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Originally part of Springfield's outward commons, Hampden was called Wilbraham and then South Wilbraham until it was incorporated as Hampden in 1878. Its main street parallels the peaceful Scantic River, surrounded by mountains that lend a sense of mystery to this lovely New England village. By harnessing the Scantic's energy, this farming community became a booming mill town in the 1800s. When plans to build a railroad for transporting products from mills and quarries failed, industry collapsed. The town reverted back to farming and later became a bedroom community.

Hampden brings readers back to the days when world-renowned Thornton W. Burgess wrote his Peter Rabbit books beside Laughing Brook and when Maude Tait, pioneer aviatrix whose speed record beat Amelia Earhart's, taught school in Hampden. The book tells the exciting stories of the people and places that formed the town, such as the early workers, businessmen, preachers, and teachers. Included in Hampden are early photographs of parades and plays, picnics and personalities, and the way of life before the advent of modern transportation, communication, and manner of business.

The idea of a criminal record originated in the early seventeenth century when the magistrates of the Massachusetts Bay Colony began recording dates, places, victims and criminals. Despite, or perhaps because of, the strict code of the Puritans, some early settlers earned quite the rap sheet that landed them either in the stocks or at the end of a noose. With biting wit and an eye for the macabre, local author Robert Wilhelm traces the first documented cases of murder and mayhem in Essex County, Massachusetts. Discover the story of Hannah Duston's revenge on her Abenaki Indian captors, why the witchcraft hysteria hung over Salem and Andover and how Rachel Wall made her living as a pirate. Decide for yourself whether the accused are guilty or if history lends itself to something else entirely.

Referred to as ""one of the prettiest and pleasantest places of all New England towns,"" Georgetown grew rapidly, and by the mid-nineteenth century the population had risen dramatically.

This town, ""a pleasant and flourishing place,"" saw the Boston & Maine Railroad laid out in 1854, with depots at Pentucket Square and at Baldpate, and two street railways in 1896-the Haverhill, Georgetown & Danvers Line and the Georgetown, Rowley & Ipswich Line, both of which greatly facilitated the ease of transportation. Join the author in Georgetown as he takes you on a tour through the town's early years. Visit the schools and churches, the Old Home Week in 1909, the Georgetown Peabody Library, and the Baldpate Inn and Hospital. Experience the natural features, including Pentucket and Rock Ponds, and Bald Pate Hill, the highest elevation in Essex County. See the local tanneries during the pre-Civil War years, which produced enough leather for 32,300 pairs of boots and over 300,000 pairs of shoes.

Author and marathon veteran Paul C. Clerici's inside look of the Boston Marathon route and the history it holds.

From Hopkinton to Boylston Street, the beloved 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon mark historic moments and memories dating back to 1897. Town by town and step by step, follow author, journalist, and runner Paul C. Clerici as he goes deeper into each town and city along the route with firsthand descriptions of the course from the uphill climbs to the spirited sprints. Insightful anecdotes, from the naming of Heartbreak Hill to the incorporation of women runners, reveal meaningful racing heritage along the route. This comprehensive and unique journey also explores the stories behind notable landmarks, statues, and mile markers throughout the course. Woven into the course history is expert advice on how to run each leg of the race from renowned running coach Bill Squires. Whether you're a runner, spectator, or fan, "Boston Marathon History by the Mile" has it all.

Before the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and the nineteenth century's cultural renaissance, a serious rebellion was brewing in the taverns of Boston. Look back to a time when riots raged through the streets of Boston, when Beacon Hill was a neighborhood of beggars and vagabonds, and papal effigies burned on the Boston Common. Meet William Blackstone, the first Bostonian, and John Singleton Copley, portrait artist of the elite. In this compilation by historian William Marchione, discover Boston as it once was—when customs officials were dragged through the sewers and drinking tea was a highly political act. Even the city's largest and most controversial funeral, held for the infamous Sacco and Vanzetti, ended in a street brawl with police. And yet, with the sprawl of the first American railroads, the dawning of the abolitionist movement and the cultural flourishing in art and architecture, Boston emerged as the nation's first cultural, economic, and political hub.

Peabody was settled in 1626 as Brooksby Village and was originally a part of the town of Salem. In 1752, citizens joined in the area of town known as Salem Village to form the town of Danvers. The separation of the two towns into Danvers and South Danvers took place in 1855. In 1868, the name of South Danvers was changed to Peabody to honor its native son George Peabody.

In Peabody, vivid postcards offer a contrasting view of what it was like to live and work in a community having two distinct characters: the town center, with its bustling tanning industries, which soon earned Peabody the sobriquet of "Leather Capital of the World," and the pastoral farming villages of Brookdale, Locustdale, Brooksby, and West Peabody, which portray a sense of life in rural America during this same era.

Despite the relentless development of the past two centuries, Boston's coastal geography is still defined by its Harbor Islands. Carved and sculpted by massive glaciers from millennia past, this constellation of thirty-odd isles--notorious for swirling currents, surging tides, and treacherous submerged hazards--has played an outsized role in the city's history and growth.

In The Boston Harbor Islands: The History of An Urban Wilderness, David Kales examines the astonishing range of uses Bostonians have found for their neighboring archipelago. From pirates' havens to military fortifications, the Harbor Islands have undergone innumerable transformations. Now, as Kales describes, conservation agencies hope to revitalize the oft-neglected islands, which were recently designated as a National Park Area. Filled with fascinating stories, The Boston Harbor Islands is the perfect primer for readers seeking to learn more about a unique maritime landscape located just a ferry ride away from Boston.