Name: Eden Prairie
Brand: Marie Wittenberg
SKU: 9781596299412
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Eden Prairie

9781596299412

$21.99

From scouting reports of Native American tribes to Money Magazine's declaration that it was the best place to live in America, Eden Prairie has a history that commands attention. Few can rival Marie Wittenberg's dedication to telling this story or match her intimate knowledge of her hometown's changing landscape, from early sheep barns to modern megachurches. In this brief history, she describes how Eden Prairie got its name, visits with pioneer families and points out the local places and critical moments that shaped this beloved community's identity.

The Early Days of Aviation in Grand Rapids

9781609498948

$21.99

Perch next to the first man to fly over Grand Rapids and share the spine-tingling thrills of wing-walker Ormer Locklear. Learn how barnstormer Fish Hassell led locals to the sky from the shores of Reeds Lake and paved the way for a new air route to Europe. Be there as helicopters and gliders roll off Grand Rapids assembly lines during World War II. Cheer Charles Lindbergh as he steps out of the Spirit of St. Louis at the old Kent County Airport. Ride from Grand Rapids to Detroit on the country's first passenger airline. With journalist Gordon Beld as your pilot, you're in for a spectacular aerial view of Grand Rapids aviation.

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The Enduring Legacy of the Detroit Athletic Club: Driving the Motor City

9781609495053

$21.99

Founded in 1887, the Detroit Athletic Club left an indelible stamp on the city even as it was helping that city find its place in the country at large. Always a powerhouse for individual and team amateur athletics, the DAC helped give its members the strength to serve as soldiers and compete as Olympians. They fueled the manufacturing frenzy that created the Motor City and brought home the professional sports teams that were its due. In this chronicle of the DAC's long history, readers will discover the unique world of a private club that remains one of the finest in the world, an enduring home to community leaders, amateur athletes and one of Detroit's architectural jewels.

Cover image for The Enduring Legacy of the Detroit Athletic Club: Driving the Motor City, isbn: 9781609495053

Stories of Jewish Dayton

9781467149440

$21.99

Stories of Jewish Dayton recovers the lost history of Jewish life in the Miami Valley.

Many stories of Jewish Dayton's past have faded over time. Others, painful to recall, may have been intentionally buried. All are sure to surprise new generations. The Jews of Dayton drank wine during Prohibition, debated Zionism, fought the Klan, and joined the battle for civil rights in the trenches. Balancing tradition and modernity across eras, they navigated the American dream and faced challenges often strikingly similar to those we face today.

Marshall Weiss -- founding editor and publisher of the Dayton Jewish Observer and project director of Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History -- reaches back nearly two centuries to unearth forgotten episodes of Jewish history in Ohio's Miami Valley.

Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's West Side

9781596296930

$21.99

Blazing from the West Side, the Great Chicago Fire left nothing but ashy remnants of the developing city, leveling its landscape but certainly not its spirit. While the West Side was home to the infamous O'Leary barn, it was also where news of some of the city's most gruesome and horrific crimes reverberated throughout the state and across the country. Read about the bloody end of Roger The Terrible"? Touhy, who, although he undoubtedly lived up to his name, met an ill-deserved fate. Troy Taylor also delves into the life of John Wayne Gacy, the depraved man masked by the clown costume, and yet again proves to be a master storyteller and historian of Chicago's criminal underworld."

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The Torch Murders

9781467158756

$24.99

The murders that shocked Michigan

In the early morning of Tuesday, August 11, 1931, a Washtenaw County farmer found the smoldering remains of a car. Inside were the bodies of four teens, burned almost beyond recognition. Police immediately began an investigation, even tapping Harry Bennett, head of the Ford Motor Company Service Department, for assistance. Three killers stood trial two days later as a mob gathered outside the Ann Arbor Courthouse clamoring for a lynching. With the mob held back by the Michigan National Guard, Bennett delivered the killers to Jackson Prison by midnight Thursday. At the time, the so-called Torch Murders were deemed the most gruesome act of homicide in Michigan’s history—and perhaps the nation’s.

Peeling away myth from truth, author James Mann tells the story in full for the first time ever.

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Hidden History of Athens County, Ohio

9781467156103

$24.99

Today, Athens County is known for its peaceful and idyllic character, but in days gone by, the area was far less sedate.

Small towns like Redtown, Hebbardsville or Eclipse got their names from early settlers and coal barons who brought ambition and industry with them. The area’s deep history of coal mining is well known, but salt manufacturing, railroads and canals also thrived—for a time. Albany, Amesville and Athens all played a part in leading freedom seekers north on the Underground Railroad, and John Morgan Hunt set barns and bridges ablaze during his Civil War raid.

Athens County native and Local History Department Librarian Lorinda LeClain unearths these little-known stories and many more.

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The Great Serpent Mound

9781467159708

$24.99

Author Jeffrey Alan John explores the history, theories and fundamental Serpent Mound questions: What culture made it? Why? And when? Thousands of years ago, people in what would become southern Ohio encountered a vista they recognized as special. They couldn’t know that their view overlooked a 300-million-year-old crater, but as time passed, they made the plateau a resting place for generations of societies that eventually raised—with considerable planning and effort—the Great Serpent Mound, a place where history and mystery coincide. Uninhabited and overgrown when early Ohio settlers found it, the preserved effigy inspired pioneering archaeology and continues to prompt increasingly elaborate thinking. Scientists say that it measures the calendar, while theologians and mystics ponder its spiritual meaning.

Cover image for The Great Serpent Mound, isbn: 9781467159708

Forgotten Hauntings of Northeast Ohio

9781467170475

$21.99

Delve into ghost stories pulled from century-old headlines and reported anew with author and investigative historian William G. Krejci. There was a time when ink-stained scribes would head into the community to report on ghostly visitations—many of their stories have been forgotten until now. At a Lorain County farmhouse, spectral women were said to manifest in the darkness of night. A haunted mansion was replete with the unexplained in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood. Rumors of a haunting at Cleveland’s Grays Armory have long circulated. New evidence reveals the site to have been the scene of two mysterious deaths and possibly a haunted house. Does a peddler who went missing two centuries ago drag chains across the attic floor at a Portage Lakes tavern?

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The 1st Michigan Colored Regiment

9781467158787

$24.99

Born Free & Equal

The 1st Michigan Colored Regiment was the state’s first and only African American regiment during the Civil War. Courageously enlisting amid societal turmoil, these determined men fought valiantly, on the battlefield and off, in the struggle for liberty and equality. Many hundreds of them were born in the South, yet they returned there to fight for the freedom of others. Embracing the call to duty, they defied prejudice, and their collective sacrifice not only helped to preserve the Union but also paved the way for future generations.

Weaving together personal accounts and historical context, author Maurice Imhoff vividly recounts the extraordinary journey of this unit and honors the legacy of those who stood firm in the face of adversity.

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Haunted Lenawee County

9781467159326

$21.99

Punctuated by quaint towns, historic tourist sites, rolling farmland, recreational areas and picturesque lakeside escapes, Lenawee County also has its darker side.

A ghostly woman in white is said to haunt the Clinton Inn, and specters at the Adrian’s Croswell Opera House refuse to give up the limelight. Around Cambridge Township, Native American spirits cannot rest due to a disturbed grave. The former Mineral Springs Hotel of Adrian is haunted by guests that never checked out. A shadowy creature lurks around the small village of Ridgeway, and an evil spirit cursed a lake near Manitou Beach.

Join Dr. Julieanna Frost as she delves into the history and folklore behind some of Lenawee County’s best-loved spooky legends.

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Hidden History of Eau Claire

9781467157193

$24.99

A colorful Midwestern city with a colorful past

Eau Claire’s history is a rich tapestry of tragedy, mystery, and everything in between. Time after time, a round-faced man with a bristly mustache appeared amongst loggers in late nineteenth-century photos, but who was this man? In 1903, residents were left stumped when a mysterious body arrived by train from Chicago. Thirty years later, Hollywood came to Eau Claire with a world premiere of Out All Night, a comedy starring Zasu Pitts and Slim Summerville. Facing a labor shortage during World War II, the city welcomed German POWs and often worked side by side with them in the corn and pea fields.

Local authors Jodi Kiffmeyer and Diana Peterson collect the humorous, heart-breaking, and utterly befuddling stories of the city’s past.

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Haunted Newaygo County

9781467157018

$21.99

Listen to the stories of the restless dead

Amidst the sparkling lakes and rolling hills of Northern Michigan lies Newaygo County. The towns nestled within her borders were founded by hardy pioneers, and while their spirit lies in a sense of community, it is said that a few ghostly spirits also haunt the area. Atop a tree-covered hill sits a long-abandoned house, where the spine-tingling cries of the ghost of Screaming Ethel can be heard. The strains of unearthly piano music emanated through the rooms of a 1920s era mansion once belonging to Al Capone’s lawyer. The wraithlike spirit of a little boy is seen walking precariously along a river dam.

Join author Marie Helena Cisneros as she weaves the area’s vibrant history together into some of Newaygo County’s most chilling tales.

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A Haunted History of Grand Rapids

9781467157278

$21.99

Grand Rapids history is crowded with departed souls who refuse to rest in peace.

The twisted spirit of Lolita, a mother who committed unspeakable acts upon her children, stalks the block where she grew up. In life, Frank Hibben Stout’s obsession with his “sister” led to a tragic end for both. In death, his blood-dripping apparition is seen where a local restaurant now stands. The protective spirit of Edythe first appeared after a fateful Ouija board game at a local church, and the Children’s Museum is haunted by the friendly spirit of a boy seen by the young and old alike.

Come walk with the dead as author Julie Rathsack weaves together the threads of the forgotten past with the spirits who have remained behind.

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World War II Dispatches to Madison

9781467157186

$24.99

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of World War II, one soldier found solace and strength in letters from home.

An Army Air Corps serviceman from a prominent Madison family, Bob Gay paints a vivid picture of a young man's journey through a tumultuous era, revealing the profound love he held for his family. As Gay fulfills his duty on the frontlines, his mother's unwavering support shines through her involvement with the Red Cross, while his father's dedication as a ration board member and air raid warden mirrors a nation's collective sacrifice.

World War II Dispatches to Madison is a tribute to a humble and kind soul who never sought the spotlight. In honor of her ancestor Robert Gay, Dannelle’s book will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

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Lost White County, Indiana

9781467154673

$24.99

White County has been acquainted with loss since its very beginning. First formed in 1834, the county saw its first citizens, the Potawatomi, removed to Kansas in September 1838. As time went by, communities like Wyoming never developed, and others like Headlee died out. Numerous high schools, including Buffalo, Idaville, Round Grove, Wolcott and six others, disappeared with consolidation in the 1960s. Longtime businesses like Bartlett Ford, Ben Franklin Dime Store, Miller's Department Store, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are long gone. Manufacturers like Bryan's Manufacturing, RCA, and McGill Manufacturing have died out, and organizations like the Knights of Pythias, Monticello Jaycees, and the Moose have faded away.

Authors W.C. Madden and Maria Salvo Benson lead a journey through vanished people and places of White County.

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A History of Detroit's Palmer Park

9781626197848

$21.99

Palmer Park is Detroit's underappreciated architectural jewel. Located around the intersection of McNichols Road (Six Mile) and Woodward Avenue, it embraces every style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. United States senator Thomas Palmer originally developed the property as farmland and donated it to the city in the 1890s. Between 1924 and 1964, its character changed with some of the best examples of modern apartment living from top local architects, including one of just five buildings credited to the world-renowned Albert Kahn. Author Gregory C. Piazza showcases the exceptional story of building Palmer Park.

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The Brookside Story

9781467142342

$21.99

Brookside’s burgundy-and-blue-striped awnings represent both a quaint corner of Kansas City where you can tread the creaky wooden floors of the Dime Store and a pragmatic philosophy that changed the way America planned its cities. Renowned developer J.C. Nichols’s “plan for permanence” was built on his conviction that if a community could offer its residents everything they would want and need, build to high standards and plan for future growth, the community would last. The Brookside shopping district has been giving the community everything it could want and need since 1919, helping it weather economic turbulence, natural disasters and dramatic changes.

Cincinnati Turner Societies:

9781609493851

$21.99

Seeking asylum after the failed German Revolution of 1848, refugees flocked to Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood. They brought their Germanic culture language, literature, music, art, dance, drink, celebration or gemutlichkeit" AND, their love for gymnastics. It was here in the small tavern, "Hecker Haus," that the American Turners were born, founded by a group of 14 German speaking immigrants. This movement rapidly spread, influencing a growing nation in education, progressive thought, politics, human rights, health, literature and the arts. This is the story of that organization, born and raised in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, which fostered a great German-American movement."

Michigan Beer

9781467147491

$21.99

Michigan's beer history is as diverse as the breweries themselves, and the stories behind them are as fascinating as their tasty concoctions.

A few enterprising women found themselves at the forefront of early brewing in the state, and several early Detroit brewers also served as mayor. Pfeiffer's mascot was designed by Walt Disney Studios. Jackson's Eberle Brewing Company took its fight against local prohibition all the way to the Supreme Court, and the Silver Foam trademark embroiled disputants in a different legal fight. Renowned modern craft brewers grew from humble beginnings, often staving off financial disaster, to establish themselves as local, or even national, juggernauts.

Grab your favorite brew and join author Patti F. Smith for a look at Michigan's distant brewing past and its recent triumphs.

Cleveland Beer

9781467117791

$21.99

Cleveland loves its craft beer. The city's breweries are flourishing under a period of brewing renewal and an insatiable taste for quality local craftsmanship. But Cleveland's brewing industry hasn't always enjoyed such prosperous times. The industry boomed during the 1800s only to see Prohibition, dwindling demand and increased competition stifle production. Each brewery, one by one, closed its doors until none remained. In 1988, Patrick and Daniel Conway opened the fledgling Great Lakes Brewing Company, and the industry was born anew. Today, local visionaries are engineering the comeback and bringing national attention to Cleveland's award-winning craft brews. Authors Leslie Basalla and Peter Chakerian chart the remarkable history of the ups and downs of Cleveland beer.

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East Village, Des Moines

9781467119627

$21.99

East Village was not always the fashionable destination it is today. When the first settlers arrived in 1843 on the muddy banks of the Des Moines River, it was in direct violation of a treaty with the local natives. The settlement grew so quickly that by 1855, the fledgling city had been selected to be the state capital, and the building was constructed in East Village. The next century saw rivalries with the western half of the city, the birth and battle of one of the city's largest red-light districts and the construction of some of Des Moines' most prized historic treasures. Historian Hope Mitchell investigates the people and events that shaped the culture and landscape of Des Moines' most dynamic neighborhood.

Iconic Restaurants of Columbia, Missouri

9781467139304

$21.99

Columbia's culinary history is chock-full of restaurants that not only satisfied appetites but also provided gathering places to build community. Gentry's Tavern served wild game along the Boonslick Trail. Hungry and broke students could grab a meal on credit from Ralph Morris at the Ever Eat Café during the Depression. During and after World War II, Ambrose's Café required students to give up their seats to men in uniform. Segregation didn't stop Annie Fisher from making her fortune serving her famous beaten biscuits. These stories and more are as rich as the cinnamon rolls served at Breisch's. Join Columbia native Kerri Linder as she shares the stories and memories wrapped around the food of Columbia's iconic restaurants.

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On This Day in Terre Haute History

9781626196599

$24.99

On the east bank of the Wabash River, Terre Haute was established as a real estate venture in 1816. Two hundred years of history is chronicled here, one day at a time, with stories of its remarkable events and colorful characters. In 1915, Coca-Cola introduced its iconic green bottle, designed and manufactured locally at Root Glass Company. Giving credit to the town's Sin City moniker, authorities seized the largest moonshine still ever discovered in Vigo County on July 15, 1929. Many notable Hoosiers have called Terre Haute home, too, including labor leader Eugene V. Debs and Tony Hulman of Indianapolis 500 fame. Every date on the calendar reveals a story to fascinate, educate or entertain.

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Chronicles of Barrington, Illinois

9781467119177

$21.99

Lost Restaurants of Grand Rapids

9781467118873

$21.99

Grand Rapids restaurants have served up meals and memories since the city's earliest days. At Bentham's, one of the first downtown restaurants, customers without money to eat could trade an animal pelt for supper. John Sebaitis trained his German shepherd, Spooky, to serve beer to the patrons at his tavern. And a seventeen-year-old Gerald R. Ford worked part time as a server and dish washer at Bill's Place. Join Norma Lewis as she explores the history of Grand Rapids' most beloved eateries and the stories behind them.

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Joliet Prison Blues

9781467147354

$21.99

Named warden of the Illinois State Penitentiary in 1913, Edmund Allen arrived with a glamorous new wife and ambitious plans of reform that did away with years of striped uniforms and humiliating practices. Two years later, his wife was found murdered in her bed, shocking the country and throwing the prison into chaos. Over the past century, life behind bars at Joliet has often been a national spectacle. Infamous inmates like Leopold and Loeb, John Wayne Gacy, Baby Face Nelson and James Earl Ray drew headlines, and iconic scenes in movies like The Blues Brothers ensured that the prison walls themselves were instantly recognizable. From overlooked prisoner profiles to the kind of dramatic incidents that incited riots or inspired Hollywood, Amy Steidinger's stories cover the modern era of Old Joliet Prison.

Lost Restaurants of Columbus, Ohio

9781626199286

$21.99

Ohio's capital city has long had a vibrant restaurant culture that included German immigrants, High Street eateries and the fads of the times. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas wrote their thanks for a great meal at the Maramor. Yankees star Tommy Henrich held his customers spellbound with stories in his Diamond Room. Mama Marzetti dropped William Oxley Thompson's birthday cake and swept it back up off the floor. Join authors Doug Motz and Christine Hayes as they explore the stories of Woody Hayes's Jai Lai, manhole cover menus and bathtub décor at Water Works, as well as many other lost and beloved restaurants.

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Brave New Workshop

9781626196865

$21.99

In 1958, former circus aerialist Dudley Riggs opened a Minneapolis coffeehouse with a stage for performers and created an American comedic institution. What started as a way to draw customers on slow nights became the Brave New Workshop, a comedy theater sinking its satirical talons deep into the culture of Minneapolis–St. Paul for over half a century. This theater helped launch the careers of many talented performers, including satirist-turned-senator Al Franken and his Saturday Night Live partner in comedy, Tom Davis, as well as comedian Louie Anderson, Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead, screenwriter Pat Proft of the Naked Gun films and many others. Author Rob Hubbard tells the story of the hilarity, irreverence and imagination of the Brave New Workshop—a funhouse mirror to the world around it. If you've lived in Chicago, you know what Second City is. If you've lived in the Twin Cities, you know what the Brave New Workshop is. Founder Dudley Riggs and the Brave New Workshop played a big part in my comedy career. Read the real history of this company and the actors and writers from it who have influenced comedy on television and the big screen for over 50 years. – Louie Anderson

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Kenneth & Helen Spencer of Kansas

9781626193895

$24.99

Born on opposite sides of the Kansas/Missouri border in 1902, Kenneth Aldred Spencer and his wife, Helen Foresman Spencer, were transformative figures in the Midwest during the twentieth century. Kenneth grew up in the small town of Pittsburg, Kansas, but by the 1950s, his innovation in the chemical and coal industries had earned him mention in Forbes magazine for his role as one of the nation's great industrialists. But it is the couple's remarkable philanthropic work that stands as their true legacy, preserved in places like the Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art..

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Haunted Carthage, Missouri

9781626192041

$21.99

A rich mixture of inexplicable history and eerie happenstance runs through the portion of the Ozark Plateau that Carthage has carved out for itself. Woodland cabins greet visitors with phantom hosts or vanish into the night entirely. Rumors of lost Spanish treasure caravans haunt the hills with the same persistence as the Confederate guerrillas who were run to ground there. Nor is the town itself immune from the encroachment of the supernatural; the drama of tragic death continues to find a stage in an opera house, a hospital and an elegant residence. Lisa Livingston-Martin tracks down the fiercest and most fascinating specters from Carthage's past.

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Scientific Indiana

9781467149488

$21.99

p>Explore Indiana's rich scientific heritage

Scientists who lived, worked, or were educated in the Hoosier State have made fundamental contributions to astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. Astronomer Vesto Slipher discovered that almost all the galaxies were moving away from our own Milky Way Galaxy. Biologist Alfred Kinsey was a pioneer in the field of human sexuality. Chemist Harold Urey discovered deuterium and worked on the Manhattan Project. And physicist Edward Purcell discovered nuclear magnetic resonance, the basis for MRI, one of the most significant medical advances in a century. Scientists with Indiana connections have also been awarded a dozen Nobel prizes.

Hoosier science teacher Duane S. Nickell offers a glimpse into the lives of seventeen scientific heroes from Indiana.

Iowa Women's Corrections

9781467147255

$21.99

A History of Life Behind Bars in Iowa Iowa began building its first prison before achieving statehood, and women were sentenced to penitentiaries prior to the establishment of plans for their own housing. Beginning in the mid-19th century, incarcerated females were transitioned through a series of institutions and confinement environments, often as the result of persistent overcrowding, underfunding, discriminatory laws or practices, or to make room for incarcerated males. Early in Iowa's correctional history, women disproportionately served time for crimes considered to be against public decency, such as prostitution, lewdness and incorrigibility. Over time, their conditions and crimes evolved, but the situation continually faced obstacles such as access to treatment and programming, adequate facilities and opportunities for re-entry and reform. Author Erica Spiller dives deep into this intriguing history.

Haunted Cape Girardeau

9781609497590

$21.99

For nearly 250 years, the mighty Mississippi has granted Cape Girardeau a legacy of prosperity and dealt it some fearsome scars. Walk through buildings cut by the shrapnel of exploding steamboats, swamped in the debris of sudden floods and haunted by the restless spirits of those who washed ashore. And beyond the riverfront, tragedy's indelible mark can be found in places like the back row of the Rose Theater or the ashen mists of Spook Hollow. Joel Rhodes keeps company with the most forlorn figures and entrenched phantoms in this history of Cape Girardeau, where the river turns a thousand chilling tales.

Kansas Soldier at War, A

9781626190153

$21.99

When war broke out in 1861, Christian and Elise Dubach Isely, soon to be married, found themselves in the midst of the conflict. Having witnessed the atrocities of Bleeding Kansas firsthand and fearful of what would come from this war, Christian enlisted with the 2nd Kansas Cavalry to fight alongside Union forces. During the next three years, the couple would write hundreds of letters to each other, as well as to friends and family members. Their writings survive today, providing a unique look at the Civil War--one of both military and civilian perspectives--in a passionate exchange between husband and wife in which the war, faith and family are discussed openly and frankly.

Historic Tales of Medina County, Ohio

9781467151108

$24.99

Enjoy local stories celebrating family, faith and democratic values.

The history of Medina County brims with tales revealing the colorful and admirable character of its communities and people. For a while, locals observed living in two time zones simultaneously while also ignoring a federal law mandating Daylight Saving Time. The world-famous Giant of Seville, Captain Martin Van Buren Bates, had a brief but violent vigilante episode in Civil War-era Kentucky before finding peace and Christianity--and a home--in Ohio. The county's most prominent political family, the Batchelders, had ties to a pig farm in Brunswick that drew national attention and statewide reform.

Author Stephen D. Hambley shares insightful and entertaining stories, many never heard before, from Medina County's past.

Ohio's Troy vs. Piqua Football Rivalry

9781626197824

$21.99

Every year, Troy and Piqua line up on the gridiron to determine supremacy within Miami County. Stretching back well over a century, it is one of the most-respected rivalries in the state and nation. Even after 130 meetings between the two schools, neither team has been able to gain a decisive edge in the series: the rivalry is tied at 62-62-6. The two teams have battled for league championships, for playoff titles and—most importantly—for bragging rights and pride. This is a story of the most prolific rivalry in the rich history of Ohio high school football, from its nerve-wracking moments to its beloved coaches and players.

Cover image for Ohio's Troy vs. Piqua Football Rivalry, isbn: 9781626197824

Haunted Bay City, Michigan

9781467146708

$21.99

Haunted Bay City, Michigan takes you on a bone-chilling journey through the city’s most haunted locales.

At the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron lies historic Bay City, a gorgeous town with a dark past. In its early days, a six-block strip known as Hell’s Half Mile was an epicenter of debauchery and brutality. This tumultuous history has left a deep paranormal imprint on the area. A sinister Victorian lady terrorizes those who visit the upper level of the Bay City Antiques Center. The ghost of a disfigured little girl roams Sage Library. And the former caretaker of the USS Edson lovingly tends the ship after death as he did in life. Join local author and paranormal investigator Nicole Beauchamp as she mines the history of Bay City’s infamous haunts.

Cover image for Haunted Bay City, Michigan, isbn: 9781467146708

A Culinary History of Missouri

9781467150361

$21.99

Missouri's history is best told through food, from its Native American and later French colonial roots to the country's first viticultural area. Learn about the state's vibrant barbecue culture, which stems from African American cooks, including Henry Perry, Kansas City's barbecue king. Trace the evolution of iconic dishes such as Kansas City burnt ends, St. Louis gooey butter cake and Springfield cashew chicken. Discover how hardscrabble Ozark farmers launched a tomato canning industry and how a financially strapped widow, Irma Rombauer, would forever change how cookbooks were written. Historian and culinary writer Suzanne Corbett and food and travel writer Deborah Reinhardt also include more than eighty historical recipes to capture a taste of Missouri's history that spans more than two hundred years.

Historic Whitefish Bay

9781467137591

$24.99

Incorporated in 1892, Whitefish Bay is a pleasant, verdant village that is home to more than fourteen thousand people. More than half of its five thousand houses and other structures have been deemed historic or architecturally important. Even casual passersby can attest to the architectural significance of these buildings, and while the personal history attached to them is less apparent, it is no less dramatic. Their walls retain the stories of their remarkable inhabitants, from the outhouse where the first village president disappeared in 1899 with $20,000 in public funds to the lakeside Beaux-Arts mansion built by a Schlitz Brewing Company heir with eight varieties of Italian marble. Jefferson J. Aikin and Thomas H. Fehring examine these landmark treasures and the legacy of the residents they help preserve.

Iconic Eats of Wichita

9781467148818

$23.99

Located a long way from any ports of call, Wichita is perhaps the last place where you'd expect to find a diverse culinary scene. From its early days as a rough-and-tumble cow town on the Chisholm Trail, the city first achieved dining sophistication through the efforts of the Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club, now the oldest such club in the United States. Steakhouses in the north end invented and popularized what some consider the city's signature dish: garlic salad. Waves of immigrants from three parts of the world--Mexico, Lebanon and Vietnam--stamped the dining habits of residents with dishes such as piratas, shawarma and Saigon Oriental Restaurant's famous No. 49. Author Joe Stumpe tells these stories and more while providing nearly two hundred prize recipes from restaurants and home cooks.

Outdoor Tales of Northeast Ohio

9781467150231

$21.99

"This is nature writing of a kind I once devoured in my youth, and it was such a pleasure to come across it again." - Patrick F. McManus, New York Times, best-selling author and columnist for Outdoor Life and Field and Stream The fields, woods, and streams of Northeast Ohio promise no dearth of inspiration and adventure for outdoor enthusiasts. Few know this so well as Ohio native and award-winning author Andrew J. Pegman. Join him on a journey to land trophy fish, reflect on ones that got away, and embrace the beauty and freedom of the outdoors. Gain expert tips on taking up adventure fishing, flyfishing for walleyes at night on Lake Erie and for steelhead trout in the Chagrin River, and searching for elusive winter birds. This collection of classic tales captures the splendor and majesty of the outdoors and the peace and solitude to be found in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Amos Alonzo Stagg

9781467145220

$23.99

Inside the life of Amos Alonzo Stagg, a man who not only witnessed great change, but was responsible for much of it in college football.

The arc of Amos Alonzo Stagg’s life spanned the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. His career flourished on the Chicago Midway and found an encore on California’s Pacific coast and in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Valley. Stagg pioneered use of the tackling dummy, the huddle, the forward pass, the shift, the man-in-motion, the quick kick and the short punt. He developed the raw talent of young men with little or no athletic background long before the age of scholarship athletes, and his championship teams at the University of Chicago established the school’s national reputation before it became famous for producing Nobel laureates. He helped shape the modern Olympic Games, and the coaching tree he nurtured continues to bear fruit in football programs across the country. Author Jennifer Taylor Hall traces the remarkable life of the “Grand Old Man of Football.”

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Langworthys of Dubuque, The

9781467148504

$21.99

James, Lucius, Edward and Solon Langworthy arrived in the lead mining district of the Upper Midwest in the 1820s and made a lasting impression on what would become Dubuque. Their father, Dr. Stephen Langworthy, and their seventeen siblings soon joined in the wilderness adventure. Solon plowed the first fields, James built the first Methodist church and Lucius built the first road between Dubuque and Iowa City. Their ancestor James IV fought to secure victory at Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution, and cousin Hart Massey founded the Massey-Ferguson Company. Julia Langworthy led relief work for the Union soldiers and helped to found a home for orphans. Author Susan M. Hellert details how the Langworthys helped build a city.

Nebraska Beer

9781467117807

$21.99

Nebraska's craft beer scene may be relatively young, but the state's rich brewing history stretches back to the 1800s. Tyler Thomas of NebraskaFoodie.com presents the whole story, from quenching thirsts in small towns before Prohibition to homebrewers going commercial and launching the nation's first winery/microbrewery combination. From bourgeois to blue collar, the craft breweries thriving today have distinct and entertaining stories. What drives them all are passionate people pouring their hearts into great beer, which they share one pint, pitcher or growler at a time.

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Notorious Kansas Bank Heists

9781626198357

$23.99

Bank robbers wreaked havoc in the Sunflower State. After robbing the Chautauqua State Bank in 1911, outlaw Elmer McCurdy was killed by lawmen but wasn't buried for sixty-six years. His afterlife can be described only as bizarre. Belle Starr's nephew Henry Starr claimed to have robbed twenty-one banks. The Dalton gang failed in their attempt to rob two banks simultaneously, but others accomplished this in Waterville in 1911. Nearly four thousand known vigilantes patrolled the Sunflower State during the 1920s and 1930s to combat the criminal menace. One group even had an airplane with a .50-caliber machine gun. Join author Rod Beemer for a wild ride into Kansas's tumultuous bank heist history.

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A History of Peace in Dayton, Ohio

9781467117715

$21.99

While the Gem City is better known as the birthplace of aviation, Dayton has an impressive history of working toward peace. Generations of Daytonians worked passionately to create a nonviolent and welcoming community to inspire others. Abolitionists assisted escaped slaves from one Underground checkpoint to the next. Quakers peacefully abstained from war and chartered several colleges in the Dayton area. The Wright brothers invented the airplane to end all wars, and the landmark Dayton Peace Accords famously ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Author Tammy Newsom explores the inventiveness, compassion and courage of the men and women who have made Dayton a city of peace.

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On This Day in Detroit History

9781626198333

$24.99

One day at a time, discover colorful Motor City moments in history spanning more than three centuries. On November 5, 1851, Voice of the Fugitive published a letter in support of escaped slaves. On July 3, 1904, Monk Parry became the first monkey to drive a car, and on January 16, 1919, the Statler Hotel menu offered whale meat for dinner. The legendary Steve Yzerman was named captain of the Red Wings on October 7, 1986. Local historian Bill Loomis covers the big events and remarkable stories of life and culture from Detroit's founding to its recent struggles and rebirth.

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Indianapolis Beer Stories

9781467144773

$21.99

Indianapolis Beer Stories is a time capsule of tales from the city's early taverns, to a pre-Prohibition golden era, to today's modern craft beer scene.

Meet the ghosts of Indy's brewing past. Discover the very beginning of beer in Indiana's new capital and the pioneers who carved a path for a future industry. Uncover the legacy of a bygone brewing giant. Learn how one spontaneous decision to cross the treacherous Rocky Mountains led to a booming craft beer scene in Indiana.

Indiana native Amy Beers, a Certified Cicerone® and owner/operator of Drinking with Beers, leads a heady tour of yesterday and today in Circle City brewing.

Hoosier Beer

9781609493592

$24.99

Crack open a bottle of Champagne Velvet and dive into the first complete history of brewing in Indiana, where the beer history is as old as the state itself.

More than three hundred breweries have churned out the good stuff for thirsty Hoosiers, and this city-by-city guide gives readers a sample of every spot, allowing time to savor the flavor while sharing the hidden aspects, like the brave and hearty brewers who assisted the Underground Railroad and survived Prohibition. The unmistakable Hoosier personality and spirit shine in the classic labels and advertisements, many of which are displayed here in vibrant color. Join Indiana beer enthusiasts Bob Ostrander and Derrick Morris of hoosierbeerstory.com on a pub crawl through this state's proud beer history.

Ohio's Black Hand Syndicate

9781467139762

$24.99

Organized crime was born in the back of a fruit store in Marion. Before America saw headlines about the Capone Mob, the Purple Gang and Murder Inc., the specter of the Black Hand terrorized nearly every major city.

Fears that the Mafia had reached our shores and infiltrated every Italian immigrant community kept police alert and citizens on edge. It was only a matter of time before these professed Robin Hoods formed a band. And when they did, the eyes of the world turned to Ohio, particularly when the local Black Hand outfit known as the Society of the Banana went on trial. Authors David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker unfold this first and nearly forgotten chapter on crime syndicate history.

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Ghosts of the Quad Cities

9781467141062

$21.99

Divided by state lines and the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities share a common haunted heritage.

If anything, the seam that runs through the region is especially rife with spirits, from the Black Angel of Moline’s Riverside Cemetery to the spectral Confederate POWs of Arsenal Island. Of course, the city centers have their own illustrious supernatural residents - the Hanging Ghost occupies Davenport’s City Hall, while the Phantom Washwoman wanders Bettendorf’s Central Avenue. At Igor’s Bistro in Rock Island, every day is Halloween. Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin hunt down the haunted lore of this vibrant midwestern community.

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Hamilton County Food

9781467139625

$21.99

The food scene in Hamilton County, Indiana sprang from humble roots and evolved into a dynamic culinary community.

Early restaurateurs made modest livings at mom-and-pop joints like Aunt Bea's Chicken in Noblesville and Brown's Drugstore in Carmel. Teen romances bloomed at the Blue Ribbon Dairy Drive-In and Burger Chef. Then Chef Dieter Puska's elegant eatery the Glass Chimney took dining to a whole new level. Local chefs carry on his legacy with new farm-to-table restaurants featuring ingredients from a multitude of growers and farmers' markets. The craft beer scene is booming, too, with exceptional breweries like Four Day Ray, Mashcraft, Books and Brews and Barley Island. Take a trip down memory lane and embark on a modern-day culinary adventure with local food writer Karen Kennedy as she presents the hardworking restaurant owners and culinary superstars who built and continue to grow Hamilton County's vibrant food culture.

The 1926 Orland Park Murder Mystery

9781467139915

$23.99

On the morning of April 14, 1926, the Inland Steel payroll delivery was hijacked in Indiana Harbor. Later that afternoon, Will County deputy sheriff and Mokena resident Walter Fisher died in a hail of gunfire just outside Orland Park. That night, the bullet-riddled body of Santo Calabrese turned up on a Broadview road. The exact sequence of events remains uncertain, but a jury was able to trace enough of the day's violent trajectory to send Daniel Hesly on the path to Alcatraz. Matthew Galik leaps into a drama of high-speed pursuit and mistaken identity that shocked the jaded sensibilities of Prohibition-era Chicago and plunged the town of Mokena into mourning.

World War II Indiana Landmarks

9781467154116

$23.99

World War II Indiana Landmarks features places throughout the state that played significant roles during World War II. Many of these locations memorialize those who fought as well as those who contributed to the war effort. These places of remembrance include historical sites, monuments, markers, museums, surviving buildings, a surviving Navy ship, a surviving plane, and more. Author Ronald P. May explores the rich historical backgrounds surrounding each location and tells the personal stories of veterans and civilians related to many of these locations.

Hidden History of Fargo

9781467136594

$21.99

Fueled by ambition and pipe dreams, Fargo's earliest residents created an entire city out of the dust of a flat, desolate prairie. Roberts Street might not exist if it weren't for Matilda Roberts, a resourceful pioneer wife who encouraged her husband's cousin to set up his law firm on that important downtown thoroughfare. O.J. deLendrecie generated so much success through his retail store that he was able to buy President Theodore Roosevelt's ranch in western North Dakota. Oliver Dalrymple may have been the bonanza farm king, but the better manager was his rival, Herbert Chaffee of the Amenia and Sharon Land Company. Author Danielle Teigen reveals the intriguing true stories behind many of the most engaging characters and what continues to make the Gateway to the West unique.

Prohibition in Kansas City, Missouri

9781467138710

$21.99

Like most cities during Prohibition, Kansas City had illegal alcohol, bootleggers, speakeasies, cops on the take, corrupt politicians and moralizing reformers. But by the time the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed, Kansas City had been singled out by one observer as one of the wettest cities, as well as the wickedest. A grocer managed a still in the basement of his store. A raid on the Tingle Oil Company found two hundred drums of oil and the largest illegal brewery ever found in the state. This seedy underworld transformed the Heart of America into the Paris of the Plains. Author John Simonson resurrects forgotten stories by revisiting places where they occurred and telling the salacious history of booze in Kansas City.

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Czech Village & New Bohemia

9781467117616

$21.99

Beginning in the 1870s, thousands of Bohemians flocked to Cedar Rapids in search of a better life. Czech immigrants courageously overcame the difficult conditions of the local packinghouse and the challenge of creating a new home. They maintained a strong cultural identity with Czech music, literature and an undying dedication to family. In the wake of a devastating flood in 2008, the people of Czech Village and New Bohemia re-imagined traditional principles to forge a remarkable resurgence toward a promising future. Author Dave Rasdal travels from the Charles Bridge to the Bridge of Lions in a celebration of Czech heritage and history in Cedar Rapids.

Prohibition in South Dakota

9781467137126

$24.99

South Dakota has always had an intermittent relationship with prohibition. Constantly changing legislation kept citizens, saloonkeepers, bootleggers and other scofflaws on tenterhooks, wondering what might come next. The scandalous indiscretions of the lethal Verne Miller and the contributions of agents of change like Senators Norbeck and Senn kept ne'er-do-wells on edge. In 1927, the double murder of prohibition officers near Redfield dominated headlines. From the Black Hills stills of Bert Miller to the Sioux Falls moonshine outfit buried under Lon Vaught's chicken house, uncork these oft-overlooked and tumultuous eighteen years in state history. In the first book of its kind, award-winning journalist Chuck Cecil delivers the boisterous details of an intoxicating era.

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Milwaukee Ghosts and Legends

9781467138178

$21.99

Beneath Milwaukee's calm façade, its ghastly past awaits.

The overbearing spirit of Frederick Pabst keeps persistent watch over the mansion that shares his name. The remains of the Newhall House Fire, the city's deadliest disaster, may lie beneath a new building, but those who lost their lives that night refuse to rest in peace. Even the suburbs hold their share of ghoulish secrets, including the furtive dwarves of Haunchyville, the fabled Bray Road Beast and the stubborn spirits lurking in Deacon West's house. Tour guide and founder of Gothic Milwaukee Anna Lardinois shares the spine-tingling tales of the Beer City's famous, and not so famous, specters and legends.

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Murder & Mayhem in Scott County, Iowa

9781625859761

$21.99

Scott County is one of the oldest counties in Iowa. It is where the Blackhawk Treaty was signed and where the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built. But Scott County has also been witness to many shameful deeds. Travel down Utica Ridge Road, where young Grace Reed paid the ultimate price for spurning the affections of a local farmer. Enter the bedroom of Margaretha Nehlsen, who poisoned her children with chocolate candies. Hear the tale of Harry Hamilton, a former policeman turned career criminal who played a key part in perhaps the most infamous bank robbery in Scott County history. Come and explore these stories and more with author John Brassard Jr. as he guides you through the darker side of Scott County history.

Better Homes of South Bend

9781467118651

$21.99

In 1950, a group of African American workers at the Studebaker factory in South Bend met in secret. Their mission was to build homes away from the factories and slums where they were forced to live. They came from the South to make a better life for themselves and their children, but they found Jim Crow in the North as well. The meeting gave birth to Better Homes of South Bend, and a triumph against the entrenched racism of the times took all their courage, intelligence and perseverance. Author Gabrielle Robinson tells the story of their struggle and provides an intimate glimpse into a part of history that all too often is forgotten.

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Kansas City Chronicles

9781596299863

$21.99

From guerilla warfare and martial law to the elegant dresses of the Harzfeld Parisian Cloak Company, discover how everything became up-to-date in Kansas City (including the phrase "up-to-date" itself, which predates the song in Oklahoma!). Watch as the Jackson County Poor Farm became the state-of-the-art Truman Medical Center and learn why Old Westport is the real McCoy. Meet the resident mouse of the Laugh-O-Gram studio on Thirteenth and Forest, which took food from Walt Disney's hand as Mortimer before taking shape on Disney's drawing board as Mickey. In this collection of his best historical columns, David Jackson delivers a vivid portrait of the people, places and events that continue to shape this fascinating town.

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The Country Club District of Kansas City

9781626199149

$21.99

ONE OF THE GRAND EXPERIMENTS OF AMERICAN URBAN PLANNING lies tucked within the heart of Kansas City. J.C. Nichols prized the Country Club District as his life's work, and the scope of his vision required fifty years of careful development. Begun in 1905 and extending over a swath of six thousand acres, the project attracted national attention to a city still forging its identity. While the district is home to many of Kansas City's most exclusive residential areas and commercial properties, its boundaries remain unmarked and its story largely unknown. Follow LaDene Morton along the well-appointed boulevards of this model community's rich legacy.

The Country Club District of Kansas City

Legendary Folk of Wadsworth, Ohio

9781609490096

$21.99

From the industrialists of the South End to the pioneering Match Girls, Wadsworth has been host to larger-than-the-page characters since its founding. Join local author Caesar A. Carrino as he regales readers with histories of such figures as the father and daughter team of Doctors Myra and Robert Johnson, who dedicatedly cared for the ills of their fellow citizens, and Art Wright, the charismatic football coach who instilled a love of the game in the young men of Wadsworth. With portraits of Big Andy, whose booming voice belied a gentle nature, and Roy Moore, a man of unexpected skills, Carrino also keeps an eye to the humorous to render an affectionate portrait of Wadsworth and its legendary folk.

Kansas Forts & Bases

9781609498269

$21.99

The relationship between Kansas and the science of war is ingrained, consistent and evident, yet it seems antithetical to the quiet, conservative farmer who is the quintessential image of the state. It is not. The same values created both, and both created Kansas. From early exploration of America, Bleeding Kansas, the Civil War and the Plains Indian wars to the world wars and the modern era, the forts and bases of the Sunflower State have been central to America's defense. Beginning with Fort de Cavagnial in 1744 through to the defunct fields of Cold War missile silos, historians Debra Goodrich Bisel and Michelle M. Martin provide a guide to the forts and posts throughout Kansas.

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The Ku Klux Klan in Minnesota

9781626191891

$21.99

Minnesota might not seem like an obvious place to look for traces of Ku Klux Klan parade grounds, but this northern state was once home to fifty-one chapters of the KKK. Elizabeth Hatle tracks down the history of the Klan in Minnesota, beginning with the racially charged atmosphere that produced the tragic 1920 Duluth lynchings. She measures the influence the organization wielded at the peak of its prominence within state politics and tenaciously follows the careers of the Klansmen who continued life in the public sphere after the Hooded Order lost its foothold in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes.

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Hidden History of Uptown and Edgewater

9781626191433

$21.99

If any place in Chicago has been all things to all men, it has to be the corner of the city that is occupied by Edgewater and Uptown.

Babe Ruth and Mahatma Gandhi found a place of refuge at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, but the locale has also been a sanctuary for Appalachian coal miners and Japanese Americans released from internment camps. Al Capone reportedly moved booze through a secret tunnel connecting the Green Mill and the Aragon Ballroom, Burglar Cops moonlit out of the Summerdale police station, and a Kitchen Revolt by some not-very-ordinary housewives sent once-invulnerable machine ward boss Marty Tuchow on his way to Club Fed. Ferret out the hidden history of Uptown and Edgewater with veteran beat reporter Patrick Butler in this curio shop of forgotten people and places..

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Hidden History of Ypsilanti

9781609492892

$21.99

From the tale of a fiery nineteenth-century male suffragette to the forgotten founder of long-distance telephony, local author Laura Bien reveals the bizarre, baffling and oft-overlooked tales of Ypsilanti history. Scratch your head as Eastern Michigan University honors the area's onetime Potawatomi residents and its teacher school acculturates native children to white ways. Consider the earth closet, "? an indoor, nonflushing, composting toilet that's quite possibly the least popular invention in Michigan history. Witness a young artist's rise from Cleary Business College, which began as a penmanship school, to national fame or trade verse with Ypsilanti's unofficial nineteenth-century poet laureate, a poor farmer who became pen pals with John Greenleaf Whittier."

Chicago Magic

9781626191273

$21.99

By the end of America's Golden Age of Magic, Chicago had taken center stage in front of an American audience drawn to the craft by the likes of Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. Cashing in on a craze that rivaled big-band mania, magic shops and clubs sprang up everywhere across the Windy City, packed in customers and put down roots. Over the last century, for example, Magic, Inc. has outfitted magicians from Harry Blackstone Sr. to Penn and Teller to David Copperfield. Magic was an integral part of Chicago's culture, from its earliest venture into live television to the card sharps and hucksters lurking in its amusement parks and pool halls. David Witter keeps track of the shell game of Chicago's fascinating magic history from its vaudeville circuit to its contemporary resurgence.

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Classic Restaurants of Indianapolis

9781467118484

$21.99

Indianapolis boasts a few restaurants more than one hundred years old. Eateries like the legendary Hollyhock Hill and St. Elmo's Steakhouse are classic staples in the capital city. But for every legendary local restaurant that exists today, several more are mere memories. Diners can no longer feast on heaping piles of coconut shrimp at the Key West Shrimp House or sip on a Brandy Alexander at Fireside after a well-cooked steak, but their legacies still live on. Author Jeff Kamm explores the historic restaurants and most-missed locales that continue to define Indianapolis's culinary heritage.

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Civil War Ghosts of Southwest Missouri

9781609492670

$21.99

For southwest Missouri, the Civil War was an unparalleled period of violence, sorrow and anger. As the torches burned the physical landscape, the depredations inflicted were also scorched upon the psyche of the people who lived through fires. Survey Carthage's battlefield for stubborn holdouts or hold vigil at the Kendrick House for innocent bystanders who were swept up into the stratagems of bushwhackers and guerrillas. Meet the Bloody Spikes, Rotten Johnny Reb and scores more figures from the region's past who continue to trouble its present.

The Professor & the Coed

9781596299108

$21.99

The Professor & the Coed documents the history of this Ohio University scandal--an illicit affair and murder.

In the sweltering summer of 1929, the people of Columbus, Ohio, were enthralled by news of the Ohio State University veterinary professor and Olympic gold medal, winning pistol shooter on trial for the murder of his twenty-four-year-old lover, who was a medical student. Local writer Mark Gribben reveals how Dr. James Howard Snook was captured and interrogated, including his gory confession of Theora Hix's death. During the trial, the details of the illicit love affair were so salacious that newspapers could only hint about what really led to the coed's murder and the professor's ultimate punishment. For the first time, read the full account of this astonishing story, from scandalous beginning to tragic end.

8 Wonders of Cincinnati

9781625858986

$21.99

Cincinnati is an amazing place to live and visit for so many reasons. Local author Wendy Beckman and illustrator Allison Ranieri celebrate the city's eight wonders—architecture, art, commerce, food, customs, geography, history and people. With its Venetian Gothic lancet arches and crystal chandeliers, the Cincinnati Music Hall stands as an architectural masterpiece. The Cincinnati Red Stockings made history as the first professional baseball team. Remnants of marine fossils from the Ordovician Period remind residents that the city was once under water. Limitless local varieties of goetta range from family recipes to trendy café dishes. And the city birthed trailblazers like track and field star DeHart Hubbard, the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event. These stories and more reveal the unique character of the Queen City.

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Wicked Ottawa County, Michigan

9781609491741

$21.99

Prepare for a harrowing ride into the seedy side of Ottawa County history as author Amberrose Hammond unearths morbid tales of sin, scandal and crime. The lovers you find here become enemies, and the jilted, jealous and mistreated favor weaponry to verbal resolution. Ku Klux Klan members don white gowns and leave fiery crosses blazing against the backdrop of night. In this Ottawa County, Eddie Bentz, Baby Face Nelson and a crew of thugs are spraying machine gun fire outside the People's Savings Bank in Grand Haven, arguments end in miserable fashion and the missing often turn up without the capacity to out their wrongdoers.

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Strouss'

9781609497996

$21.99

More than two decades have passed since Youngstown lost its beloved Strouss' Department Store. But Youngstowners can still taste those incomparable chocolate malts, see the dramatic view from the store's mezzanine and feel the excitement of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. The story of Strouss' kept pace with the powerful trends that defined Youngstown as a whole. This was especially true during the boom years of the early twentieth century, when the store was the shopping hub in a community known as America's Ruhr Valley. But the city changed, and Strouss' changed with it. In this unprecedented historical narrative, Welsh and Geltz dig deep into Strouss' past to uncover a dramatic story that will surprise--and delight--Youngstowners of all ages.

Cover image for Strouss', isbn: 9781609497996

World War II in Medina County, Ohio:

9781626192980

$21.99

For the first time in the lives of many Medina County residents, places across the world became real, not just dots on a map. With the outbreak of World War II, men and women who had never left their corner of Ohio were encircling the globe. They were at Pearl Harbor and the Canal, Anzio and the Bulge. They built atomic bombs and bought millions in war bonds. Discover not one great hero but an entire generation of heroism. Eli R. Beachy traces the sublime story of one small community in a great, united effort--those most remarkable people of Medina County, Ohio.

Wicked Springfield

9781596299016

$21.99

In the twenty-four years that Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield, the city saw its share of crime, corruption and scandal, much of it at the hands of Lincoln's law clients and acquaintances. Erika Holst sheds light on these shady characters, from the man being sued for divorce who claimed that he caught his venereal disease from an outhouse to Governor William Bissell, whose near duel with Jefferson Davis almost made him ineligible to hold office. Learn what prompted a congressional candidate- in an election clerked by Lincoln- to shout down his accuser as some 'spindle-shanked, toad-eating, man-granny, who feeds the depraved appetites of his patrons with gossip and slander.' Read the true stories that fed those depraved appetites, drawn from the newspapers Lincoln read and the docket where he practiced law. In these pages, discover the wicked side of Lincoln's Springfield.

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Haunted Willoughby, Ohio

9781596294325

$21.99

Make sure the flashlight is on for these historic, haunted, chilling tales of the town of Willoughby as told by one of Northeast Ohio's most respected paranormal investigators.

Willoughby, a historic town located 20-miles east of Cleveland, has a chilling history sure to engage everyone from the most casual reader of ghost stories to the most dedicated paranormal researcher. Welcome to Willoughby Cemetery, where the Girl in Blue's restless spirit lingers near her grave, waiting to engage even the most skeptical visitors. Enter Willoughby Coal & Supply Company at your own risk and delve into the mysterious death of owner Don Norris in 1947. Meet Zip, whose spirit continues to watch over the building and, according to local legend, guards a hidden treasure to this day. Face the menacing apparitions that peer from the building's darkened windows at night for all of the locals to see. From ancient Whittlesey legends, and echoes of events that have shaped the course of the town, to tales of the tragic and bizarre, Haunted Willoughby, Ohio combines folklore, local legends and mysteries, first-person accounts, historical facts, and archival and contemporary images to capture the city's supernatural past and present.

A must for any ghost hunter or lover of tales of historic haunts, join local expert Cathi Weber, who has led countless investigations around Lake County and is the founder of Willoughby Area Paranormal Education and Research Society, as she explores the traditions, spooky heritage and true stories that are part of Willoughby's high-spirited history.

Haunted Chippewa Valley

9781609499778

$21.99

The Chippewa Valley is nestled snugly in a vast tract of Wisconsin farmland that offered early settlers a secure place to settle into the American dream. But the valley also harbors a strange and sometimes confusing past. From the boisterous activity of the lumber boom to the lingering stillness of the Eau Claire Asylum, this northwestern corner of the Badger State is filled with tragic stories and tall tales. Cast off with the ghost ferries of Caryville or stand vigil in the small, secluded cemetery where the spirits of children come out to play. Join Devon Bell on a journey into the eerie history of the Chippewa Valley.

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The Shocking Story of Helmuth Schmidt

9781626190177

$21.99

In the fall of 1916, New York housemaid Augusta Steinbach fell in love with a man she met through a matrimonial advertisement in her local newspaper. She traveled to Detroit to marry her correspondent, but in March 1917, she mysteriously disappeared. What began as a routine search for a missing person turned into a baffling case of deception, bigamy and murder. Follow detectives as they unravel the tangled web spun by Michigan's original lonely hearts killer--a criminal mastermind the Detroit News dubbed one of America's master outlaws.

Cover image for The Shocking Story of Helmuth Schmidt, isbn: 9781626190177

Kansas Tycoon Emerson Carey

9781467140799

$21.99

"I've seen a fly make a bull switch his tail" is a homespun quip attributed to Emerson Carey, the powerful salt magnate of Hutchinson, Kansas. True or not, the quote epitomizes the fearless and tenacious character of the legend who became Reno County's benefactor. Young, awestruck Carey arrived in boomtown 1880s Hutchinson and went on to create an immense empire. Coal, ice, salt, strawboard, egg cases, bags, soda ash and streetcars--he presided over it all. From Carey's sleeping in a coal yard with a quarter in his pocket to the founding of the exclusive Willowbrook community and attaining a net worth of more than $15 million, authors Lynn Ledeboer and Myron Marcotte relate the epic story.

Upper Peninsula Beer

9781626195684

$21.99

Brewing came to the Upper Peninsula in the 1600s, when French fur traders substituted pine needles for hops in batches of spruce beer. Promoted as a health drink, the evergreen suds remained in favor with the British army when it occupied the region. German immigrants drawn in by the mining boom introduced more variety to the area's fermented beverage selection, and the first of many commercial breweries opened in Sault Ste. Marie in 1850. Today, Keweenaw, Blackrocks and Ore Dock Brewing Companies are a few of the local craft brewers canning, bottling and shipping the malty flavor of the Peninsula throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and beyond.

Haunted Mantorville

9781609491093

$21.99

Stroll into Mantorville, and you get the sense that it is a place where you could comfortably live forever. Ghosts seem to feel the same way, and this excursion into the stories of their activity keeps pace with the feverish bustle buried in the town's heritage. From ruined breweries to opera house mummies, Christopher Larsen takes the measure of one of Minnesota's most historic and haunted places. The tale of his investigations might not rob Mantorville of its charm, but when you walk into a gift shop that was once a funeral parlor, you might be a little more susceptible to a shiver.

Haunted Tales from The Region

9781596299177

$21.99

South Shore lights blaze through the night, warding off restless spirits that slink among shadows. Join paranormal researcher and author Dorothy Salvo Davis as she reveals the legends and ghouls that haunt this generally peaceful area. Journey to deceased pop legend Michael Jackson's home in Gary and experience a chill as the unexplained dances before you. Does a chimp's apparition play among the walkways and cages of the Washington Park Zoo? Dare to discover. And visit John Dillinger's ghostly gang hideout in Hammond and the uneasy Hoosiers of LaPorte, who suffer the shrieks emanating from wicked Bella Gunness' ever-tortured victims. Cut the lights at your own peril, because the ghouls of the South Shore won't soon find solace.

Haunted Joplin

9781609496326

$21.99

The barrier between Joplin's boisterous past and its present is as flimsy as a swinging saloon door. Lisa Livingston-Martin kicks it wide open in this ghostly history. In her expert company, tour a hotel with a reputation made from equal parts opulence and tragedy. Visit that house of horrors, the Stefflebeck Bordello, where guests regularly got the axe and were disposed of in mine shafts. Navigate through angry lynch mobs and vengeful patrols of Civil War spirits. Catch a glimpse of Bonnie and Clyde. Keep your wits about you--it's haunted Joplin.

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The Haunted Boonslick: Ghosts, Ghouls & Monsters of Missouri's Heartland

9781609492083

$21.99

There is some uncertainty about the exact borders of the region that bounds the Boonslick trail but little doubt about the palpable and unsettling presence of its history. Stir up Missourians from St. Louis to Jackson County with the mention of ghosts, and after a few minutes of demurring, you will soon have more stories than you can shake a sheet at. Attend to the haunting music of John Blind" Boone or the otherworldly poetry of Patience Worth. Crouch down in Civil War battlefields, crowded taverns or the uncomfortable saddle of a headless horse. Wend your way through Missouri's haunted heart: the Boonslick."

The Haunted Boonslick: Ghosts, Ghouls & Monsters of Missouri's Heartland

Forgotten Tales of Kansas City

9781609496159

$14.99

Meet the folks who slip out of history books like they're playing the Kansas City shuffle. In this fascinating collection of stories, Paul Kirkman has dug up all sorts of head-scratchers: how did Jesse James rob a bank with John F. Kennedy, and how could a Beatles concert in the 1960s fail to make money? Watch a cow explode in a kitchen, frogs rain down from the sky and dogs pay for a public library system. Learn how Harry Houdini was trapped in a phone booth, why Clark Gable haunted street corners in a clown outfit and what kept Kansas City in Missouri.

Forgotten Hoosiers

9781596297463

$21.99

Vowing to overcome the sin of seriousness, Indiana-born humorist Don Herold lived up to his promise. Gifted with a droll sense of humor and a vivid imagination, he was one of the most widely read, if least remembered, Hoosiers. In Forgotten Hoosiers, journalist Fred D. Cavinder presents a collection of biographical sketches charting the lives of noteworthy Hoosiers who have been overlooked, as well as acclaimed figures whose Hoosier origins have been obscured. From Harland David Sanders, the pioneering Kentucky colonel who developed the world-famous chicken franchise, to Samuel G. Woodfill, whom many have called the greatest hero of World War I, Hoosiers- both known and unknown- have continued to make their marks across the country and the world.

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The Monon Bell Rivalry

9781609496593

$21.99

History is made every November in central Indiana when DePauw and Wabash meet to do battle for the Monon Bell.

Relive the classic moments of the oldest college football rivalry of its kind. In this hard-hitting collection, author Tyler James highlights the coaches and players who gained glory capturing the Bell. Deep historical research and personal interviews with players provide an intimate look into the epic games that live on in legend. Along with players and coaches, the fans receive due recognition for their part in this time-honored rivalry. The Bell heists, the songs, the game-day traditions--James recounts fan fervor in vivid, often humorous, detail. Whether readers sport scarlet and white or black and gold, this is a collection no fan should miss.

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Wichita State Baseball Comes Back

9781626193826

$21.99

There were no bats or balls on the campus of Wichita State University in the spring of 1977. Five years later, the resurrected varsity baseball program was in the final game of the College World Series, fulfilling the seemingly impossible promise made by Gene Stephenson when he began recruiting players to a place that didn't even have a practice field. Stephenson would lead the Shockers for over three decades, but those first five years with the team set him on the course that put him among the winningest coaches in college baseball history..

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Wicked Joplin

9781609490935

$21.99

A strange sort of pride tends to embellish infamy, like the notion that Frank and Jesse James robbed every bank in Missouri. But the citizens of Joplin need not exaggerate their community's unsavory past. Founded in the 1870s as a booming lead-mining camp, Joplin was a wide-open town from the start, and its wild reputation persisted into the mid-twentieth century. A neighboring town's newspaper aptly described Joplin as a naughty place.� Join author Larry Wood on a colorful tour of the city's raucous past.

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AsiaTown Cleveland

9781626195523

$21.99

For years, Cleveland's Chinese residents struggled to find a secure place in the city. Immigrants came with dreams of building a better life, but without English proficiency, prospects dimmed, and emigres often earned poor pay for long hours of strenuous work. In 1925, Cleveland police responded to an especially brutal outbreak of the tong war violence ravaging the community by arresting every Chinese person in the city, creating an international scandal. In spite of the anti-Asian sentiment of the time, the community persevered and paved the way for its current entrepreneurial success. Today, Clevelanders and tourists travel to the growing AsiaTown neighborhood to enjoy authentic Asian dinners, shop at Asian-owned stores and enjoy Asian-themed karaoke nights in newly built malls and century-old former residential homes. Alan F. Dutka vividly portrays one of the oldest and most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the city.

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Wicked Indianapolis

9781609492052

$21.99

These are not the aspects of Indianapolis history you'll see flaunted in visitors' brochures.

These are the abhorrent, the grim, the can't-look-away misdeeds and miscreants of this city's past, when bicycle messenger boys peddled through the night to link prostitutes with johns and when the bigoted masses tightened their grip on the city behind mayor and Klansman John Duvall. From the unseemly to the deviant to the disastrous, Hoosier Andrew E. Stoner brings you lives as out of control as the worst wreck at the Indy 500 with a history as regrettable as it is riveting.

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The McKinley Monument

9781596291072

$21.99

This fascinating new book chronicles the design and construction of the McKinley National Memorial in Canton, Ohio. This magnificent structure is the final resting place for William McKinley, 25th President of the United States, his wife Ida and their two young daughters. Constructed from 1905 to 1907, the McKinley National Memorial marks the 100th anniversary of its dedication in 2007.

The McKinley Monument not only presents the construction of the memorial, it also provides a look at President McKinley's life and tragic death, a biographical sketch of architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle and the poignant dedication ceremony with keynote speaker President Theodore Roosevelt. It includes many never-before-seen photographs, including the designs that were not chosen and rare shots of some of the workers.

As the community celebrates the century mark of a spectacular national landmark, author Christopher Kenney has brought the story into the modern age, recording the extensive renovation work and conservation measures that will preserve the McKinley National Memorial for at least another 100 years.

African Americans in Glencoe

9781596298149

$21.99

The village of Glencoe has a proud history of early African American settlement. In recent years, however, this once thriving African American community has begun to disperse. Robert Sideman, a thirty-year Glencoe resident, relates this North Shore suburb's African American history through fond remembrances of Glencoe communities such as the St. Paul AME Church, as well as recounting the lives of prominent African Americans. At the same time, Sideman poses a difficult question: how can the village maintain its diverse heritage throughout changing times? African Americans in Glencoe reveals an uplifting history while challenging residents to embrace a past in danger of being lost.

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Hannibal, Missouri:

9781609492212

$21.99

There's something magical about Hannibal, as if the town is frozen in time, as if you can look over your shoulder and see Tom and Huck making their way down to Bear Creek, fishing poles in hand. But set aside Twain for a moment (if that is possible to do in Hannibal) and drink in the broader vistas of the town's past. Imagine the pioneers who first settled between these bluffs, the riverboat calliopes singing their tunes as they pulled into port, the smell of fresh-cut lumber. Wave to the fashionable ladies parading down Broadway during the Gilded Age or save your greeting for visitors like FDR, Truman and Carter. Take countless more imaginative steps back through Hannibal's heritage in this accessible history by Ken and Lisa Marks.

Calvin Coolidge in the Black Hills

9781467119313

$21.99

On August 2, 1927, President Calvin Coolidge shocked the nation by announcing he would not seek reelection. The declaration came from the Black Hills of South Dakota, where Coolidge was vacationing to escape the oppressive Washington summer and to win over politically rebellious farmers. He passed his time at rodeos, fishing, meeting Native American dignitaries and kick-starting the stagnant carving of Mount Rushmore. But scandal was never far away as Coolidge dismissed a Secret Service man in a fit of anger. Was it this internal conflict that led Coolidge to make his famous announcement or the magic of the Black Hills? Veteran South Dakota journalist Seth Tupper chronicles Coolidge's Black Hills adventure and explores the lasting legacy of the presidential summer on the region.

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People of the Flint Hills

9781626197237

$21.99

The Flint Hills stretch across eighty-two thousand square miles of American history in a long, rocked-up, grassed-up finger pointing from the Oklahoma border all the way to Nebraska. This history winds though the mythos of the cowboy, climbing among families built on fierce independence, respect for the land and the water, and stubborn refusal to sacrifice a way of life to enforced economic change. These stories tell the hard truths of hard people whose traditional values have carried them, have helped them prosper for five generations. Ancestral land belongs these days only to those willing to fight for it. Heaven's own sunsets wait only for the strong and the certain. The world would do well to know these hills and those who live here.

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Columbus and the Great Flood of 1913:

9781626190610

$21.99

Beginning on Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913, Columbus and the Ohio Valley endured a downpour that would produce the largest flood in one hundred years. Heavy rains came on the heels of an especially cold winter, resulting in a torrent of runoff over saturated and frozen ground. Rivers and streams quickly overflowed and levees failed, sending tsunami-like floodwater into unsuspecting communities and claiming four hundred lives. There were ninety-six deaths in Columbus alone when the swollen Scioto River emptied water that ran nine to seventeen feet deep through the streets of the near west side. Join Conrade C. Hinds and the Columbus Landmarks Foundation in a closer look at a flood disaster that reshaped the American Midwest.