Name: Truman's Grandview Farm
Brand: Jon Taylor
SKU: 9781609490898
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Truman's Grandview Farm

9781609490898

$21.99

The rolling hills of southern Jackson County still shelter the white and green farmhouse Harry S. Truman occupied in the days before his journey to the Presidency. After the death of his father, the duties of the six hundred acre farm fell to twenty-two year-old Harry, who shouldered them from 1906 to 1917. It was here, in Grandview, that his nine year courtship with Bess Wallace took place and his ties with organizations like the Free Masons were forged. Drawing on photographs, letters and even farm receipts, historian Jon Taylor pieces together a picture of the farmer from Missouri whose humble beginnings prepared him to lead the country.

Young Andrew Jackson in the Carolinas:

9781626193598

$14.99

Before he was Old Hickory" and the "People's President," Andrew Jackson came of age in the Waxhaw region of the Carolinas during the turmoil of the Revolutionary War. Young Andy Jackson faced uncommon challenges as a child that would shape his historic life. He lost his mother and two brothers to the savages of war. At age thirteen, Jackson served as a messenger, fighting for independence, in his local Scotch-Irish militia and lived through the region's toughest Revolutionary battles happening all around him. Eventually captured, he became a prisoner of war, something that would cost him dearly. Additionally, when he refused to clean the boots of a British officer, he was slashed with a sword. He carried those scars the rest of his life. Join author Jennifer Hunsicker as she recounts these exciting stories and more, giving young readers an adventurous tale of a uniquely American childhood."

LOL Jokes: New York City

9781467198134

$9.99

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: New York City combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the Big Apple, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing 'til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: New York City is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

What's the best borough to go to the bathroom?

Flushing!

Fun Factoid: TP or not TP?! Toilet paper was invented by Joseph Gayetty in New York City!

100 Catholic Things to Do Before You Die

9781455623686

$15.95 $7.98 Save 50%

Better than a bucket list—a guide to growing your faith!

The demands of modern society often create distance between Catholics and their cultural heritage. Earl J. Higgins, a New Orleans native and lifelong Catholic, offers ways to embrace Catholic influences in everyday life. Suggestions range from such simple activities as putting a “Keep Christ in Christmas” bumper sticker on your car to more devout practices, including lighting an Advent wreath or making the Sign of the Cross in times of trial and joy. In addition, Higgins provides historical backgrounds on Catholic holidays such as Mardi Gras. Feeling like you’re drifting from your faith? From the St. Joseph’s Day Altars to Midnight Mass, let these 100 tips reconnect you!

100 Catholic Things to Do Before You Die

Hidden History of South Jersey

9781626190092

$21.99

South Jersey is perhaps best known for its beachside boardwalks, glitzy Atlantic City hotels and blueberry farms, but behind these iconic symbols are the overlooked tales that are unique to New Jersey. While much of Harriet Tubman's life is well known, her time in Cape May is usually overlooked by biographers. Few know that the classic American drive-in movie theaters were born in South Jersey. Even the famous Wildwood, with its distinctive Doo-Wop architecture, hides forgotten stories: at the height of its popularity, this shore town was hosting some of the country's first rock-and-roll acts. Often overshadowed by its more urban northern counterpart, South Jersey nonetheless has a hidden past. In this collection, author Gordon Bond uncovers the most intriguing of these tales.

Journey Around Philadelphia from A to Z

9781933212289

$17.95

Next stop, Philadelphia! That's the call from author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock, who has taken children and their delighted parents on Journeys Around Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago, Maine, Nantucket, and Cape Cod since starting this bestselling series in 1999. Zschock is not only a brilliant artist but also a committed educator, whose books are embraced by teachers and principals nationwide. These are far more than alphabet books. Each page is headed by an alliterative sentence that evokes an important theme. For example, Philadelphia's A page, featuring Benjamin Franklin, is headed Aphorisms and advice appear in the almanac. A playful factoid at the bottom of each page expands on the theme. (Did you know that the aphorism Haste makes waste is traceable to Poor Richard, i.e. Franklin?) In each city she visits, Zschock thoughtfully looks beyond the tourist attractions to the community residing there. For example, here the N page explains how Neighborhoods define urban nature. The O page describes how Old Order Amish obey the Ordnung, while the U page celebrates Philadelphia's stop on the Underground Railroad that helped enslaved African Americans escape the South before the Civil War. Now the second leading history destination in the U.S. (after Washington D.C.), Philadelphia is the perfect city for this thoughtful, beautiful series.

Wicked New Albany

9781609494629

$21.99

Join local historian Gregg Seidl on this deliciously wicked romp with New Albany's most heinous--the treacherous, greedy, drunken, insane and plain unfortunate.

Catch a whiff of rum and candor when Jacob Ritter sits to write one morning in 1861. His opening line: "I have killed my wife because she is a witch." When the trains roar through this New Albany, they are quite likely meeting flesh. The men in the saloons are armed and irritated. And the murderous can be most industrious, like the man who was sentenced to death, sold his body to New Albany's first physician, collected the cash, reneged on the contract and then tried to sell his corpse again. Millions have roamed these broad avenues during New Albany's nearly two hundred years. Most have been honest sorts. Others, well…

LOL Jokes: Pittsburgh

9781467198158

$9.99

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: Pittsburgh combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the Steel City, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing 'til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: Pittsburgh is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

What did the Pittsburgh Steeler say to the football?

"Catch ya later!"

Fun factoid: In 1892, the first professional football game was played in Pittsburgh between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. (Allegheny won!)

Haunted Helena:

9781609499341

$21.99

Helena was born of the gold rush, nurtured by the wealth of its financiers and raised on its political struggles. The lawless gold camp and its vigilante hangings left an indelible imprint on the modern community. Restless spirits from Helena's turbulent past still linger around town. Historian and award-winning author Ellen Baumler blends history with the supernatural as she expertly weaves the past with the present in a ghostly web. Firsthand accounts and historical records add credibility to these spooky but true tales. Explore the legacy of the hangman's tree and meet the ghosts of historic Last Chance Gulch. These stories and more bring to light the shadowy places in Helena where the past sometimes comes to life.

New Orleans Streets

9781589808744

$15.95

This presentation of the neighborhoods of New Orleans offers an expert's perspective on the city's architectural diversity and details, one block at a time. New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Stephanie Bruno presents the best of her "StreetWalker" column in this illustrated resource. From the Garden District to Mid-City, each block included features photographs of the homes, a description of the buildings, and a map for easy access.

Spies of Revolutionary Connecticut:

9781626194076

$21.99

Covert intelligence played a critical role in the American Revolution. Connecticut produced an extraordinary number of spies on both sides of the conflict, from the infamous traitor and Norwich-born Benedict Arnold to Patriot Nathan Hale, executed by the British for espionage. Spying during the Revolution entailed coded messages, early submarines with the first exploding torpedoes and the penalty of death for those caught in the act. Despite the risk, some spies even played both sides as double agents, such as Edward Bancroft, who was never caught. With stories of Silas Deane, Ethan Allen, Thomas Knowlton, the Culper Spy Ring and others, author Mark Allen Baker navigates the intrigues, dangers and double crosses of Connecticut's most legendary Revolutionary spies.

The Denville 13

9781467148344

$21.99

Denville in the 1950s was an idyllic place to live, yet a dark chapter in the era’s history has remained uncovered. During the summer of 1953, a wealthy traveler with a secret rap sheet as a convicted sex offender arrived in town to continue his misdeeds. A group of thirteen local boys ranging in age from fourteen to twenty-two took it upon themselves to teach the man a lesson and drive him out of town. What resulted was his brutal death and the largest number of people ever indicted for murder in the nation at the time. The harrowing trial and its aftermath revealed a town forced to grapple with how to protect its youth and come to terms with the gruesome incident. Local historian Peter Zablocki covers the crime and a small town’s path to redemption.

Cover image for The Denville 13, isbn: 9781467148344

St. Augustine Pirates and Privateers

9781609497217

$19.99

Entrenched on Florida's Atlantic Coast since the sixteenth century, the Spanish presidio of St. Augustine was a prime target for piracy. For the colonial governors of Great Britain, France and Spain, privateering--and its rogue form, piracy--was a type of warfare used to enhance the limited resources of their colonies. While the citizens of St. Augustine were victims of this guerrilla war, they also struck back at their enemies using privateers such as Francisco Menendez, whose attacks on British ships strengthened his reputation and sustained the city. Historian Theodore Corbett recounts this dark and turbulent history, from the first sacking of the city by Francis Drake, through the pirate raids of the 1680s to the height of St. Augustine's privateering in the eighteenth century.

Somerville, Massachusetts:

9781596294240

$20.99

Enter Somerville, a city packed with stories larger than itself, to salute a heritage that justifies the fierce pride of its citizens. Share a perch on one of Somerville's celebrated hills with Dee Morris and Dora St. Martin and watch the raising of America's first flag and the stringing of its first telephone line. Strolling from neighborhood to neighborhood, this brief history knocks on the doors of everyone from the father of Fenway Park to Missy LeHand, Franklin D. Roosevelt s private secretary and steadfast companion. Even the notoriously elusive Captain Kidd is caught for inspection as he tries to slip through a trapdoor in a bedroom closet.

South Central Pennsylvania Legends & Lore

9781609494537

$21.99

Powwow practitioners of York County, the headless ghost of a murdered girl that roams the back roads of Schuylkill County and the Hummelstown Hermit who still lingers in Indian Echo Caverns--these tales are all part of the lore of South Central Pennsylvania. Such legends offer a fuller history of the region, from the folkways of the Pennsylvania Dutch to the stories of the rocky relations between German and English settlers and local tribes. Folklorist David J. Puglia reveals this lore to a new audience and explores the region's more recent legends like the Wizard of Cumberland County" and Milton Hershey's narrow miss with the Titanic. Join Puglia as he tracks through the hills, houses and hollows of South Central Pennsylvania in search of its legends and lore."

South Central Pennsylvania Legends & Lore

The Maine Dictionary

9781933212692

$12.95

Maine truly has a language of its own, as the state'Äôs favorite storyteller makes plain, with hilarious illustrations by a leading regional cartoonist.

Black Life in Old New Orleans

9781455625512

$21.95 $10.98 Save 50%

Two hundred years ago, on a barren plot of land just outside New Orleans proper, enslaved and free black people would gather on Sundays to freely practice religions both ancient and new. It was a sight unseen anywhere else in the country. This was Congo Square, where the heartbeat of New Orleans was born. The story of the impact people of African descent have had upon one of America's most dynamic cities does not end there. In this well-researched and personal work, historian Keith Weldon Medley takes readers on a journey through New Orleans' African roots.

Shop Pomeroy's First

9781626195653

$21.99

For over one hundred years, Pomeroy's was a beloved household name for the shoppers of central and eastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876, the store began under another name in Reading and soon expanded to Harrisburg, Pottsville and Wilkes-Barre. George Pomeroy bought out his partners in 1923, and Pomeroy's became known for its exemplary service and a devoted sales force. From the extraordinary window displays and the annual Christmas parade to a bite at the Tea Room, the stores were a social hub where sweethearts first met and families did their Saturday shopping. Though the final stores closed in 1990, the memories live on. Department store historian Michael Lisicky chronicles the history of Pomeroy's and takes readers back in time with reminiscences of former employees, interviews with store insiders and a selection of classic recipes.

Ghost Hunter's Guide to New Orleans

9781455621583

$18.95

The haunted history of the Crescent City!

Newly revised and updated, this installment in the much-acclaimed Ghost Hunter's Guide Series is designed for locals, new residents, and travelers seeking the haunted history of the Crescent City. Detailed descriptions and historical background of more than ninety locations guide readers to sites where they might encounter ghostly apparitions. Experience the French Quarter, famous cemeteries, the spirits of Commander's Palace and Arnaud's Restaurant, haunted theatres and plantations, and more as you never have before. This informative and thorough guide includes informative supplementary materials for those looking to have and document their own paranormal experiences.

Phoenixville

9780738538563

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Phoenixville follows the path of a burgeoning Chester County community situated along the Schuylkill River. Beginning with the twilight of the 19th century and continuing through the dawn of a new millennium, vintage images are used in tandem with modern photography to illustrate the course the community has taken over the last century. Take a journey back in time to revisit the Phoenix Steel Corporation, horse-drawn carriages traveling along Bridge Street, and the rural character of Maple Lawn Farm.

Cover image for Phoenixville, isbn: 9780738538563

Schenectady:

9781609492298

$21.99

Schenectady began as a Dutch settlement and grew into a British and then American metropolis on the banks of the Mohawk River. Characteristically stubborn Dutchman battled over land ownership and clashed with newcomers during the early colonial days. Religious conflict erupted as Methodists struggled to overcome adversity, and Presbyterians and the Dutch Reform struggled to share a new and thriving community. At the same time, important developments took place. Construction of roads and waterways made the city the gateway to the west, and the founding of institutions such as Union College brought refinement to what had once been the rough-edged New World. Originally compiled in 1946 by city historian William B. Efner, this collection of essays by local historians captures the spirit and grit that shaped early Schenectady.

The Battle of Fort Donelson

9781609491291

$21.99

In February 1862, after defeats at Bull Run and at Wilson's Creek in Missouri, the Union army was desperate for victory on the eve of its first offensive of the Civil War. The strategy was to penetrate the Southern heartland with support from a new Brown Water� navy. In a two-week campaign plagued by rising floodwaters and brutal winter weather, two armies collided in rural Tennessee to fight over two forts that controlled the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Those intense days set the course of the war in the Western Theater for eighteen months and determined the fates of Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew H. Foote and Albert Sidney Johnston. Historian James R. Knight paints a picture of this crucial but often neglected and misunderstood turning point.

Oak Tree, The

9781455627172

$19.99 $10.00 Save 50%

Life is good for an old Southern oak tree and the family who lives next to it. The tree enjoys watching the children play around it. The family enjoys the shade it provides. Everything seems so perfect. Then, one day, a bad storm heads their way. The oak tree, which has experienced many storms, senses great danger. Its immediate concern is for the family it loves. What will become of the tree? Or the family? Will they see each other again?

The Battle of Port Royal

9781596296657

$21.99

November 1861. The South was winning the Civil War. Fort Sumter had fallen to the Confederates. The Federal army was routed at Manassas. The blockade of Southern ports was a farce; commerce and weapons flowed almost as freely as before the war. There were stirrings of interest from foreign powers in recognizing
the Confederacy and brokering a forced peace accord. The Federals needed to turn the tide. The largest fleet ever assembled by the United States set its sights on the South Carolina coast for this much-needed victory. On November 7, 1861, this mighty weapon of war engaged two undermanned and outgunned forts in Hilton
Head in a clash called the Battle of Port Royal. Join historian Michael Coker as he tells the story of this largely forgotten battle, a pivotal turning point in the war that defined our nation.

Things that Geaux

9781455626014

$19.99

In unique Louisiana style, Scott Campbell and daughter Tallulah present an alphabet of things that geaux! Things that zoom, things that crawl, things that dance, things that roll, things that fly, and things that run are all featured in this fun-filled jaunt for emerging readers who need to move. Whether you are down in Grand Isle or up by Grand Bayou or are just visiting the Pelican State, you'll find a cleverly illustrated alphabet of items to identify. Each page features multiple things that move and start with the same letter. Labels assist emerging readers as they match words to images and encourage a discussion of things that go in their lives. A perfect choice for classroom, travel, and family reading!

Miracle Mile in Los Angeles:

9781609495930

$21.99

The world-famous Miracle Mile in Los Angeles was shaped into a great commercial and cultural district by the city's tremendous urban expansion in the early twentieth century. Its origins along Wilshire Boulevard are directly related to the twin LA booms in auto travel and real estate ventures. Once the home of such famous stores as the May Company, Silverwood's, Coulter's and Desmond's, as well as Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architecture, Miracle Mile has boasted the La Brea Tar Pits and Farmer's Market, Gilmore Field and CBS Television City, as well as Pan Pacific Park and Museum Row. Join author Ruth Wallach, head of the University of Southern California's Architecture and Fine Arts Library, for this tour through the most emblematic neighborhood of twentieth-century Los Angeles development.

Ghosts of Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak

9781609494674

$21.99

Eerie tales have been part of the city's history from the beginning: Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain are the subjects of several spooky Native American legends, and Anasazi spirits are still seen at the ancient cliff dwellings outside town. In the Old North End neighborhood, the howls of hellhounds ring through the night, and visitors at the Cheyenne Canon Inn have spotted the spirit of Alex Riddle on the grounds for over a century. Henry Harkin has haunted Dead Mans' Canyon since his gruesome murder in 1863, and Poor Bessie Bouton is said to linger on Cutler Mountain, hovering where her body was discovered more than a century ago. Ghost hunter and tour guide Stephanie Waters explores the stories behind Little London's" oldest and scariest tales."

Ghosts of Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak

Missouri's Wicked Route 66:

9781609497668

$21.99

Tracing Route 66 through Missouri represents one of America's favorite exercises in nostalgia, but a discerning glance among the roadside weeds reveals the kind of sordid history that doesn't appear on postcards. Along with vintage cars and picnic baskets, Route 66 was a conduit humming with contraband and crackling with the gunplay of folks like Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James and the Young brothers. It was also the preferred byway of lynch mobs, murderous hitchhikers and mad scientists. Stop in at places like the Devil's Elbow and the Steffleback Bordello on this trip through the more treacherous twists of the Mother Road.

Forgotten Tales of Arkansas

9781609496388

$14.99

Take a journey through Arkansas' forgotten past and find the colorful characters, unusual stories and strange occurrences left out of conventional history books. Authors Edward and Karen Underwood weave fact and fun in this offbeat, gripping and little-known history of the Natural State. Discover the Tantrabobus monster rumored to lurk in the hills of the Ozarks, meet the imposters who faked the state's first history museum and learn the story behind Arkansas' lost amusement park, Dogpatch, USA. Truth really is stranger than fiction in Arkansas, and this one-of-a-kind state has the stories to prove it

Cover image for Forgotten Tales of Arkansas, isbn: 9781609496388

Ghosts of Bobby Mackey's Music World

9781626192225

$21.99

Over the years, Bobby Mackey's Music World has played host to countless real-life horror stories and a string of criminal activity. Illegal gambling and liquor abounded when it later served as the Bluegrass Inn.

The site has been the location of death and destruction since the nineteenth century, including illegal lynchings and a bridge collapse killing forty-one men. In more recent years, mafia bosses turned it into a mafia-controlled nightclub known as the Latin Quarter. Beginning with the caretaker who fell under a demonic possession to more recent encounters between patrons and the paranormal, author Dan Smith revives the chilling stories that make it the most haunted nightclub in America.

Westport

9781467104920

$24.99

Westport, Connecticut, started as a 17th-century colonial English settlement. Nestled on the shores of Long Island Sound and at the mouth of the Saugatuck River, the area was ideally placed for farming, fishing, and commerce. Westport was formally incorporated as a distinct municipality in 1835 and would evolve into a factory town, a bucolic retreat for both the wealthy and the common man, an enclave for artists and performers, and finally, a bedroom community for New York City. Notable townsfolk have included E.T. Bedford, a Standard Oil executive and philanthropist; inventor Benjamin Toquet; and William Phelps Eno, the "father of traffic safety." F. Scott Fitzgerald penned The Great Gatsby while summering in Westport in 1920. Silent film star W.S. Hart called the town home, as did Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Bette Davis, and many more. Artists George Hand Wright, Robert Lamdin, Tracy Sugarman, and others were part of a vibrant art community that spanned nearly 100 years. The town retains its cultural flair with several institutions, such as the Westport Country Playhouse and Museum of Contemporary Art.

Ocean City Oddities

9781467142465

$21.99

For generations, Ocean City has afforded both locals and tourists unforgettable sights and sounds. The boardwalk holds iconic landmarks like Trimper's Rides and the Sand Sculptures, and no visitor will ever forget Boardwalk Elvis. Farther north are Motel Row, Jolly Roger's "Muffler Man" Pirate and Old Pro miniature golf courses. Nostalgic recollections from decades past include the boisterous chuckles of Laffing Sal and Captain Bob's Bull. Local authors Kristin Helf and Brandon Seidl celebrate gone-but-not-forgotten spots while also exploring the exciting landmarks that are still enjoyed today.

Madison:

9781596291218

$21.99

Beginning with the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier and the story of early Native American peoples, Janik narrates the journey of Wisconsin's capital city from the center of the wilderness"? to the "Laboratory of Democracy."? Learn how Madison's citizens responded to the Civil War, industrialization and two world wars, as well as how advances in the rights of workers, women, Native Americans and African Americans made Madison the multifaceted city it is today. Comprehensive, accessible and swift, Madison: History of a Model City offers a fresh take on how Madison and its people came into being."

Maney's Confederate Brigade at the Battle of Perryville

9781626192645

$21.99

On October 8, 1862, forty thousand Union and Confederate soldiers clashed at Perryville, Kentucky, in the state's largest Civil War battle. Of those who fought, none endured as much as the Tennessee and Georgia soldiers who composed Brigadier General George Maney's brigade. The Confederate unit entered the fray to save other Southern regiments and, in doing so, experienced deadly resistance. Many of those involved called the brigade's encounter the toughest of the Civil War, as several of Maney's regiments suffered casualties of 50 percent or greater. Despite relentless fighting, the Confederates were unable to break the Union line, and the Bluegrass State remained in Federal control. Join author Stuart W. Sanders as he chronicles Maney's brigade in the Battle of Perryville.

Maney's Confederate Brigade at the Battle of Perryville

Massachusetts Book of the Dead

9781609497576

$19.99

Massachusetts's historic graveyards are the final resting places for tales of the strange and supernatural.

From Newburyport to Truro, these graveyards often frighten the living, but the dead who rest within them have stories to share with the world they left behind. While Giles Corey is said to haunt the Howard Street Cemetery in Salem, cursing those involved in the infamous witch trials, visitors to the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain enjoy an arboretum and a burial ground with Victorian-era memorials. One of the oldest cemeteries in Massachusetts, Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, has been the final resting place for residents for nearly 375 years.

Author Roxie Zwicker tours the Bay State's oldest burial grounds, exploring the stones, stories and supernatural lore of these hallowed places.