Name: The Benicia State Capitol
Brand: James Lessenger
SKU: 9781467143844
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

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

The Biggest Pumpkin

9781455619252

$16.99

Plant a prize-winning seed and help it grow! Join Gavin as he attempts to win first place at the local fair by growing the largest gourd in the world! Children will learn how to plant, fertilize, and pollinate a seed just as Gavin does. With the help of his friends and neighbors, Gavin becomes an expert on pumpkins. Through advice and hands-on experience, he learns how to care for his garden. Full of helpful facts and easy tips, this is an educational and amusing story that emphasizes the skill involved in gardening. A perfect companion for the classroom, this book teaches children about the science of cultivation, the commitment required to care for a living plant, and how to make homemade pumpkin pie.

The Biltmore Nursery:

9781596292383

$26.99

At its peak, the Biltmore Nursery ranked among the largest and most prolific nurseries in the world. It was part of an unprecedented horticultural, botanical and forestry enterprise on George W. Vanderbilt's magnificent Biltmore Estate, envisioned and designed by brilliant landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The nursery was created to provide the millions of plants needed to adorn Biltmore Estate's renowned gardens and grounds, and it quickly grew into a monumental commercial venture that supplied plants to customers around the globe.

This landmark book tells the story of the Biltmore Nursery in two fascinating ways: a revealing overview history and a complete reproduction of the 1912 Biltmore Nursery Catalog. The history tells the story of the nursery from its establishment in 1889 to its destruction in a catastrophic flood in 1916, and the profusely illustrated catalog offers a guide to the cultivated trees, shrubs and plants of North America during the early twentieth century, with more than 1,700 distinct varieties described.

Presented here as never before, Biltmore Estate's rich botanical legacy will resonate with Biltmore lovers, horticulturists and gardeners, botanists and dendrologists, landscape architects, students, and historians.

The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy: The Golden Age of Aerialists

9781609497101

$21.99

Starting in the 1870s, the barns, icehouses, gymnasiums and empty theaters of central Illinois provided the practice sites for aerial performers whose names still command reverence in the annals of American circus history. Meet Fred Miltimore and the Green Brothers, runaways from the Fourth Ward School who became the first Bloomington-born flyers. Watch Art Concello, a ten-year-old truant, become first a world-class flyer, then a famous trapeze impresario and finally Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus's most successful general manager. The entire art of the trapeze--instruction, training, performance and management--became a Bloomington-Normal industry during the tented shows' golden age, when finding a circus flying act without a connection to this area would have been virtually impossible.

The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy: The Golden Age of Aerialists

The Boca Raton Resort & Club: Mizner's Inn

9781596295278

$21.99

The Boca Raton Resort & Club, originally known as the Cloister Inn, was designed by famed Palm Beach architect Addison Mizner to house prospective investors in his planned Boca Raton development. His dream, however, dissolved with the end of the Florida land boom and the 1926 Miami hurricane, as his Cloister Inn was acquired by utilities magnate Clarence Geist. Geist hired hotel architects Schultze and Weaver to design a major addition to the hostelry. Reopened as the Boca Raton Club in 1930, it became a principal employer and the primary tourist attraction in Boca Raton in ensuing years, its revival linked in many ways with that of the small community. Join architectural historian Donald Curl as he chronicles the lovely landmark that opened in 1926 as a small inn on Lake Boca Raton and has since become the city's most exclusive destination.

The Boca Raton Resort & Club: Mizner's Inn

The Book That Jake Borrowed

9781455623259

$19.99

Jake and his book from the library are placed in one sticky situation after another in this cumulative tale, an original adaptation of the classic There Was an Old Lady.
There's the drip, drip, drip, of a jelly mishap that leads to the lick, lick, lick of a lucky rat, whose luck runs out when he's caught by the cat, all before a dog shows up and that's that for the book Jake borrowed from the library! Repetitive phrases, onomatopoeia, and simple choruses make this an easy beginning for young readers while the cut paper and fabric collage illustrations add humorous depth to the sequence of unfortunate events and offer opportunities for hands-on related activities.

The Book That Jake Borrowed - Bilingual Edition

9781455625468

$18.99

Accelerated Reader® Selection

Jake and his library book are in a sticky situation in this cumulative tale, an original adaptation of the classic The House That Jack Built. There's the jelly mishap that leads to the hungry rat, whose luck runs out when he's chased by the cat, all before a dog shows up and, well, that's that for the book that Jake borrowed! Will the librarian Jake adores let him have another book? Find out in this hilarious tale filled with hijinks narrated in mixed-media collages and text from Texas librarian extraordinaire Susan Holt Kralovansky!

Repetitive phrases and simple choruses make this an easy beginning for young readers, while the cut paper and fabric collage illustrations add humorous depth to the sequence of unfortunate events surrounding Jake's library book.

Selección de Accelerated Reader®

Jake y su libro de la biblioteca están en una situación complicada en esta historia acumulativa, una adaptación original del clásico La casa que Jack construyó. Hay el percance de jalea que lleva a la rata hambrienta, cuya suerte se agota cuando es perseguido por el gato, todo antes de que aparezca un perro y, bueno, ¡eso es todo para el libro que Jake pidió prestado! ¿La bibliotecaria que Jake adora le prestará otro libro? ¡Descúbrelo en esta divertida historia llena de travesuras narrada en collages de medios mixtos y textos de la bibliotecaria extraordinaria de Texas Susan Holt Kralovansky!

Frases repetitivas y coros simples hacen de este un comienzo fácil para los lectores jóvenes, mientras que las ilustraciones de collage de papel cortado y tela añaden profundidad humorística a la secuencia de eventos desafortunados que rodean el libro de la biblioteca de Jake.

The Book That Jake Borrowed - Bilingual Edition

The Boston Balloonies

9781933212661

$12.95 $6.48 Save 50%

Whimsical balloon creatures lead children through the sights and delights of Boston in the first book by Shankman and O'Neill. Whether flying through the Public Garden, visiting Beacon Hill, or enjoying a game at Fenway Park, the balloonies are sure to please readers young and old with their colorful adventures and bouncing rhymes.

The Boston Harbor Islands:

9781596292901

$21.99

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.

The Boston Marathon

9781467104579

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Many things compose the Boston Marathon-Olympians, record holders, Greek gold-dipped wreaths, running hamburgers and fries, statues, snow, trailblazers, and Heartbreak Hill. Paul C. Clerici's Images of Modern America: The Boston Marathon tells the expansive story of the oldest continuously run marathon and showcases over 165 images that span the decades. From Clarence DeMar, both Johnny Kelleys, Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb, and John Hancock to Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Ibrahim Hussein, Bob Hall, and Ernst van Dyk; from Kathrine Switzer's literal run-in with Jock Semple to the 1970s running boom, the centennial celebration, and Meb Keflezighi's restoration victory, this global footrace and gathering of community is presented in a display of vibrant, historical, and exciting images, some of which from private collections rarely seen and some never-before published.

The Bowery

9781609491789

$19.99

Travel down the Bowery with New York City author and researcher Eric Ferrara, as he explores its rich, fascinating, and at times, troubling past.

Originally a Lenape trail running the length of Manhattan Island, The Bowery has become one of the most notorious thoroughfares in America. Developed in stages by the Dutch, the British, and then Americans, this stretch of street has continually risen from its own ashes, interminably experiencing periods of popularity, poverty and prosperity. It has been celebrated as a haven of culture, entertainment, and theatre, and denigrated as New York's ""skid row."" Home to bums, bohemians, criminals, artists, performers, and the rich and poor alike, The Bowery has attracted the most diverse population of any place in all of New York City's history.

The Bronx River

9781609491802

$21.99

Discover the fascinating history of the Bronx River and the ways this small waterway influenced and was affected by the people around it.

The Bronx River flows 23 miles from its source in Valhalla to its mouth, the East River in the Bronx. This waterway was used for centuries by Native American tribes for drinking, food and transportation. They called it ""Aquehung"" meaning a fast stream flowing along a high bluff. After the arrival of Europeans, though, the Bronx River suffered as industry prospered. It powered mills and, unfortunately, became a dumping ground for all kinds of waste. Its appearance and ecosystem were forever changed. However, community members are now again attempting to alter the river - only this time for the better - by helping it recover.

The Byrd Machine in Virginia

9781467139205

$23.99

The Byrd Machine ran Virginia politics for more than half a century.

This political organization rose to power during the era of Jim Crow, wielding power and influence over everything from who got the nod to be governor to how the state maintained racial segregation. Inheriting its tactics from two previous political machines, the Byrd organization operated with a pathological hatred of debt spending, crushing the power of labor unions and forcing its will on Black schoolchildren protesting separate and unequal facilities. The nadir of its era was massive resistance, a move to close public schools rather than integrate them.

Journalist and author Michael Lee Pope details the rise and fall of the last great political machine in Virginia.

The Cabildo on Jackson Square

9780911116410

$14.95

Originally written and published in 1970, the book is divided into two sections: one dealing with the Colonial Period (1723-1803), written by Samuel Wilson, Jr., and one on the American Period (1803-present), written by Leonard V. Huber.

The Camel Regiment

9781455623075

$29.95

A tale of a desert dweller on the battlefields of the South!

The 43rd Mississippi Infantry of the Confederate States of America is the only regiment to have used a camel militarily east of the Mississippi. Referred to as the Camel Regiment, it was organized in 1862 and surrendered in 1865. Using a variety of resources, the author provides a roster of the regiment along with detailed information on the formation, battles, and controversies surrounding the men. From the acquisition of the African dromedary Old Douglas to carry baggage and musical instruments through his death at Vicksburg and the fate of his fellow soldiers, Bell provides an entertaining historical narrative of this little-known chapter in American history.

The Camp Creek Train Crash of 1900

9781596298262

$19.99

Georgia historian and professor Jeffery C. Wells recounts the tragic tale of the Camp Creek Train Crash of 1900.

On June 23, 1900, the Southern Railroad Company's Engine ,7 and its passengers were greeted by a tremendous storm en route to Atlanta, Georgia. Stalled for some time in nearby McDonough, travelers grew impatient as rain pelted the roof and wind buffeted the cars. When finally given the go-ahead, their resulting joy was short-lived: the locomotive soon reached Camp Creek--and disaster.

After weeks of constant showers, the swollen creek had eroded the bridge supports. Under the train's weight, the bridge collapsed, and all but nine perished in either the fiery fall or watery depths.

The Campaign for Woman Suffrage in Virginia

9781467144193

$23.99

In 1920, Virginia's General Assembly refused to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to grant women the vote. Virginia's suffragists lost. Or did they? When the thirty-sixth state ratified the amendment, women gained voting rights across the nation. Virginia suffragists were a part of that victory, although their role has been nearly forgotten. They marched in parades, rallied at the state capitol, spoke to crowds on street corners, staffed booths at fairs, lobbied legislators, picketed the White House and even went to jail. The Campaign for Woman Suffrage in Virginia reveals how women created two statewide organizations to win the right to vote. At the centenary of the movement, these remarkable women can at last be recognized for their important contributions.

The Campaign for Woman Suffrage in Virginia

The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

9781467103732

$24.99

The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm were founded in New York just days before the stock market crash of 1929. Sister Angeline de Ste Agathe (later renamed Mother M. Angeline Teresa) and six other Sisters (Alexis, Alodie, Teresa, Louise, Leonie, and Colette) had all professed vows with the Little Sisters of the Poor and were ministering in the Bronx, New York. Wanting to devote themselves to the care of elderly Americans and encouraged by Cardinal Patrick Hayes of the Archdiocese of New York, all seven requested a dispensation from their vows as Little Sisters. Thanks to the efforts of Cardinal Hayes, they moved into the former St. Elizabeth's rectory, and by Christmas 1929, they had taken in their first seven residents. When they were officially given permission to adopt the name of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm in 1931, they became the first US congregation founded exclusively to care for elderly Americans and became pioneers in the field of geriatrics. Today, the Sisters serve the elderly in 22 nursing homes, assisted-living homes, or independent-living entities in eight different states as well as one in Ireland.

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!

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

The Chattooga River: A Natural and Cultural History

9781609499853

$21.99

The Chattooga River has run through the American consciousness since the movie Deliverance" thrust it into the national spotlight. But this National Wild and Scenic River is much more than the make-believe set of a suburbanite nightmare. People travel from all over the country to run its rapids, cast into its current for trout and hike the miles of trails that meander through thousands of acres of woods in the Chattooga watershed. One of the last free-flowing rivers in the Southeast, the river muscles fifty-seven miles through a southern deciduous forest with one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the country and is home to many species of rare wildflowers. Join author Laura Ann Garren as she describes the history and wonder of the real Chattooga River."

The Chattooga River: A Natural and Cultural History

The Cheyenne Depot

9781467105316

$24.99

Twenty years after Cheyenne was founded by Union Pacific, the city had outgrown its three-room board-and-batten depot and began to lobby for a new, grander building that better represented the lustrous community. Union Pacific agreed, and in 1886, construction began on the lavish three-story passenger depot and headquarters for the division. The Cheyenne Union Pacific Depot, designated a national historic landmark in 2006, endures proudly as a symbol of the Magic City and the lasting partnership between the city and the railroad that build it. It continues to serve as Cheyenne's gathering place, a center of activism, and an enduring symbol of the city itself. While the state capitol just down the street stands as a symbol for the state of Wyoming, the Union Pacific Depot belongs to Cheyenne alone.

The Chicago Air and Water Show: A History of Wings above the Waves

9781596298378

$21.99

The largest such spectacle in the world, the Chicago Air and Water Show draws over three million people to the lakeshore for a weekend of low-key beach leisure and high-powered entertainment. Gerry and Janet Souter climb into the cockpit (and occasionally lean precariously out of it) to log the extravaganza's fascinating history. Even before the event became a beloved annual tradition half a century ago, visitors to the lakeshore had been treated to sights like the International Aviation Meet, attended by the Wright brothers and their daring competitors; World War II training maneuvers executed by pilots like President George H.W. Bush; and an ascension to world seaport status graced by a visit from the royal yacht Britannia. This book is for anyone who has ever participated in the show's glorious tradition and for those who haven't but who still would like to get a glimpse of the gut-thrumming majesty of the planes and learn what convinced comedian Bill Murray to jump out of one of them.

The Chicago Air and Water Show: A History of Wings above the Waves

The Chicago Water Tower

9781467144971

$23.99

Contaminated drinking water killed thousands of Chicago's original citizens, so the city took the unprecedented step of digging a tunnel two miles long and 30 feet below lake bottom. Since the facilities on shore included an unsightly 138-foot vertical pipe, famed architect William Boyington concealed it with a limestone, castle-like tower that soon became a celebrated landmark. Through the first 150 years of its existence, Chicago's iconic Water Tower has survived the Great Fire--the only public structure in the burn zone to do so--and at least four attempts at demolition. John Hogan pays tribute to the beloved monument that accompanied the evolution of Michigan Avenue from cowpath to Magnificent Mile.

The Chiefs of Council Bluffs: Five Leaders of the Missouri Valley Tribes

9781609496135

$21.99

Two centuries ago, the fierce winds of change were sweeping through the Middle Missouri Valley. French, Spanish and then American traders and settlers had begun pouring in. In the midst of this time of tumult and transition, five chiefs rose up to lead their peoples: Omaha Chief Big Elk, the Pottawatamie/Ottawa/Chippewa Tribe's Captain Billy Caldwell, Ioway Chief Wangewaha (called Hard Heart), Pawnee Brave Petalesharo and Ponca Chief Standing Bear. Historian Gail Holmes tells the story of their leadership as the land was redefined beneath them.

The Chiefs of Council Bluffs: Five Leaders of the Missouri Valley Tribes

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.

The Civil War Battles of Macon

9781467146944

$21.99 $11.00 Save 50%

Macon was a cornerstone of the Confederacy's military-industrial complex. As a transportation hub, the city supplied weapons to the Confederacy, making it a target once the Union pushed into Georgia in 1864. In the course of the war's last year, Macon faced three separate cavalry assaults. The battles were small in the grand scheme but salient for the combatants and townspeople. Once the war concluded, it was from Macon that cavalry struck out to capture the fugitive Jefferson Davis, allowing the city to witness one of the last chapters of the conflict. Author Niels Eichhorn brings together the first comprehensive analysis of the military engagements and battles in Middle Georgia.

The Clinchfield No. 1: Tennessee's Legendary Steam Engine

9781626195967

$21.99

As general manager for Erwin, Tennessee-based Clinchfield Railroad, Thomas D. Moore found an eighty-six-year-old vintage 4-6-0 ten-wheeler steam engine--the Clinchfield No. 1. Miraculously, the engine had escaped the cutter's torch when, in the mid-1950s, the railroad retired its steam fleet, shuttered passenger service and embraced the diesel era. Moore wanted the No. 1 fully restored and its long life on the rails--which had included being the first train to reach the victims of the 1889 Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood--celebrated as a goodwill ambassador for the railroad. The revived Clinchfield No. 1 led beloved excursion trains that visited seven state capitals, bringing joy to passengers from the Appalachian Mountains to Tampa, Florida. Join authors Mark A. Stevens and A.J. Alf" Peoples on the journey of the real-life little engine that could."