New York

Through historical images and regional folklore step into the past of the ""Grand Canyon of the East.""

Letchworth State Park, now a century old, grew out of a generous donation made by William Pryor Letchworth to the State of New York. The park's remarkable history reaches back as far as the last ice age. From the Portage Gorge to the mighty highbanks at Mount Morris, Letchworth State Park follows the flow of the Genesee River, exploring the natural and human events that have shaped this inspiring landscape. Drawing on historical images and regional folklore from the collections of the authors, the park, and various local sources, the reader is invited into the past of a park that has been called the ""Grand Canyon of the East.""

Over 200 images bring Niagara Falls' past to life and documents the people and places as they were in the 1860s-mid-1960s.

The photographs presented here contain views of the city of Niagara Falls and trace the community's roots in the villages of Suspension Bridge, Niagara Falls, and LaSalle. Many different faces of Niagara are depicted in this rare glimpse of the past. Residents and tourists alike will enjoy viewing the never-before published images gracing the pages of this volume. Images of industry, tourism, the development of hydroelectric power, business districts, streets, homes, and even daredevils all appear in this excellent collection of images.

Here we find the story of the Love Canal's origins in the 1890s, when this project's ultimate goal was to create an almost utopian city. Also included are several photographs of President William McKinley in Niagara Falls, only hours before his assassination. Other famous visitors mentioned include Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Lord Kelvin, Abraham Lincoln, Nikola Tesla, the Prince of Wales, Mikhail Gorbachev, Thomas Edison, Princess Diana, George Westinghouse, and John F. Kennedy.

The story of John Boyd Thacher State Park and the Indian Ladder Region is the story of how a wilderness became a park. Hardworking farmers transformed the forests into farm fields and blasted a roadway through a cliff to get their goods to market. John Boyd Thacher and his wife, Emma Treadwell Thacher, permanently protected the wilderness for all to enjoy. Photographs show 19th-century tourists making their way from the train stations in Voorheesville, Meadowdale, and Altamont up the steep Indian Ladder Road. Others depict ladies and gentlemen in Victorian-era dress climbing the ladder propped against the cliff and posing behind waterfalls and in the mouths of caves. These photographs have been drawn from the collections of local families and institutions, with many appearing publicly for the first time.

200 images from the archives of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service that tell the history of the Appalachian Trail in NY, NJ and CT.

Crossing through 14 states from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail enters New Jersey through the Delaware Water Gap, crosses New York's Hudson River, and rises over Connecticut's Lion's Head. The area is considered by some to be the pathways birthplace, for in 1923, just two years after Benton MacKaye originally proposed the trail, the first few miles specifically constructed for the Appalachian Trail were built by volunteers in New York's Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. These photographs and the corresponding narrative present a historical perspective on what it took to create the trail, including the thousands of volunteers and the arduous tasks they performed, those who lived along the trail before and during its creation, the many people who have enjoyed the trail through the years, and the original routes that are no longer part of the present-day Appalachian Trail.

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation's expansive landscapes and long-abandoned cellar holes tell a unique story. Its 4,315 acres, set aside by the Westchester County Parks Commission in 1925, hold within its boundaries a legacy left by the Native Americans and 18th- and 19th-century families who farmed the rolling fields and rocky hillsides. Marks of the 20th century include the remains of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) encampment and the stone walls, trailside shelters, and roads built by these young men. Thousands of trees planted by the CCC stand tall, shading the reservation's hiking and riding trails. Sitting amidst the park's streams, cliffs, and hills is the Trailside Nature Museum, which was enhanced by the efforts of local garden club women. Indian rock shelters and a cave used by the Leather Man lend an air of mystery to the beauty and wonders of the park's protected flora and fauna. Almost a century after its quiet beginnings, the reservation still invites visitors to enjoy and learn about the wonders of nature.

Created by Samuel Ruggles as a haven for wealthy New Yorkers, both Gramercy Park and Union Square have been among Manhattan's most desirable neighborhoods for more than 150 years. From writers and artists to powerful politicians, illustrious figures like O. Henry, Andy Warhol, Samuel Tilden and Joseph Kennedy have walked its streets. The National Arts Club and the Players Club attract patrons from around the city who are in search of a taste of grander times. Tourists flock to historic sites like the Theodore Roosevelt House, the Gramercy Park Historic District and the picturesque Union Square Park. Local tour guide Alfred Pommer and coauthor Joyce Pommer reveal the stories on the streets of the neighborhoods.

A stone wall along Seneca Street in East Aurora, New York, welcomes visitors to Knox Farm State Park with its charming buildings, woodlands, and open fields. The farmland was purchased by Seymour H. Knox, an entrepreneur from Russell, New York. Successful in the five-and-dime store industry with his cousin F.W. Woolworth, Knox expanded his business interests to include raising horses and developing a self-sustaining farm. Following his death in 1915, his family maintained and expanded the property, gracing it with architectural features reflecting their interests. In the 1990s, with the passing of Seymour Knox II and sons, the family's desire to preserve the beloved property was fulfilled with the establishment of Knox Farm State Park.

The first kiddie parks in North America were born in the lush forests of the Adirondack Mountains in the 1950s. These parks brought to life the characters of beloved fairytales,
legends, and nursery rhymes through live performers, animated figures, and themed mechanical rides. Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks contains images of some of the Adirondacks' most popular kiddie parks: Storytown U.S.A., Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks, the Land of Make Believe, Magic Forest, and Santa's Workshop. Each park is home to various fantasy-themed amusements built to accommodate children rather than adults. Four of the five parks are still in operation and continue to entertain new generations of children every year.

Harper's Weekly reported in 1857 that no engineer had yet been able to present a feasible plan for Central Park and that "it may not ever happen." Their pessimism was misplaced, as Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's Greensward Plan was approved in May 1858. By 1860, visitors were enjoying the magnificent new park's naturalistic splendor. Central Park quickly became one of New York's premier attractions, featuring the menagerie, the mall, Bethesda Fountain, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the music pavilion, the casino, and the original Croton Reservoir. The northern section of the park was more reminiscent of an untamed wilderness than of an urban park. Through historic postcards, Central Park highlights this man-made green oasis at the center of a teeming metropolis.

For over 100 years, the Palisades Interstate Park has provided a haven for citizens of the New York metropolitan area. The park system was originally formed to prevent quarries from desecrating the majestic lower Palisades cliffs. Few of the founders could have envisioned the growth of the parks, as land purchases multiplied northward up the Hudson River Valley. Now with over 100,000 unspoiled acres, the parks offer myriad outdoor recreational activities and historic sites that attract more visitors than many major national parks.

In 1883, eleven Rochester women formed the Young Women's Association, and in 1919 they purchased Camp Onanda to provide an escape for young factory girls. The YWCA carried on that mission into the 1980s so that girls from all walks of life could experience the joys of camp. Over the decades, girls enjoyed summer activities like archery and sailing, drinking "bug juice" around the campfire and swimming lessons. They came from all over to experience the great outdoors, free from the economic hardships and social challenges of city life. In the spirit of that tradition, Onanda is now a beloved public park. Former Onanda counselor Carol Truesdale tells the story of Camp Onanda and of the many lives this camp changed.

Summertime memories of Camp Cory are awash in warm emotion. From the Reveille bugle at first light to Taps in the evening, those days were the absolute best. Skippering a K-boat on cool Keuka Lake. Silly songs and skits performed into the night. The boundless nature of genuine friendship. It is hard to explain exactly why that time is so special, how it changes lives forever. This wonderful mystery is revealed here by official Camp Cory historian Bo Shoemaker. So gather around the campfire to reminisce. Just be sure to watch out for the H Man!

Once home to Native Americans and mountain settlers, Harriman State Park is today a 73-square-mile wilderness and recreation area lying 30 miles north of New York City. Offering over 200 miles of hiking trails, swimming, boating, fishing, and camping, it has been an oasis for city dwellers for 100 years. During the 1800s, the land was home to hardworking farmers, miners, and woodcutters. As the new century dawned, it evolved into a park of stunning beauty. Part of the Palisades Interstate Park System, it is the second-largest state park in New York.

From theater to landing plce for immagrants, this is the photographic hsitory of 200 year old Castle Garden and Battery Park.

Few buildings in Manhattan have had a richer and more varied life than 200-year-old Castle Clinton, the magnificent red sandstone structure that lies in historic Battery Park. Although originally built as a fortress just before the outbreak of the War of 1812, its actual fame rests on the years when it was known worldwide as Castle Garden, a name that underlined its intimate connection with the surrounding park. Under that name, it served successively as Manhattan's preeminent public events hall and theater (1824-1855), then as America's first great landing place for millions of immigrants (1855-1890), and finally as the oldest and grandest municipal aquarium in the United States (1896-1941). Castle Garden and Battery Park invites readers to step back in time and dip into this legendary monument's dramatic story and learn how it has managed to survive into the 21st century.