. Once serving as the stomping grounds of Benedict Arnold (having gone from traitor to trader), it was later frequented by a young Franklin D. Roosevelt, who became enchanted by its coastal charms. Habituated to facing periods of strife and of runaway success alike, the story of Eastport is one that changes as steadily as its momentous tides.

Lura Jackson was raised in Eastport. She became an award-winning community journalist writing for the Quoddy Tides and the Calais Advertiser and developed a strong passion for local history after becoming involved with the St. Croix Historical Society. She holds a master's degree in peace and reconciliation from the University of Maine. Hugh French, director of the Tides Institute & Museum of Art, provides the foreword, while the institute provided dozens of rare photographs to the book's interior.

Down East Maine is well known for its breathtaking scenery and art museums. However, much of the history in the traditional mining and fishing area of Rockland and St. George remains untold.

Hanson Gregory from Clam Cove invented the donut. Mary Brown Patten sailed a clipper around Cape Horn. Captain Albert Keller was shipwrecked on Easter Island and Effie Canning of Rockland composed the lullaby "Rock a Bye Baby.'? Captain Charles Holbrook of Tenants Harbor and his ship, the Hattie Dunn, fell victim to a German U-boat in the Atlantic.

Local author Jane Merrill uncovers the forgotten stories and personalities that bring this unique area's history into focus.

The islands of southern Lake Winnipesaukee have a rich and diverse history.

The first summer home on Sleepers Island was Hale’s castle, a replica of a medieval castle constructed by the same stone masons who built Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough. An indigenous archeological site and other relics have been uncovered on Rattlesnake Island. Treasure Island and Cub Island were originally developed as a boy’s summer camp. Diamond Island was a stop for the steamboat Lady of the Lake, and the Diamond Island House was cut in half and moved across the lake to become the Hotel Weirs. In later years, the U.S. Navy established a research station on the island.

Local author and islander Stephanie Erickson shares the history of the islands and how they have shaped the culture of the islanders today. 

Discover the history of Rangeley through historic photographs and how the town continues to draw thousands of visitors annually.

Rangeley, Maine, was settled in 1817 when Luther Hoar brought his family from Madrid to a log cabin he had built on the shore of Rangeley Lake. Several others families soon arrived, cleared land, and began farming. It was a small farming community only until the 1850s though. Lumber barons had arrived in the late 1840s, built dams, and started logging the vast timberlands. Soon after, fishermen from Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington arrived to fish the multitude of lakes, ponds, and streams. By 1900, Rangeley was a bustling town with several hotels and two railroad lines. The big hotel era ended after World War II, and secondary residences began to dominate the scene.

Gary Priest has been recording the history of the Rangeley region for over 25 years. He has served on the board of directors of the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society (RLRHS) since 1999 and is currently its treasurer. This is his fifth book on Rangeley's history. His other works include History of Rangeley Hotels & Camps, Mingo Springs Hotel: The Early Days, The Gilded Age of Rangeley Maine, and Rangeley through Time.

Plymouth is known worldwide as America's Hometown, landing place of the Pilgrims in 1620 and home of the first Thanksgiving, but the real story of the town is a tale of grim beginnings.

A ghostly Victorian couple is known to wander Burial Hill, plague, desperation, massacre, murder and fear loom. A shocking crime on Leyden Street, one of the oldest streets in America, still haunts the area. The crew of the brigantine General Arnold, trapped offshore during an icy eighteenth-century blizzard, are suspected to haunt not one but three locations. Author Darcy H. Lee exposes the haunting acts that lie beneath Plymouth's cherished history.

Join author Russell C. Shaddox as he tells the history of East Haddam in stunning images.

Perched along the Connecticut River, much of East Haddam sits on land originally purchased from Native Americans in 1662 for 30 coats (about $100). From that modest beginning sprang a town whose residents became famous patriots, scholars, and explorers. Driven by industries common to 1700s river towns - lumber, agriculture, and shipbuilding - East Haddam spent the 19th century transforming into one of the area's largest manufacturers of cotton twine, netting, and fabric. Prosperity brought an influx of immigrants. As the 1900s dawned, many of the mills shuttered due to faltering demand, and the town turned to its natural beauty to attract a growing leisure class. Resorts of all varieties popped up in town, changing East Haddam from the "Twine Capital of America" to the "Catskills of Connecticut." The town was home to many prominent residents, including a governor, business magnates, fine artists, scholars, and popular stage actor William Gillette, who helped shape the iconic image of Sherlock Holmes. With the resorts in turn seeing a decline in the late 20th century, the town faced another wave of change. Still, with a deep history and a varied beauty that includes stunning forest, hilltop, and river views, East Haddam continues to captivate.

Bar Harbor welcomes millions of visitors each year, and the popular seaside town is known for its hospitality. However, not many people know that Bar Harbor is one of the most haunted seaport towns on the coast of Maine, nestled at the edge of Acadia National Park. Ghostly sightings abound from the woods to the waters. Restless spirits like the Carpenter of Kennebec Street and the Caretaker join other souls from the Cottage Era, when people like the Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers made the town their summer playground. Seafaring shadows and those lingering at the beautiful—but very haunted—Criterion Theatre create a space filled with souls both alive and dead.

Jennifer Pictou and D. Michael Fleming unveil a mysterious town where the sound of horse hooves can still be heard, along with the apparition of a much-beloved cow.

The ultimate office, man-cave or fan-cave decoration for the Boston sports fan, this full-color matted poster print features the jerseys of five Boston sports legends - Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams #9, the great Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics, iconic Boston Bruins player Bobby Orr #4 and the winningest Super Bowl Quarterback of all-time, Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots. The poster art is from "B is for Boston," the beloved alphabet book that features the the things that make Boston so special, including the most iconic Boston players. This bold, graphic print is printed on high-quality paper and is ready for framing. This print makes the perfect gift for fans of Boston sports.

Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in Maine, covering nearly 75,000 acres in the Highlands Region. Greenville, located on its southern shore, became the gateway to the lake early on because of its location and by being the last village to get supplies before the North Woods.

The area of Blair Hill in Greenville was at first the farm of early settler Edmund Scammon and his family, but it soon became famous for its view of Moosehead Lake. Successful business leaders like Victor Macfarlane and Andrew Jackson Sloper built summer homes on Blair Hill to enjoy the climate and scenery. The Highlands area on the southern side of Blair Hill was developed for vacationers and contained small affordable cabins as well as the famous Moosehead Coffee House. From stately mansions to simple cabins, the retreats constructed here were as varied as the people who built them.

Local authors Sean and Johanna Billings explore the fascinating history of this area and its people.

A History of Connecticut Food aims to acquaint the reader with the long and storied relationship of the state's people and their provisions.

Each chapter will focus on a different crop, livestock, game, or prepared dish that Connecticut has either pioneered or made its own. Along with these brief histories, the book will feature traditional and modernized recipes. In short, A History of Connecticut Food will both inform the people of Connecticut about their culinary past and inspire them to explore it.