The History Press [new releases]

Virginia's long history and many beauties attract millions of visitors each year--and some never leave.

With some of the oldest inns in the country, Virginia has a multitude of options for travelers to sleep among the spirits. The historic Cavalier Hotel is haunted by the ghost of Adolph Coors, the beer magnate. Market Square Tavern is one of the original buildings in Williamsburg, and has some of the oldest haunts--including, possibly, Thomas Jefferson. The spirit of Mary Hooker still watches over her beloved home at King George's Bell Grove Plantation. The family of the former owner of Natural Bridge Hotel are said to still walk the halls of historic building--after he killed them.

Plan a ghostly journey along Virginia's byways with author and paranormal expert Susan Schwartz.

Nestled in the town square of Concord, Massachusetts, the windows of the Colonial Inn have gazed upon more than three centuries of bloodstained history.

Known for its role in the American Revolution, the Inn was originally built as three separate buildings with the oldest section of the property dating back to 1716. A stone's throw from Old North Bridge, the Inn is notoriously haunted by the ghosts from its Revolutionary War past. Guests report phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, and spirited soldiers lurking in the shadows of the labyrinthine hallways and empty rooms of this infamous inn.

Local author Sam Baltrusis has worked the graveyard shift at Concord's Colonial Inn trying to unravel the chilling mysteries and lingering legends associated with one of the country's oldest and most haunted hotels.

U.S. Route 44 stretches across New England from Massachusetts to Connecticut before completing its circuit in New York State, 237 miles later. Along the way, travelers may encounter the infamous Bridgewater Triangle, take a haunted tour of Plymouth, or see the ghosts of Chepachet.

Follow in the footsteps of famous science fiction horror writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft from Providence to Glocester, Rhode Island. Follow the road through small towns and dark forests where sightings of UFOs and cryptids have surprised travelers for years.

Join authors Tom D’Agostino and Arlene Nicholson as they explore the dark corners of New England’s most haunted highway.

The coldest cases from Middletown, USA

With dozens of unsolved murders spanning decades, Muncie and surrounding Delaware County might have more killings without justice than any American community like it. In 1962, Maggie Mae Fleming was shot to death as she sat in her living room. Paula Garrett was bludgeoned in her home in 1979, and her son, who survived the attack, wants justice. Garth Rector, killed in 2008, could have been murdered by any number of people he knew--or dated.

Journalists and award-winning true crime authors Douglas Walker and Keith Roysdon shine a spotlight on the victims, and on their loved ones and the investigators still hoping for resolution to long-cold murders.

Explore accounts of Oklahoma's Freedmen as told by their descendants in these stories of resistance and resilience on the Western frontier.

The Freedmen of Oklahoma were black people, both enslaved and free, who had been living among the Indian nations. After the official abolition of slavery in 1866, they forged an identity as their own people as they faced the challenges of the western frontier. By 1906, before Oklahoma statehood, over 20,000 people were classified as "Freedmen" from Five Tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Nations. For decades, their descendants have been rediscovering their family history and restoring its place in the larger narrative. Angela Walton-Raji has compiled this collection of stories, told by descendants from all five tribes, to ensure that the Freedmen of Oklahoma claim their vibrant part of the state's heritage.

Uncover the suppressed testimony of the Lone Star State's uncomfortable past.

Tinseltown almost always gets Texas wrong. The "Searchers" never did that much searching, the "Giants" were hardly ever big in terms of character and The Last Picture Show was just the beginning of a disturbing reveal. As acclaimed writer Stephen Harrigan suggests, the Lone Star State was not exactly a Big, Wonderful Thing, and for too many Texans, nothing was ever "Awright, Awright, Awright." A Black civil rights champion was assassinated in 1976, and the incident was buried. A "Cowtown Catcher in the Rye" was published in 1940, and the country club set made it disappear. And the war machines of Hitler and Mussolini were perfected with Texas oil during the Spanish Civil War. Author E.R. Bills challenges his proud neighbors, earnestly asking them to take a hard look at their past and examine their own historical amnesia, cultural fragility and fierce denial.

Cape Cod, one of the nation's oldest regions, can claim many firsts, but not as many as some want you to believe.

Boastfulness, tall tales and plain stretching the truth about history is widely practiced in this tourist mecca. Even esteemed institutions such as churches and historical societies are nimble in the art of gilding the lily. Discover where The Wizard of Oz film really premiered, whether Mercy Otis Warren had a hand in writing the Bill of Rights and who invented the hole in the doughnut. Along the way, you'll find out where the country's oldest Congregational meetinghouse is located, and whether "Mad Jack" was a thieving scoundrel.

Local author and historian James Ellis separates fact from fiction.

Baseball's Mr. Sunshine

A beloved son of Western Pennsylvania, Chuck Tanner spent a career in baseball both as a player and manager. He lead the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1977 to 1985 and helped capture the 1979 World Series. Tanner was key in developing the relief pitcher through his work with Goose Gossage and he played a role in the careers of numerous players such as Willie Stargell, Dave Parker and more.

Through extensive research and interviews, author Dale Perelman presents the life and career of Chuck Tanner.

Butler County has a long and storied history with some spooky twists.

When European settlers arrived, they found not only Native settlements but also earthworks that remain a mystery--as are the strange lights still seen near them. The disturbed spirit of a frontier soldier roams the basement of the Soldiers, Sailors, and Pioneers Monument, and Busenbark is haunted by the Hatchet Man, who committed his crimes 175 years ago. At Miami University, the ghost of Helen Peabody wanders the building that bears her name. Just outside of town, many drive to see the Oxford Ghost Light, and a weekend visit to the Screaming Bridge of Maud-Hughes Road is a high school rite of passage.

Hamilton native and owner of an actual haunted house Daniel D. Schneider explores the terrifying train tracks, creepy canals, scary streets, and bewitched bridges of Butler County.

Across the state of Michigan, uneasy spirits stir in what should be their final resting places.

At Reynolds Cemetery in Jackson, the ghost of Eunice White, traveling from nearby Woodlawn Cemetery, can be seen visiting her father's grave. A mysterious lady in white roams the center of Lovejoy Cemetery in Durand. An apparition of the pacing man appears at Mount Joy in St. Johns. And only the bravest dare visit the Upper Peninsula's Mission Hill Cemetery, where a Native American spirit might appear to point them in the right direction.

Author and paranormal investigator Bradley P. Mikulka leads a tour of some of the Wolverine State's many haunted cemeteries.

Explore the spirits of Michigan's watering holes

From the picturesque shores of Manistique to the crystalline waters of Diamond Lake in Cassopolis, Michigan overflows with pubs and bars swirling with chilling legends. The decrepit ghost of Wattie Mullins welcomes visitors into Coonan's Irish Hub. The spirit of a black-eyed girl has been spotted playing on the steps of the C-Pub at Canterbury Village, and her appearance has left many feeling shaken and stirred . A mysterious soul inhabits a bizarre doll at The Agitated Grape and comes alive when you least expect it.

Local author and paranormal investigator Nicole Beauchamp leads this eerie literary road trip perfect for anyone who likes to eat, drink and be scary.

In the 1950s and 1960s Concord was technically a city, but it more closely resembled a small town. Remote from the larger world, change was slow to arrive – the stunning death of a popular young President, and a war that would tear the country apart and reassemble it as something nobody recognized.

But those innocent decades were a seemingly endless summer, and young residents reveled in it. Riding bikes through the National Guard Armory grounds, hitching a snowy slide on the back of a mail truck and walking barefoot to the corner store for a Coke from the big red cooler. Entertainment was always free, from the Nevers Band to amateur fashion shows.

Author Kathleen Bailey and photographer Sheila Bailey unveil a portrait of a town during a simpler time.

Beyond the world famous artists, singers, actors and more from Pittsburgh are the city's celebrities known locally for their quirky style, unique mannerisms, and outlandish behavior.

From Joe Barker, the violent "street preacher" who was elected mayor in 1850--while in prison!--to Curt Wootton, the comedian whose celebrity status comes from being "Pittsburgh Dad," on Youtube, the Steel City has had a number of colorful characters throughout its history that defy category.

Author Alan Brown leads readers on a stomach-churning turn through Florida's dark side .

Florida sunshine beckons, but in can be unrelenting, too. And in the shadows, tragedy strikes. Ted Bundy leads a cast of serial killers who wrought havoc on the state. Storms spin onto its shores with landscape altering fury. Sharks lurk in the sea, and snakes and alligators lie wait in the swamps. Gangsters like Al Capone hit Miami Beach for a respite, but gangsters like Al Capone take no breaks from their trade. A woman spontaneously bursts into flames in St. Petersburg. Anthrax claims a life in Palm Beach. The Bermuda Triangle disappears vessels off the coast. Indeed, Florida knows boundless leisure, but it's just as familiar with catastrophe .

Explore the history of Ohio’s one-bite wonder!  

From humble origins, the buckeye has become Ohio’s namesake candy. Though a classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter, each producer’s offering is as bespoke as the buckeye is beloved. Taste tradition in Amish country at Coblentz Chocolate Company or sample capital city Columbus’ original stuffed offering from The Buckeye Lady. Visit legendary family businesses like fifth-generation Anthony Thomas, Wittich’s, the nation’s oldest candy shop and Winans, a carriage house chocolatier turned coffee roaster, serving up deliciousness at the seat of the state’s Buckeye Candy Trail. Traverse towns to try long-standing favorites from Esther Price, Marie’s Candies and Marsha’s Homemade Buckeyes alongside artistic interpretations from newcomers The Buckeye Co, Tana’s Tasty Treats and Lohcally Artisan Chocolates./

Join Renee Casteel Cook, author of Ohio Ice Cream/ and coauthor of The Columbus Food Truck Cookbook/, as she unfolds how this bite-sized confection has become Ohio’s sweetest symbol.

 “…more romance, tragedy and vigorous life than many a city a hundred times its size and ten times its age.” - Historian Hiram M. Chittenden  

Deep in the heart of Blackfoot country on the Upper Missouri River, trade relations opened cautiously in 1831. A series of trading posts and clashes followed. By 1846, Fort Benton had become the center of commerce with Indigenous tribes, including the Blackfoot who dubbed it “many houses to the South.” Drawing settlers from eastern states, the head of steamboat navigation became known as “the world’s innermost port.” As a result, the fort became a multicultural melting pot and home to the “Bloodiest Block in the West.” Award-winning historian Ken Robison brings to life dramatic sagas of a rapidly developing frontier, from vigilante X. Beidler to the Marias and Ophir Massacres.

Home to the location where George Washington took command of the troops and to America's oldest Ivy League university, Cambridge is a city that feels like a town.

Hasty Pudding meetings were enlivened with mock trials spoofing happenings in Cambridge and among the faculty; by 1860 the trials had evolved into shows. In a corner of the Cambridge Common, across from Harvard Yard, a Gilded Age statue of a Puritan has been toppled several times. Letters home from Robert Kennedy were found stashed on a high shelf in a college room he occupied, over 30 years after he graduated.

From protests to the "Beer Garden Summit", author Jane Merrill shares the stories behind notable landmarks and some significant but little-known facts in and around town.

How the Bluegrass State Helped Win a War

While not a single battle of the War of 1812 was fought on Kentucky soil, Kentuckians were involved to the very end. Henry Clay and his War Hawks convinced Congress and President Madison to declare war, and helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent that ended it. After two massacres of Kentucky militia on the Northwestern front, Governor Isaac Shelby, still the only sitting governor to lead troops into battle, more than 4,000 locals and a pig marched to Canada to defeat the British and kill Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames. Author Doris Dearen Settles explains how Kentuckians won the war of 1812 and why it is far more significant than textbooks record.p/>

Strange and unusual things lurk behind the calm façade of Dearborn County.

Several legends surround Hillforest Mansion, the home of one of Aurora's founding families. Many have seen the ghost of a farmer and his mule at Carnegie Hall in Moores Hill. The glowing grave at Riverview Cemetery may connect to the 1941 Agrue family massacre. St. Mary's Church rectory is said to be haunted by the former priest, and the spirits at Whisky's in Lawrenceburg are not just in the drinks. Several schools in the area echo with the sounds of former students and staff, and numerous local residences house the spirits of former owners who never left.

Join Mary Ellen Quigley and Rebecca Wilhelm on a chilling tour from Lawrenceburg to Lawrenceville and beyond.

Surveying the sensational newspaper accounts as events unfolded, author and historian Chris Flook recounts this grisly tale of political intrigue and conspiracy.

In the fall of 1902, Indianapolis police uncovered a prolific graverobbing ring operating across the city. At the time, cemeteries across central Indiana were relieved of their dead by ghouls, as they were called, seeking fresh corpses desperately needed by the city's medical colleges. The ring was also accused of multiple murders. In Hamilton County, a former Confederate soldier named Wade West delivered stolen corpses by floating them down the White River. His counterpart in Indianapolis, Rufus Cantrell, an itinerant preacher and full-time graverobber known as the "King of the Ghouls," ransacked Indy's cemeteries for years before being caught.

Wyoming History Enshrined

Created in 1871, Lakeview Cemetery serves as a repository of local and state history. Resting in the historic grounds are eleven of Wyoming's governors, including the first woman governor in the nation. Other hallowed, eternal residents include a wild west showman, the namesake of a military base, and a famed photographer of the west. Suffragists, Japanese railroad workers, and a young range war victim are buried here too. Authors Starley Talbott and Michael Kassel explore the rich past of the famous and not-so famous citizens of Lakeview Cemetery.

From the beginning of World War II, Delaware's movie theaters played a starring role in the state's war effort.

Delaware and every town in it - from Claymont to Delmar - did its part to support the war. From base theaters to opera houses to movie palaces, Delaware's theaters sold hundreds of millions of dollars in war bonds. They served as WAAC recruiting stations. They were collection points for resource drives. They screened countless newsreels and documentaries about every aspect of the war. And they hosted the likes of Fay Wray, Gene Lockhart, Gail Patrick, Paulette Goddard, and other Hollywood stars who came to the state to keep morale high, support strong, and dollars flowing.

Author Michael J. Nazarewycz recounts how the First State, the Greatest Generation, and the Dream Factory joined forces when America's forces needed them most.

Discover the story behind the Nantucket Civil War Monument, King Alcohol and more in Hidden History of Nantucket.

The celebrated history of Nantucket's great whaling days often overshadows the fascinating changes that took place in the years following. Learn about some named on the Civil War Monument, some left off and some who may not belong. Meet the Cold Water Army of seven hundred schoolchildren who paraded against King Alcohol in hopes that the island would become a temperance oasis. Little remains of the bathing pavilion and water slide of the long-lost town of Coatue that once had big plans for expansion. With surprising facts and captivating tales, authors Frank Morral and Barbara Ann White explore these and other lost accounts of the faraway island.