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Cape Cod may be a popular tourist destination, but it has more than its share of strange and unique history.

The Pukwudgies were two- to three-foot beings with smooth gray skin, hairy faces and horns. These shape-shifting, mischievous ""little people"" are connected to Wampanoag Indian mythology. Edward Rowe Snow, a New England historian who was also known as ""the Flying Santa,"" delivered Christmas presents to lighthouse keepers and their families. Jeremiah's Gutter was a canal in Orleans and the first Cape Cod Canal. Join author Robin Smith-Johnson as she uncovers the secrets behind many unique places, remarkable events and fascinating people of Cape Cod.

Salem, Massachusetts, is a little city steeped in history. Known as the Witch City for the Puritan witchcraft trials of 1692, Salem boasts a rich heritage as a major East India seaport. Trading with China made Salem the richest city in America, generating a living architectural history. As Salem developed, it preserved much of its history.

Known as the Witch City for the Puritan witchcraft trials of 1692, Salem boasts a rich heritage as a major East India seaport. Trading with China made Salem the richest city in America, generating a living architectural history. As Salem developed, it preserved much of its history.

A fascinating history of Lowell, Massachusetts, from its powerful place in the Industrial Revolution to the everyday routines of its citizens.

When we think of Lowell, Massachusetts, and the historic part the city played in the American Industrial Revolution we often conjure up powerful images of mills and machinery. But what about the daily lives of the citizens and workers, their festivals, and their simpler recreations like park ball games and family events? The waters of the Merrimac run deep and have always been a source of vitality and strength for the people of Lowell. This sequel to the highly acclaimed Lowell continues our journey--this time into the more recent past of this amazing city. Older members of the community will appreciate this new pictorial history as a nostalgic window to a time when drugstore soda shops and drive-in movies were in their heyday. Younger generations will find the over 200 images presented here a unique and intriguing resource for connecting with their roots.

In Lowell, Massachusetts reminders of the Industrial Revolution can still be seen and felt but few reminders are more powerful than the photographs contained in this dynamic visual history.

In 1604, Sieur De Monts wrote, "The Indians speak of a beautiful river far to the South, which they call Merrimac." The common thread that runs through the history of Lowell is the Merrimac River. The river attracted European explorers and colonists in the seventeenth century, as it had attracted various Native American tribes before them. The fertile land around the river made agriculture profitable for many years, but it was the Merrimac's potential for water power and transportation that opened the area up to industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Reminders of the Industrial Revolution can still be seen and felt in Lowell today, but few reminders are more powerful than the photographs contained in this dynamic visual history. Photographers captured Lowell on film firsthand as it developed into one of the most powerful centers of industry in the world. They also photographed the people that made Lowell what it was and is; the images of their faces, homes, workplaces, and daily lives say more about the city's history than words ever can.

Tracing the town of Lexington's life as it transformed from a provincial farming village to attractive Boston suburb.

It was established by the Puritans in 1713, but Lexington entered the history books as the ""Birthplace of American Liberty"" one April morning in 1775. However, the town's history did not begin or end with that event. Though primarily agrarian, early-19th century Lexington contained 12 taverns, a large fur industry, and other manufacturing businesses. The 20th century brought a streetcar system with Lexington Park, replete with a zoo and a theater, at its terminus. With the construction of Route 128, Lexington's population rapidly increased and the farm era faded, changing the shape of the community.

Through fascinating vintage images within these pages, you will visit Massachusetts House and Russell House, where wealthy Bostonians enjoyed summering in the town's ""good air"" after the Civil War; beautiful estates, including the Hayes Castle, that dotted the town's hills once the railroad to Boston became a reality for commuters; and the Lexington station, the last remaining depot train shed in Massachusetts, which stood at the foot of Meriam Hill.

Through photographs of people, events, and machines, Digital Equipment Corporation tells the story of the unassuming computer revolutionaries who reshaped the technological world.

From its inception in 1957, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, carved itself a role in American business unlike any other company. Launched by Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineer Ken Olsen with a $70,000 investment from the country's first venture capital firm, DEC rapidly became a pioneer in computer technology. In its heyday, DEC had a valuation of more than $12 billion and employed approximately one hundred twenty thousand people worldwide, making it second only to IBM. Its people and technology contributed to making computers increasingly affordable, which led directly to the advent of the personal computer, the first computer games, and computer networks. DEC was also a leader in the Internet revolution, claiming the dubious distinction of launching the first spam mailing and registering one of the first commercial domain names. Through photographs of people, events, and machines, Digital Equipment Corporation tells the story of the unassuming computer revolutionaries who reshaped the technological world. It is written for anyone who is interested in how the present era of computing ubiquity has evolved since the 1940s, when IBM chairman Thomas Watson predicted that the whole world might need no more than five computers.

The history of railroads in America is not complete without a pictorial history of the Boston & Maine.

As the twentieth century dawned, the Boston & Maine Railroad Company controlled virtually all of the rail lines in New Hampshire, as well as much of the service in Maine and Massachusetts. Ultimately, the company operated more than 2,000 stations in northern New England. The train was the most important mode of travel, and the stations were the center of the community. Boston & Maine in the 20th Century continues the first pictorial history of the railroad company, entitled Boston & Maine in the 19th Century. With more than 200 rare images and historical narrative, the book details the trains and their destinations: the terminals, stations, depots, and whistle stops to which they sped. Times changed, and the railroad was passed by; however, its legacy lives on.

The history of North Adams is a portrait of survival and a celebration of diversity.

This celebration is not only expressed in its citizens and their ancestry but also in the many faces that the city and its environment have taken on through the years. From the isolated military outpost that fought a dramatic battle in the mid-1700s, through the roller-coaster ride of prosperity and economic depression endured by its citizens, North Adams exemplifies the strength that is a trademark of New England. North Adams contains an unusual collection of rare photographs that celebrate every aspect of the city. The book exemplifies how the population is a mosaic of cultures that sought a better life and wove an atmosphere of acceptance and sharing. An important part of that better life included the industry that made indelible imprints on the nation's history by producing pig iron for the Civil War's famous Monitor ironclad, by the engineering feat of the Hoosac Tunnel, and by leading the nation in the manufacture of fabrics, shoes, and electric capacitors. The diverse architecture that dominates hillside church steeples, the long gone Victorian depot station, the devastating floods, the majestic hot-air balloons, and the everyday faces of citizens are all captured here in striking photographs. Together they create the story of a city that always found a way to survive.

Local author Patricia Trainor O'Malley captures the exuberance and vitality of Haverhill's ""Golden Age"" with more than 200 photographs from the Haverhill Public Library Special Collections.

In 1850, Haverhill, Massachusetts, was a small mercantile and farming town with slightly fewer than6,000 residents. One half-century later, six times that many people called Haverhill home, and it had become an industrial center ranked as one of the top five shoe producers in the nation. The bustling downtown area featured buildings of uniform red-brick construction; elegant Victorian-style houses and new municipal buildings were erected; and civic pride was very evident. This was Haverhill's ""Golden Age."" Included in this fascinating portrait are some of the oldest-known images of downtown Haverhill from the 1850s and 1860s.

Thoreau's Walden describes the beauty of this historical setting through the writings of Thoreau. The book uses many of his most captivating and inspiring quotations as a tribute to the man and his life, works, and philosophy. Beautiful images and descriptive historical writing combine to create a visual insight into the reasons why Thoreau lived at Walden and what he has to teach us about this most inspirational place. Thoreau's Walden also includes little-known facts about the writer and philosopher, including the stories behind his relationship with Ralph Waldo Emerson, his search for the perfect location for his experiment, and his many visitors, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Alcott family.