Name: A Brief History of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Brand: Trudy Keen
SKU: 9781596291270
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

A Brief History of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

9781596291270

$21.99

Revolutionary War historians know Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, as the site where George Washington successfully repelled the British before moving on to Valley Forge. The Fort Washington of that day featured a landscape dominated by farmland, but the beauty of the area and its proximity to burgeoning Philadelphia ensured that it would not remain rural for long.

Less than a hundred years after the crack of Patriot muskets reverberated through Fort Washington, the area grew into a thriving summer resort, and was well on its way to becoming an early Philadelphia suburb. As a playground for elite Philadelphians before the end of the nineteenth century, Fort Washington became the location for lavish summer homes and year-round estates. The popularity of the area continued to increase, and soon a thriving middle class developed, changing the face of Fort Washington and producing dozens of grand Victorian homes that survive to this day.

A Brief History of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: From Farmland to Suburb, by local historians Lewis and Trudy Keen tells the story of Fort Washington that few know. Drawing on a wealth of original documents, this look at Fort Washington's colorful past provides an accessible account of the people, events, homes and businesses that have made this area of Pennsylvania a prosperous and vibrant community.

A Brief History of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Haunted Scranton:

9781609495855

$21.99

At the heart of the Lackawanna Valley, Scranton is haunted by those who once walked its streets and worked its mines and rail lines. From the woman in white who lingers in Courthouse Square to the passenger of trolley car #46 who never reached her destination, the specters of Scranton make their presence known. Supernatural investigator A.C. Bernardi chronicles chilling tales of the city's landmarks, from the mysterious happenings on the sixth floor of the Lackawanna Station Hotel to stories of the angry spirits of victims of the Spanish influenza epidemic who lurk in the basement of the Banshee Pub. Join Bernardi as he traverses the dark side of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Lackawanna County Chronicles

9781626197619

$21.99

The green hills and bustling boroughs of Lackawanna County have fostered a remarkable history of pioneering citizens and momentous events. Dr. Mary C. Nivison became the first female physician in the city when she opened her Scranton practice in 1871. Audiences were amazed in 1915, when Harry Houdini escaped from a large cask of beer at the Poli Theatre. The Pennsylvania county had its share of mayhem and tragedy as well. In 1923, the Laurel Line bandits held up the train between Moosic and Avoca, and nineteen years later, the flood of 1942 sent waters rushing down Carbondale's Main Street. From the stories of the Great Riot of 1877 to memories of the Club Burger at Carrol's Restaurant, local author Margo L. Azzarelli chronicles the history of Lackawanna County with this fascinating series of vignettes.

The Fort Pitt Block House

9781609499334

$21.99

Beginning with its construction in 1764, the story of the Fort Pitt Block House is one that spans nearly three centuries of Pittsburgh history. The Block House was originally constructed as a defensive redoubt for Fort Pitt, a key British fortification during the French and Indian War. After the conflicts on the Pennsylvania frontier ended, the brick-laid building served as a trading post for wares and munitions, and in the nineteenth century, it played host to families and even a candy shop. In 1894, the only surviving structure of Fort Pitt was gifted to the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Though the building was threatened by demolition for the expansion of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Daughters of the American Revolution fought to preserve this historic treasure for Pittsburgh. Join site curator and author Emily M. Weaver as she chronicles the remarkable history of the Fort Pitt Block House.

Wicked Carlisle:

9781609495251

$21.99

With Wicked Carlisle, author Joe Cress revisits the criminal history of Cumberland County. Taking a more focused and less bloody approach, Cress will largely bring new stories of mischief to the table, though he will revisit the lighter side of two or three crimes from Murder and Mayhem in Cumberland County. From stories of college pranks gone wrong, Carlisle's own Robin Hood and the robbing and subsequent torching of a beloved local theater (the Strand where the local HS now sits ) to abuses at the Carlisle Indian School and the town's connection to the raid on Harper's Ferry, Cress scours the underbelly of the borough for mischief and misdeeds.

Western Pennsylvania Reflections

9781609493172

$21.99

From the busy streets of Pittsburgh, to the sandy beaches of Lake Erie, to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, the landscape of Western Pennsylvania shapes its residents in unforgettable ways. With this locally colored collection of vignettes, readers will be recalled to summers on Presque Isle, Thanksgiving in Paradise and the thrill of a Steelers touchdown. Sixteen of the state's finest nonfiction writers reminisce about their distinct ties to the region, sharing their experiences of brickyards and steel mills, hunting and skating, farms and cities. Pennsylvanian charm touches the bumpiest of roads, makes "antique" a verb and colors historic church windows in this new keystone for the commonwealth.

History of the Pennsylvania Hospital, A

9781596295674

$21.99

Pennsylvania Hospital became America's first ""voluntary"" hospital, opening its doors on the eve of the American Revolution no less.

On the eve of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania Hospital opened its doors as a provincial charity for the physically and mentally ill. In a matter of decades, it became not only America's first ""voluntary"" hospital, but also the home of the first apothecary, medical library and surgical amphitheatre. From its radical conception by a group of extraordinary colonists, the hospital has evolved into a world-renowned facility that treats over 225,000 patients a year. In A History of the Pennsylvania Hospital, Kristen Graham introduces the people and ideas that guided the Pennsylvania Hospital through numerous wars and social and economic crises, landing it at the forefront of healing, learning and innovation.

Perry's Lake Erie Fleet

9781609496104

$21.99

Navigate the treacherous waters of Lake Erie, Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay to discover the fates of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and his fleet.

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's defeat of the British at the Battle of Lake Erie was a defining moment both in the War of 1812 and American naval history. Yet the story of Perry's fleet did not end there. Come aboard as author David Frew chronicles the years and decades after Perry's victory. Heroic acts and bitter defeats unfold as Frew details the lives of fleet surgeon Usher Parsons, shipwright Daniel Dobbins and fleet commander Oliver Hazard Perry and his successors. The adventure moves from the tribulations of Misery Bay and a crafty British victory in the Lake Huron Campaign to the closing of the naval base in Erie and the raising of the Niagara in the twentieth century. Navigate the treacherous waters of Lake Erie, Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay to discover the fates of Perry and his fleet.

Philadelphia Reflections:

9781609493189

$21.99

Beyond the iconic landmarks of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell is the Philadelphia the locals know. The gritty waterfront district, the vital farming suburbs and the immigrant communities of Germantown and Kensington are all part of the hometown face of Philly.
From the bustling streets of the downtown of today and yesteryear to the bingo halls of Allentown and the Middletown Grange Fair, this collection takes the reader on a nostalgic journey through the cityscapes and suburbs. Sixteen of Pennsylvania's finest creative nonfiction writers share their stories of taking SEPTA buses, riding the Wanamaker's monorail and kayaking the Schuylkill. This collection of vignettes masterfully reveals the unforgettable histories and colorful traditions that make up the City of Neighborhoods.

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:

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.

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

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

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.

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

Murder & Mayhem in York County

9781609491888

$21.99

The unsolved 1878 murder of a young woman walking home from Hanover and a lethal 1901 love triangle in Chanceford Township that led to murder by strychnine are but two incidents in York County's history of deadly deeds and misdoings. While the 1969 York Race Riots are the most infamous instance of mayhem in the county, the strangest is perhaps the Hex Murder that left a North Hopewell Township powwow doctor a practitioner of the local folk magic dead at the hands of those trying to lift a curse. Follow author Joseph David Cress on the lonely country roads and harsh city streets as he goes on the trail of the body snatchers, hooligans and black widows of York County, Pennsylvania.

Murder & Mayhem in Cumberland County

9781596298842

$21.99

From the horrific Enoch Brown Schoolhouse Massacre of 1764 to settlers who hunted local tribes for a bounty, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, has long had a violent and bloody history. As more people came to the region, murder and mischief of every kind only multiplied. Local author Joseph David Cress explores the dark side of history, from little-known cases such as that of Sarah Clark--who became the first woman hanged in the county after she poisoned a family to dispatch a romantic rival--to high-profile crimes like the shocking 1955 courtroom slaying that left one person dead and three injured. Join Cress on a hair-raising walk down Hell Street as he investigates the underbelly of Cumberland County.