Name: Coatesville and the Lynching of Zachariah Walker:
Brand: Dennis B. Downey
SKU: 9781609492809
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Coatesville and the Lynching of Zachariah Walker:

9781609492809

$21.99

On a warm August night in 1911, Zachariah Walker was lynched--burned alive--by an angry mob on the outskirts of Coatesville, a prosperous Pennsylvania steel town. At the time of his very public murder, Walker, an African American millworker, was under arrest for the shooting and killing of a respected local police officer. Investigated by the NAACP, the horrific incident garnered national and international attention. Despite this scrutiny, a conspiracy of silence shrouded the events, and the accused men and boys were found not guilty at trial. On the 100th anniversary of the lynching and the 20th anniversary of the book's original release as No Crooked Death, authors Dennis B. Downey and Raymond M. Hyser bring new insight to events that rocked a community.

Coatesville and the Lynching of Zachariah Walker:

Around Montgomery

9780738557663

$24.99

Incorporated in 1887, Montgomery is the youngest borough in Lycoming County, yet it possesses a deeply rich and proud history. Nestled between Black Hole and White Deer Valleys, it was once a bustling industrial community heralded as the "best small town on the Susquehanna." The images in Around Montgomery show rare scenes of Alvira, a community well established for over a century before meeting its tragic end in the 1940s, as well as glimpses of Devitt's Camp, a rural retreat for tuberculosis patients. This volume highlights the first 50 years of the borough and depicts the people and places that made up the dynamic history of Montgomery and its neighboring communities.

Confrontation at Gettysburg

9781609494261

$19.99

Gettysburg is America's most famous battle. Fought on the first three days of July 1863, it was one of the largest and by far the bloodiest of the Civil War.

Yet the importance of this great conflagration cannot be measured in numbers alone, for Gettysburg also represented a pivotal moment in the war. The battle ended General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of Union soil, and never again did a Confederate army reach that far north. Join historian John Hoptak as he narrates the fierce action between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac at such places as McPherson's Ridge, the Railroad Cut, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Devil's Den, Little Round Top and on Culp's and Cemetery Hills.

Souderton

9780738576343

$24.99

Located midway between Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, Souderton was settled by predominantly German immigrants. Farmers and craftsmen with an entrepreneurial spirit, they took full advantage of opportunities to provide goods and services to a growing community. In 1852, Henry O. Souder offered the free use of his land to the North Penn Railroad, diverting the Gwynedd to Bethlehem route through the bountiful Indian Valley and transforming Souderton into a lively commercial center. Incorporated in 1887, the borough soon boasted a booming economy. First a hub for cigar manufacturing and later textiles, Souderton rapidly expanded. Feed mills, lumberyards, bakeries, a bank, and a large department-store-lined Main Street. Today, these same stores and mills house a new generation of artists, designers, and impresarios, reflecting a vibrant, enterprising downtown. Souderton traces the commercial evolution of the town while capturing the remarkable people and events that created this community and transformed Main Street--the hill and the hollow--from the site of a colorful soapbox derby to the venue of an international cycling Grand Prix.

This I Believe:

9781467118972

$23.99

This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. And it all started in Philadelphia more than seven decades ago with a local radio series that became an international sensation.
This book features thirty essays from that original 1950s This I Believe radio series, including contributions from publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg, classicist and educator Edith Hamilton, anthropologist Margaret Mead, and Pulitzer-winning author James Michener.
Complementing those historical selections are thirty contemporary essays produced through a partnership among This I Believe, WHYY, and Leadership Philadelphia. These essayists include Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Frank Fitzpatrick, Grammy Award winner Kenny Gamble, Philadelphia Mural Arts Program executive director Jane Golden, and Mayor Michael Nutter.
Altogether, this collection is an insightful reflection of the guiding principles that drive the people of Philadelphia, who believe in brotherly love--and so much more.

Murder in Marple:

9781467117944

$21.99

Benjamin D'Amore abused his wife for the last time on November 29, 1949. That night, his sons John and Nicholas exacted revenge and executed Benjamin with a shotgun and deer rifle. The trial that followed was unlike many before it. Two psychiatrists diagnosed the brothers with "catathymic crisis," which inhibited their judgment during the crime. But despite the defendants' guilty plea, an all-female jury acquitted them. Thomas Deitman and Dawn D'Amore Yankanich unravel the horrific events and conspiracies regarding the shocking patricide case.

Legendary Locals of Pottstown

9781467100854

$24.99

From its founding by Colonial ironworker John Potts through its heyday as a manufacturing hub in the 20th century, Pottstown has been defined by entrepreneurs, inventors, and hard-working immigrants with dreams of a better life. It has been home to a variety of churches, community organizations, and businesses that have sustained and entertained residents and visitors for more than 260 years. It has also produced its fair share of musicians, doctors, nurses, and professional athletes, like Dick Ricketts, the first pick in the 1955 NBA draft. Pottstown is a culinary capital in its own right as the place where Amanda Smith started Mrs. Smith's pies, and where Dan Brunish sells his famous sausage sandwiches out of the deli started by his grandparents in 1937. Today, with the vision of people like Marta Kiesling and Deborah Stimson-Snow, cofounders of Steel River Playhouse, and Dr. Karen Stout, president of Montgomery County Community College, Pottstown is reinventing itself as a center for art, technology, higher education, and recreation on the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania.

York College of Pennsylvania

9780738555164

$24.99

The history of York College of Pennsylvania begins shortly after the Revolutionary War. The college traces its lineage directly to three ancestral schools. The foundation was York County Academy, an English classical school chartered in 1787. The academy merged in 1929 with York Collegiate Institute, founded in 1873. Under one roof, both schools survived the Great Depression. In 1941, the charter was amended to allow two years of college-level courses and the institution became York Junior College. With an influx of war veterans, York Junior College quickly outgrew its downtown building and in 1956 acquired land for a new campus. By 1968, it was a four-year baccalaureate-granting college with a new name. Through vintage photographs, York College of Pennsylvania celebrates the journey of the school from its humble beginnings to national recognition.

Reading's Big League Exhibition Games

9781467133807

$24.99

While Reading may be known today for the Fightin' Phils, it has also been the site of 72 games played by 17 major-league franchises and barnstorming teams since 1874. Among the teams that have played in these exhibition games are the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals, along with appearances by baseball greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, and Rogers Hornsby. Reading fans have looked on as both the 1906 Phillies and A's tried to catch a bunny on the field mid-game, cheered for Christy Mathewson's shutouts, sang "Happy Birthday" to Pete Rose, and watched "Shoeless" Joe Jackson hit a home run.

California, Pennsylvania

9780738511542

$24.99

Along the winding Monongahela River and forty miles south of Pittsburgh lies California, Pennsylvania. Hopeful prospectors settled the area in 1849 and named their town in honor of those hunting gold out West. California, Pennsylvania traces the growth of this Mon Valley town and nearby communities from the days of boatbuilding, coal mines, and railroads to today. Drawing on the California Area Historical Society's extensive collection of old newspapers, municipal documents, and vintage photographs from the Harry Harris Photographic Collection, this volume also explores the history of early houses and local businesses, and the emergence of higher education from a state normal school into the California University of Pennsylvania.

The Delaware Canal: From Stone Coal Highway to Historic Landmark

9781596294875

$21.99

Vault aboard a hinge boat with Marie Duess as she nimbly navigates the historic waters of the Delaware Canal. Any ramble along the now-serene Pennsylvania waterway will show you why its beauty inspired so many famous brushstrokes. But only on a voyage with Duess will you dock at hidden places that doubled as underground railroad stops and Prohibition-era speakeasies and witness the inventive genius of Josiah White and the instinct and muscles of the endearing mules that hauled the nation into the Industrial Revolution. By journey's end, you will be reluctant to part with your newfound boatmates after looking into the hopeless eyes of five-year-old mine laborers and listening to the rousing choruses of boat captains who poured a hearty lifetime into steering coal from Easton to Bristol.

The Delaware Canal: From Stone Coal Highway to Historic Landmark

Westminster College

9780738554778

$24.99

During the mid-1800s, a small band of farsighted men convened to form a college for "the mental and moral training of youth." They also pledged that "no person will be refused admission on account of Color, Caste or Sex." This was a bold move on the eve of the Civil War. As Presbyterian Church representatives, the founders selected the name Westminster Collegiate Institute. In 1852, Westminster became the first integrated and unrestricted coeducational college in the country. Today it is one of America's most admired small liberal arts colleges. Westminster remains on the cutting edge of teaching and learning while valuing the interaction between faculty and students. The New Wilmington campus has been home to successive generations of scholars who have gone on to excel in
a wide range of endeavors. Westminster College serves as a tribute to the school's past and present students, preserving the images of their special
memories and favorite places.

The Philadelphia Athletics

9780738511337

$24.99

In October 1954, the Philadelphia Athletics relocated to Kansas City, putting an end to more than a half-century of American League baseball in the City of Brotherly Love. However, of all the professional sports teams ever to play in the city, Connie Mack's Athletics remain the most successful-and frustrating. Their five World Series titles and nine pennants were balanced with seventeen last-place finishes. Mack's 3,776 victories as a manager were only exceeded by the 4,025 defeats he suffered-still a record for most losses by a single manager. In The Philadelphia Athletics, author William C. Kashatus tells the story of Connie Mack's talented and comedic team. Eighteen Philadelphia Athletics are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including players as famous as Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Eddie Collins, Jimmie Foxx, and Lefty Grove and as colorful as Rube Waddell, Chief Bender, and Al Simmons. From the early days of the American League, when the Athletics were ridiculed as the "White Elephants," through the glory years and their final decade in Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Athletics tells the poignant story of a manager and team who were among the greatest of all time.

The Morelands and Bryn Athyn

9780738511191

$24.99

The Morelands and Bryn Athyn brings the four communities of Bryn Athyn, Hatboro, and Lower and Upper Moreland townships into focus through many rare and unpublished photographs. Settled in the early 1700s and located on Old York Road, Hatboro was an early center of commerce and travel. Later, with the development of the trolley and Willow Grove Park, the town of Willow Grove became an important center for business. Mills along the Pennypack Creek contributed to the early settlement of the communities throughout the area, especially in Lower Moreland. Finally, the railway brought not only regional development but also members of the Swedenborgian community who established their religious center in Bryn Athyn. The Morelands and Bryn Athyn captures the people and places that made the area's history so rich. From the Mineral Springs Resort to the Sorrel Horse Inn, from a Revolutionary War battle to a cathedral in Bryn Athyn, this volume is a stunning photographic history. Pictured are the homes of many of the area's first families as well as the later estates of the Pitcairn and Elkins families. Also included are the fire companies, businesses, schools, people, and institutions that have defined the area.

Palmer Cemetery and the Historic Burial Grounds of Kensington and Fishtown

9781609492427

$21.99

At the heart of Fishtown is the final resting place of generations of Kensington and Fishtown residents. Founded prior to 1748, Palmer Cemetery is one of the oldest in Philadelphia. Interred here and in Hanover Street and West Street Burial Grounds are soldiers from every war fought by colonists and then Americans, from the French and Indian War until Desert Storm. The fishing and shipbuilding families who built the neighborhood, victims of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 and the ancestors of the Shibe family, the owners of the Philadelphia Athletics, are also buried in these plots. Kenneth W. Milano walks the cemetery paths and reveals the secrets the stones keep with Palmer Cemetery and the Historic Burial Grounds of Kensington & Fishtown.

Palmer Cemetery and the Historic Burial Grounds of Kensington and Fishtown

Phoenixville

9780738511122

$24.99

Phoenixville is a journey through time, looking into the nineteenth century and exploring the birth of a community just outside the reach of Philadelphia. The journey begins with the explosive growth of the 1880s and chronicles the town's evolution over the next one hundred years. Phoenixville is a cross section of evocative images and text, each destined to challenge the memory and entice curiosity. Postcards are used to illustrate places and events from a time when cameras were a new phenomenon, presenting a unique view of Phoenixville's social and industrial achievements, as seen through the eyes of its people. The images spark an array of interesting questions and insights. How did a business called the Swastika Company ever exist on Main Street? Were there really trolley tracks on Bridge Street? What happened to the glass dome that once adorned the top of the library? Phoenixville reveals that St. Ann's Catholic Church looks much the same now as it did in 1910, and little evidence still exists of the sprawling Phoenix Steel Corporation, which once spanned the length of town.

Clearfield

9780738511139

$24.99

Cearfield brings to life a time when carriages traveled the streets, lumber floated down the river, William Jennings Bryan visited Curwensville, Houtzdale's "Alley Popper" railway was running, and people enjoyed fine dining and dancing at the Dimeling Hotel. Postcards, once a convenient and easy way to communicate, inadvertently became an important way of preserving history. The cards of this exciting new collection bear witness to many moments in Clearfield history, including World War I soldiers marching down Market Street, the 1936 flood, the collapse of the Nichols Street Bridge, and the aftermath of the Opera House fire.

Northern Liberties

9781609496821

$21.99

Visit the Philadelphia neighborhood that has gone from Leni-Lenape territory to an amazing industrial riverside community.

Since the time of William Penn, the Philadelphia neighborhood of Northern Liberties has had a tradition of hard work and innovation. This former Leni-Lenape territory became one of the industrial River Wards of North Philadelphia after being annexed by the city in 1854. The district's mills and factories were powered not just by the Delaware River and its tributaries but also by immigrants from across Europe and the city's largest community of free African Americans. The Liberties' diverse narrative, however, was marred by political and social problems, such as the anti-Irish Nativist Riots of 1844. Local historian Harry Kyriakodis traces over three hundred years of the district's evolution, from its rise as a premier manufacturing precinct to the destruction of much of the original cityscape in the 1960s and its subsequent rebirth as an eclectic and vibrant urban neighborhood. In this first history of Northern Liberties, Kyriakodis unearths the story of this remarkable riverside community.

Northeast Philadelphia

9781596297760

$21.99

Northeast Philadelphia chronicles this area's history of transformation, from scattered communities to an urban center.

Before the Consolidation Act of 1854 more than tripled the former capital's population, Northeast Philadelphia was a scattered group of pastoral communities just beyond the city limits. Holmesburg, Somerton and other small villages initially struggled but ultimately triumphed in their transition from rural townships to a bustling urban center. Dr. Harry C. Silcox has collaborated with Frank W. Hollingsworth to chart this fascinating evolution, from the demise of the family farm to neighbors uniting on the homefront during World War II. With such lively characters as Mary Disston, the founding mother of Tacony, and tales of the local effort for suffrage, Silcox and Hollingsworth create a brilliant and affectionate portrait of Northeast Philadelphia.

On the Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics

9781609497156

$21.99

Enjoy a fun look at behind-the-scenes politics and personalities in the history of Harrisburg and the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania, first home of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, has a tradition of political progress. However, along with the good, the political playground of Pennsylvania has also seen the brazenly bad behavior of its political leaders. For over twenty-five years, political columnist John Baer has had a front-row seat to the foibles and follies of the Keystone State's political system. Baer takes readers through his memories of covering state politics for the last quarter century, from Democratic governor Milton Shapp's short-lived run for president--in which he finished behind ""no preference"" in the Florida primary--to highlights of some of the game-changing campaign missteps and maneuvers that moved administrations in and out of the capital. With a delightfully gruff wit, Baer gives readers a behind-the-scenes view of the politics and personalities that have passed through Harrisburg.

On the Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics

Greensburg

9780738554808

$24.99

Named for the late Gen. Nathaniel Greene and serving as the county seat of Westmoreland County, Greensburg has a history over 200 years in the making. By 1850, Greensburg was a growing county seat with inns, small businesses, and hardworking residents. With the coming of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the discovery of large areas of coal nearby, and the Lincoln Highway running through the heart of town, Greensburg soon became a large prosperous community and a center for commercial activity. Featuring more than 100 years of postcards, Greensburg showcases the city's sprawling homes, churches, schools, industry, and daily life.

The Philadelphia Flower Show

9781467120999

$24.99

Since its first exhibition in 1829, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has introduced beautiful new plants, inspiring design concepts, and innovative environmental practices to the American public at its annual show. Having begun as a modest display of fruits, vegetables, and flowers in a 19th-century Masonic Hall, the event expanded into the Philadelphia Civic Center, later completed a 21st-century transformation of 10 acres in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and blossomed into the world's largest indoor horticultural event--the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show. Today, the nine-day celebration of astonishing gardens and superb floral and landscape design attracts a quarter-million visitors to the city.

African Americans in Sewickley Valley

9780738556871

$24.99

The African Americans of Sewickley Valley have a history as rich and deep-rooted as the valley itself. Originally pioneered by Quakers and abolitionists sentimental to the cause of enslaved men, Sewickley is noted for containing routes and safe houses for those on the Underground Railroad. Known as an affluent bedroom community, Sewickley is considered the wealthiest municipality along the entire 98-mile stretch of the Ohio River. Early residents brought black servants with them to serve as domestics. As construction increased, many African Americans migrated primarily from Virginia and Kentucky to work in the area as builders. The organization of Sewickley's first African American mission marked the start of a strong and lively course for the African American community. Beginning with Jim Robinson in 1823 through the culmination of today's Come on Home annual reunion, African Americans in Sewickley Valley documents the life and ambition of the African Americans who grew as a vital part of Sewickley's community today.

Haunted Roads of Western Pennsylvania

9781467118163

$21.99

Ghostly travelers are said to wander the lonely roads of western Pennsylvania. Is it the angry spirit of a jealous husband or a gypsy king who stalks Erie County's Axe Murder Hollow?

A creeping fog rises from Blue Mist Road, and stories of car crashes, lynchings and even strange beasts haunt this isolated stretch outside Pittsburgh. Shades of Death Road in Washington County may be host to phantom coal miners killed during a deadly labor dispute. With firsthand accounts and historical research, authors Thomas White and Tony Lavorgne travel the backcountry roads and byways of western Pennsylvania to discover their ghost tales and mysterious legends.

Pike County

9780738565620

$24.99

Formed in 1814, Pike County was originally comprised of the townships of Middle Smithfield, Delaware, Upper Smithfield, Lackawaxen, and Palmyra. As years passed, other townships were added and some of the names changed, and today Pike County consists of 13 townships and boroughs. Even before Pike County was formed, the stories of the people, land, and events wove an intricate tale. The early daredevils who rafted lumber to Trenton and Philadelphia, using the Delaware River as their byway, were a rough?and?tumble bunch. As time went on, these mavericks gave way to new ones and the stories of entrepreneurs, trendsetters, great men and women, and fascinating events were etched into the county's history. Using vintage photographs from the Pike County Historical Society's archives, Pike County chronicles the people and stories that make this area unique.

Legendary Locals of Latrobe

9781467101844

$24.99

Located at the base of the rolling hills of the Laurel Highlands, Latrobe is best known as the birthplace of children's television pioneer Fred Rogers and golf legend Arnold Palmer. It is the home of Rolling Rock Beer, Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and St. Vincent College. Latrobe has also been recognized for many famous firsts, like the first banana split, first all-professional football team, first Benedictine monastery in the United States, first nonstop airmail pickup, and first female nuclear scientist at Westinghouse Electric Company. It is a community of individuals who collectively exemplify the strong, hardworking culture of Western Pennsylvania--people like Oliver Barnes, a railroad engineer and Latrobe's founder; Philip Mowry McKenna, innovator in the machining of steel and father of "Kennametal" tools; Joseph E. Greubel, who transformed his family's ice cream-centered dairy stores into the thriving Valley Dairy Restaurants; Dr. Sara Carr McComb, a "legendary" librarian; and Robert Mendler, a Holocaust survivor who spent his life educating young people to respect one other. Legendary Locals of Latrobe celebrates these and nearly 200 other noteworthy figures and groups who have shaped and continue to shape the community.

Overbrook School for the Blind

9780738549163

$24.99

Since 1832, Overbrook School for the Blind has been a leader in providing educational programs to children and young people who are blind and visually impaired. Julius Friedlander, the school's founder, and other early leaders worked hard to inform people about the educational needs of the children. Their efforts resulted in providing reading material for the blind and Overbrook's production of the first embossed book in America, the Gospel of Mark, and the publication of the first magazine for the blind, Lux en Tenebrae. Offering students access to all educational opportunities continues to be the school's main goal, and in the early 1990s, Overbrook pioneered the development of a school wide technology initiative that provided students with the ability to access the curriculum, communicate, and be successful in employment. Through rare photographs and documents, Overbrook School for the Blind offers a glimpse at the school's role in reaching out to people who are blind and it showcases how Overbrook has helped thousands of students to achieve independence, self-confidence, and the skills to experience active and fulfilling lives.

The Women of Scranton

9780738538587

$24.99

The Women of Scranton: 1880-1935 portrays the famous ladies, daring women, and heroines of everyday life in a booming coal town. Coal may have been king, but the intrepid women of America's progressive era saw to it that Scranton became not merely an economic hub, but a "city beautiful." No area of political, cultural, educational, or religious life in Scranton was untouched by their driving commitment to progress. Through historic photographs, readers will meet Scranton's first generation of college-educated women; political activists and suffragettes; the first women lawyers and physicians; women's clubs dedicated to philanthropy, education, health, and civic betterment; women merchants and entrepreneurs; teachers and women's religious orders; and the immigrant women who dreamt of a better tomorrow

Gwynedd-Mercy College

9780738544885

$24.99

The story of Gwynedd-Mercy College (GMC) begins in 1831 with the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. The order came to Philadelphia in 1861 and to Gwynedd Valley in 1947 with a vision of establishing a junior college. In 1963, GMC became a four-year institution. Gwynedd-Mercy College captures the continuing traditions and values of the Sisters of Mercy, the history of the campus property and surrounding community, and the junior college years, while documenting the continuing growth of the college. Today GMC is a coeducational, fully accredited master's level institution offering certificate programs and associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees in business, arts and science, education, nursing, and allied health professions.

New Brighton Revisited

9781467122214

$24.99

New Brighton is nestled along the east bank of the Beaver River. The Constable brothers laid out the town's first lots in 1815. The surveyors then named the town New Brighton after their hometown on the southern coast of England. New Brighton Revisited is another entertaining look at the town's rich historical past. Citizens who were prominent in promoting the growth and prosperity of the town included Sen. Samuel White, Joseph T. Pugh, Francis Reader, and Daniel Corbus. Businesses such as Pioneer Twine Mills, Wisener and Bingham Carriage Factory, E.R. Boots Dry Goods, J.J. Snellenburg Clothiers, Bestwick Hardware, Martsolf Brothers Furniture Company, Pryde-Wynne Company, Locke's Service Stations, Morell's Pizza Shop, and Pullion's Paints and Supplies all helped to shape New Brighton's development into what it has become today. New Brighton Revisited takes a nostalgic journey into the town's sports history, dating back to 1896. The community has seen a revitalization in the past year, with new businesses moving into the historic downtown area.

Chalfont and New Britain

9780738573632

$24.99

New Britain Township, founded in 1723, was a rural farming community originally settled by Welsh Baptists and German Mennonites. This changed dramatically in 1856 when the North Pennsylvania Railroad was built. Two train stations were built in the township and were named Chalfont and New Britain. The villages next to these stations attracted numerous new residents and businesses. The local picnic grove was even converted into an amusement park, which became known as Forest Park. The villages surrounding these railroad stations grew until residents decided to create their own separate boroughs, establishing Chalfont Borough in 1901 and New Britain Borough in 1928. The postcards and pictures in Chalfont and New Britain include images of the villages of Chalfont, New Britain, Line Lexington, and New Galena, as well as scenes of historic homes, hotels, stores, churches, schools, and the businesses and people who lived and worked in the community.

Eerie Erie

9781609493561

$14.99

Eerie Erie explores the dark and bizarre corners of this county's creepy history, from vampire crypts to phantom ships.

A tall creature that howls on the devil's backbone near Harbor Creek Township, phantom ships that erupt into flames and melt into darkness, UFOs on Presque Isle—these are some of the strange tales from the lakeshores and shadowy woods of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Local paranormal expert and author Reverend Robin S. Swope explores the dark and bizarre corners of the county's history, from the forgotten 1812 dead of the brig Niagara and the mysterious earthen mounds that dot the landscape to the legend of the ravenous Storm Hag and the rumored vampire's crypt in Erie Cemetery. Join Swope as he searches for answers in the lost pages of Erie County history and lore.

Eastern State Penitentiary

9781596294035

$21.99

The only comprehensive history of one of America's most infamous prisons, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA.

Looming on the horizon like a storm cloud made of stone, the Eastern State Penitentiary spent more than a century as the fortress that both the law-abiding and criminal feared. In this superbly balanced and thoroughly researched volume, Paul Kahan presents the history of this revolutionary penitentiary, from its inception as a model of the revolutionary Pennsylvania System of incarceration in 1829 to the demands for its closure in the wake of ever-increasing violence in 1971. Through tales of spectacular escapes, official corruption, reformation and retribution, Kahan chronicles the tensions that plagued Eastern State since the arrival of its first prisoners.

Sayre

9780738573762

$24.99

Sayre dates to 1783, when a gristmill was built along Shepard Creek. Greater Sayre began around 1870 at a railroad junction near the Susquehanna River. Activity at that junction led to the community eventually named Sayre. Sayre experienced phenomenal growth with the expansion of the Lehigh Valley Railroad operations. Its reputation as a railroad town began to fade after World War II, ending with the demise of the railroad by the 1970s. In its place, Guthrie Healthcare now provides the strongest influence on the town. Today the hospital's position in Sayre is as important as the railroad was in its heyday, both serving as the keystones of a town that thousands call home.

Northern Cambria

9780738504155

$24.99

Northern Cambria is not only the upper region of
Cambria County, it is also the new name of two
century-old villages, Barnesboro and Spangler, that have
merged to become a millennium entity.
Located high in the Allegheny Mountains of western
Pennsylvania, the region was once covered by virgin
forests. In time, the dense acreage led to the development
of numerous sawmills, from which logs were floated all the
way downriver to what was then the lumbering capital of
the world, Williamsport. Miles of scenic farmland were
cleared and cultivated.
Then, in the mid-1800s, rich coal veins were found
beneath the Cambrian hills. As word of this discovery
spread, mines opened throughout the region. Within a
short time, immigrants from far and near streamed into
the region to work in the mines. Soon, rail lines were
constructed to serve the coal fields. High school graduates
became miners and dubbed the mines Dust College.
Coal had become king.