Name: Blue Ridge Chronicles:
Brand: Rex Bowman
SKU: 9781596294547
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Blue Ridge Chronicles:

9781596294547

$21.99

Many of the highlanders in Virginia's western mountains live in small communities with names such as Stonebruise, Novelty, and Wangle Junction, and here their stories are chronicled by one of their own, Floyd County native and Pulitzer-nominated journalist Rex Bowman, roving reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Colorful characters abound, from folks in Independence who have a decades-old tradition of racing outhouses, to the brawlers in St. Paul who once gave the town a reputation for world-class wickedness, to the purveyors of Roanoke's Texas Tavern who have never in seventy years put ketchup on their hamburgers. Blue Ridge Chronicles is a delightful look at how the lively have lived in Southwest Virginia's backcountry.

Murder and Mayhem on Staten Island

9781626192836

$21.99

The excitement and vibrancy of big-city thrills take a deadly turn when they hit Staten Island. Edward Reinhardt murdered his wife and rolled her body in a barrel down a busy thoroughfare. A known bootlegger--and suspected police informant--was found shot three times in a Packard on South Beach, sparking one of the island's greatest mysteries. In 1843, the bodies of a mother and daughter were discovered in a Christmas Day fire; a family member would stand trial three times for their deaths. During the Jazz Age, a kiss would cost a popular Port Richmond teenager her life. Local historian Patricia M. Salmon has meticulously researched Staten Island's most horrific murders, some well known and others long forgotten.

Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's West Side

9781596296930

$21.99

Blazing from the West Side, the Great Chicago Fire left nothing but ashy remnants of the developing city, leveling its landscape but certainly not its spirit. While the West Side was home to the infamous O'Leary barn, it was also where news of some of the city's most gruesome and horrific crimes reverberated throughout the state and across the country. Read about the bloody end of Roger The Terrible"? Touhy, who, although he undoubtedly lived up to his name, met an ill-deserved fate. Troy Taylor also delves into the life of John Wayne Gacy, the depraved man masked by the clown costume, and yet again proves to be a master storyteller and historian of Chicago's criminal underworld."

Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's West Side

Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's South Side

9781596296978

$21.99

Lurking below the Loop, behind the industry-driven energy of Chicago, lies the mysterious criminal underworld of the South Side. Recounting criminal exploits of legends like Alphonse Capone, as well as lesser-known stories like the Car Barn Bandits, Troy Taylor captures the intricacies of the most infamous stories of Chicago's South Side. From the gruesome murders committed by the unassuming H.H. Holmes to the mysterious death of Marshall Field Jr., join Taylor as he revisits the South Side's prosperous middle-class days and vividly depicts the strange and horrific crimes that have cast new light on the character of these too often overlooked neighborhoods.

Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's South Side

Murder & Mayhem in Cumberland County

9781596298842

$21.99

From the horrific Enoch Brown Schoolhouse Massacre of 1764 to settlers who hunted local tribes for a bounty, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, has long had a violent and bloody history. As more people came to the region, murder and mischief of every kind only multiplied. Local author Joseph David Cress explores the dark side of history, from little-known cases such as that of Sarah Clark--who became the first woman hanged in the county after she poisoned a family to dispatch a romantic rival--to high-profile crimes like the shocking 1955 courtroom slaying that left one person dead and three injured. Join Cress on a hair-raising walk down Hell Street as he investigates the underbelly of Cumberland County.

Murder & Mayhem in Essex County

9781609494001

$21.99

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.

Murder and Mayhem in Chicago's Vice Districts

9781596296923

$21.99

From the very beginning, Chicago thrived on its reputation as a wide-open town. After the Great Fire, no part of the city was rebuilt more quickly than the vice districts, where bribed cops and brutal force emboldened professional wickedness to celebrate itself with gala events like the First Ward Ball, begun in honor of a madam's pianist and often so crowded that passed-out drunks couldn't even fall to the floor. Randolph Street was nicknamed Gambler's Row because men gambled with their lives by visiting it. In Little Hell, guns and knives could be rented by the hour. In these seedy areas only put to sleep by Mickey Finn's knockout drinks or Gentle Annie's knockout punches, it is no wonder that Detective Woolridge kept seventy-five disguises, made twenty thousand arrests and was shot at forty-four times.

Murder and Mayhem in Chicago's Vice Districts

Bennington and the Civil War

9781626191716

$21.99

The people of Bennington often refer to the American Revolution as our war," as it was the site of the decisive Battle of Bennington. Yet more than one thousand Bennington boys fought in the Civil War, and residents on the homefront played their parts to support the United States, too. All the machinery used to produce gunpowder and nearly all the horseshoes for the United States Army were manufactured in Bennington, and a Bennington native was instrumental in the building of the USS "Monitor. "Mrs. Jefferson Davis visited friends in Bennington shortly after the war, and two Medal of Honor winners lived here as well. In this book, historian Bill Morgan unveils the important ways that Bennington helped preserve the United States during the Civil War."

Murder & Mayhem in Portland, Oregon

9781609499259

$21.99

The headlines shook Portland, Oregon. The brutal Ardenwald axe murders. The retribution killings by Chinatown tongs. The fiendish acts of the Dark Strangler. In this compelling account, author JD Chandler chronicles the coverups, the false confessions, the miscarriages of justice and the investigative twists and turns of Portland's infamous crimes while providing valuable historical perspective. From the untimely end of the Black Mackintosh Bandit to the convoluted hunt for the Milwaukie Monster, join Chandler as he unveils the shadowy heart of the city, acknowledges the officers who sought justice and remembers the individuals whose lives were claimed by violence.

Murder and Mayhem in Mendon and Honeoye Falls:

9781626191419

$21.99

The Town of Mendon and the Village of Honeoye Falls are today quiet western New York suburbs, but they weren't always so idyllic. In years past, the village was a center of commerce, manufacturing and railroads, and by the mid-nineteenth century, this prosperity brought with it an element of mayhem. Horse stealing was commonplace. Saloons and taverns were abundant. Street scuffles and barroom brawls were regular, especially on Saturday nights, after the laborers were paid. By Sunday morning, numerous drunks--like Manley Locke, who would eventually go on to kill another man in a fight--were confined to the lockup" in the village hall. It was at this time that the Village of Honeoye Falls earned the name "Murderville." As the town and village turn two hundred, join local historians Diane Ham and Lynne Menz as they explore the peaceful region's vicious history."

Murder and Mayhem in Mendon and Honeoye Falls:

Mount Holly, New Jersey:

9781596292765

$21.99

The events that secured Mount Holly's place in history involve a lingering Colonel, pillaging Scottish troops, and a fateful mistake that allowed George Washington to cross the Delaware. But Mount Holly is much more than a battlefield site. It's a picturesque New Jersey town with a rich, vibrant past. Author Dennis Rizzo reveals the history and heart of the town in Mount Holly: A Hometown Reinvented. In its time, Mount Holly has witnessed the growth of a major Quaker community, a vigorous mill industry, an intense abolitionism debate, and much, much more. Let Dennis Rizzo guide you through the twists and turns of this fascinating South Jersey town's beginnings and development in this captivating book.

Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory

9781565542532

$14.95

Many heroic actions were taken by Hispanic soldiers who have not gotten much recognition for their efforts.

Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory

The Potato Cookbook

9781565542464

$14.95

Chocolate-Potato Layer Cake, Pumpkin and Potato Soup, and Potato Pizza may be found here.

D. J. and the Jazz Fest

9781565542396

$16.99

Where in the world can children hear jazz, gospel, and blues and eat shrimp po' boys and strawberry snowballs? Jazz Fest in New Orleans!

Boulevard of Dreams:

9781596292741

$21.99

Explore the Boulevard of Dreams?from 87th Street, just north of Miami, to 151st Street?El Portal, Miami Shores, Biscayne Park and North Miami?are the intriguing communities bound together by history and by the grand street of Biscayne Boulevard. From the Tequesta tribe to the Boulevard of Dreams?U.S. Highway 1?Seth Bramson leads a photographic tour of this beloved area of Miami-Dade County, and the remarkable growth of four influential South Florida communities. An insightful and nostalgic look at prominent neighborhoods and residents, beaches and vibrant thoroughfares, this history of Biscayne Country is sure to delight residents and tourists alike.

Boston's Fire Trail:

9781596293618

$21.99

Even before the Great Fire of 1872, which destroyed almost eight hundred buildings in the heart of downtown, fire had already irrevocably altered the city of Boston's appearance, fortunes and psyche. In Boston's Fire Trail, members of the Boston Fire Historical Society trace the history of fire in the Hub and create an intriguing retrospective of this compelling facet of the city's past.
Daring rescues, conflagrations, arson, accidents and human courage--all are here, along with historic details of the circumstances and locations of more than forty-five fires and sites significant to the history of Boston's fire department. Follow the fire trail with one of the most renowned fire-fighting forces in the nation.

Mountain Spirits:

9781626196896

$23.99

Originally published in 1974, Mountain Spirits "traces the history of whiskey making from its origins in Ulster, Ireland, through its arrival in the United States in the great waves of mostly Scotch-Irish settlers who traveled the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road into the Southern Appalachians, making illicit corn "likker" part of the southern way of life. Colorful interviews and stories relate the experiences and methods of the independent moonshiners who plied their craft in the hills, the revenue agents who tracked them down (often with respect and affection) and the wilder young men who hauled the product in the first hotrod cars. As legal distilling brings the tradition to a new generation, Joseph Dabney offers a glimpse of a time when crops were measured in gallons and families carried the secrets of their stills to their graves."

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.

Around Crockett

9780738559278

$24.99

The territory around Crockett may seem little more than a nook along the Carquinez Strait in West Contra Costa County, but it was once home to many small towns. Although independent, each town relied on the others for goods and services. Using vintage postcards, readers will take a trip through the region's past, visiting Crockett, the Selby Smelting and Refining Company, Vallejo Junction, Carquinez Bridge, Valona, C&H Sugar Factory, Scow Town, and Port Costa along the way.

Murder and Mayhem in Chicago's Downtown

9781596296947

$21.99

In the company of author Troy Taylor, pull off the trick of coming back alive from some of Chicago's most infamous one-way rides." Meet the deadly womanizer Johann Hoch, who would propose to a woman within twenty minutes of meeting her and then poison her within a week. Follow "Terrible" Tommy O'Conner as he eluded the gallows for more than fifty years, until the city finally grew "tired of waiting" and dismantled them for the final time. Learn how even flower shops and cathedrals weren't safe from gangland violence, and relive the tragic fire at the Iroquois Theatre, where a "fireproof" curtain was made of cotton and did little to stop the blaze that killed more people than the Great Fire of 1871."

Monument Avenue Memories:

9781626190467

$21.99

Originally a tribute to Robert E. Lee, Richmond's Monument Avenue grew to its zenith in the early twentieth century as a place of wealth and privilege. Richmond native and child of Monument Avenue Patricia Hass has collected the loving memories of those who shared a childhood among the River City's elite. These pages are filled with recollections of warm afternoons playing in the shadows of the monuments and visits to neighborhood institutions such as Reuben's Deli and the Capitol Theatre. While the children played, their families entertained famous houseguests such as David Niven, Lord and Lady Astor and Winston Churchill. Enter each historic home along the avenue and travel back to a time now lost to memory.

Bolton:

9781596295636

$21.99

Scrape the city off your shoes as you enter the town of Bolton, where both historic and natural heritage are remarkably preserved. In this panoramic view of Bolton's past, DePold retraces the footprints of Mohegan natives, pays homage to the natural, glacier-carved cathedrals of Bolton Notch and calls up the ghosts of the town's bluecoat boys, lost in the Battle of Antietam. Follow the long strides of Reverend George Colton across the fields of Bolton
Heritage Farm and catch the ringing echoes of famous sermons by Jonathan Edwards, Bolton's first pastor. From rugged bullpunchers and lumberjacks to the sweethearts' custom of "bundling," from Revolutionary taverns to George Washington's eggnog recipe, these historical sketches will leave you with a lingering nostalgia for the old days of rural New England.

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

Boone County Originals:

9781596299382

$21.99

Daniel Boone may never have set foot in the Illinois county that bears his name, but his tradition of blazing new trails is certainly honored here. Boone County has been the home of Native American legends, a Major League Baseball player, a Miss America and a cross-dressing Civil War soldier. And don't forget Hairbreadth Harry, King of the Hobos, "? who wrote poetry, walked backward and bathed in gasoline. Enjoy the best of Mike Doyle's historical columns as he introduces the fascinating folk of this "garden on the prairie, "? where some of the tallest tales are true."

More Mountain Spirits:

9781626196902

$23.99

Originally published in 1985, More Mountain Spirits" is a companion volume to Joseph Dabney's American classic "Mountain Spirits." More mountain moonshine stories and characters on both sides of the law come to life alongside intoxicating recipes for brandy, wine and beer made from every fruit and vegetable grown in the hills. And of course, there's corn whiskey and real apple cider, too, as well as a step-by-step illustrated guide to building a copper pot still."

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.

More Milledgeville Memories

9781596291928

$19.99

Located in Central Georgia, the city of Milledgeville teems with history. As if being the capital of Georgia for sixty-five years, including during the Civil War, the quiet city also serves as the backdrop for the personal stories of each of its nearly 20,000 residents. In More Milledgeville Memories, popular historian Hugh Harrington delves into nearly thirty such tales highlighting the Georgian city's fascinating past. Hugh Harrington, author of the successful Remembering Milledgeville and Civil War Milledgeville, revives his special flair for presenting a history that is not only fascinating to historians and Milledgeville residents, but will also be popular with anyone that simply enjoys a good story about drunken duels, axe murders and other little known or forgotten incidents and people. Undoubtedly, fans of Harrington's writings will not be disappointed.

The Morris Island Lighthouse

9781596294707

$21.99

Douglas Bostick, historian and former director of Save the Light, Inc., recounts the stories of the many lightkeepers and their families who braved meager provisions, low pay and grueling conditions living on a small island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor.