Name: A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail
Brand: Mills Kelly
SKU: 9781540299840
Price: 34.99 USD
Availability: InStock

A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail

9781540299840

$34.99

Every history of the Appalachian Trail tells the story from the top down, focusing on who proposed the trail, who built it, who maintain it, and on a few of the most famous hikers. A Hiker’s History of Appalachian Trail tells the trail’s history from the ground up, or more accurately, from the boots up.

Several million hikers each year set foot on the trail for a few hours, a few days, or perhaps a few weeks. The trail was created for them, yet their role in its history is largely ignored. Working with trail shelter logbooks, hiker accounts submitted to trail clubs, newspaper and magazine stories about the experiences of casual hikers, Mills Kelly reveals what it was like to hike the trail from the late 1920s until the 2020s.

What did those hikers eat? What kind of gear did they carry? Why did they go hiking in the first place? What was their relationship to the natural world they found along the trail? What was it like to hike as a woman, as a person of color, as someone with a disability? And how did all those things change over the 100 years of the trail’s history?

Cover image for A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail, isbn: 9781540299840

Lost Lincoln Park, Michigan

9781467145800

$24.99

Lincoln Park has seen many things come and go.

Originally home to the Wyandot and Potawatomi tribes, the area also served Odawa Chief Pontiac for a historic Native American council meeting. European ribbon farms once stretched from Fort Pontchartrain. By the early twentieth century, rapid growth had transformed Lincoln Park into the “Crossroads of Downriver.” Many of the early building blocks and, indeed, the way the land itself was used by the earliest inhabitants have been lost to time. LeBlanc’s Saloon & Store, the Atlantic & Pacific Grocery Store and Lincoln Park Pharmacy are gone. So are Mother’s and Clemente’s, the Sears Shopping Center and many churches, schools and local attractions.

Utilizing resources from the Lincoln Park Historical Museum and Society, author Craig Hutchison strives to tell and preserve these stories.

Cover image for Lost Lincoln Park, Michigan, isbn: 9781467145800

A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail

9781467159999

$24.99

Every history of the Appalachian Trail tells the story from the top down, focusing on who proposed the trail, who built it, who maintain it, and on a few of the most famous hikers. A Hiker’s History of Appalachian Trail tells the trail’s history from the ground up, or more accurately, from the boots up.

Several million hikers each year set foot on the trail for a few hours, a few days, or perhaps a few weeks. The trail was created for them, yet their role in its history is largely ignored. Working with trail shelter logbooks, hiker accounts submitted to trail clubs, newspaper and magazine stories about the experiences of casual hikers, Mills Kelly reveals what it was like to hike the trail from the late 1920s until the 2020s.

What did those hikers eat? What kind of gear did they carry? Why did they go hiking in the first place? What was their relationship to the natural world they found along the trail? What was it like to hike as a woman, as a person of color, as someone with a disability? And how did all those things change over the 100 years of the trail’s history?

Cover image for A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail, isbn: 9781467159999

The Okefenokee Swamp

9781467157667

$24.99

Marie Lathers wades into the history and legends of the Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee, nearly 440,000 acres of bog and swamp lying in south Georgia and north Florida, is the largest blackwater wetland in North America. Almost all of these acres are protected by a National Wildlife Refuge, one of three access points to a land characterized by cypress, Spanish moss, and alligators. This book, with its broad overview of the Swamp and more detailed focus on certain aspects, has something for everyone, the nature-minded, history buffs, and regional culture enthusiasts. Read about the animals named for the Swamp—the Okefenokee fishing spider and zale moth—the history of lumbermen in the Swamp, the religious and musical practices of Swampers, and the novels and movies set in the Land of the Trembling Earth, including, of course, the infamous opossum, Pogo.

Cover image for The Okefenokee Swamp, isbn: 9781467157667

Life and Times of the Falls Church News-Press

9781467155328

$24.99

Since 1991, the Falls Church News-Press has delivered a must-read chronicle of doings in the leafy, sophisticated, practical-minded Northern Virginia community nicknamed "The Little City." Nodding to the rich history of the three-hundred-year-old village named for a church where George Washington and George Mason were vestrymen, the weekly paper captures clashes over development, fights over school quality, political races, holiday celebrations and even scandals. Author Charlie Clark spins the unlikely tale of a unique editor, Nicholas Benton, who founded the free newspaper and kept it going at a time when local news is imperiled.

Life and Times of the Falls Church News-Press

Legends & Lore of Southwest Virginia

9781467155045

$24.99

Explore the traditional tales of the hills and hollers of southwestern Virginia. From the infamous Black Sisters of Christiansburg to the ghost of the famed Barter Theatre in Abingdon, the region is filled with stories that have haunted residents for decades. The Woodbooger, a local Bigfoot, is said to roam the mountainsides which are also home to many eccentric and inspiring legendary characters, including Molly Tynes, Reverend Robert Sheffey, Napoleon Hill and Cedar Creek Charlie. Authors Melody West and Shane Simmons uncover tales of unique people and places that have seldom been told.

Hidden History of Howard County

9781467154734

$24.99

Untold stories of Howard County's rich and fascinating past.

First settled in the 17th century when the area was part of Anne Arundel County, early towns formed around grist mills. Nearby quarries and mills shaped Ellicott City before the more well-known impact of the B&O Railroad in the 1830s. Cotton mills flourished, and mill towns like Savage grew. In the 20th century Savage briefly became the Christmas capital of the country. It was also a well-known sundown town. Historically Black communities dealt with battles over education as the state emerged from segregation. Development brought suburban neighborhoods and change to rural areas, and planned communities like Columbia affected Guilford and other surrounding towns. Local authors Nathan Davis and Wayne Davis explore local myths and uncover erased histories.

True Tales of Old Alexandria

9781467154765

$24.99

Stories from the beheading of an Englishman to the buried ships of Robinson Landing.

The streets of Alexandria have born witness to singular individuals and stirring events in their long history. In 1623, just across the Potomac River, an English adventurer walked into an Indian village and literally lost his head. In 1654, a notorious woman became the first European to own land in what would become Alexandria. A hundred years later, George Washington and General Braddock marched from Alexandria to a massacre and in 1814 the British looted the city. Read the true history of Robinson Landing, the seedy story of Del Ray and the tale of Major George Patton and the 1930s cavalry at Fort Myer.

Author Ted Pulliam follows his popular Historic Alexandria with a deeper look into the fascinating past of the city on the Potomac.

Rochester Memories

9781467154352

$24.99

In addition to its well-known associations with doctors and diagnoses, the city of Rochester offers a string of curiosities to those willing to look closely.

How did a secret bomber mission to Moscow during World War II lead to thousands of fighter planes flying through Rochester and the subsequent construction of a giant IBM manufacturing plant here? What was Rochester's contribution to the 1980 Olympic Hockey "Miracle on Ice"? Who was dubbed the “Greatest Doctor in the World”, and why? Who were the regular folks without whom the great Mayo Clinic might never have become a medical mecca?

Rochester Stories: A Med City History Paul Scanlon answers these and other questions in this enlightening and sometimes humorous study of Rochester’s past.

Haunted Florida Lighthouses

9781467153836

$21.99

Author Heather Leigh Carroll-Landon guides readers on a spine-tingling tour through Florida’s haunted lighthouses. Lighthouses dot the Florida coast, there to help seafarers navigate their way to shore. But when tragedy comes for Florida, it often blows in from the sea, giving the lighthouses and the cursed men and women inside a first look at horror. The lively spirits of teenage sisters inhabit the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where an accident claimed their lives, suspending them in their playful youth. A storm wiped out the Sand Key Lighthouse in 1846, claiming the lives of 16 whose spirits now chatter away—generally in contented tones but sometimes straying into anger. A Civil War casualty roams near the Amelia Island Lighthouses, holding to a promise to see his love one last time before departure.

Hidden History of the Toe River Valley

9781467153829

$24.99

Tales from North Carolina's high country.

The Toe River winds its way past the peaks of Mount Mitchell and into the valley that bears its name. Mineral mines go back to the earliest days of Yancey County and encouraged some of the first settlers to come to the region. Mitchell County's Bakersville experienced violent unrest, with a riot and a lynching, in 1892--but did it actually happen? The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs through Avery County was left incomplete for years because of a property dispute with the owner of Grandfather Mountain. Take a journey along forgotten rail lines, through abandoned communities and past sites whose histories have shaped this valley's story just as the river has shaped its landscape.

North Carolina historian and author Michael C. Hardy explores the hidden historical gems of the region.

Charleston History in Color

9781467154604

$26.99

Charleston Like It's Never Been Seen

Hand-colored, vivid details bring these historic photographs to life like never before. Witness the beginnings of the sweetgrass basket tradition. See the bleak devastation on Meeting Street after the Civil War. Note intense contrast in blues and grays of prisoners captured at the Battle of Bull Run. Explore the Battery as it looked in the 1800s. And dazzle in the bright fashions of flappers at the dawn of "the Charleston" dance craze. Author Mark Jones and artist Lewis Hayes bring a new vision to Holy City history.

Tell-Tale Texas

9781467154345

$23.99

Uncover the suppressed testimony of the Lone Star State's uncomfortable past.

Tinseltown almost always gets Texas wrong. The "Searchers" never did that much searching, the "Giants" were hardly ever big in terms of character and The Last Picture Show was just the beginning of a disturbing reveal. As acclaimed writer Stephen Harrigan suggests, the Lone Star State was not exactly a Big, Wonderful Thing, and for too many Texans, nothing was ever "Awright, Awright, Awright." A Black civil rights champion was assassinated in 1976, and the incident was buried. A "Cowtown Catcher in the Rye" was published in 1940, and the country club set made it disappear. And the war machines of Hitler and Mussolini were perfected with Texas oil during the Spanish Civil War. Author E.R. Bills challenges his proud neighbors, earnestly asking them to take a hard look at their past and examine their own historical amnesia, cultural fragility and fierce denial.

Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville

9781467154826

$23.99

The History of an Historic Cemetery
Founded in 1850 and dedicated in 1852, Knoxville's Old Gray Cemetery is one of the area's most iconic landmarks. It provides an important example of planning and design, and is named after poet Thomas Gray. Join author Judy Loest as she details the history of this renowned cemetery.

Chatham:

9781596298866

$21.99

Picking up where Chatham in the Jazz Age left off, this exciting new book by Debra Lawless explores the history of Chatham, from the beginning of the Second World War to the end of the 1960s. Meet a brave group of people who rationed their food and mourned the loss of their sons, including Robert Scott Brown, the only soldier from Cape Cod killed at Pearl Harbor. As the military took over the Chatham Light and local radio station WCC, wartime security became so tight that Chatham's fishermen were photographed and fingerprinted. Experience the transition into the 1950s, when even as tourism boomed, Cape residents feared polio and called for zoning to ban hot dog stands. Finally, hang out with hippies as Chatham's sons were sent to another war, in Vietnam, and the nation geared up to begin its war on drugs.

Cover image for Chatham:, isbn: 9781596298866

Chatham in the Jazz Age

9781596296206

$21.99

Between the town's bicentennial celebration in 1912 and the start of the Second World War, Chatham was transformed from an undiscovered fishing village into a popular tourist destination. As hemlines rose and an old way of life began to collapse, a curious cast of characters put Chatham on the national map. Local author Debra Lawless investigates five prominent residents--Harold C. Dunbar, Alice Walker Guild, Heman Andrew Harding, Joseph C. Lincoln and Alice Stallknecht Wight--whose lives changed Chatham's landscape forever. From the Twin Lights to the dark side of town, discover the hidden truth--theft, racial tension, even murder--of this supposed Eden.

Maine Book of the Dead

9781467150316

$21.99

Maine’s graveyards contain the ancient memories and last words of woodsmen, lighthouse keepers, inventors, sea captains and the people who called this rugged land home. In an island cemetery rests Tall Barney, a six-foot-seven folk hero who single-handedly took down fifteen men in a Portland bar. Kittery holds the grave for the crew of the doomed ship the Hattie Eaton. Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor is the final resting place for the famed “Sky Blue Madam” Fanny Jones and Public Enemy No. 1, gangster Al Brady. Camp Etna contains the grave of famed medium Mary Vanderbilt. Dead Man’s Gulch in Wales holds many eerie tales of ghosts that refuse to leave. Join renowned author and tour guide Roxie Zwicker as she explores Maine’s historic and legendary graveyards.

Cover image for Maine Book of the Dead, isbn: 9781467150316

The Charleston & Hamburg: A South Carolina Railroad & an American Legacy

9781596294202

$21.99

Many claim that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was the first in the United States, but in reality the Charleston & Hamburg was the first to provide regular service to passengers when it opened its doors in Charleston, South Carolina, on Christmas Day 1830. It would ultimately carry people and goods from the Lowcountry to what is now north Augusta. This volume by historian Thomas Fetters presents a fresh new look at the development and operations of America's premier railroad, including surprising information about key players and newly discovered stories about the railroad's role in the American Civil War. A comprehensive account of the Charleston & Hamburg's history from its inception through Reconstruction, The Charleston & Hamburg, with its forgotten stories of America's premier railroad, is a necessary addition to the bookshelves of historians and rail fans alike!

Cover image for The Charleston & Hamburg: A South Carolina Railroad & an American Legacy, isbn: 9781596294202

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."

The Circular Church:

9781596293595

$21.99

Once sheltered within the old walled city of Charleston, the Circular Congregational Church has raised itself from the ruins three times since its founding in 1681. Joanne Calhoun, in collaboration with the Church History Committee, presents the natural disasters, wars, human struggle and history witnessed by this historic church--and the humor, intellect, courage and faith of a congregation that flourishes to this day.
The Circular Congregational Church reflects the independent spirit of its founders. To tour the church and wander in its graveyard is to feel the presence of people who settled the colony of Charleston, amassed and lost fortunes, plotted the Revolution, framed the Constitution, formed the Union, split the Union, survived the Civil War and coped with its aftermath. With detailed research and a rare collection of vintage photographs, this book traces the history of one of Charleston's most famous landmarks, and one of the city's oldest congregations.

Windsor Mountain School

9781626194434

$21.99

When their Jewish heritage and progressive philosophies made the Bondy family a target of the Nazi regime, they were forced to sell their school and start anew in America. Max and Gertrud Bondy first opened their innovative school in Windsor, Vermont, and moved the campus to Lenox, Massachusetts, in 1944. Windsor Mountain School was ahead of its time--the faculty honored diversity, and it became the first co-ed integrated boarding school in Berkshire County. Families like the Belafontes, Poitiers and Campanellas were attracted to the school for its multicultural and international curriculum. From its golden age to the rock-and-roll era, Windsor Mountain strived to stay true to its mission until hard financial times forced the school to close in 1975. Roselle Kline Chartock captures the spirit of this Berkshire boarding school that still lives on in the hearts of its alumni.

Cover image for Windsor Mountain School, isbn: 9781626194434

Remaking Virginia Politics

9781467151122

$21.99

Go behind the scenes with never before reported stories of intrigue from some of the most colorful characters in Virginia politics over the last half century.

Read about the changes that political figures have brought to the Old Dominion, from Henry Howell's legendary gubernatorial run in the 1970s through 2020's successful battle for Richmond Public Schools against the Dominion Coliseum. Along the way, see how visionaries challenged Virginia to overcome her legacy of segregation and how that history still affects our destiny today.

Hailed by the New York Times as part of "a major revolution in racial politics in America'? for running the groundbreaking campaigns of Governor Doug Wilder, author Paul Goldman has spent decades on the leading edge of Virginia politics.

On This Day in Norfolk, Virginia History

9781626197039

$21.99

Established in 1680 near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Norfolk is a maritime jewel of the East Coast. During the American Revolution, British ships shelled the city on New Year's Day 1776. The first battle of the ironclads—Monitor versus Merrimack—took place off Norfolk's shore in 1862. Walter P. Chrysler moved his art collection to the city in 1971 and catapulted the former Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences into the renowned Chrysler Museum. Author, historian and Norfolk native Sarah Downing offers a daily look at the fascinating and sometimes offbeat history of the city's storied past. Navigate the waters of history one day or month at a time with this celebration of Norfolk's heritage.

Cover image for On This Day in Norfolk, Virginia History, isbn: 9781626197039

Germantown in the Civil War

9781596292062

$21.99

When the first shots of the Civil War were fired, nearly one-third of Germantown's sons and daughters answered the call to duty. Generals and soldiers, doctors and nurses all fought to preserve the Union. Many were lost, but some returned home to carry on the memory of their fallen comrades through the efforts of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Philadelphia neighborhood was itself transformed when the town hall became Cuyler Hospital and local nurses like Catherine Keyser and Hannah Zell cared for the wounded of Gettysburg and other battles. In this intimate and sharply focused account, local historian Eugene Glenn Stackhouse commemorates the sacrifices of Germantown's proud citizenry.

George Washington's Westchester Gamble:

9781609490393

$21.99

During the summer of 1781, the armies of Generals Washington and Rochambeau were encamped in lower Westchester County at Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Hartsdale, Edgemont and White Plains. It was a time of military deadlock and grim prospects for the allied Americans and French. Washington recognized that a decisive victory was needed or America would never achieve independence. In August, he marched these soldiers to Virginia to face General Cornwallis and his redcoats. Washington risked all on this march. Its success required secrecy, and he prepared an elaborate deception to convince the British that Manhattan, not Virginia, was the target of the allied armies. Local historian Richard Borkow presents this exciting story of the Westchester encampment and Washington's great gamble that saved the United States.

Ghosts of Bristol:

9781609490829

$21.99

The nighttime glow of the Cameo Theatre illuminates an apparition of the infamous madam Pocahontas Hale, and the ghost of a young Confederate soldier rises from Cedar Hill to gaze mournfully on his lost homesteadthese are the haunts of the Twin Cities. Local author Bud Phillips takes readers on an eerie, and sometimes humorous, journey through the ghostly lore of Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee. From the terrifying specter of a headless hobo and the spirits of a young couple parted through violence and reunited in death to the organist who played the Sunday after her funeral, Phillips's collection of tales raises the otherworldly residents of Bristol from the shadows.

Washington County Chronicles

9781609498696

$21.99

Abolitionists, rebels and innovators have all tracked across the pages of Washington County history. Their stories and more were chronicled by beloved local historian Harriet Branton, who introduced readers of the Washington Observer-Reporter to the history hidden in plain sight. In the earliest tales, European settlers clashed with the Shawanese and Delaware Indians, and fiery local lawyer David Bradford led the Whiskey Rebellion. With the coming of the Civil War, the people of southwestern Pennsylvania overwhelmingly united to the cause of the Union--the LeMoynes of Washington and the McKeevers of West Middletown shepherded slaves to freedom, and Washington and Jefferson College sent its alumni to the key battles of the war. Join Branton as she journeys from the rough-and-tumble frontier days of Washington County to the twentieth century ushered in by coal, oil and iron rail.

Washington's Haunted Past:

9781596291812

$21.99

From the halls of the Capitol Building to the Lincoln bedroom of the White House to the Presidential box at Ford's Theater, Washington is teeming with the ghostly specters of politicians and their cohorts from days gone by. The eerie apparitions of former presidents, their wives, mistresses, adherents and adversaries roam the halls of Washington's most famous institutions, haunting the buildings that have been the site of countless important events in United States history. In our nation's capital, the ghosts number as high as the politicians, and are often as mischievous and boisterous as their living counterparts.

From Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Nixon, the presidential residents of the White House have had to contend with not only their living opponents but also the scores of spirits who still seek to press their agendas in the world of the living--a world they left long ago. Through author Pamela Apkarian-Russell's tales, we learn of chilling encounters with the ghosts of Abigail Adams, Andrew Jackson, Anna Surratt, Abraham Lincoln and more.

Featuring stories of the spooky experiences of both believers in the paranormal and skeptics, Washington's Haunted Past contains a bevy of spectral lore sure to send a chill down the spines of D.C. residents and visitors alike

The Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks

9781467142618

$21.99

Much of New York during the Revolutionary era was frontier wilderness, sparsely populated and bitterly divided. Although the only major campaign in the region would end at the Battle of Saratoga, factional raiding parties traversed the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks throughout the war. Sir Christopher Carleton led groups of Loyalists, Hessians and Iroquois in successful attacks along Lake Champlain, capturing forts and striking fear in local villages. Mohawk war chief Joseph Brant led a motley band of irregulars known as "Brant's Volunteers" in chaotic raids against Patriot targets. Marauding brothers Edward and Ebenezer Jessup brought suffering to the very lands they had purchased years before in Kingsbury, Queensbury and Fort Edward. Author Marie Danielle Annette Williams covers the history of the Adirondacks during the Revolutionary War.

The Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks

Western New York and the Gilded Age

9781596299825

$21.99

Born from the success of the Erie Canal, the communities of Western New York enjoyed a century of growth and prosperity during America's Gilded Age. Buffalo was one of the richest cities in America and dominated industry and politics, producing two presidents. Wealth and architectural opportunity enticed figures like Frank Lloyd Wright, while the events of the Pan-American Exposition and a presidential assassination and inauguration attracted the world's attention. Drawing on the natural resources of Niagara Falls and profiting from a friendly relationship with Canada, the people of Western New York enjoyed luxurious leisure time and documented their adventures in photo albums and postcards. It is these images and remembrances, beautifully reproduced in this book, that capture this charming time in Western New York's history.

The Golden Age of Newport Yachting

9781467149372

$21.99

Newport is known as the yachting capital of the world, and it reached its zenith during the period between 1917 and 1946. Many of the nation's captains of finance and industry skippered legendary yachts that formed an argosy of splendor that has never been eclipsed. Vincent Astor sailed off to World War I as an officer on his own yacht, the Noma, contributing to the war effort, while Harriette Goelet, a determined widow, captained her own vessel and became one of the first yachtswomen entitled to fly the New York Yacht Club's burgee. Howard Hughes anchored in the channel, forcing a Fall River Line steamer into the bank. Notables from around the world, such as Sir Thomas Lipton, flocked to Newport once the America's Cup found a home there in 1930. Join yachting historian Bob MacKay as he reveals the rare images and stories behind the age of "extravagant magnificence.'?

Hidden History of Early Richmond

9781467143356

$21.99

Richmond's Civil War history is familiar to every local and visitor, but fewer know the stories of the city's early days. Did you know that some of the area's earliest settlers were Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France? Major John Clarke designed many of Richmond's first public buildings, but did you know that he was one of the masterminds behind the area's early industry as well? Tredegar Iron Works was the arsenal of the Confederacy, but Richmond-area foundries at Westham and Bellona supplied weapons to the armies of the Revolution as well. Richmond's first penitentiary was designed by Benjamin Latrobe before his term as architect of the Capitol. Local author Maurice Robinson narrates the tales of early Richmond's seven hills and beyond.

Surfing Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks

9781467145749

$21.99

Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks share an incredibly rich surfing history. Virginia Beach is home to major surfing institutions so iconic and long lasting they are simply referred to as "ECSC,'? "WRV'? and "17th Street.'? Of course, the Outer Banks has the consistent waves. The barrels. The lighthouse. Its beaches have been the setting for iconic moments in the history of the Eastern Surfing Association. Local surfing historian Tony Lillis chronicles the rich history of surfing along Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks from the early twentieth century, when world travelers brought home tales of Hawaiian surfing, through the heyday of the 1960s and into the twenty-first century.

Surfing Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks

Iowa Supper Clubs

9781467145138

$21.99

From relish trays and Old Fashioned cocktails to prime rib and fried fish, supper clubs are a quintessential part of midwestern dining culture. In Iowa, hundreds of supper clubs once dotted the state’s rural highways and byways, serving as havens for hungry travelers and community gathering places for small towns. Opened in 1912, the Lighthouse Inn Supper Club in Cedar Rapids is one of Iowa’s oldest supper clubs. In their heyday, Iowa supper clubs were also home to nefarious activities, with frequent visits from mobsters, bootlegged beverages and illegal gambling. Supper clubs like Archie’s Waeside and Breitbach’s Country Dining have even won James Beard Awards. Author Megan Bannister relays the delicious details of an Iowa staple.

Cover image for Iowa Supper Clubs, isbn: 9781467145138

Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia

9781467145985

$24.99

In 1619, a group of thirty-two African men, women and children arrived on the shores of Virginia. They had been kidnapped in the royal city of Kabasa, Angola, and forced aboard the Spanish slave ship San Juan Bautista. The ship was attacked by privateers, and the captives were taken by the English to their New World colony. This group has been shrouded in controversy ever since. Historian Ric Murphy documents a fascinating story of colonialism, treason, piracy, kidnapping, enslavement and British law.

Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia

Cold War Illinois

9781467145022

$21.99

From Walt Disney and Ronald Reagan to chess matches and Nike missiles, trace the Illinois roots of prominent players in the longest and costliest conflict in American history. Discover a mobster's involvement in assassination attempts of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and how the nuclear age began at a college football field on Chicago's south side. Visit the graves of Communist Party leaders and the high-alert heritage of military bases across the state. Local author Christopher Sturdevant, chairman of the Midwest Chapter of the Cold War Museum, follows up his look into Cold War Wisconsin with its neighbor to the south in a fascinating tale of Illinois's role in the fight between East and West.

Vermont's Ebenezer Allen

9781467149358

$21.99

Ebenezer Allen was born during political instability and hardships in an unknown frontier. He matured during the tipping point of the American Revolution as an invincible leader who personified patriotism. Unlike his better-known cousins, Ebenezer was a skilled commando and combat veteran in Warner's Regiment and Herrick's Rangers. Following the capture of a British rear-guard force in 1777, Captain Allen took leave of his regiment and wrote an emancipation statement for a captured enslaved woman and her child. The document, which he filed with the Bennington town clerk, read, "It is not right in the sight of God to keep slaves." Join historian and Vermont native Glenn Fay as he recounts how Colonel Allen became the forefather and elected legislator of two towns and one of the most prominent men in Vermont.

Ghosts of Virginia's Tidewater

9781609492267

$21.99

The putrid estuaries of the Great Dismal Swamp and the colonial mansions of Tidewater Virginia provide a chilling setting for tales of the mysterious and strange. From the ghost of Jefferson Davis's iron-willed widow who walks the dank corridors of Fort Monroe to the restless presence of Cornwallis's soldiers killed at the Battle of Yorktown, the region is rife with eerie tales of the tragic and unexplained. Paranormal expert and author L.B. Taylor Jr. revisits classic ghost stories from his collection and introduces readers to thirteen terrifying new tales. Join Taylor as he travels forgotten country lanes and dark waterways in search of the spirits of Virginia's haunted shores.

Haunted Bartlesville, Oklahoma

9781609495060

$21.99

Spirits and specters linger, haunt and taunt locals and strangers alike throughout Bartlesville. Some of the city's hottest tourist spots are host to chilling tales of otherworldly visitors. A fair share of the more than twelve thousand souls buried in White Rose Cemetery refuse to rest in peace. Gentleman diners may be distracted at Frank and Lola's by the chilling shadow of Estelle, a ghostly holdover from the building's brothel legacy. Jake Bartles gave his name to the town, and some say he left his soul for posterity as well, haunting the halls of the old Dewey Hotel. Oil tycoon Frank Phillips, loath to leave his riches, haunts Woolaroc Ranch and his mansion on Cherokee Avenue. It seems even those who have passed over do not pass on from this cosmopolitan gem.

Cover image for Haunted Bartlesville, Oklahoma, isbn: 9781609495060

Hampton Roads Chronicles:

9781596296640

$21.99

Just like the tide, history flows through every corner of Old Dominion's Hampton Roads region, and for decades it has been chronicled in the Virginian-Pilot's column, "Our Stories." These stories are now told by local historian and longtime columnist Paul Clancy, who offers up this unparalleled and uninhibited collection of articles and stunning historical images. Rediscover the history behind landmarks such as Fort Monroe, Sewell's Point and Cape Henry and take in the view from the vantage point of those who witnessed history being made before their eyes: stories about the hurricane of '33, the old fairgrounds on the bay, the trolleys that ran to Ocean View, the semipro baseball teams that battled for glory, the harrowing and courageous struggle for racial equality and the soldiers and sailors who went off to war. This is the real stuff of Hampton Roads history.

Cover image for Hampton Roads Chronicles:, isbn: 9781596296640

Haunted Baton Rouge

9781609498627

$21.99

With yellow fever, Civil War battles, murders and tragic accidents staining its history, it is no wonder that Baton Rouge is rife with tales of ghostly visitors. Highland Road has had so many reports of Civil War soldier sightings that the local police department sent out an officer to track one down. Spirits crowd about in the stately grounds of the Magnolia Mound and Old Cottage Plantations, the Old Capitol and the New and even the USS Kidd. Unlikely spots like the Guaranty Income Life and Broadcast Building have plenty of hair-raising stories of their own; the cafeteria used to be a morgue Explore the Red Stick's eerie past with paranormal investigator Bud Steed as he uncovers the city's most chilling tales.

Cover image for Haunted Baton Rouge, isbn: 9781609498627

Greene County, Virginia:

9781596293113

$21.99

Tucked away where the Blue Ridge meets Virginia's Piedmont, Greene County boasts a fascinating history. The county's fertile land and breathtaking natural beauty have attracted visitors since the colonial era. In this in-depth look at Greene County's vibrant past, historian Donald D. Covey--former president of the county's historical society--explores Greene County from the first settlement through the Civil War and beyond.

Colonial Inns and Taverns of Bucks County:

9781596293441

$21.99

Inns and taverns occupied a position of central importance in colonial American society. Rest stop, hotel, provisioning center, drinking saloon, dining establishment, center of news and gossip, quartering for soldiers--these retreats served an astonishing variety of roles. In Colonial Inns and Taverns of Bucks County, author Marie Duess filters the colonial and
early modern history of Bucks County through the area's wide array of stagecoach stops, grog shops and taprooms. These inns created a whole world unto themselves, with a distinct vernacular (did you know the concepts of "backlog" and "minding your Ps and Qs" both originated from inn life?), set of customs and rituals and purpose within the greater societal framework.
Follow author Marie Duess into the past and discover a fascinating facet of life in early Pennsylvania.

Colonial Inns and Taverns of Bucks County:

The Cooper-Hewitt Dynasty of New York

9781609498603

$21.99

Peter Cooper believed that he owed a debt to the city that had made him a rich man. During the nineteenth century, he made his fortune in industry and his name in politics, and he always felt a strong compulsion to give back to New York. His greatest achievement was the establishment of The Cooper Union, which allowed students from all walks of life to study science and art and is still providing those opportunities today. Cooper instilled this sense of obligation in his children and his business partner and son-in-law, Abram Hewitt. Abram's daughters--remarkable women ahead of their time--fulfilled their grandfather's dream of opening a museum, which became the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, today part of the Smithsonian Institution. Discover this amazing story of wealth and generosity, politics and integrity and family and community that could have only unfolded in New York.

Lake Waubeeka

9781467149464

$21.99

In 1951, a small group of Jewish firefighters from New York City established a summer colony called Lake Waubeeka in Danbury, Connecticut. Today, it is a religiously, ethnically and racially diversified community of some 250 families. The vision of its founders was to create a bucolic environment away from the grit and grime of the metropolitan area. While Waubeekans did not always agree on the directions life on their mountain might take, a profound community spirit bonded homeowners. Over recent decades, Waubeeka has become a predominantly year-round settlement. While community demographics changed, a cooperative spirit has been passed from generation to generation. Join award-winning historian and Waubeekan Jeffrey S. Gurock as he recounts the fascinating developments that make this community so special.

Francis "Two Gun" Crowley’s Killings in New York City and Long Island

9781467144353

$21.99

On a May morning in 1931, Nassau County police officer Fred Hirsch was gunned down by the notorious New York City gangster Francis Crowley. Nicknamed "Two Gun" for tricking and murdering cops with a second loaded firearm, Crowley left a bloody trail from the Bronx to Long Island. He shot and wounded two men at a local dance hall and a New York City police detective and murdered one of Nassau County's finest. Eventually, he was tracked to a hideout in Manhattan, where a two-hour gun battle, including more than two hundred cops and ten thousand spectators, led to his capture. His murder spree involved thousands of law enforcement personnel, stole national media attention and cut across the New York metropolitan area. Author Jerry Aylward presents the murderous life of Francis "Two Gun" Crowley from the streets of New York to the electric chair in Sing Sing.

Francis "Two Gun" Crowley’s Killings in New York City and Long Island

Lost Cedar Rapids

9781467140652

$21.99

Cedar Rapids is the only city in America to house its government offices on an island. But tons of other iconic structures that defined the city are no longer around. The Little Gallery on First Avenue was created to showcase local artists. Yager's "moved up to bring prices down." The area was home to thirty-nine theaters, including two from 1928 that are still in operation. From the hotels to the factories, the ethnic districts to the depots, the dance halls to the amusement parks, these are the places that made a difference in the City of Five Seasons. Local author Pete Looney traces the history of the structures.

Wicked Virginia City

9781467144308

$21.99

Perched on the side of a mountain in the Nevada desert, Virginia City existed for one reason only: to make money. The mining frenzy of the mid-nineteenth century uncovered veins of precious metals that would be expressed in billions today, attracting the enterprising madam Cad Thompson, the charismatic highwayman Nickanora and a plethora of swindlers. Miners, flush with their wages, supported a healthy economy of gambling, drinking and prostitution and even launched a few political careers. Sam Clemens, who became Mark Twain while reporting for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, called it "the livest town that America had ever produced.'? Join author Peter B. Mires as he explores the seamy side of this quintessential mining boomtown.

Historic Tales of Watchung

9781467146777

$21.99

The borough of Watchung's forests, farmlands, lakes and mountain vistas have been traversed by man for thousands of years. The Leni-Lenapes settled along the banks of the Stony Brook and Watchung Lake, naming the area Wacht Unks, or "High Hills." Attracted by its abundant natural resources, European settlers began to farm the area in the seventeenth century. The citizens took up arms during the Revolutionary War, serving as minutemen in the Somerset County Militia, protecting the strategic Stony Brook Pass. The town survived an existential crisis in 1924 as the state attempted and failed to convert the region into a massive water reservoir. Local author and historian Robert A. Mayers presents fascinating tales from throughout Watchung's history.

The Enduring Journey of the USS Chesapeake: Navigating the Common History of Three Nations

9781596292987

$21.99

"Fight "til she sinks, boys. Don't give up the ship! Burn her."
James Lawrence's command, spoken as his final fighting words in the historic 1813 battle between the USS Chesapeake and the HMS Shannon, would endure as the motto of the U.S. Navy. He lost the battle, however, and a large portion of the Chesapeake was recycled by the ship breakers of Portsmouth, England, until her timbers gave form and size to a new water mill in the village of Wickham. Almost two hundred years later, the old mill sat derelict, an eyesore. What was it made of ? Where had it come from? Why should it be preserved? It was then that the sails of a long-forgotten fighting ship were seemingly unfurled along the Meon River in the County of Hampshire, and the old navy frigate--having crossed the waters of America, Canada and England--set off on the third century of her enduring journey.

The Enduring Journey of the USS Chesapeake: Navigating the Common History of Three Nations

Wisconsin Legends & Lore

9781467143448

$21.99

A great read for those interested in Wisconsin history as well as those who like a great campfire story, Wisconsin Legends & Lore explores a rich diversity of stories from around the state.

Wisconsin is a land rich with stories. It was the “mother of all circuses,” a place of buried treasure and home to eerie ghosts and monsters. Native American legends, tall tales told at lumberjack camps and taverns, ghost lore and modern urban legends all form the wonderful mythology of the Dairy State. Many know of Rhinelander’s famous Hodag, the Beast of Bray Road in Elkhorn, Milwaukee’s haunted Pfister Hotel and the Ridgeway Ghost. But few have heard obscure tales like the Christmas Tree Ghost Ship of Two Rivers, the Goatman of Richfield’s Hogsback Road and the legend of the Witch’s Tower of Whitewater.

Author Tea Krulos, an expert in all things strange and unusual, digs up Wisconsin favorites and arcane lore.

Cover image for Wisconsin Legends & Lore, isbn: 9781467143448

Hidden History of East Texas

9781467146036

$21.99

The heritage of East Texas partakes in the same degree of unexpected turns and hidden depths as its backroads and bayous. One line of inquiry meanders into another. Start out searching for La Salle’s grave and end up chasing Spanish gold in Upshur County. From Sam Houston’s Bible to the Longview nightclub that hosted both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, one tale follows another and introduces a cast of characters that includes Candace and Peter Ellis Bean, Old Rip, Jack Lummus and Vernon Wayne Howell. Part the Pine Curtain with Tex Midkiff for a history as heated as the La Grange Chicken Ranch’s parlor and irresistible as a batch of Golden sweet potatoes.

Cover image for Hidden History of East Texas, isbn: 9781467146036

The Moonlight Mill Murders of Steubenville, Ohio

9781467146388

$21.99

Prohibition ended on December 5, 1933, and Steubenville hoped that its reputation as “Little Chicago” would end with it. That hope was short-lived when, eight weeks later, the Phantom Killer made his midnight debut. Under the glow of a full moon, in the mill yards of Steubenville’s Wheeling Steel Plant, the killer ambushed a rail worker, shooting him five times. The Steubenville Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and Wheeling Steel Mill Police joined forces in the New Year to find the Phantom before he took another victim. The strongest of millworkers on the midnight shift began to arm themselves, wondering who would be next. As the investigation wore on, Steubenville was once again thrust into the national spotlight as the Phantom’s reign of terror continued. Local historian Susan M. Guy delves into one of the city’s most infamous crimes.

Cover image for The Moonlight Mill Murders of Steubenville, Ohio, isbn: 9781467146388

Hidden History of Jackson County, Michigan

9781467145787

$21.99

The history of Jackson County, Michigan, brims with colorful characters and noteworthy episodes nearly lost to time.

Jackson abolitionists used their barns, houses and hidden compartments to harbor freedom seekers traveling on the Underground Railroad. One even repelled an armed posse from Kentucky. A prominent druggist murdered his mother in 1889 and a jail guard in 1893.Evidence suggests he murdered his father too. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt traveled to Brown's Lake for relaxation in 1935, but a media mob had other plans. A popular Blackman Township roadhouse has a longstanding tradition of entertaining pioneers, stagecoach drivers and mobsters, but its secret guests are even stranger.

Join local historian Linda Hass as she delves into these and other entertaining and often-overlooked stories.

Hidden History of Jackson County, Michigan

The Dreaded 13th Tennessee Union Cavalry: Marauding Mountain Men

9781626191129

$21.99

Tennessee's Thirteenth Union Cavalry was a unit composed mostly of amateur soldiers that eventually turned undisciplined boys into seasoned fighters. At the outbreak of the Civil War, East Tennessee was torn between its Unionist tendencies and the surrounding Confederacy. The result was the persecution of the home Yankees" by Confederate sympathizers. Rather than quelling Unionist fervor, this oppression helped East Tennessee contribute an estimated thirty thousand troops to the North. Some of those troops joined the "Loyal Thirteenth" in Stoneman's raid and in pursuit of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Join author Melanie Storie as she recounts the harrowing narrative of an often-overlooked piece of Civil War history."

Cover image for The Dreaded 13th Tennessee Union Cavalry: Marauding Mountain Men, isbn: 9781626191129

Energy & Light in Nineteenth-Century Western New York:

9781626193000

$21.99

When the Marquis de Lafayette came to Fredonia in 1825, he found the village illuminated by natural gas--the first such community in the world. While most Americans relied on candles for illumination, early settlers near Fredonia noticed bubbles that could be lighted rising from the bed of the Canadaway Creek and developed technology to collect enough to light the village. Another man, Dr. Francis Brewer, realized that the thick black substance could be converted to lamp oil, and it was suggested that if enough could be found, it could provide an inexpensive way to light the world. Join local author Douglas Houck as he tells the story of the first commercial developments of natural gas and petroleum products in the nineteenth century.

Energy & Light in Nineteenth-Century Western New York:

Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and the Civil War:

9781596292123

$21.99

It was February of 1862. Although the Civil War was now nearly a year old, the armies had done little more than feint and skirmish. The war at sea, however, was an entirely different proposition. The Union navy's blockade of the Confederate seaboard was ruthless and unremitting.
With no outlets for its agricultural staples and no ability to receive desperately needed European manufactures, the Southern economy was asphyxiating. It was into this backdrop that a Union naval assault force breached North Carolina's coastal defenses to destroy a small squadron of Confederate warships and bombard, capture and occupy Elizabeth City. As author Chris Meekins demonstrates in this engaging account of an oft neglected yet fascinating theatre of the Civil War, the complicated and turbulent history of Elizabeth City during this time only mirrored the overall state of affairs in northeastern North Carolina

Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and the Civil War:

Flyboys over Hampton Roads:

9781596299726

$21.99

The story begins in the fall of 1915, on the cusp of America's entry into World War I. Aviation giant Glenn Curtiss sought a location where pilots could train and aircraft could be tested year-round, and he found it in the warm winds and waters of Newport News, Virginia. There, daring young men and women in their flying machines flew on to fame and into history with their record-breaking flights and the tragic losses that were inevitable in early flight. Join military historian Amy Waters Yarsinske as she uses rare vintage photographs and a deft hand to narrate this astounding and often forgotten period in aviation history.

Florida in the Spanish-American War

9781609490881

$21.99

Florida began as a Spanish colony, with governing headquarters in Havana, Cuba. It is fitting, then, that the state played such a large role in the Spanish-American War. As a base of training and combat operations, Florida's involvement was crucial to the war effort. Join trusted historians Joe Knetsch and Nick Wynne as they log a fascinating chapter in Florida's history--a time when Roosevelt's Rough Riders prepared for battle at Tampa bases, when battleships departed from south Florida ports to avenge the sunken USS Maine and when a nation looked to the Sunshine State to help unite America around a common cause, even as the nation still struggled to come to terms with the Civil War and Reconstruction

Cover image for Florida in the Spanish-American War, isbn: 9781609490881

Forest Hill, Louisiana

9781626197015

$21.99

Forest Hill boasts one of the largest nursery industries in the country, despite its tiny population. In the early days, the community was a summer retreat for plantation owners. The lumber industry rolled into town with the railroad, which eased the transportation of virgin timber. By 1901, the nurseries had emerged after Samuel Stokes began selling a variety of plants from his woods. Today, more than two hundred nurseries are in operation, many by the families who founded them. Author Chere Dastugue Coen reveals the deep roots of this horticultural hub.

Revolutionary Bergen County

9781596297487

$21.99

Along the banks of the Hudson River, New Jersey's Bergen County endured much of the brunt of the Revolutionary War. With an impressive compilation of scholarly essays, Barbara Z. Marchant and company vividly portray those who found their lives altered by the conflict, from famous military men, such as George Washington, who attained glory on the battlefields to ordinary citizens like Helen Brasher, who simply wanted to protect her children from the ravages of war. Revolutionary Bergen County explores the struggles and the dramas played out in the homes and on the fields of New Jersey.

Cover image for Revolutionary Bergen County, isbn: 9781596297487

The Isles of Shoals in the Age of Sail

9781596292031

$21.99

Off the picturesque shoreline of New Hampshire and Maine lie eight islands collectively known as the Isles of Shoals. Since the famous English explorer John Smith first set foot on them in 1614, the Isles of Shoals have experienced numerous changes. The once thriving fishing communities suffered many hard years before and after the American Revolution. Since the 1800s, the Isles of Shoals have been revived as a place where travelers, artists and writers can find inspiration and relaxation. The austere beauty of the rocky shores has influenced such notable figures as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Childe Hassam, Sarah Orne Jewett and the poet laureate of the islands, Celia Laighton Thaxter, as well as lesser-known fishers and fishwives, sailors and visitors of the past and present. In this volume, Russell M. Lawson has evoked the fascinating history of the islands, from their discovery to the end of the nineteenth century. It is a must-read for all Shoalers who, like the hardy mariners and inspired artists of the past, follow the call of the sea to the Isles of Shoals.

Cover image for The Isles of Shoals in the Age of Sail, isbn: 9781596292031

Remembering Rutherford

9781596299498

$21.99

From the remote hills and hollows to the parlors and attics of historic Main Street, from the clear memories of centenarians to the dark corners of the state archives come the true accounts in Remembering Rutherford. Daily News Journal columnist Greg Tucker presents the history of Rutherford County, Tennessee, the state's fastest-growing county, in a series of engaging and meticulously researched stories that will inform and amuse both long-time residents and newcomers. Biscuit tea, outhouse births, monkey wrenches, milk snakes, devil fences, whittlers, grave robbers, Boy Scouts, cattle drives, barnstormers, heroes and scoundrelsthey are all in this outstanding collection of local history and lore.

Remembering Smithfield:

9781596296794

$21.99

The legend of John Noforce- whose puzzling death may have been the result of a Native American Romeo and Juliet saga- 1676's bloody Nipsachuck massacre and the scandalous downfall of the poor farm and asylum are a few of the tales that linger among historic Smithfield's fields and forests. Once home to 'Apple King' Thomas K. Winsor and Arthur C. Gould, frustrated inventor of Rhode Island's first and only aircraft rest stop, this storied town has known both triumph and tragedy. Local author Jim Ignasher's expertly woven collection of vignettes speaks to the ever-enduring spirit of Smithfield's people. From illegal ice cream peddlers to a mysterious traveler killed by his own pet rattlesnake, the roots of this vibrant community extend far beyond its celebrated apple orchards

Cover image for Remembering Smithfield:, isbn: 9781596296794

Lincoln and Chicago

9781467151665

$21.99

Abraham Lincoln and Chicago both generate countless books, but this is the first in-depth examination of the actual relationship between the Prairie State's biggest city and its most famous citizen.

The Illinois Rail Splitter's influence can be felt across the Land of Lincoln, but his relationship with Chicago was pivotal in his journey to the national stage. Lincoln first came to Chicago in 1847, a year before the Illinois-Michigan Canal opened and brought spectacular wealth to the region. The Midwestern metropolis is where Lincoln would meet the backers that ultimately propelled him into the White House. Tens of thousands of Chicagoans viewed his coffin at its last stop before its final destination in Springfield. John Toman and Michael Frutig explore how the people of Chicago managed to get their man into power on the eve of the greatest crisis the nation had ever faced.

Haunted El Reno

9781467141550

$21.99

The red brick walls of downtown El Reno have soaked up their fair share of history and sweated out an equal measure of ghosts. The town's thoroughfares carry the fondly remembered clatter of trolley cars and horse-drawn buggies, so long as travelers don't take a wrong turn around Dead Man's Curve or give a lift to the Hunchback of Route 66. The most venerable building in town is the old county jail, where the frontier town's rowdier souls still chafe in captivity. The resident spirit of the Whistle Stop Saloon is considerably more cheerful, even if she overdoes it a bit with the perfume. From the Centre Theatre to the Fort Reno Cemetery, Tanya McCoy and Whitney Wilson catalogue El Reno's most fascinating haunted lore.

Illinois' Haunted Route 66

9781626192522

$21.99

Route 66 is no longer the main thoroughfare between Chicago and St. Louis, but if local lore is to be believed, ghostly traffic along the Mother Road continues unabated. Janice Tremeear chases down accounts of a man executed for witchcraft, the demon baby of Hull House and the secrets of H.H. Holmes's Murder Castle. Native American legends place the piasa bird in the skies above the highway's southern stretch with the same insistence that characterize contemporary UFO sightings in the north. In between, spirits such as Resurrection Mary join the throng of hapless souls wandering the roadside of the Prairie State's most famous byway.

Cover image for Illinois' Haunted Route 66, isbn: 9781626192522

Historic Bristol:

9781596293526

$21.99

Author Richard V. Simpson (who also penned Herreshoff Yachts) offers up a diverse sampling of fascinating and entertaining stories that explore Bristol's every facet from early investigations into possible Viking settlements on the peninsula to the nationally famous Fourth of July celebration, and from the antics of local politicians to the yachts and sailors that have brought the town glory and renown.

Historic Homes of Florida's First Coast

9781626197268

$21.99

Some of the earliest European settlers colonized Northeast Florida when it was little more than a wilderness. Today, the area is rich in multicultural heritage and historic significance, and its historic homes stand as a testament to its intriguing past. Step inside a Second Spanish Period structure that was home to European royalty and visited by iconic film star Greta Garbo. Visit the places that inspired works such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's Pulitzer prize-winning novel The Yearling and British composer Frederick Delius's masterpiece, Florida Suite. Author and award-winning photographer Mary Atwood explores the homes of early colonial settlers, wealthy plantation owners, illustrious Florida artists and those responsible for shaping Florida's First Coast.

Cover image for Historic Homes of Florida's First Coast, isbn: 9781626197268

Arizona Wine

9781467140843

$21.99

Arizona’s flourishing wine industry may surprise those who think of the Grand Canyon State as a desert landscape dotted with cacti.

From the high-country vineyards of the Verde Valley to the rolling plateaus of Sonoita and Willcox, pioneering winemakers are producing nationally acclaimed, award-winning wines. While the 1970s are recognized as launching the modern-day industry, Arizona’s viticulture dates back much further. The Spanish and Jesuit missionaries introduced European winemaking to the Southwest, and the 1800s saw the introduction of Arizona’s first wineries. Join author Christina Barrueta on this fascinating journey and meet the pioneers and visionaries who are forging their own paths to build America’s newest wine region.

Cover image for Arizona Wine, isbn: 9781467140843

Homestead, Florida

9781626191877

$21.99

Originally settled prior to the coming of the Florida East Coast Railway in 1904, Homestead became only the second incorporated municipality in Dade County in 1913. A land of rich soil steeped in agricultural heritage, the area soon grew into a marvelously diverse city of more than sixty thousand residents. The foundation laid by the railroad gave way to the aviation industry when the city became home to Homestead Air Force Base, now Homestead Air Reserve Base. The city has also dealt with adversity, rebuilding itself from the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Homestead is now the gateway to two national parks and is home to Homestead-Miami Speedway, a unique winery and a thriving business community. Join authors Seth H. Bramson and Bob Jensen as they detail the rich history of this South Florida gem.

Cover image for Homestead, Florida, isbn: 9781626191877

Ghosts and Legends of Alcatraz

9781467143875

$21.99

Alcatraz is one of the most infamous prisons in the world. Evil spirits, unknown beasts, vicious murderers and an untold number of ghosts all are said to reside on this tiny island in San Francisco Bay. Rufus McCain, who died a brutal death at the hands of a fellow inmate, is said to roam the grounds, and the basement cells used for solitary confinement were rumored to be so frightening that inmates who endured one stint never wanted to go back. Multiple escape attempts were thwarted, including two attempts by Sam Shockley, who was later executed with fellow inmate Miran Thomson. Join Bob Davis and Brian Clune as they explore chilling tales of death, murder and savagery from America’s Devil’s Island.

Cover image for Ghosts and Legends of Alcatraz, isbn: 9781467143875

Haunted Monterey County

9781467142359

$21.99

From the vistas of Big Sur to the streets of Monterey, the souls of the dead still linger. The Mission San Carlos Borromeo, today known as the Carmel Mission, is the site of numerous unmarked graves from centuries past. Monterey’s Cannery Row once housed the lab of marine biologist Ed Ricketts, who was struck by a train there in 1948—some say on a quiet night you can still hear the sound of the wreck. In Salinas, the Steinbeck House is known for its charming atmosphere and delightful meals, as well as visits from John Steinbeck, despite the fact that he died in 1968. Join writer Patrick Whitehurst as he explores tales of the supernatural and Monterey County’s haunted locales.

Cover image for Haunted Monterey County, isbn: 9781467142359

History Lover's Guide to Dallas, A

9781467142267

$21.99

Don’t let the drawl fool you—Dallas boasts a dynamic history full of explosive growth. The cityscape itself seems eager to measure up to the outsized personalities that forged the town’s identity. A sixty-seven-and-a-half-foot-tall giraffe statue greets visitors to the Dallas Zoo, while guests exiting the Joule Hotel encounter the gaze of a thirty-foot eyeball. A colossal Pegasus glows above it all from its perch on top of the Magnolia Petroleum building. Subtler storylines also thread their way through the forest of glass and steel, from the jazz of Deep Ellum alleyways to the peaceful paths of the Katy Trail. Author Georgette Driscoll looks beyond the inscriptions for the events that shaped Dallas into the city it is today.

Cover image for History Lover's Guide to Dallas, A, isbn: 9781467142267

The Piscataqua Valley in the Age of Sail:

9781596292192

$21.99

In this complex and dynamic history, Russell M. Lawson navigates the story of the Piscataqua Valley from Martin Pring in 1603, through the turbulent Indian wars of colonial days, around the volatile American Revolution and into the smooth sailing of the nineteenth-century shipbuilding industry. In Dover, Durham, Exeter and the entire valley, Piscataqua played a major role in the foundation of the United States, all the while surrounded by the river's natural splendor.

The Piscataqua Valley in the Age of Sail:

Colorado's Historic Churches

9781467142823

$21.99

Colorado’s houses of worship reflect the same trademark resourcefulness and fortitude that the pioneers and history makers demonstrated throughout the state’s history. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, established in 1854, remains the state’s oldest church. Formed by a group of African American settlers, including former slaves, Zion Baptist became Colorado’s first black congregation on November 15, 1865. On May 23, 1868, famed frontiersman Christopher “Kit” Carson died in the historic chapel at Fort Lyon. And thanks to con artist Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith, who raised $600, Creede erected its first church in 1892. From notable parishioners to murders in two separate Denver churches, historian Linda Wommack surveys the heritage and wealth of holy houses in the Mile High State.

Cover image for Colorado's Historic Churches, isbn: 9781467142823

Cave-in-Rock Pirates & Outlaws

9781467140485

$21.99

After the American Revolution, countless pioneers floated into the western frontier on the currents of the Ohio River. Inevitably, their journey brought them past Cave-in-Rock, where the region’s outlaws waited in perfect and perpetual ambush. For almost half a century, notorious rogues such as the Alstons, the Harpes, the Sturdivants, Samuel Mason, James Ford, John Crenshaw, Logan Belt and Duff the Counterfeiter all operated out of the cave’s dark interior. Todd Carr follows the folklore of the horse thieves, pirates and highwaymen clinging to the shadows of the legendary river bluff.

Cover image for Cave-in-Rock Pirates & Outlaws, isbn: 9781467140485

The Benicia State Capitol

9781467143844

$21.99

In February 1853, Benicia was chosen as the third capital of the new state of California. Along with San Jose, Vallejo and Sacramento, Benicia had been vying for the honor of hosting the legislature, and competition was fierce. Benicia was not the first choice, nor did it have what many politicians considered critical amenities, but it had something the others didn’t: a beautiful, Greek-style capitol building available for use. Political rivalries and land disputes would eventually cause Sacramento to be awarded the capital, but for nearly thirteen months, Benicia held that distinction. Author James E. Lessenger provides an inside look at the politics at play in the fledgling Golden State and their effect on the ambitions of Benicia.

Cover image for The Benicia State Capitol, isbn: 9781467143844

Lost Towns of Mason County, Michigan

9781467142656

$21.99

More than a century ago, Mason County was a much different, harsher place. Arriving by foot and boat to find a dense wilderness, hardy pioneers carved out tiny settlements stretching right to the coast of Lake Michigan. When the lumber industry arrived in Michigan, the settlements grew to boomtowns and new towns formed. To serve the lumber industry, the railroad spread across the county, and immigrants and settlers flooded in to have their chance at the American Dream. But when the lumber ran out, the mills closed down. Jobs disappeared, and so did these towns. Out of the thirty-nine settlements, only two cities and six fading villages remain today. Join local author Sandi Lewis-Malburg as she uncovers the towns that time forgot.

Cover image for Lost Towns of Mason County, Michigan, isbn: 9781467142656

Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks and Their Recipes

9781467140812

$21.99

Anyone who has lived or vacationed on the Outer Banks has an old favorite restaurant. Hundreds have opened over many decades and then closed thanks to changing tastes and the vagaries of a seasonal business. Manteo locals loved Miss Esther’s, and midcentury visitors came to stay at the Sea Ranch and sample Alice Sykes’s famed crab bisque. Residents will remember quirky favorites like the Pit and Papagayo’s. the Seafare, The Oasis and Kelly’s were beloved by generations of families. Join Amy Pollard Gaw as she tells tales and presents classic recipes from gone but not forgotten spots.

Cover image for Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks and Their Recipes, isbn: 9781467140812

Ghosts of Houston's Market Square Park

9781467141307

$21.99

Visitors to Market Square Park can pause on their stroll through the downtown centerpiece for a palpable experience of its past. Houston's first four city halls laid their foundations here, and relics of the square's heritage remain embedded in the sidewalks of the park. Chalk up a chance sneeze on Milam Street to the final ghostly gasp of dust from Robert Boyce's sawpits. Step from Congress Street into La Carafe, Houston's oldest commercial building, for the kind of atmosphere that even deceased bartenders are reluctant to leave. From the phantom tailors above Treebeard's to the forgotten mysteries of the town's founding, Sandra Lord and Debe Branning resurrect the history humming through the four blocks surrounding Market Square Park.

Cover image for Ghosts of Houston's Market Square Park, isbn: 9781467141307

Mississippi Bishop William Henry Elder and the Civil War

9781467143806

$24.99

Conquest. War. Famine. Death. During the Civil War, all Four Horsemen circled the flock of William Henry Elder, the third bishop of Natchez. Elder was a hopeful unionist turned secessionist whose diocese encompassed the entirety of Mississippi. Consequently, he witnessed many of the pivotal moments of the Civil War—the capitulation of Natchez, the Siege of Vicksburg, the destruction of Jackson and the overall desolation of a state. And in the midst of the conflict, Bishop Elder went about his daily duties of baptizing, teaching, praying, preaching, performing marriages, confirming, comforting and burying the dead. Join author Ryan Starrett on this moving account of Elder and the heroics of this wartime bishop.

Cover image for Mississippi Bishop William Henry Elder and the Civil War, isbn: 9781467143806

Historic Texas Gyms

9781467141598

$21.99

For generations of small-town Texans, the school gymnasium was the hub of the community. If it was a Tuesday night in Texline, most folks could be found in the old tin barn of a gym, rooting for their Tornadoes against the arch-rival Adrian Matadors. Transcending the role of a sports arena, the gym also provided a place to gather in celebration or shelter in crisis. Sadly, with the dramatic reduction of school districts around the state, many of the polished floorboards that once hosted graduations and beauty pageants now splinter beneath the weight of storage, farm equipment and guano-covered junk. From the pickup basketball game Elvis played in Hawkins to the tragic account of four Ennis war heroes, Jackie McBroom recounts stories from these beloved halls.

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Tragedy at Southern Oregon Tunnel 13

9781626193468

$24.99

The DeAutremont brothers were looking for a big score. They brought dynamite, guns and a getaway car. On October 11, 1923, at the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon, the three young men held up a passenger train, with disastrous consequences. Their rash actions resulted in the tragic deaths of three Southern Pacific trainmen and one U.S. Mail clerk, unleashing a public outcry that still rings through Oregon's history. In this riveting account, rail historian Scott Mangold draws on interviews, in-depth research and previously unpublished maps and photographs to document the events at Tunnel 13. Join Mangold as he chronicles the resulting four-year manhunt and eventual conviction of the DeAutremonts and provides insight into the lives derailed by the robbery's bitter legacy.

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Hidden History of Rhode Island and the Civil War

9781626192317

$24.99

The smallest state to defend the Union and one far from the battlefront, Rhode Island's stories of the Civil War are often overlooked. From Brown University's John M. Hay, later to become Lincoln's assistant secretary, to the city of Newport's role as the temporary headquarters for the U.S. Naval Academy, the Civil War history of the Ocean State is a fascinating if little-known tale. Few know that John Wilkes Booth visited Newport to meet his supposed fiancee just nine days before he assassinated President Lincoln. The state also contributed several high-ranking officers to the Union effort and, more surprisingly, two prominent officers to the Confederacy. Remarkably, Kady Southwell Brownell also openly served as a soldier in a Rhode Island infantry regiment. Join author Frank L. Grzyb as he investigates Rhode Island's rich Civil War history and unearths century-old stories that have since faded into obscurity.

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Lost Restaurants of Memphis

9781467142526

$21.99

Memphis is well known for its cuisine, and there is no end to the iconic restaurants that hold a place in the hearts of locals. Johnny Mills Barbecue was home to the “barbecue king of Beale Street.” Gaston’s Restaurant was owned by John Gaston, the “prince of Memphis restaurateurs.” Leonard’s Pit Barbecue was operated by Leonard Heuberger, the man who invented the pulled pork sandwich. Gayhawk Drive-In was hugely popular with African Americans during segregation. Author G. Wayne Dowdy details the history of Memphis’s most celebrated restaurants and the reasons they will live forever.

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World War II Long Island

9781467147187

$21.99

Long Island was transformed from a pastoral rural community to a modern suburban behemoth by playing an integral role in the homefront of World War II. Dozens of Nazi spies infiltrated industry throughout the island and communicated industrial secrets back to Germany as the FBI chased them down. Long Island held the record for producing the most fighter planes in the country with the rapid rebirth of its aviation sector. Five Medal of Honor recipients called the region home. At the close of the war, the United Nations established itself in a weapons factory in Lake Success. Author Christopher Verga charts the rise of Long Island and its role in World War II.

Growing Up in Gulfport

9781467144087

$21.99

During the ’50s and into the ’60s, Gulfport’s booming downtown was unmatched in the state, while its vibrant waterfront nightlife kept the coast rocking long after other small towns were fast asleep. Those who lived in Gulfport during that golden age have warm memories of high school bonfires on the beach, submarine races at the Rock Pile and parties at the Fiesta. After a day splashing in the Gulf, there were Wheel Burgers at Spiders, ice cream cones at Stone’s, cold beers at Elsie’s and snowballs at the Pop Corn King. This nostalgic look at boomer-era Gulfport is the surest way to step on back to the glory years.

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South Dakota's Cowboy Governor Tom Berry

9781467119412

$21.99

As South Dakotans endured the Great Depression and developing Dust Bowl in 1932, they elected a cowboy as their governor. Tom Berry rode in the great, iconic 1902 cattle roundup ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt. He established the successful Double X ranch next to the Badlands. Big voiced and tireless, Berry commanded the attention of all, including President Franklin Roosevelt, who broke protocol and called him Tom or Cowboy in White House meetings. Berry faced bitter political rivalries and weather that threatened to blow South Dakotans off their land, but he is remembered for his humorous wit throughout. Author Paul S. Higbee traces the history of South Dakota and its iconic governor.

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Tompkins County New York

9781596296848

$21.99

Decades of memories culled from attics, albums, and organizations alike are preserved in this charming collection of photographs chronicling the everyday lives of Tompkins County residents. This book showcases images of activity, such as farmers hard at work and people dancing into the early hours of the morning, as well as the more subdued images of universal human connection, such as moments of sorrow, contemplation and reflection. The stories of those from the past unfold as they bring to life a history long forgotten and a sense of continuity and familiarity uniting these disparate worlds.

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Stories of Slavery in New Jersey

9781467146678

$24.99

Dutch and English settlers brought the first enslaved people to New Jersey in the seventeenth century. By the time of the Revolutionary War, slavery was an established practice on labor-intensive farms throughout what became known as the Garden State. The progenitor of the influential Morris family, Lewis Morris, brought Barbadian slaves to toil on his estate of Tinton Manor in Monmouth County. “Colonel Tye,” an escaped slave from Shrewsbury, joined the British “Ethiopian Regiment” during the Revolutionary War and led raids throughout the towns and villages near his former home. Charles Reeves and Hannah Van Clief married soon after their emancipation in 1850 and became prominent citizens of Lincroft, as did their next four generations. Author Rick Geffken reveals stories from New Jersey’s dark history of slavery.

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North Platte's Keith Blackledge

9781467148047

$21.99

Popular culture glorified newspapers in the 1970s, creating a kind of mythical community newspaperman--like Keith Blackledge, longtime editor of the North Platte Telegraph. In his editorials and columns he praised, scolded, cajoled, teased and encouraged readers. He provided a civic connection while, mostly behind the scenes, he worked to make the town better. Blackledge's story resonates today because it's also about the evolution of newspapers. The editor's career spanned a time when the industry was hit by a tsunami of change, including shrinking circulations and advertising revenues, and new technologies altering forever the way news is produced and consumed. Author Carol Lomicky chronicles the life of this remarkable newspaperman.

An Environmental History of the Willamette Valley

9781467141468

$24.99

Western Oregon's Willamette Basin, once a vast wilderness, became a thriving community almost overnight. When Oregon territory was opened for homesteading in the early 1800s, most of the intrepid pioneers settled in the valley, spurring rapid changes in the landscape. Heralded as fertile with a mild climate and an abundance of natural resources, the valley enticed farmers, miners and loggers, who were quickly followed by the construction of rail lines and roads. Dams were built to harness the once free-flowing Willamette River and provide power to the growing population. As cities rose, people like Portland architect Edward Bennett and conservationist governor Tom McCall worked to contain urban sprawl. Authors Elizabeth and William Orr bring to life the changes that sculpted Oregon's beloved Willamette Valley.

An Environmental History of the Willamette Valley

Patriot Hero of the Hudson Valley

9781467140515

$21.99

A female Paul Revere, 16 year old Sybil Ludington's heroic actions helped the army win many battles in the Hudson Valley of New York. Read the fascinating story of her life and legacy.

The Revolutionary War in the Hudson Valley inspired the rise of heroes and heroines alike. On a rainy night in 1777, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington mounted her beloved horse and rode forty miles through enemy-infested Putnam County to warn her father’s regiment of impending British raids. Riding twice the distance of Paul Revere and under more dire circumstances, her heroic efforts helped position the Continental army in subsequent battles. A widow at a young age, Sybil became a successful businesswoman in a male-dominated profession and lived in the region for her remaining years. Through family documents and correspondence, author Vincent T. Dacquino charts the incredible life and legacy of Sybil Ludington.

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Scioto County's War with Spain

9781467147989

$21.99

p>Discover the fascinating history of one of America's most overlooked conflicts through the eyes of one community as they rallied behind their native sons serving during the Spanish-American War.

Like much of the nation in 1898, Scioto County, Ohio, burned with war fever. In their zeal to liberate Cubans from Spanish oppression, the communities rallied around its small National Guard company, Company H. Local papers ran constant updates from "the boys,'? who found themselves liberating Puerto Rico. The home front buzzed with activity, as church groups, civic clubs and individuals shipped care packages to the soldiers. The community went wild upon their return seven months later. Parades, dedications and honorifics of every sort proclaimed that the sacrifices of community and soldiers would never be forgotten. But they were. Local history buff John McHenry brings to light the struggles and triumphs of the county during this oft-overlooked conflict.

Saving Fire Island from Robert Moses

9781467140348

$21.99

With its unspoiled, tranquil shorelines, Fire Island has been an oasis for vacationers for more than 150 years. To the polarizing "master builder" Robert Moses, its coastline was ripe for the construction of an Ocean Parkway extension. Standing up to those ambitions were the seventeen individualistic communities of Fire Island, unified in their love for their sun-washed sandy beaches. To maintain a traditional way of life with limited access to motor vehicles, the community began the fight for federal protection through the creation of the Fire Island National Seashore. Author Christopher Verga presents this triumphant struggle against the Goliath of twentieth-century New York development.

Lost Fox Cities

9781467140331

$21.99

The lumber kings and paper barons of the Fox River Valley transformed a wilderness of vast, rich timberlands and raging river waters into empires of pine, paper and power. In Oshkosh, lumber dynasties such as Paine and Morgan helped rebuild a nation ravaged by fire and war. Four young Neenah entrepreneurs with no experience in papermaking formed Kimberly-Clark, one of the largest paper manufacturers in the world. H.J. Rogers of Appleton watched his home light up the night after he wired it with Edison’s electric lightbulbs, the first in the world to do so utilizing hydroelectricity. These men ushered in an era of opulence shining with steamboat excursions along the river, palatial mansions in plush neighborhoods and lavish hotels and movie houses. Much of this bygone age now exists only in photographs, written accounts or memories. Local photographer and historian Scott Wittman recovers this vanishing history.