Definitive History

Discover the in-depth history behind some of America's most beloved locations and cultural icons with the Definitive History American History Book series. Learn how Johnstown, Pennsylvania recovered after a devastating flood in 1936, discover Sarasota’s famous connection to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and revisit Brooklyn Heights and the Battle of Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War. What part did seaside town Truro play in capturing British militia? What about the lost indigeneous history of Edisto Island? From Chesapeake, Virginia to Centerville, Iowa, uncover new stories through the Definitive History series.

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Truro:

City on the Penobscot:

Goose Creek, A Definitive History:

The Early History of Clay County:

The Elizabeth River

Herndon:

South Norfolk, Virginia, 1661-2005:

Truro:

9781596293632

$24.99

We traversed with delight new reaches of the shore . . . one mile there was as good as two elsewhere.
--Henry David Thoreau describing Truro in Cape Cod
Like Thoreau, all who venture to Truro experience sheer delight at their first glimpse of this fabled coast. The Outer Cape's hauntingly beautiful beaches have been attracting tourists since their discovery. Yet, as longtime resident Richard Whalen expertly chronicles in Truro: The Story of a Cape Cod Town, there is far more to Truro than its coastal fringe. The Pilgrims thought first of settling in Truro; the town almost had its own Boston Tea Party; and its tiny militia took 460 British prisoners after the wreck of their warship. Now, Truro enjoys status as a favorite summer destination--even as conservationists work to preserve the fragile shoreline. Read Truro to discover the compelling story of a town whose fortunes remain forever linked with the sea.

City on the Penobscot:

9781596291911

$39.99

The first settlers of what would become Bangor, Maine, established a community initially known as Kenduskeag Plantation, and since that time, generations of residents have relied on the Penobscot River for food, water, recreation, industry and transportation--it has provided a route to the ocean and to the world. The people of Bangor created a community that has remained dedicated not only to economic growth but also to providing for the needs of the impoverished. A leading port city and the "lumber capital of the world" during the nineteenth century, Bangor also claims America's second oldest garden cemetery, an unrivaled public library, the nation's oldest community orchestra and one of its oldest community bands. Citizens of Bangor have served in the Civil War and all subsequent American military engagements. They have overcome fires and floods that decimated the city and epidemics that devastated the population. They have known colorful and notorious characters, such as local brothel owner Fan Jones and America's public enemy number one, Al Brady, as well as dedicated individuals and families who have served as community leaders and caretakers year after year, decade after decade. And they have adapted to such modern socioeconomic challenges as evolving transportation methods, the Ku Klux Klan, urban renewal and the city's shift to a distribution and service center. Historian Trudy Irene Scee presents all of this and more in this full history of the Queen City of the East.

Goose Creek, A Definitive History:

9781596290563

$29.99

Goose Creek mayor Michael Heitzler continues his engrossing study of this often-overlooked community of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Heitzler's second volume employs hundreds of never before used primary sources such as private journals, tenant farmer rosters and hunting club records to reveal the lives of the white landowners who controlled the forests and fields and the African Americans who lived virtually invisible as they endured on small farms.

The Early History of Clay County:

9781596290631

$24.99

The land that makes up Clay County, Florida, today has been home to an array of diverse inhabitants throughout its long history. Timucua Indian villages, Spanish missions, English plantations and American forts have all sprung up from Clay County's lush landscape, along the majestic St. Johns river and beyond. The history of the county has been wrought by the struggles of tribes and nations; the endeavors of settlers and soldiers.

In this in-depth look at Clay County's vibrant past, local historian Kevin Hooper sheds light on the stories behind these various influences, and examines the development of the region from the pre-colonial period to the onset of the Civil War. Hooper calls upon a breadth of archival primary source material, and combines it with findings from recent archaeological discoveries in the region to provide an accessible and balanced work. The Early History of Clay County truly offers a comprehensive consideration of the factors and factions that have shaped the past in this fascinating area of northeastern Florida.

The Elizabeth River

9781596292079

$29.99

This history traces three centuries of the Elizabeth River's journey through Virginia. Rich in biodiversity, she is a living body of water that has shaped the geography of the territory and the lives of its people.

Those who named her also opened a chapter in human history, one this enduring, beautiful princess has enriched each day since. There is today much to be gleaned from the river's strength. As you read through The Elizabeth River, remember that this remarkable river is your river. From the Great Bridge Lock to the Norfolk Naval Station the importance of the Elizabeth River is ever present in our everyday lives. Since man came to live on her shores, she is a river with a story.

Herndon:

9781596290266

$24.99

Set in western Fairfax County, Herndon, Virginia, is a vibrant town, firmly in touch with the present, planning for its future yet embracing its small town heritage. In Herndon: A Town and its History, Charles V. Mauro, noted local historian, author and president of the Herndon Historical Society, traces Herndon's history from the Paleo-Indians through the coming of the railroad that helped build and support the dairy industry that was Herndon's back-bone, to its growth as a Washington, DC, suburb and the urban expansion due to the building of Dulles International Airport. Herndon contains numerous archival images and illustrations and is complete with endnotes, a full bibliography and a full index.

South Norfolk, Virginia, 1661-2005:

9781596290662

$24.99

From its founding in 1661, South Norfolk, Virginia, has grown from a rural village to a city of the first-class. This quintessential American town has endured and prospered through generations and has been a community marked by change and peopled with extraordinary characters. In the second volume of this definitive history, lifelong resident and local historian Raymond Harper continues to chronicle the rise of South Norfolk in careful detail. With extended material and numerous historical images, Harper examines the influences of South Norfolk's founding fathers, sports in the community and development of the business district. The result is an accessible and entertaining narrative that not only recounts the community history, but also the topical histories of many civic organizations, the local government and leading businesses.

South Norfolk, Virginia, 1661-2005:

9781596290655

$24.99

Since its beginnings in the early seventeenth century, South Norfolk, Virginia, has been a community marked by change and peopled with extraordinary characters. Founded in 1661 when the Southern Branch Chapel of the Church of England was built, South Norfolk has grown from a rural village to a city of the first-class. This updated two-volume edition chronicles the rise of South Norfolk in careful detail and invites the reader to step back in time when life moved at a slower pace and the community blossomed with friendship, trust and goodwill. With extended material and numerous historical images, the work vividly captures the spirit of an evolving American city. In this first volume lifelong resident and local historian Raymond Harper honors the dynamic history of South Norfolk by focusing not only on the founding fathers and early industries that shaped the city, but upon the lives of everyday families and individuals that have made South Norfolk home.