Investigate the mysteries surrounding the brutal murder of Wauwatos's Arthur "Buddy'? Schumacher Jr. A must-read for fans of true crime and Wisconsin history enthusiasts.

In 1925, the peaceful Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosafound itself involved in mystery and horror. Eight-year-old Arthur ""Buddy"" Schumacher Jr. was last seen by three of his friends after they hopped off a freight train they'd jumped to get a ride to a nearby swimming hole.

For seven weeks, the community and state searched desperately to find the boy until his body was found just a mile from his house with his clothing torn and a handkerchief shoved down his throat. The police pursued several promising leads, but to no avail.

In this engaging mystery, author Paul Hoffman walks us back to the scene of the crime and through the reasons it was never solved.

What disturbing secrets surround the cold, deep waters of Lake Michigan?

Sudden violent storms and rocky shoals have claimed the lives of countless mortals foolish enough to brave the treacherous surf of Lake Michigan. But is there another, unnatural force at work? A force that spirited away a ship's captain from a locked cabin without a trace? A force that caused a perfectly airworthy jet to fly into the waves, taking all its passengers to a watery death? Perhaps these tragedies are linked to numerous UFO sightings over the lake. Or perhaps a clue might be found in the prehistoric Stonehenge-like structures discovered deep beneath the crystalline blue surface.

Historian and storyteller Gayle Soucek will explore the mysteries behind the area known as the Lake Michigan Triangle.

Ideally situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Sheboygan was once known as the "City of Chairs, Churches, Cheese, and Children" for its abundance of each. Over time, the city's claim to fame has changed. It is now celebrated for bratwurst and hard rolls, great surfing on Lake Michigan, speedy cycling on its city streets, unparalleled sportfishing, and miles of sandy beaches and beautiful dunes in family-friendly parks. A fanciful tale often told to explain the meaning of the name Sheboygan involves an Indian chief who had many sons but no daughters; when his wife presented him with yet another boy, she was rumored to have lamented, "She a boy again." In reality, most authorities agree that Sheboygan is a Chippewa word, but the meaning remains elusive. Some say it refers to a passageway near water, while others say it documents a great river disappearing underground.

In April 1834, the Green-Bay Intelligencer newspaper reported that a sawmill was being erected in a new settlement on the Milwaukee River. Less than one year later, the paper reported that "Milwaukey [sic], which 10 months ago, had only a single trading house, has now some 20 or 30 houses, and two or three saw mills." Yankee settlers and land speculators had moved in and were here to stay. The steady growth of Milwaukee was never wholly due to the influx of ambitious Easterners though. In ever-expanding numbers, Europeans also made their way here, not merely as settlers, but frequently as hard-working business owners, skilled laborers, and artists. They were determined to make Milwaukee their home, and in this new homeland they surrounded themselves (and influenced the entire community) with their old traditions and languages. Thirty years after its first newspaper write-up, Milwaukee was a well-established city brimming with potential.

From City Hall to the Pabst Theater, reminders of the past are part of the fabric of Milwaukee. Yet many historic treasures have been lost to time.

Blocks of homes and apartments replaced the Wonderland Amusement Park. A quiet bike path now stretches where some of fastest trains in the world previously thundered. Today's Estabrook Park was a vast mining operation, and Marquette University covers the old fairgrounds where Abraham Lincoln spoke. Author Carl Swanson recounts these stories and other tales of bygone days.

In his book Cream City Chronicles, Milwaukee historian John Gurda wrote, "What lies buried beneath the trees of Forest Home is the foundation of Milwaukee." In 1849, St. Paul's Episcopal Church purchased 72 acres in Milwaukee to create Forest Home Cemetery, a cemetery for the city and an eternal resting place for all. Increase Lapham was hired to design Forest Home based on the "garden cemetery" model. More than a thousand trees speak to its name. The first burial occurred in August 1850, and the story continues today with 189 acres of a graceful landscape and Victorian-era monuments that are measured in tons. Beneath its majestic trees are buried the city's historic founders and developers, mayors, beer barons, industrialists, pioneering women, and Civil War casualties, whose fascinating stories are brought to life through never-before-seen photographs.