New Book Releases

A cast of characters tumbles out of the pages of this book, beginning with the courageous settlers who tamed the wilderness. By the 1890s, dynamic denizens of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor harvested fruit, established factories, and opened tourist attractions. Drake and Wallace's Silver Beach Amusement Park, with its roller coaster, fun house, and Lake Michigan beach, attracted visitors from Chicago. So did the curative mineral waters. Al Capone took "the baths," despite their stinking like rotten eggs. The Israelite House of David, a Christian sect founded by Benjamin and Mary Purnell, welcomed summer visitors to their amusement park. Despite an infamous scandal and trial involving Benjamin, the House of David thrived for decades. The cities spawned inventors like Augustus Herring, who flew an airplane five years before the Wright brothers; Emory Upton, who developed an electric-powered washing machine manufactured by a company now known as Whirlpool; and Walter Miller, inventor of a record-changing machine manufactured by V-M. By the 1980s, manufacturing in the area had declined, and the cities suffered. Present-day entrepreneurs, artists, and community activists have jump-started their return to vitality.

Early Carmel settlers Silas Moffitt and William Kinzer found the area to be abundant for hunting and the soil rich for farming. Quaker in origin, the town's quest for importance in education was forefront and remains so today.

With other dedicated leaders through a time of rapid growth in the mid-20th century, Robert Hartman and Dale Graham set the standard to make Carmel High School a respected rival in academic, sports, and extracurricular competitions. Beautiful art galleries, anchored by the Evan Lurie Building, dot the rejuvenated downtown Arts & Design District where Colonel Trester's blacksmith shop and O.W. Nutt's hardware store once stood. A far cry from tented summer church revivals, world-class musicians and performers now take the stage of the Palladium, an acoustically perfect and visually magnificent performing arts center. Visionary mayor James Brainard seeks a sixth term and hopes to continue on the same path of growth and renewal. The city has been voted one of America's best places to live, and Carmel's varied and colorful residents have been proving this since the 1830s.

Today's citizens of St. Charles will recognize the names of many early settlers and residents, such as Louis Blanchette, who founded the settlement that would later become St. Charles; St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, who helped found the first school of the Society of the Sacred Heart in America; and Lewis and Clark, who began their expedition here to explore the Louisiana Purchase territory. Later came photographer Rudolph Goebel, who chronicled St. Charles's history for more than 50 years; Jane Crider, advocate for adults with disabilities and cofounder of Boone Center Inc.; and Archie Scott, known as "Mr. Main Street" for his years of dedication to the preservation of the historic district. Included in Legendary Locals of St. Charles are businesspeople, local personalities, authors, and entertainers, and while some of them may not yet be legendary, all of them are notable for their contributions to the St. Charles community and beyond.

Graced by the Huron River with an abundance of parks, Ann Arbor offers residents and visitors entertainment, sports, shopping, dining, and of course, the University of Michigan. Legendary Locals of Ann Arbor celebrates its citizens. Some of those who make up Ann Arbor are creative artists, inspiring educators, dedicated public servants, and determined business owners. With the exception of Lewis the cat, who reigned at Downtown Home and Garden, this book is filled with stories about people who have made and are making Ann Arbor one of the best places to live in the United States. Within its pages lie the stories of who chose maize and blue as the University of Michigan's colors; who was the first Ann Arborite to race in the Indy 500; and who sold Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's, his first pizzeria. Inside are photographs and descriptions of the legendary people of the past and the present, as well as those who are on their way to becoming the legends of the future.