Name: Railroads of Southwest Florida
Brand: Gregg M. Turner
SKU: 9780738503493
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Railroads of Southwest Florida

9780738503493

$24.99

When the first "Iron Horse" arrived in Southwest Florida--at Charlotte Harbor in 1886--nearly 150,000 miles of railroads already existed in America, the transcontinental route was open, and Pullman sleeping cars were in wide use. But despite a late start, railroads forever transformed this beautiful region of the Sunshine State and connected its people to the outside world. In Railroads of Southwest Florida, the golden age of railroading
is documented with captivating images of stations, machines, and the people whose lives were affected by this significant form of transportation. From interior views of well-furnished passenger cars to scenes of hardworking men who made it all possible, this collection provides a thorough look at a fascinating, almost forgotten heritage.

Berea

9780738533308

$24.99

Quarrying was a major industry from roughly 1850 to 1950 in
Berea, attracting large numbers of immigrants in search of work.
Baldwin Institute and University (1846) and German Wallace College (1863) created an academic atmosphere, and Berea's citizens became an eclectic and resilient mix of academics, business people, and immigrants. Eventually, quarrying ended, and the downtown business district, the Triangle, was nearly destroyed by fire three times. Each time the determined residents of Berea rebuilt. Today, Berea is a unique Cleveland suburb. Baldwin University and German Wallace College merged, and the south side of town has been devoted to recreation by the Cleveland Metroparks System and the City of Berea. The largest quarry became Coe Lake, a site for fishing, canoeing, art fairs, concerts, and ice-skating. Coffee shops, boutiques, and art galleries now thrive in old livery stables, icehouses, and hardware stores. Many of the grand homes of the 19th century still stand, proudly boasting their bronze "Century Home" plaques.

Brisbane

9780738570488

$24.99

Beginning with Native American encampments on the slopes and valleys of San Bruno Mountain, through Spanish occupation and Mexican land grants, to today's vibrant suburban community, Brisbane's story is an intriguing one. The town was either named for newspaperman Arthur Brisbane, or for the Australian coastal city of Brisbane, depending on the story. During the Great Depression, many people wanting to escape crowded San Francisco for a simpler, less urban life found it in Brisbane, which began with dairies and ranches and gradually grew up along the hillsides radiating from Visitacion Avenue. Brisbane has always been known for its spirit of independence, and the people here have been able to participate in small-town democracy more fully than in larger cities.

The University of Pennsylvania Band

9780738545578

$24.99

The University of Pennsylvania Band, among the first collegiate marching bands in the country, was founded in 1897. Ever since, it has been a cornerstone of student life on campus, serving as a guardian of musical traditions and all things red and blue. The University of Pennsylvania Band is a distinctive photographic collection tracing the evolution of the student-led organization from its start as the prototype for the modern collegiate marching band, through the dramatic social changes during the middle of the 20th century, to the comedic Ivy League-style "scramble" band it became towards the end of its first 100 years. By following the evolution of the band, this pictorial collection traces the changes that occurred within the student body over the decades, including times of war and social inequality.

Around Mendon and Honeoye Falls

9780738536774

$24.99

Around Mendon and Honeoye Falls is a photographic essay that imparts a sense of the people who lived here and their activities from early times. The first pictorial history of the area, it contains images from the town historian's files, the village files, and the historical society files. Located south of Rochester in Monroe County, Mendon and its sole village, Honeoye Falls, were first settled in 1791. Mendon was officially organized in 1813, a few years before Rochester. Just far enough away from the bustle of that city, Mendon continues to be a lovely, rolling, rural township with a number of large farms, and Honeoye Falls continues to draw visitors throughout the year.

Rayne's People and Places

9780738543482

$24.99

Many people who visit Rayne to enjoy its charming murals and picturesque streets know the community as a quaint city along their vacation's journey. However, Rayne is more than just a pleasant stopover for tourists and passersby; it is a destination in its own right-a multicultural, historic community that has enjoyed a vibrant and interesting past. Rayne's People and Places provides insight into the heritage and cultural lifestyles of its citizens-like some who jitterbugged at the old Hollywood Club, drank peach nectars at People's Drug Store, and ate biscuits at Paco's-by showing their families, homes, and workplaces.

Jonesport and Beals

9780738554631

$24.99

About a year after the Mayflower arrived in the New
World, Colonel William Beal came to America on the Fortune. He soon settled in the area of Jonesport and
Beals Island. The quaint area of Jonesport and Beals, on the northern section of Maine's shoreline, became a summer haven for many families in northern Maine and remains a summer resort area today. Jonesport's livelihood still relies on fishing and sardine packing, as it did over 100 years ago. Beals, a community on Beals Island, is known for its
deep-sea fishing. Over 200 images reflect the peaceful life in Jonesport, Beals, and the outer islands of Jonesport as it has been for many years. Residents and tourists spend time exploring the many secluded bays and islands, walking the beaches, and picking the blueberries that are abundant in this area of the country.

Ottumwa

9780738541068

$24.99

Long one of Iowa's most important industrial cities, Ottumwa was established on the banks of the Des Moines River in 1843. The river was both a blessing, providing transportation as well as ice for early meatpacking plants, and a curse, inundating the city with periodic floods until it was tamed in the latter half of the 20th century. This collection of vintage photographs highlights the city's industries and laboring people, the river's role in the shaping of the community, and Ottumwa's unique place in history as the location of the Iowa Coal Palace and Industrial Exhibits of 1890 and 1891 and the Ottumwa Naval Air Station during the World War II era.

The Communities of Western Aroostook County

9780738550275

$24.99

Over 200 rare and vintage photographs document the beginnings and transformations of this area in The Communities of Western Aroostook County.

The beauty and strength of the landscape of northwestern Maine is reflected in the people who have lived here since the area was first settled in the mid-nineteenth century. Arriving from as far away as Sweden and as near as the next village, the first pioneers transformed a hard and often unforgiving land known as ""the last frontier"" into settlements, farms, and homes. These settlements are still with us today: Ashland, Castle Hill, Crouseville, Mapleton, Masardis, Oxbow, Perham, Portage, Sheridan, Wade, Washburn, and Woodland. The settlers and their descendants earned a reputation for honesty, thrift, dependability, tenacity, and hard work which spread far beyond Western Aroostook County itself. Over two hundred vivid photographs show the way life used to be. We meet loggers and farmers, hunters and guides, and innkeepers and blacksmiths, while also getting a glimpse into the daily lives of the rich variety of people that make the western area of Aroostook County so unique. Whether pictured bustling down Main Street, enjoying Christmas sleigh rides, mourning a departed relative, hauling logs, or tending the farm, our forebears reach out to us across the decades in this fascinating book.

The Communities of Western Aroostook County

Hubbardston

9780738565156

$24.99

Incorporated on June 13, 1767, Hubbardston began as a rural farming community. The town's many farms produced crops, livestock, and dairy products, and millponds utilized the waterpower from local streams to run mill sites. There were several inns and hotels in town, as Hubbardston was a central north-south travel route. The railroad arrived in 1871 and brought many changes, including a great influx of Finnish immigrants who settled in town. Some noted residents were Adam Wheeler, who was second in command at Shay's Rebellion; Jonas G. Clark, founder of Clark University; and Waino Holopainen and Roy Handy, famous for the invention of the first hydraulic backhoe.

Along the Octorara

9780738554655

$24.99

This fascinating visual history provides a glimpse into the past of the area around the Octorara Valley, a region in Southeastern Pennsylvania, covering the dramatic changes that have occurred in the years from 1850 to 1960. Through photographs provided by the Greater Octorara Valley Historical Society and by several individual citizens of the community, those who open this book will see ordinary and extraordinary people of an earlier time reacting to great events: the clash between slavery and freedom that produced the Civil War, the industrialization that transformed rural life, the Great Depression that cast its blight across the nation, the calls to arms that sounded in 1917 and in 1941, and the mix of anxiety and abundance that shaped American life after World War II. However, just as important, the reader will find in these pages Americans of an earlier period living as we all must, one day at a time.

Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church Cemetery

9780738543109

$24.99

Historic First Presbyterian Church Cemetery was established in 1831 and over time has survived vandalism, storms, an earthquake, and threats of removal. It is a lasting remembrance to the early citizens of Greensboro who carved a city out of the wilderness. Originally the cemetery was located on the edge of town, but because of Greensboro's growth, it is now nestled in the center of the cultural district behind the Greensboro Historical Museum. Those buried in the cemetery are from all walks of life-from wealthy to poor, those with doctorate degrees to the illiterate, the famous to those whose names are lost for all time, the newborn to the centenarian, the saint to the sinner, and the slave owner to the abolitionist. The early builders of the city and state and veterans of four wars now rest in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church Cemetery

Around Scottdale and Everson

9780738592596

$24.99

From early homesteads to coke ovens to Lake Forest Park and the YMCA, journey through over 200 years of Scottsdale and Everson's history in this photographic tale.

Prior to the Great Depression, coal mines and coke ovens made Scottdale the wealthiest community in Westmoreland County. Once part of a region that was known as the world's largest producer of metallurgical coke, the area's prosperity created a thriving business district on the road to Pittsburgh, lined Chestnut Street with elegant Victorian mansions, and provided a home for a baseball farm team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. Immigrants from Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean joined earlier Scotch Irish and German settlers to create a rich cultural heritage. Around Scottdale and Everson celebrates this ethnic diversity. Pictured within are views of early homesteads, coke ovens, mills, and places where residents lived, shopped, worshiped, and played, including Lake Forest Park and the YMCA. Although recent economic growth shifted to nearby interstate highways, Scottdale and Everson occupy a strategic gateway to the Laurel Highlands, which promises to attract new immigrants preferring to live near open spaces and in neighborhoods without strangers.

Brighton

9780738569413

$24.99

The town of Brighton was founded by railroad man and real estate developer Daniel F. Carmichael at the junction of the Denver Pacific (now Union Pacific) and Denver and Boulder Valley Railroads. Carmichael determined, "There should be a town here that would do credit to the splendid valley." The junction, originally named Hughes after the first president of the Denver Pacific Railroad, had a long history as a crossroads of the West. The town grew into an agricultural center for the Platte River Valley with a thriving sugar beet industry, dairies, and canning factories, but the changing economy would transform Brighton first into a suburban community and now into one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.

Melrose Park

9780738560939

$24.99

Originally founded by German immigrants, followed by successive waves of Lithuanians, Italians, and Hispanics, Melrose Park has undergone a series of transformations since its incorporation in 1882. Close proximity to Chicago and the coming of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad ensured that Melrose Park became a center for manufacturing and heavy industry. Major companies including Benjamin Moore, International Harvester, and the National Malleable Castings Company built plants here, and the town was also known as the headquarters for Polk Brothers. Entertainment and leisure activities have been an important part of life in Melrose Park too. Kiddieland Amusement Park was built in 1929, quickly becoming a popular destination for Chicago area families, and the town was also home to classic movie theaters, the North Avenue Rollerway, and the Come Back Inn, a popular local restaurant. The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a cherished Melrose Park event that has been celebrated annually since 1894.

Northfield

9780738536576

$24.99

Northfield is a vibrant South Jersey community with farm, seaport, and shipbuilding beginnings. First settled in the late 1700s, it is a place of beautiful homes built by ship captains during the 1700s and 1800s. Northfield portrays the history of the community with stunning photographs and a wealth of fascinating detail. At one time, Northfield grew food for Atlantic City hotels; its office for marriage license applications was in the insane asylum; and its glass factory sold laboratory glassware to Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine.

Ocean Shores

9780738580456

$24.99

Ocean Shores was the newest city in Washington for nearly 40 years, but for centuries before it had been a place of permanent occupation and food gathering for Native American tribes and a place for sea otter hunters, pioneers, and settlers to reach the interior of the Olympic Peninsula. Before Ocean Shores, there was the dream of a town called Cedarville followed by the reality of Lone Tree with its post office and 200 residents. Point Brown Peninsula was a village of survival for Polynesian Kanakas, Finns living on the edge of society, migrant workers called Bluebills, and a Hooverville for Depression-era families. After World War II, when developers first conceived of creating a "Venice of the West," many said their dream would never last. However, in 1970, Ocean Shores became a city and today has entered its 50th year of development.

Walpole

9780738565491

$24.99

Walpole, a picturesque New England town on the banks of the Connecticut River, is older than the nation itself. Founded in 1752 by Colonial charter from New Hampshire's royal governor, the town's history parallels that of the nation, and it retains historic settings-period homes, gardens, squares, and commons. Walpole has been home to farmers, loggers, and mill and railroad workers, as well as artists, writers, and world-class chocolatiers. The traditional sense of community is as alive today in Walpole as it was in the early days, when community was necessary for survival.

Nutley

9780738562537

$24.99

Once part of Newark, Nutley has grown from a weekend getaway for tired New Yorkers and a permanent home for artists and writers into a charming small city.

Though only three square miles in area, Nutley boasts over 125 acres of park land, as well as the beautiful Third River which runs through the town. In Nutley, town historian and author John Demmer presents a fascinating look at the changes the town as undergone, as well as the life of its residents through the years. Demmer also illustrates Nutley's earliest commercial industry, the brownstone quarry, as well as the textile and banker's safety paper industry.

Chatham

9780738545615

$24.99

Chatham and the Passaic River have been inextricably linked for nearly 275 years, since the town's founding under the informal name of Day's Bridge.

The name of Day's Bridge honored John Day, builder of the first span across the river, which forms the eastern edge of the town but the true nature of the town's residents is reflected in the area's permanent name, selected by villagers in 1773. Chatham is named for Great Britain's William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, who was a champion of American liberties during that revolutionary era. The Passaic, fondly referred to by locals as ""The Fishawack,"" inspired the gradual flourishing of early mills and factories. Small shops, hotels, and especially the railroad brought nineteenth-century prosperity to Chatham's Main Street, and extended the influence of residents who commute to Newark and New York City. John T. Cunningham, New Jersey's preeminent historian, chronicles this growth and the relationship between populace and river through wonderful photographs and intriguing historic details.

Welch

9780738543048

$24.99

After the Civil War, Capt. Isaiah Welch, a Doddridge County, West Virginia, native, took a job as a surveyor with Maj. Jed Hotchkiss of Staunton, Virginia. Hotchkiss had served as Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's mapmaker and charted Jackson's famous Valley Campaign, and Welch had been an officer of the 13th Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery. The war left Virginia's agrarian economy in ruins, and men like Hotchkiss and Welch worked to develop a new, industrial South. Welch surveyed the Pocahontas Coalfield in 1873, and a city named in his honor emerged in the heart of that great coalfield. Chartered on July 12, 1894, Welch has played a pivotal role in America's industrial revolution as a support system and supply house to the timber industry and as a coal industry hub. Throughout more than a century, Welch has served as a gateway for the raw materials and manpower that fueled the nation's quest for growth and power. The city has been constantly beset by the challenges of maintaining a civilization in West Virginia's steepest and most remote mountains, but after decades of being tested by nature, Welch is now on the verge of yet another renaissance.

Chester

9780738554686

$24.99

Formerly known as Black River, the village of Chester lies in the hills of Morris County, New Jersey.

Located on the site of former Native American trails, Chester was incorporated as a township in 1799. Join local historian and photographer Joan S. Case for this unique and informative look at the history of Chester--with images donated by the local historical society as well as many Chester families, this pictorial history covers the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. During this period, Chester was home to one of the busiest mining districts in New Jersey, and was also an important agricultural area; local distilleries turned thousands of bushels of Chester apples into the famous "Jersey Lightning. '? Five sites in Chester, including Zephaniah Drake's Brick Hotel, have been accepted into both the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Porter

9780738538785

$24.99

Porter depicts the history of a town that has been shaped by the strategic military position of Fort Niagara. Like other towns, Porter has often confronted the challenge of preserving its identity. Yet, gradual changes over the centuries have not altered, for the most part, the quality of life in its villages of Youngstown and Ramsomville and across the rest of its 19,870 acres. This northwest Niagara County community still cherishes its heritage, lush farmlands, classic mix of suburban and rural settings, and unique role in Niagara frontier history.

Jurupa

9780738530826

$24.99

The far northwestern corner of Riverside County, between the San Bernardino County line and the Santa Ana River, contains a collage of unincorporated small communities with a medley of names: Pedley, Mira Loma, Indian Hills, Glen Avon, Sunnyslope, Jurupa Hills, Belltown, Rubidoux, Eastvale, and Crestmore. North of the occasionally bone-dry riparian course that gave the County and City of Riverside their names, these crossroads and "burgs" together are referred to as Jurupa. Originally part of the vast Mexican land grant known as "Rancho Jurupa," the area evolved from the days of the caballeros to a place with a population now approaching 100,000. Its history includes ranching, farming, mining, catastrophic floods, and booming subdivisions. In this volume, more than 200 vintage photographs depict Jurupa in the only published collection of historic images devoted to this area.

Historic West Salem

9780738543222

$24.99

West Salem is located in the southeast corner of Winston-Salem. It has the historical distinction of containing the land that made up the farms and industry of Colonial Salem. While East Salem, the congregational town and village, controlled business and religious interests, West Salem provided the heart, soul, and backbone of the area with the work of its blue-collar residents. The residents produced the food, mills, and industrial interests that allowed the town to function so successfully in its early years. Throughout West Salem's history, it always triumphed over such challenges as wars and the Great Depression. Images of America: Historic West Salem showcases the stories and photographs of the regular folks whose hard work and sacrifice fueled the greatness of our American leaders.

Kittitas County

9780738595887

$24.99

Located in the heart of Washington State, Kittitas County is a diverse and beautiful landscape, from the mountains, lakes, and forests in the west to the semiarid shrub-steppe with agricultural lands leading to the Columbia River in the east. When the settlers of Ellensburg sought to break away from Yakima County and establish their own county, they wanted to gain autonomy as well as increase the chances of the county seat, Ellensburg, becoming the state capital. The Washington Territorial Legislature established Kittitas County in 1883, and just a few years later, the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad quickly aided in the settling of the county. Soon, coal was discovered in northwestern Kittitas County, which provided a boom in settlement and the expansion of the upper county population. Today, Interstate 90, which follows an old Native American trail, brings people from the Seattle area into Kittitas County, much as the trial has for millennia.

East Brunswick

9780738563251

$24.99

Located in central Middlesex County, East Brunswick is a community of more than 40,000 people. Once part of North Brunswick, it broke away and incorporated as a separate entity in 1860. The city has both an agrarian history and well-defined neighborhoods with fascinating architecture and interesting characters; it has been home to nationally known artist J.C. Thom and noteworthy author Henrietta Christian Wright. This once-rural farming community is now a large, suburban township that takes pride in its ethnic diversity and cultural background. In this new addition to the Images of America series, rare
images of this New Jersey township come to life, celebrating the community's rich heritage. Many of the images featured in this collection have been generously contributed by local families and the East Brunswick Museum Corporation.

Village of Montgomery

9780738573113

$24.99

Noted for its picturesque historic districts and venerable homes, the village of Montgomery is nestled into northern Orange County, bounded by the Wallkill River in the shadow of the Comfort Hills. Filled with rare photographs dating from the 1870s to the present, Village of Montgomery focuses on the history of the hamlet and its churches, roads, businesses, schools, and cemeteries, providing insight into how village residents lived, worked, and played in years past. The insightful text accompanying each photograph reveals intriguing and little-known facts about the village and its people.

Around Lake Cumberland

9780738568195

$24.99

Lake Cumberland is a premier vacation destination for millions of people each year. Before Lake Cumberland became a recreational paradise, the wild and wondrous Cumberland River ruled the land.

With its 1,255 miles of federally protected shoreline, an average depth of 90 feet, and a surface area of more than 60,000 acres, Lake Cumberland is one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States, yet visitors may not realize the storied history that lies beneath the deep water. Although plagued by spring floods, towns and communities prospered along her banks. In an effort to control the Cumberland River and reduce flooding, Wolf Creek Dam was constructed following the Flood Control Act of 1938. With the dam in place, Lake Cumberland began filling in 1951. The dam offered protection to South Central Kentucky, but it drowned or forever changed many thriving towns and communities. Images of America: Around Lake Cumberland shows what life was like along the banks of the Cumberland River before Lake Cumberland was born.

West Linn

9780738558509

$24.99

The largest iron meteorite discovered in the United States, weighing 15.5 tons, was unearthed in West Linn in 1902 and featured in the 1905 World's Fair before journeying to New York's American Museum of Natural History, where it remains. West Linn was carved onto the map years before, when Robert Moore purchased 1,000 acres of land in 1840 from the Wallamut Indians at Willamette Falls. Soon a lumber mill and flour mill were established, and the region was given a new name--Linn City--after free-state advocate Lewis F. Linn. Hugh Burns and the Miller, Fields, and Walling families also figured in early West Linn history. Though an 1861 fire, then flood, destroyed what was Linn City, the falls continued drawing industry. Officially incorporated into Oregon in 1913, West Linn, known for its hills, trees, rivers, and famous meteorite, is a sought-after community in which to raise families and made the 2005 top-100 list of best places to live.

Polk County, Georgia

9780738568652

$24.99

From the arrival of the first settlers in 1832, Polk
County has seen a colorful parade of individuals. The Cherokee Indian Chief Collard, the Polk County
Avenger, and the Iron King of the South are just a few of the people who have left their mark on the area. For the first time, many eventful stories about
such individuals have been assembled and illustrated
in the fascinating visual history Polk County, Georgia. Through many years of combing the county for local history, the author, a Polk County resident for 20 years and a self-described "enlightened Yankee," has combined carefully selected images with informative text to create an evocative pictorial history that brings the county's rich past to life.

Jewish Ann Arbor

9780738540214

$24.99

The earliest Jewish settlers arrived in Michigan during the mid-18th century. Primarily traders associated with the burgeoning fur industry, few of these entrepreneurs remained permanently. During the early 1840s, the five Weil
brothers, farmers and tanners from Germany, became the first prominent Jewish settlers in Washtenaw County. By the end of that decade, a Jewish cemetery was established on what is now the site of the Horace Rackham Building on the University of Michigan campus. Though the Weil family
eventually moved west, the cemetery remained as a marker for what was then a miniscule Jewish presence. In the early 20th century, Osias Zwerdling and the Lansky family arrived. In addition to reestablishing a Jewish presence in Ann Arbor, they helped form what became Beth Israel Congregation. Growth of the Ann Arbor Jewish community coincided with the evolution of the university, as well as the city. By the end of the 20th century, a vibrant community representing all facets of Judaism had been established.

Johnston County

9780738568812

$24.99

Photographs can bring history to life and help us to make connections between the past and our daily
lives. With Johnston County, authors Todd Johnson and Durwood Barbour have created a work that truly
teaches us and guides us from the past of this area into the new millennium. In this exciting new work, every one of the county's seventeen townships has been covered, with rare images dating primarily from the turn of the century to 1945. Mostly candid shots of people who have influenced Johnston's social, cultural, and economic development, these images bring us to a time when the pace of life was slower. Other, more well-known citizens we meet include film star Ava Gardner and Lunsford Richardson, inventor of Vick's VapoRub. Also featured in this book are images of important events, like the highly publicized, catastrophic munitions truck explosion near Selma in 1942.

Sayreville

9780738504902

$24.99

Sayreville is located in Middlesex County on the southern bank of the Raritan River. The area, once known as Roundabout, sits where the river flows into Raritan Bay. The town's recorded history dates to the time when the Rarachon and Navisink tribes of the Lenni Lenape hunted and fished in the area's forests and rivers. Once a part of South Amboy, Sayreville separated and was established as an independent township in 1876. Sayreville's past as a riverfront community is entwined with that of sailing vessels, clay banks, pottery, and brick making. The town quickly became the gateway to America for hundreds of immigrants and their families, who mined the rich clay deposits and labored in the brickyards. At one time, almost every family in town was somehow involved in the brick-making process, as Sayreville became the largest brick-manufacturing center in the United States. During the last century, other industries developed, including the manufacture of clay tile, glass, gunpowder, paints and pigments, nitrocellulose, solvents, photographic and x-ray film, cookies, and crackers.

The Road to Hunting Island, South Carolina

9780738567228

$24.99

Through the eyes of photographers a century ago, the story of Hunting Island unfolds.

Over 4,000 years old, the barrier islands of South Carolina's Lowcountry are ever-changing and hauntingly beautiful. Hunting Island's importance to Beaufort and the nation has always stemmed from its use as a recreational area. From the rice planters, who took their families here on week-long excursions to hunt and fish, to present-day naturalists, campers, and beachgoers, Hunting Island's unique ecology, terrain, and wildlife have always been enjoyed and valued on an international level. Readers visit early planters, and meet shrimpers who spread their nets in the shoaled waters surrounding the island. We travel though marshes brimming with life and enjoy moments of solitude along quiet sandy beaches.