Name: Lafayette Square, St. Louis
Brand: Albert Montesi
SKU: 9780738500225
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Lafayette Square, St. Louis

9780738500225

$24.99

Lafayette Square has always been a reflection of the life and times of St. Louis, Missouri. Originally a common land where cattle grazed and people hunted game, the area was set aside as a public park just before the Civil War. Following that era, Lafayette Square was developed into a showplace for the Victorian era, featuring fantastic gardens, gazebos, a bandstand, an aquarium, and a boathouse. On May 27, 1896, a tornado plowed through the area and destroyed most of its foliage and buildings. Following this tragedy, many homeowners fled to the Central West End, and the once elegant Lafayette Square fell into a state of decline. During the years of the Depression and World War II, the neighborhood and its surroundings became known as "Slum D." In 1945, architect and historian John Albury Bryan purchased a residence at Benton Place and began a fierce and lonely battle to renovate the Square. His dream of restoration became a reality in the 1960s and 1970s when a group of concerned citizens, determined to recapture the area's former glory, banded together to form the Lafayette Restoration Committee.

Stories of Jewish Dayton

9781467149440

$21.99

Stories of Jewish Dayton recovers the lost history of Jewish life in the Miami Valley.

Many stories of Jewish Dayton's past have faded over time. Others, painful to recall, may have been intentionally buried. All are sure to surprise new generations. The Jews of Dayton drank wine during Prohibition, debated Zionism, fought the Klan, and joined the battle for civil rights in the trenches. Balancing tradition and modernity across eras, they navigated the American dream and faced challenges often strikingly similar to those we face today.

Marshall Weiss -- founding editor and publisher of the Dayton Jewish Observer and project director of Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History -- reaches back nearly two centuries to unearth forgotten episodes of Jewish history in Ohio's Miami Valley.

Virginia Marmaduke

9780738519661

$24.99

Nicknamed "The Duchess" by a tongue-tied editor early in her career, Virginia Marmaduke is the First Lady of Chicago print journalism. She was the first woman to: cover both crime and sports for Windy City newspapers; be named (by Mayor Daley Sr.) to the Chicago Board of Health; be named Press Veteran of the Year by the Chicago Press Veterans Association; and to be inducted into Chicago's Journalism Hall of Fame.

First with the Chicago Sun, then the Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, the Duchess's newspaper career ran parallel to the 20th Century. She covered, as she called it, "blood, guts and sex," as well as presidents, natural disasters, women's issues, and-notably-humanitarian causes.

This volume, the first on the life and career of Virginia Marmaduke, reprints many of the famous articles from her Chicago heyday. Additionally, it documents her childhood in Carbondale, Illinois, her first newspaper job, and her return to Southern Illinois where she became a community booster, humanitarian, and beloved "all-Illinoisian."

Stevens County

9780738540825

$24.99

The land area that came to be known as Stevens County was ceded to the United States government by the Dakota Indians in the treaty of the Traverse des Sioux in 1851. Government and railroad exploration parties, Red River Trail oxcarts, and pioneers and missionaries had come through the area long before it was officially ceded or settled. After the Dakota uprising of 1862, the United States government made the decision to put a fort in Dakota Territory. In 1864, Fort Wadsworth, later called Fort Sisseton, was built. Mule teams with supplies for soldiers and Native Americans, and pioneers began traveling in greater numbers across the tallgrass prairies of Stevens County from St. Cloud and into Dakota Territory. Pioneers from many different countries settled in Stevens County to break up the prairie sod and plant wheat and tree claims on their homesteaded land. Grasshoppers, prairie fires, and blizzards tested their determination, but the hardy ones survived to provide for their children's education, organize local governments, and build homes, churches, and businesses.

Knox County Bridges

9780738551562

$24.99

Knox County had its beginnings at the confluence of the waters of Center Run with the Kokosing River. This pictorial history of the spanning of area waterways is mostly a story of disasters. Many of the photographs are of the wreckage of failed bridges and what is left of the vehicles that brought them down. They depict a county highway department that was only reactive. The practice was to send the crews out to pick up the pieces and then figure out how to repair or replace the bridge. Changes began to occur with the Silver Bridge disaster in 1967 over the Ohio River, as the federal government instituted inspection of all public bridges at two-year intervals. With the information afforded through inspections and additional funding mechanisms, counties by the mid-1980s had the tools to be proactive toward bridge maintenance. A scheduled plan to inspect structures for repairs or replacement prior to failure began to occur. During this period, construction materials other than timber--stronger and longer-lasting materials--became the norm, thus saving lives.

Wicked Bay City, Michigan

9781467135542

$21.99

Join author Tim Younkman for a wild ride into Bay City's wicked side.

From unscrupulous lumber barons to Hell's Half Mile, Bay City history casts a sinister shadow. Pope Leo XIII was forced to intervene when rioting Catholic immigrants seized St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and battled one another in the city's streets. The police discovered prostitute Lou Hall nearly beaten to death in the Block of Blazes. And respected publishing mogul Edwin T. Bennett's secret life led to the death of a young woman in a Bay City hotel room.

Growing Up Greek in St. Louis

9780738519562

$24.99

Since the beginning of the 20th century, St. Louis' Greek-American community has been a vibrant part of the city's fabric. Through a series of vivid personal accounts of growing up in two worlds during the post-WWII era, Growing Up Greek in St. Louis explores the challenges faced by Greek-Americans as they sought to preserve a rich cultural heritage while assimilating to American ways.

From a detailed account of her Grandmothers' struggles during the occupation of Greece during WWII and the Asia Minor Holocaust to the first hand experiences faced by Greek-American children in Greek school, the celebration of name days, and the ever-present evil eye, the book captures the sense of tradition, history, hospitality (philotimo), and community so vital to the Greek experience.

Sharonville and Its People

9780738519630

$24.99

This book is about the people of Sharonville-the folks we read about in the "neighbors" column of a local paper, our grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great grandparents, the human beings inside the uniforms. Sharonville: And Its People shows how different we are from those that lived here 50, 100, or 150 years ago; and yet, how much we are the same. Since its founding in 1788, the town of Sharonville (originally Sharon) has been called home to generations of people who have built homes and businesses, churches and schools, and a vibrant community that will be called home by the generations to come. The story of these people is told here through over 200 photographs from the collection at the Society for Historic Sharonville. These images show that a town isn't just its buildings and politicians, but a place built by everyday people who all have rich stories to tell.

History Lover's Guide to Omaha, A

9781467148450

$21.99

In Omaha, an evening stroll can provide passage into a fascinating past. Travel from a madam's elaborate grave in North Omaha to the site of the first U.S. airmail flight in Aksarben. Chase down the echoes of a Duke Ellington performance at the Dreamland Ballroom in the Jewell Building. Stow away on a tour that treats the whole city like a museum. Colorful street murals and Gilded Age mansions stand in as exhibits alongside the more traditional offerings of state markers and archival collections. Gain fresh appreciation for familiar landscapes and famous landmarks as Eileen Wirth and Carol McCabe move through Omaha neighborhood by neighborhood.

Black Hills Gold Rush Towns

9781467113977

$24.99

Rising out of the prairie, the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming had long been rumored to have promising quantities of gold. Sacred to the Lakota, the Black Hills was part of the land reserved for them in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. However, the tide of prospectors seeking their fortune in the Black Hills was difficult to stem. Members of the 1874 Custer expedition, lead by Gen. George Armstrong Custer, found gold. In 1875, scientists Henry Newton and Walter Jenney conducted an expedition and confirmed the rumors. By 1876, the trickle of prospectors and settlers coming to the Black Hills was a flood. The US government realized that keeping the interlopers out was impossible, and in 1877 the Black Hills was officially opened to settlement. In this sequel to their Black Hills Gold Rush Towns book, the authors expand their coverage of Black Hills towns during the gold-rush era.

Ashland

9780738582665

$24.99

Ashland, first known as Uniontown, was established in 1815 on a trail blazed and traveled largely by Native Americans in a setting covered by primitive trees nestled in the heart of Ohio. Growing from a single street of dust in the summer and mud in the winter, the town expanded from its agricultural roots to become the hub of industrial Ohio. With the introduction of the railroad, Ashland was escalated to the forefront of the manufacturing giants. By 1915, the little city with big vision saw spectacular achievements and inventions fall on the heels of one another, leading the world in the production of pumps, balloons, animal remedies, and auto jacks. Ashland's past is remembered and admired today by a new generation, which has brought economic change to a city that still carries a big vision for its future.

Lewis University

9780738520223

$24.99

Now the twelfth largest among more than 50 private colleges and universities in the State of Illinois, Lewis University was established in 1932 as a small aeronautical school for boys and has developed into a dynamic, coeducational, and comprehensive Catholic university with a richly diverse student body. Founded by the Archdiocese of Chicago and now sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis is faithful to its Catholic and Lasallian heritage, offering a values-centered curriculum rich in the Mission values of knowledge, fidelity, wisdom, and justice and guided by the spirit of association, which fosters community in teaching, learning, and service. As Lewis celebrates its 70th anniversary, this volume provides a visual glimpse into the history of this unique institution. Included are photographs of its humble beginnings, its evolution during and after World War II, dynamic enrollment growth during the 1960s, the dramatic campus transformation through construction, its student activities, its athletic successes, and the campus today.

Brentwood, Missouri

9780738520216

$24.99

The mail coaches and prairie schooners traveling west in the late 1800s on the Manchester Trail would have stopped in what is today known as Brentwood. Maddenville, as the area was then called, was named after a prominent businessman who owned a grocery store, barbershop, rock quarry, and blacksmith shop. While some travelers took respite in Porta's Tavern and pressed westward, others never left the community that later grew, along with the railroad, into a bustling community just outside St. Louis. This collection of words and images by the Brentwood Historical Society brings to life the small-town values and humble history of "The City of Warmth."

In this book, more than 200 historic photographs portray the days when the Brentwood Dinky streetcar ran from St. Louis, Link's Chicken Farm became infamous, and Louis J. "Pat" Bompart, grandson of Brentwood's founder, bought tavern patrons round after round of drinks. Pictured here are the schools, churches, businesses, and festivals that have endeared residents to Brentwood since its earliest days as a whistle stop.

Dowagiac

9780738534220

$24.99

The story of Dowagiac's first 100 years may ring familiar to other small cities across the United States. After Dowagiac was established on a railroad line in 1848, new settlers arrived and had the opportunity to establish large-scale factories in the young village. This growth would last for a
full century, fueled by the Round Oak Stove Company and other manufacturers in the city. Because of its manufacturing base, immigrants moved to Dowagiac, and the small city enjoyed strong business and manufacturing districts, solid educational institutions, and a vibrant social life. Surrounding lakes provided one venue for entertainment, while downtown Dowagiac offered theaters and fairs. This book documents and celebrates the history of Dowagiac with over 200 photographs from the collection of the Museum at Southwestern Michigan College.

Willowbrook Ballroom

9780738583990

$24.99

The Willowbrook Ballroom was originally built as an outdoor dance pavilion named Oh Henry Park by Austrian immigrant John Verderbar. Wildly successful, it was enlarged and fully enclosed in 1923, and a 10¢-a-dance policy was implemented. Destroyed by fire in 1930, a determined Verderbar hired a crew of 200 carpenters, and a new facility was built to the tune of a then-staggering $100,000. In 1959, it was renamed the Willowbrook Ballroom, and dancers have since enjoyed the big band sounds of Count Basie, Teddy Lee, Harry James, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. As record crowds flocked to the 6,000-square-foot dance floor, the Willowbrook also became a favorite setting for weddings, proms, and other once-in-a-lifetime events. Today, at the height of its popularity, the Willowbrook is one of only five ballrooms of its magnitude in the United States and the only one remaining in the greater Chicagoland area.

Fire Strikes the Chicago Stock Yards

9781609499075

$21.99

Wade into the endless smoke of Chicago's Union Stock Yards, the site of nearly three hundred extra-alarm fires before its closure in 1971, including some of the most disastrous conflagrations of a city famous for fire. In 1910, twenty-one firemen and three civilians were killed in a blaze at a beef warehouse--the largest death toll for an organized fire department in the nation prior to 9/11. The meatpackers who ran the yards considered the constant threat of fire as part of the cost of doing business, shrugging it off with an, "It's all right, we're fully covered." For the firefighters who were forced to plunge into the flames again and again, it was an entirely different matter.

Arabs of Chicagoland

9780738534176

$24.99

Arabs first settled in Chicagoland in the mid-19th century, when immigrants from all parts of the world were flowing steadily into the U.S. As tensions in the Arab world flared, immigration increased--the first to arrive were Lebanese Christians, followed by Muslim Palestinians. Today, there are more than 250,000 Arabs in the Chicago area, with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. A part of the fabric of Chicago, Arabs serve in many roles, from business leaders to elected officials to judges, doctors, engineers, journalists, and more. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Arab Americans have come under great scrutiny and have suffered much misunderstanding. Now, this book, which explores their integral role in Chicagoland's growth, is especially important.

Forgotten Chicago Airfields

9781626195547

$21.99

Nick Selig excavates the highways to the sky that have been covered up by urban sprawl or dissolved by neglect. More than a guide to landing strips that have had startling second lives as shopping malls or retirement homes, he uncovers the excitement of the early days of air travel, when a man might cling to his job as a lavatory truck driver for a closer peek at aviation. In this follow-up to Lost Airports of Chicago," discover how a tractor swap gave birth to Clow International Airport and revel in the daredevil exploits of puddle-jumper pilots over the wide-open spaces of Harlem Avenue."

The Ford-Wyoming Drive-In: Cars, Candy & Canoodling in the Motor City

9781626195486

$21.99

Shortly after World War II, three Dearborn brothers bought a vacant parcel to build a drive-in theater. Local groups opposed them, fearing such a place would elicit immoral behavior." But the Clark family persevered to see its movie palace become a Metro Detroit mainstay, hosting celebrities, rock stars and a never-ending line of families with kids in footie pajamas. A handshake transferred ownership to movie magnate Charles Shafer and his business partner, Bill Clark, who expanded the theater to a massive nine screens. But blockbusters and hordes of teens couldn't mitigate the effects of Detroit's decline, auto company bankruptcies and Michigan's economic malaise. Despite it all, the mighty Ford-Wyoming kept the movies showing, bringing a bit of Hollywood glamour to the gritty Motor City."

The Ford-Wyoming Drive-In: Cars, Candy & Canoodling in the Motor City

Fall River County and Hot Springs

9780738519999

$24.99

The unsung heroes of Fall River County made the area what it is. They were the men at the lumberyard, the pioneers, homesteaders, cowboys, farmers, homemakers, teachers, quarry workers, service station mechanics, blacksmiths, firemen, and the builders of Angostura Dam. Fall River County and Hot Springs: Views from the Past 1881-1955 showcases these everyday people. Each person played a role in the success of the county, from the children whose chores helped to ensure a family's survival to the visionaries who built irrigation ditches.

Sandstone quarries and buildings, sod houses and mansions, cattle and cowboys, work and play, and other images of daily lives are featured within these pages. Using over 200 vintage images and accompanying captions, author Peggy Sanders brings to life the rich history of the area and the incredible residents who made it all possible.

Fostoria, Ohio

9780738520056

$24.99

Fostoria, Ohio, was formed in 1854 with the merger of Risdon to the north and Rome to the south. It was named after Charles W. Foster, a local businessman who served as the town's first mayor. A town of 15,000 in northwestern Ohio, it is known around the world for its many railroads and, at one time, many glass factories including the well-known Fostoria glassware. "As the great City of Fostoria celebrates its 'Sesquicentennial' we all look forward to our next 150 years, but at the same time look back on where we have been. Paul Krupp's first book on Fostoria gave a great historical and yet personable account of Fostoria. Volume 2 continues with more wonderful insights of the rich heritage of our great city."-Mayor John Davoli, City of Fostoria, Ohio.

University City, Missouri

9780738520063

$24.99

In 1904, from a plot of land that would soon become University City, eccentric publisher Edwin Gardner Lewis shone the beam of what he claimed was the world's largest searchlight over the World's Fair in nearby St. Louis. Several years later, he claimed an even greater possession: a city, created around his publishing complex, complete with his own mayoral office, wide boulevards, and beautiful residences. The story of University City is one of urban wonder: from the city's "Hilltop Neighbor" and namesake, Washington University, to the diversity showcased in today's University City. The historic images in this volume illustrate the area's founding and development, from the largest printing press of the time, capable of producing 300,000 eight-page newspapers an hour, to the lion sculptures at the city's famed "Gates of Opportunity," standing proud as the city's everlasting symbol.

Catholic Kansas City

9781467105750

$24.99

In the early 1830s, Fr. Benedict Roux reported only nine Catholic families living in western Missouri. The arrival of Catholic missionaries, most notably Fr. Bernard Donnelly in 1845, signaled the permanency and success of the Catholic Church in the area. As European upheavals facilitated the immigration of Irish and German Catholics, Catholicism continued to expand and flourish. The Catholic population in the region was enough to warrant the establishment of the Diocese of Kansas City on September 10, 1880. The immigration of Sicilian and Italian immigrants in the late 19th century as well as Hispanics and Vietnamese Catholics in the 20th century further consolidated the strength of the Catholic Church in western Missouri. On August 29, 1956, the Holy See incorporated part of the Diocese of St. Joseph into the former Diocese of Kansas City, creating the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. From these humble roots developed a diocese of nearly 124,000 Catholics in 91 parishes and 10 missions. This book traces the development of Catholicism within Kansas City, from its modest beginnings through the second renovation of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 2003.

The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City: Blessing of the Blossoms

9781626194267

$21.99

The National Cherry Festival is northern Michigan's most popular event. It turns Traverse City, a beach town of thirty thousand, into a thriving city of nearly one million. Begun almost a century ago, the festival started out as a small, neighborhood affair and grew into an international phenomenon that draws in visitors from all over the globe. Twist and pop a pit of Cherry Festival history with author and Traverse City native Brooks Vanderbush as he recounts the festival's growth and its queens and courts, governing bodies, past personalities and other memorable stories that have made it such an essential part of this vacation paradise.

The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City: Blessing of the Blossoms

The First Celebrity Serial Killer in Southwest Ohio: Confessions of the Strangler Alfred Knapp

9781467117500

$21.99

Just before Christmas 1902, Alfred Knapp strangled his wife in her sleep. He put her body in a box and sent the box floating down the Great Miami River, telling everyone that Hannah had left him. When the truth came out, Knapp confessed to four other murders. Newspapers across the Midwest sent reporters to interview the handsome strangler. Despite spending most of his adulthood in prison, he had a charming, boyish manner that made him an instant celebrity serial killer. True crime historian Richard O Jones examines the strangler's alleged crimes, the family drama of covering up Knapp's atrocities and how a brain-damaged drifter became a media darling.

The First Celebrity Serial Killer in Southwest Ohio: Confessions of the Strangler Alfred Knapp

Nebraska POW Camps

9781626194199

$21.99

During World War II, thousands of Axis prisoners of war were held throughout Nebraska in base camps that included Fort Robinson, Camp Scottsbluff and Camp Atlanta. Many Nebraskans did not view the POWs as "evil Nazis." To them, they were ordinary men and very human. And while their stay was not entirely free from conflict, many former captives returned to the Cornhusker State to begin new lives after the cessation of hostilities. Drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs and Nebraska residents, as well as archival research, Melissa Marsh delves into the neglected history of Nebraska's POW camps.

Mitchell's Corn Palace

9780738532578

$24.99

The world's only Corn Palace began as "The Corn Belt Exposition" in 1892, a promotional enterprise established to showcase the rich agricultural region of the James Valley. The exposition became a popular annual event, and an icon of the American prairie. The Corn Palace has occupied three different buildings since 1892. Adorned each autumn with corn, grains, and native grasses in decorative patterns and themes, the Corn Palace has hosted famous entertainers, politicians, and community events. Now well into its second century and going strong, the Corn Palace has become a symbol of South Dakota. Mitchell's Corn Palace tells the unique story of the palace through a collection of over 200 fascinating vintage images, chronicling this unique piece of Americana.

Mysterious Madison:

9781609493691

$21.99

The city of Madison is no stranger to odd goings-on and events that just don't add up. Plunge into murky waters in search of the Lake Mendota monster or briefly part the clouds of the Great Airship Mystery of 1897, which was witnessed by such credible sources as "Wisconsin judges, good church-going folk and those not predisposed to drink whiskey." Please don't stare for too long at Myrtle Downing's shoes, which were said to be made from human skin. Revisit some of the murders that earned the intersection of Murray Street and Desmond Court the epithet "Death's Corner." And that is just a portion of the unsolved crimes, strange creatures and bizarre happenstance that make up Mysterious Madison.

Lost Gary, Indiana

9781626196049

$21.99

Jerry Davich explores the remnants of Gary's glory days, from Union Station to City Methodist Church.

A poster child for our nation's urban experimentation a century ago, Gary was forged with hype and hope, dreams and sweat, political agendas and tons of steel. The hardscrabble city attracted all kinds, from shady scoundrels and famous architects to hardworking immigrants and brilliant entrepreneurs. Boasting 180,000 residents at its peak, the booming melting pot eventually faded away under the afflictions of urban decay, racial unrest and political upheaval. Revisit the Sheraton Hotel's demise, Emerson High School's hard lessons, Vee-Jay Records' last release and a devastated downtown filled only with façades and fond memories.

The Murder of Maggie Hume: Cold Case in Battle Creek

9781626195271

$21.99

On August 16, 1982, an unidentified attacker brutalized and strangled Maggie Hume at her apartment in Battle Creek, Michigan. The daughter of a beloved local football coach, her seemingly senseless murder sparked intense scrutiny that lingers today. Award-winning author Blaine Pardoe and his daughter, Victoria Hester, crack open three decades of material on this mysterious tragedy, exposing dark secrets and political in-fighting that tore at the Battle Creek legal system for years. Compiled from documents, videos and interviews, this book presents the facts and clues of the case to the public for the first time.

The Murder of Maggie Hume: Cold Case in Battle Creek

Standing Rock Sioux

9780738532424

$24.99

There is a rock of incredible legend and history that stands before the Standing Rock Agency. Years ago a Dakota man took a second wife, thereby bruising the ego of his first. As camp was breaking up and the tribe was moving on, the first wife pouted and refused to move. She stayed behind with her baby. The tribe moved on and the husband repented, sending his brothers to collect her. They returned to camp to find that she and her child had turned to stone. From that point on, the stone was thought holy and was moved with the tribe, always given a place of honor at the center of camp. Now resting upon a brick pedestal, from this stone the agency derives its name.

Murder in Wauwatosa

9781609496739

$21.99

Investigate the mysteries surrounding the brutal murder of Wauwatos's Arthur "Buddy'? Schumacher Jr. A must-read for fans of true crime and Wisconsin history enthusiasts.

In 1925, the peaceful Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosafound itself involved in mystery and horror. Eight-year-old Arthur ""Buddy"" Schumacher Jr. was last seen by three of his friends after they hopped off a freight train they'd jumped to get a ride to a nearby swimming hole.

For seven weeks, the community and state searched desperately to find the boy until his body was found just a mile from his house with his clothing torn and a handkerchief shoved down his throat. The police pursued several promising leads, but to no avail.

In this engaging mystery, author Paul Hoffman walks us back to the scene of the crime and through the reasons it was never solved.

Murder in Battle Creek

9781626191341

$21.99

Investigate the mysteries surrounding the horrifying murder of Battle Creek's Daisy Zick. A must-read for fans of true crime and Michigan history enthusiasts.

On a bitterly cold morning in January 1963, Daisy Zick was brutally murdered in her Battle Creek home. No fewer than three witnesses caught a glimpse of the killer, yet today, it remains one of Michigan's most sensational unsolved crimes.

The act of pure savagery rocked not only the community but also the Kellogg Company, where she worked. Here, Blaine Pardoe artfully takes the reader into this true crime thriller. Utilizing long-sealed police files and interviews with the surviving investigators, the true story of the investigation can finally be told.

Who were the key suspects? What evidence does the police still have on this five-decades-old cold case? Just how close did this murder come to being solved? Is the killer still alive? These questions and more are masterfully brought to the forefront for true crime fans and armchair detectives.

Michigan Literary Luminaries:

9781626199378

$21.99

From Ernest Hemingway's rural adventures to the gritty fiction of Joyce Carol Oates, the landscape of the "Third Coast" has inspired generations of the nation's greatest storytellers. Michigan Literary Luminaries shines a spotlight on this rich heritage of the Great Lakes State. Discover how Saginaw greenhouses shaped the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Theodore Roethke. Compare the common traits of Detroit crime writers like Elmore Leonard and Donald Goines. Learn how Dudley Randall revolutionized American literature by doing for poets what Motown Records did for musicians. Join author Anna Clark as she unveils Michigan's extraordinary written culture with a mixture of history, literary criticism and original reporting.

Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's North Side

9781596296442

$21.99

In 1929, Chicago gangster Al Capone arranged a special St. Valentine's Day delivery for his favorite arch enemies: a massacre. Seven North Side mobsters were left dead. Yet random killings and bizarre murders were not unfamiliar in Chicago. Tales of the city's most violent and puzzling murders make this gripping work truly hair-raising: a deranged stalker kills his love object and then himself; a sausage maker uses the tools of his trade to rid himself of his wife; and a meticulous serial killer cleans his dead victim's wounds before taping them closed. Through accounts dripping with mystery, gory details and suspense, Troy Taylor brilliantly tells the twisted history of Chicago's North Side's worst.