Name: Synagogues of Long Island
Brand: Ira Poliakoff
SKU: 9781467138369
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Synagogues of Long Island

9781467138369

$24.99

Long Island has one of the most vibrant and largest Jewish communities in the nation.

After World War II, hundreds of thousands of Jewish soldiers returned from war looking for a life in the suburbs and synagogues to join, but the demand exceeded the supply. In 1946, Rabbi Elias Solomon called a meeting of Conservative rabbis from Manhattan to map out a plan to build a synagogue at ever South Shore Long Island Railroad stop, from Valley Stream to Patchogue. Central Synagogue of Nassau County and Beth El in Great Neck both grew to more than 1000 families as Reform Judaism took hold, and the growth of the Chabad movement in recent decades as spurred an increase of Orthodox Judaism. Author Ira Poliakoff catalogues the history of synagogues and congregations that have shaped Long Island's past and present.

South Orange

9780738509747

$24.99

With more than two hundred vintage photographs, South Orange presents a distinctive view of a village that has evolved from a rural to a sophisticated landscape. Situated next to a two-thousand-five-hundred-acre forest preserve filled with wildlife, South Orange is just a half-hour drive from Manhattan. In the early 1800s, South Orange was popular for its reputation as a healthy, relaxing destination-an escape from the increasingly industrial big-city landscapes of the region. Today, this bedroom community presents a unique mix of cosmopolitan and suburban environments.

South Orange follows the village through growth and development, illustrating how it has maintained much of its original character. The many extant homes in a wide variety of late-architectural styles hint at the summer afternoon tea parties of the nineteenth century. The gas-service lamps lining the streets of South Orange were once fueled by whale oil. The home of the Orange Lawn Tennis Club and Seton Hall University, South Orange was also the dwelling place of W.F. Havemeyer, real-estate tycoon, and Louis Bamberger, founder of Bamberger's Department Store, now known as Macy's. Another South Orange notable was William Frederick Allen, editor of the Official Railway Guide, who helped to implement the use of standard time in the United States.

Massachusetts Covered Bridges

9780738573236

$24.99

From hidden valleys in the Berkshire Hills to the North Shore, 275 documented highway and railroad covered bridges have been constructed in Massachusetts from the early 19th century onward, a figure that often comes as a surprise to those who traditionally associate these unique structures with northern New England. All but a small handful of these are long gone, lost to modern replacements, fires, wear, and the region's notorious weather, especially the devastating storms of the late 1930s. The bridges came in all shapes and sizes, from diminutive 50-foot spans to multitiered structures of nearly 900 feet that crossed the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers and were stout enough to support railroads across their roofs.

The Trout Valley Hertz Estate, and Curtiss Farm

9780738561608

$24.99

John D. Hertz, of rental car fame, discovered Trout Valley (then a part of unincorporated McHenry County) in the 1920s.

He built a mansion, barns, and polo grounds on the banks of the Fox River, calling his new country estate Leona Farms. Famous landscape architect Jens Jensen designed its scenic landscape, fishing streams, and ponds. Here Hertz raised racehorses, including two Kentucky Derby winners, and hosted Gatsby-like parties for the rich and famous, including Myrna Loy, Will Rogers, and Walt Disney. Eleanor Roosevelt was once a guest too. In 1943, Hertz sold his estate to Otto Schnering, of Baby Ruth and Butterfinger fame, who transformed the grounds from a lush playground to the headquarters of a 10,000-acre farming operation. Old-timers still remember Schnering's six-pony hitch carrying joy-filled passengers down Main Street, the state-of-the-art livestock arena, and the trophy-winning cattle raised at Curtiss Farm.

The Trout Valley Hertz Estate, and Curtiss Farm

Tolleson

9780738556307

$24.99

In 1907, five years before Arizona's statehood, Walter Gist Tolleson and his wife, Alethea, chose the dry Arizona Territory for their sick son. In 1910, they purchased and later subdivided 160 acres just 10 miles from a young settlement known as Phoenix. And in 1912, the town of Tolleson was born. By the 1940s and 1950s, the community had become the "Vegetable Center of the World." The area that was once an agricultural mecca is now divided by suburban sprawl, but Tolleson's original spirit remains. It is bustling with growing schools and industry, as well as world-class sports, shopping, and entertainment facilities, all surrounding a 6-square-mile community with small-town pride. That inexhaustible spirit continues to make Tolleson one of the greatest places in the country to live.

Fork Shoals

9780738590837

$24.99

Tucked away in southern Greenville County and surrounding the Reedy River, Fork Shoals, one of the county's first settlements, is a region that has been witness to an almost forgotten but proud history. Ancient artifacts, most notably a Clovis point, have been unearthed from these Cherokee hunting grounds, and the only Revolutionary War battle in Greenville County was fought nearby. In the late 1700s, a wave of settlers moved to the vicinity, establishing farms and plantations, schools and churches, and shops and mills. Fork Shoals School was one of the first accredited rural high schools in the state, and several of the churches are the oldest of their denomination in the county. Over time, Fork Shoals became unique for farming and textiles, with many individuals working at both. In these pages, the reader will learn about silk growing, early electricity, local communication systems, and textile ball teams and enjoy anecdotes about special people and places while poring over photographs that tell the story of Fork Shoals.

Auburn

9780738559445

$24.99

Auburn, the county seat of Placer County, was founded during the Gold Rush in 1848. Unlike many such towns in the Mother Lode, Auburn has remained a vibrant and growing town ever since. This city's relevance since the initial influx of gold seekers is due in part to its location at a nexus of transportation routes, both old and new. Halfway between San Francisco and Reno and at an elevation of just over 1,000 feet--above the fog and below the snow--Auburn is a very attractive place to live. Furthermore, it is a place with sincere respect for its roots, as evidenced by its restored old town, preserved courthouse building, and other historic structures throughout town.

The Charles

9780738535395

$24.99

From the Colonia era through the industrial age and into modern times, the Charles River has been a prominent feature of the New England landscape and has undergone a series of dramatice changes. First the site of important Revolutionary battles, the Charles later became home to myriad commercial interests, including lumberyards, slaughterhouses, arsenals, and businesses. The Charles has long been the location of three prominent universities, but only recently has the river come to serve as a recreational and scenic haven for residents and visitors of Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Watertown, and Newton. The 1970s landmark Clean Water Act did much to transform this much-used waterway into a lovely and popular spot for walking, jogging, cycling, boating, sailing, rowing, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and even windsurfing.

Boston Miscellany

9781596295872

$21.99

Before the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and the nineteenth century's cultural renaissance, a serious rebellion was brewing in the taverns of Boston. Look back to a time when riots raged through the streets of Boston, when Beacon Hill was a neighborhood of beggars and vagabonds, and papal effigies burned on the Boston Common. Meet William Blackstone, the first Bostonian, and John Singleton Copley, portrait artist of the elite. In this compilation by historian William Marchione, discover Boston as it once was—when customs officials were dragged through the sewers and drinking tea was a highly political act. Even the city's largest and most controversial funeral, held for the infamous Sacco and Vanzetti, ended in a street brawl with police. And yet, with the sprawl of the first American railroads, the dawning of the abolitionist movement and the cultural flourishing in art and architecture, Boston emerged as the nation's first cultural, economic, and political hub.

Federal Hill

9780738535494

$24.99

This remarkable photographic history of Federal Hill features images of the community from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s, chronicling the arrival of immigrants from many countries over the years.

During the thirty-four year period from 1898 to 1932, more than fifty thousand Italian immigrants arrived at the port of Providence. The majority of them settled on Federal Hill, the three-hundred-acre land mass that stands high above Rhode Island's capital city. Federal Hill is a rich community in many ways. Its hard working and tenacious settlers started out with a deep and abiding faith in God. Their numerous accomplishments are evidenced today in the many thriving family-owned businesses and stunning architectural achievements so prevalent in the downtown area. Many people from around the state enter Federal Hill through the welcoming pine-cone arch for seasonal festivals or a night on the town. The vitality and hospitality of this historic area are truly cherished by many in the modern era.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway: Climbing the White Mountains of New Hampshire

9781609491963

$21.99

The surpsing story of the Cog Railway on Mount Washington, and how one eccentric man's dream paved the way.

On July 3, 1869, the three-and-one-third-mile track leading to the summit of picturesque Mount Washington opened for public use. Once, only those daring enough to scale the 6,288 feet could enjoy the splendor of the scenery, but now everyone could journey to the summit using the invention of retired businessman Sylvester Marsh, who dreamed of this mountainous mode of transportation. Created at the height of the age of rail, the Cog Railway continues to chug up the mountain and into the hearts of tourists each year. Local historian Bruce D. Heald ties the history of its construction together with the grand romance of the railway as they triumphantly converge at the top of Mount Washington.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway: Climbing the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Around Newfound Lake

9780738509600

$24.99

An American poet once said that you should pack your boat of life with "only what you need-a home and simple pleasures." A tribute to these simple pleasures is presented in Around Newfound Lake, a nostalgic journey through a rich collection of vintage photographs. We see views of town and country, work and leisure, celebrations and even disasters-a charming collage of daily life through a century of change.

Newfound Lake occupies some 4,106 acres in the foothills of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Fed by underground springs, this pristine lake is nature's own recreation center. In quiet harmony with the lake are centuries-old towns and villages embracing its bounds: places such as Hill, Hebron, Groton, and New Hampton, known by other names and proprietary boundaries when first settled; Alexandria and Danbury, nestled at the foot of Mountains Cardigan and Ragged, respectively; Bridgewater, claiming the lion's share of the Newfound shoreline; and Bristol, the industrial hub.

Peabody in Vintage Postcards

9780738509624

$24.99

Peabody was settled in 1626 as Brooksby Village and was originally a part of the town of Salem. In 1752, citizens joined in the area of town known as Salem Village to form the town of Danvers. The separation of the two towns into Danvers and South Danvers took place in 1855. In 1868, the name of South Danvers was changed to Peabody to honor its native son George Peabody.

In Peabody, vivid postcards offer a contrasting view of what it was like to live and work in a community having two distinct characters: the town center, with its bustling tanning industries, which soon earned Peabody the sobriquet of "Leather Capital of the World," and the pastoral farming villages of Brookdale, Locustdale, Brooksby, and West Peabody, which portray a sense of life in rural America during this same era.

Atlantic

9780738584294

$24.99

The history of Atlantic is rooted in the story of unrelenting entrepreneur Franklin H. Whitney. His passion inspired a strong and enterprising breed of men who embraced his vision and settled in the lush hills and valleys of Cass County, Iowa, in the decade following the close of the Civil War. The railroad provided the impetus for rapid growth and prosperity, and Whitney's vision of a new city became a reality when his recommendation for a depot site was approved. Within six days, Whitney's agent, Thomas Miller, had built the first house from which Whitney ordered furrows plowed to the railroad grading. Atlantic was thus born. The town grew rapidly, and by 1869 civic and social organizations, churches, newspapers, banks, schools, and businesses were thriving. Atlantic also had its share of shady characters, outlaw gangs, and disasters. The photographs and stories in this book provide a glimpse into the lives of Atlantic's intrepid developers and the city they established in the valley of the Nishnabotna.

La Grange

9780738556369

$24.99

La Grange, voted the capital of the Republic of Texas in 1838, is as colorful and audacious as the state itself. Its citizens were instrumental in winning the republic's freedom and have always been willing to fight for their beliefs. Many defend La Grange as the true capital of Texas, unfairly stripped of its title. The town flourished during the 19th century and witnessed the birth of a rough-and-tumble society, where arguments were commonly settled with fists, knives, and guns. In later years, immigrants flocked to the area and built a strong agricultural economy. The 20th century might have passed quietly into history if not for a Houston television reporter who publicized the demise of one of Texas's best-known brothels, the Chicken Ranch, located just outside of La Grange. The extensive publicity surrounding the closing of the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" resulted in a musical and movie of the same name, as well as a song by ZZ Top.

Tacoma's Wright Park

9780738559322

$24.99

The origins of Wright Park date to 1886, when the Tacoma Land Company--the real estate agency of the Northern Pacific Railway--donated 27 acres of land to the newly incorporated and booming young railroad town of Tacoma on the condition that it become a city park. A hilly, logged, and brambly parcel of land, the acreage was nonetheless enthusiastically received by citizens of Tacoma. Named in honor of Charles Barstow Wright, the president of the Tacoma Land Company, Wright Park and its surrounding streets and avenues soon became the early address of distinction for Tacoma's grand residences as well as many educational, religious, and medical institutions. Now, more than a century later, Tacoma's landmark Wright Park is the recipient of renewed citizen investment and appreciation, as this photographic retrospective demonstrates.

State University of New York:

9780738509648

$24.99

The campus of the State University of New York, College at Oneonta covers two hundred-fifty acres and overlooks the Susquehanna River Valley in the western foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Founded in 1889 as the Oneonta Normal School with the mission of training teachers, the college became a charter member of the state university system in 1948. Its mission diversified through the years as it served the changing needs of the people of New York State. The college offered its first bachelor's degree program in 1938, its first graduate program in 1948, and its first full range of programs in the arts and sciences in 1964. Today, as a liberal arts college with a preprofessional focus, Oneonta enrolls more than five thousand six hundred students in over sixty undergraduate majors and nine graduate programs. This intriguing visual history documents the development of an exceptional institution of higher learning. State University of New York, College at Oneonta begins with the people who helped establish the college and examines the impact that establishment had on the community. The book profiles the faculty and shows the rooms and buildings in which they taught over the years. It looks at students in all phases of campus life-in the dormitories, at study, in sports, and on stage. The book offers a complete picture of a college noted for its outstanding and accessible faculty, students committed to both academic achievement and community service, distinguished alumni, and beautiful campus.

Harrodsburg and Mercer County

9780738598635

$24.99

Dedicated exclusively to the oldest town in Kentucky, Postcard History Series: Harrodsburg and Mercer County presents what Fort Harrod looked like when it was established in 1775. High Bridge, spanning the Kentucky River between Mercer and Jessamine Counties and only miles from Shakertown, was an engineering wonder of its age. As the highest railroad bridge in the world at the time, it was the subject of hundreds of postcards. Summer visitors came from all over the country to enjoy Harrodsburg's Graham Springs Resort, known as the "Saratoga of the West." Views of nearby Dix Dam and Herrington Lake were made into postcards for vacationers to send to their friends and family.

Morro Bay

9780738530864

$24.99

Morro Bay, on California's Central Coast, is famous for the massive rock formation that guards the mouth of its natural harbor. A remnant of an ancient volcanic plug, Morro Rock--in Spanish, el Moro, the sentinel--was spotted by explorer Juan Cabrillo as early as 1542. Once sacred to Native Americans, it is now a sanctuary for peregrine falcons and other birds, near secluded dunes, a 2,300-acre national estuary known as the back bay, and eucalyptus groves that are visited each winter by monarch butterflies. With the railroad hundreds of miles away, the small fishing town with sandy streets, surrounded by cattle and dairy ranches, once depended on the sea for transportation. Now a thriving commercial district serves both residents and tourists, and its waterfront is packed with busy seafood restaurants. Kayaks, canoes, and commercial fishing boats mingle in the sparkling waters of the bay.

Montpelier and the Madisons

9781596292772

$21.99

A stately plantation in picturesque Orange County, Virginia, Montpelier has been home to many owners, but the period in which the Madison family occupied it remains the most intriguing. Historian Matthew G. Hyland traces the development of the plantation as it evolved and changed through three generations of Madisons - from beginnings as temporary quarters on the tobacco frontier of Piedmont Virginia to the height of fame as the noteworthy abode of the fourth United States President, James Madison.

The history of the house and its grounds offers a glimpse into the private dilemmas and public struggles that mark the development of democracy and reflect the creation of the United States as a nation. Newly renovated and restored to the era President Madison lived and entertained there, the home stands as a testament to its great proprietor's interests and tastes, and as a witness to American history.

Montpelier

9781596295018

$21.99

Once a small clearing in the woods, Montpelier today sits at the center of Vermont's civic and cultural life. Its artists, legislators, innovators and leaders have made the nation's smallest state capital a crossroads for all. Glimpse the only surviving photographs of the second State House--taken just years before it burned--and the welcome given to Admiral George Dewey, fresh from victory in the Spanish-American War, by the largest crowd the city has ever seen. Survey the wreckage of the 1927 flood, learn how Montpelier's glorious historic district came to life and follow the footsteps of presidents passing through town.
Gathered together for the first time, these timeless images show Montpelier's citizens in their grittiest, saddest, happiest and most triumphant moments.

Hiltons

9780738554235

$24.99

Hiltons is located in the southwest corner of Virginia and was named for the Reverend Samuel Hilton, who moved to the region from North Carolina in 1795. In the 1880s, Hiltons became a vital link for goods being transported both to and from the region when the railroad was constructed from Bristol to Appalachia. U.S. Highway 58 winds through Hiltons to Virginia Beach, providing many miles of scenic travel on what was, for many years, an important transportation route. The Hiltons area is blessed with natural beauty, including the scenic Clinch Mountains, a part of the Appalachian chain, and the lazy flowing north fork of the Holston River. Hiltons is home to the world-renowned Carter family of country music fame and is the location of the Carter Family Museum and Fold, which continues to provide old-time country music entertainment.

Cover image for Hiltons, isbn: 9780738554235

Boston Curiosities

9781596295803

$19.99

Boston has been a favorite backdrop for novels, films and television series, but some of the best stories about the city are true ones. Historian Ted Clarke explores these stories both the familiar and the obscure that have earned Boston such epithets as 'the epicenter of American crime fiction', 'the cradle of liberty' and 'the ice cream capital of the world'. The fifteen-foot tidal wave of molasses that roared down Commercial Street in 1919 is one of the more famous legends. Lesser known, but equally stunning, is the case of Albert Tirrell, who in 1845 murdered his mistress in a Boston boardinghouse but was released after presenting the first successful sleepwalking defense in the United States. From the mysterious story of John Jacob Loud, who patented the first ballpoint pen, to the dubious early enterprises of merchant prince turned philanthropist Thomas Perkins, Boston Curiosities offers up a medley of memorable events that give Beantown its celebrated flavor.