The History Press [new releases]

Author Jeff Suwak guides readers on a tour of the often overlooked and all-but-forgotten components of Amelia Island history .

Beneath the sands and cobblestones of Amelia Island lies a richness of history disproportionate to the location's relatively small size. The bones of this place are composed of pirate treasures literal and metaphorical, remnants of ancient Timucuan Indians, a grim role in the illegal slave trade, tales of bravery and madness, and a scene for the triumph of the human spirit. Eight different flags have flown over Amelia Island. It was an important stage in the 1812 Patriot War, which most people have long forgotten. From Gregor MacGregor to Abraham Lincoln Lewis, characters strange and inspiring have left their mark in this island's psychic currents. Dead in some ways, they're still here in others, etched into the land itself and waiting to be discovered. Let's go find them .

Author Keri Watson guides readers on a tour through New Deal era Sunshine State parks and post office murals. Even before the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, the Florida economy was depressed from two major hurricanes, a citrus export embargo, and the collapse of the real estate market. Florida desperately needed the relief promised by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal and actively participated in and benefited from a number of federally sponsored initiatives during the Great Depression. These programs were aimed at what the president termed “Relief, Recovery, and Reform,” and they impacted every sector of society from banking and farming to art and architecture. This collection offers a detailed look at the state parks and post offices built in Florida between 1931 and 1946. Looking at Florida’s Depression-era parks and post offices in concert elucidates the ways in which the natural and built environments work together to constitute the cultural landscape and provides insight into the role of the federal government in Florida’s construction as an exotic and tropical paradise.

Explore Granbury's celebrated history.

Granbury owes much of its present charm to its vibrant heritage, from the elegant limestone facades that ring the historic town square to its treasury of Victorian homes. And it owes much of its resilience to the rougher portions of its past, dating back to a frontier era filled with saloons and land disputes. Sitting on one of its sunny restaurant patios, it's hard to image figures like Jesse James or John Wilkes Booth flitting through Granbury's lore, but the town has stared down its fair share of mysterious tragedy and stubborn prejudice. Join Author David K. Barnett in navigating the landmarks and legacies of a town flooded with history.

“We do not know how to commence farming, but we are all willing to try.”—Crow leader Iron Bull

On May 7, 1868, the Treaty of Fort Laramie forever altered the Crow way of life, defining reservation boundaries and establishing a federal agency. Initially stationed at Fort Parker in 1869, the agency headquarters was later moved to Absaroka in 1875. These early agencies faced numerous challenges including the rapid westward expansion, violations of the treaty, land negotiations, railroad construction, educational obstacles, and a dwindling buffalo population. This situation necessitated the Crows to adopt farming, thought idyllic for transitioning them into American society. Faced with hunger and new struggles of subsistence, Crow leaders chose to adapt the skills necessary to sustain their tribe. Author Patty Molinaro recounts the shifting boundaries and historic pivotal period for the Crow nation.

Forgotten Gems of Gatlinburg

When the Great Smoky Mountains was dedicated a national park in 1934, tourists flocked to the area. Ray Bohanan, who owned Bohanan’s Craft Shop and Cabins, stood by the road shouting, “Cabins for rent!” The Frost Lodge reminded tourists of the days when a room cost five dollars. Residents at the LeConte Creek Cottages and Motel were treated to a “woodland wonderland.” Parkway Motor Inn was a haven for weary drivers for decades. The Mountain View Hotel boasted a list of famous residents like Eleanor Roosevelt. Guests at the Terrace Motel remembered waters from the Roaring Fork Creek lulling them to sleep. Brian McKnight relives the simpler times and the city’s finest, long-forgotten lodging.

Discover the Beautiful Valley's Harrowing Past

Genesee County has seen trials, tribulations and triumphs throughout its storied history as national events have been brought to its doorstep. Cold War anxiety was on full display in the preparedness drills of the 1950s and the effect those had on Batavia's studnets. Too often overlooked, the scourge of racism has reared its ugly head in the region, as the Ku Klux Klan once had a presence in the county. Locals were rocked by the assassinations of MLK and John F. Kennedy in the 1960s. Genesee women from acitivists to farmers have left an indelible mark on the county's past.

Join author and historian Michael Eula as he reveals historic chronicles of Genesee County.

The Buckeye State is rich in buried treasure stories, but what's true and what's not?

Wild yarns and plausible legends cling to a number of historical events, including the French and Indian War, Confederate general John Morgan's raid into Ohio, Prohibition, John Dillinger's bank robbing career, and the California Gold Rush. The hope of finding these riches has inspired treasure hunters since Ohio became a state. But enthusiasm has its drawbacks, for many an Ohioan has been duped by con artists toting everything from divining rods and magic tomes to dubious devices like the "scientific gold compass."

Author Mark Strecker dives deep into historical record to test the credibility of these tales and others.

Every community begins with a dream - a dream of a better life

Home to thousands of settlements extending as far back as 13,000 years ago, Ohio has seen most of its architectural history fall to the wrecking ball. But there is still history all around if we know where to look. Located south of Dayton, SunWatch is the best-known Fort Ancient Indian village in the United States. On the other side of the state, Marietta is the oldest permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory. About fifty miles southeast of Cincinnati, antebellum Ripley grew to prominence as a bastion of abolitionism. Dennison, also known as Dreamsville, was born virtually overnight thanks to the railroads.

Authors David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker reveal twenty-one communities where the Ohio story can still be seen.

Pioneers in Ministry

When six Ursuline nuns stepped off a train in September 1874, they encountered a smoky industrial town still reeling from a recent economic downturn. Yet, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown went on to staff more than a dozen parochial schools, while organizing the city's first Catholic high school.

Over the next century, they compiled an extraordinary record of community service. When the Mahoning Valley's fortunes eroded in the wake of deindustrialization, the Ursulines gradually expanded their mission to address a host of new challenges.

Today, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown are celebrated for their groundbreaking efforts to assist the urban poor, single mothers and people living with HIV-AIDS. They remain more committed than ever to meeting the needs of the community, in the face of ever-changing social, political, economic and religious circumstances.

America's Only Shelter Established for Holocaust Refugees

During the height of the second World War, at the order of President Roosevelt, Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York housed 982 refugees, rescued from the horrors of the Holocaust. The community of Oswego answered the call of service and opened its arms to the survivors.

Oswegonian and WWII veteran Joseph Spereno's connection with refugee Jake Sylber helped launch his tailoring business that was a fixture in the city for more than 20 years. Then high school Principal Ralph Faust was among local educators who fought to allow the refugee children into Oswego schools, forging connections with those young people who went on to distinguished careers. Local Boy Scout leader Harold Clark created a troop for refugee children to share in the American experience of scouting.

Author Ann Callaghan Allen presents the harrowing narrative of how Oswego gave shelter to hundreds of Holocaust survivors.

Years ago, when travelers to northern Greenville County asked a local where the Dark Corner was, invariably their reply was, "Just a little further up the road." In those days few people wanted to admit they lived in that much storied and much maligned part of the county known as the Dark Corner. The Dark Corner in those days was legendary for its moonshine, murder and mayhem. This is the story of that well-known region. We travel back to the Dark Corner's earliest days when its only human inhabitants were the Cherokee, and we move into the present where horse farms and multi-million-dollar homes dot the countryside that once contained moonshine stills and cornfields.

A startling rise and retreat

In the 1920s, a reborn Ku Klux Klan slithered into South Dakota. Bold at times, the group intimidated citizens in every county. KKK anti-Catholicism sentiment resulted in the murder of Father Arthur Belknap of Lead. Idealized Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore, operated as a white supremacist and KKK leader. In 1925, animosity between the KKK and Fort Meade soldiers came to a clash one night in Sturgis. The clatter of two borrowed .30 caliber Browning cooled machine guns split the air over the heads of a Klan gathering across the valley. Author Arley Fadness follows the Klan’s trail throughout the Rushmore state.

Stories to Savor

Washington has a tortured history with liquor. Efforts to ban or restrict it date back to1854, before the region even attained statehood, with blue laws remaining on the books well into the twentieth century. From Jimmie Durkin, an enterprising saloon owner, to Roy Olmstead, a former Seattle cop turned gentleman bootlegger, the business of liquor has inspired both trouble and innovation.

Join author and journalist Becky Garrison as she traces the history of the barrel and the bottle from early settlement to the modern craft distilling boom in the Evergreen State.

Celebrate the athletes of St. Edwards University.

Competitive sports have crowned the St. Edward's University hilltop from the very beginning. Early on-campus games and intramurals in the late 19th century evolved into the first organized sport of baseball, followed by a period of excellence during the 1920s and 30s, most notably in football. The 1970s were marked by the advent and growth of athletic programs for women and a gradual ascendency to a strong and regionally competitive National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics [NAIA] program. Even as the school transitioned to a top-tier NCAA Division II program, it could look back on more than a century of athletic achievement. Author John Knorr remembers the key figures and fascinating stories of St. Edward's athletics.

A guide through the history of the Playground of the Southwest.

Established in 1839, Galveston was the largest city in Texas for much of the state's early history. The island city has hosted the likes of Cabeza de Vaca, Jean Lafitte, Sam Houston, Jack Johnson, King Vidor, and Sam Maceo. A strategic target during the Civil War and military stronghold during both World Wars, Galveston endured through countless calamities, including the most damaging hurricane to hit the United States. From historic mansions to long-hidden outposts of the vice district, author Tristan Smith surveys the best places to catch a glimpse of the Oleander City's past, whether that comes in the form of museum treasure or Seawall panorama.

Often relegated to a footnote, the Archive War almost plunged the Republic of Texas into civil war.

Houston's Archive War began with the Texas Revolution, as the spoils of the battlefield gave way to bitter political strife. Sam Houston didn't expect a two-year standoff with Austin residents over the location of the new republic's capital. But if a few things had gone differently, his attempt to shift the seat of government back to the city named after him could have ended with Austin residents in outright rebellion. As it was, the feud between Lamar and Houston over the seat of government escalated into cannon-fire and continued until Texas was a Republic no more. Author Lora-Marie Bernard thumbs through the incendiary files of the Texas Archive War.

The term "ghost towns" brings to mind communities from the Old West where there were once bustling Boom Towns but today are abandoned and lonely pieces to the puzzles of the past. With this image ingrained into a person's mind, it is challenging to visualize ghost towns with sandy beaches and palm trees swaying in the wind. A little-known fact about Florida is it is home to more than 250 ghost towns, many of which remain the home for the spirits of former inhabitants, civil war deserters, pirates, and more. Haunted Florida Ghost Towns covers the many abandoned locations in the Sunshine State where paranormal entities are known to roam. Take a journey into the world of the supernatural and learn the history behind why Florida has so many ghost towns and the energy that remains to fuel paranormal activity.

Author Joy Sheffield Harris guides readers on an architectural tour through the religious diversity of the Sunshine State .

Over 200 years have passed since the first Florida church was established and today the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine has been restored to capture its original beauty. Pioneer Village Church at Shingle Creek is home to a replica of one the first churches built in the Kissimmee, the St. John's Episcopal Church. The former St. Paul's By-The-Sea is now the deconsecrated Beaches Chapel at The Beaches Museum and History Park in Jacksonville Beach. Travel throughout the state or enjoy the beauty of these and many more churches without leaving home.

Indian River County is an idyllic vacation spot on Florida's east coast, not far south of Cape Canaveral. Known as part of the state's famed "Treasure Coast," many are unaware of the deep and fascinating history this area played in the development of the Sunshine State. Also lost among its visitors and residents are the chilling stories of the hauntings that accompany this rich history. It is here that a man named Waldo still looks after his family and properties, six decades after his death. Or a retired preacher is seen digging up his hidden treasure, days after he died .

Author Billy J. Singleton sets readers on a captivating course through the history of Cotton State aviation.

From the dreamers who envisioned flight decades before the Wright Brothers achieved it at Kitty Hawk to the international space race, Alabama has been at the forefront of aviation. Delve into the obscure and forgotten stories of the state's aeronautical heritage, including an encounter over Montgomery that initiated an investigation by the Air Force, Eleanor Roosevelt's aerial tour of the Tuskegee Institute in a two-seat training aircraft and the miracle of Eastern Flight 002. Recall the lost squadron of Gunter Field, the Alabama pilot recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most experienced aviator in history and the college administration that constructed an airport to obtain a gymnasium .

Since 1913, Tampa has provided the background for some of the Major League Baseball's most iconic spring moments led, of course, by the longest home run of Babe Ruth's career. Tampa was the scene of the Grapefruit League's first no-hitter and the only spring time All-star Game. It was the first gathering place of the Big Red Machine and the Core Four. Well over 125 Hall of Famers honed their craft among the city's three major league ballparks: Plant Field, Al Lopez Field and Steinbrenner Field. All of it resulted from a diverse city's love of the game that began with baseball-crazed cigar factory workers before the turn of the 20th century .

First run in 1897 as America's second and the world's fourth, the Boston Marathon attracts thousands thanks to its long and unique history.

What began as simple start and finish lines has grown to encompass a lavish colorful artistry. An athlete and cultural exchange program with the Ohme-Hochi 30K in Japan started with four-time winner Bill Rodgers in the 1970s. Artist Bobbi Gibb was the first female finisher of the race in 1966, and she was later asked to create her own statute along the route to commemorate the event.

Author Paul C. Clerici explores the history and iconic traditions of America's most famous road race.

Dig into a first-hand account of excavations at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.

A small earthen fort on Roanoke Island, traditionally known as Old Fort Raleigh, was the site of the first English colony in the Americas. Previous archaeological discoveries at the site left many questions unanswered by the 1990s. Where was the main fort and town founded by Raleigh's lieutenant, Ralph Lane, the first governor? Was the small log structure outside the fort really a defensive outwork? And why did the colonists go to the effort of making bricks from the local clay? These are the questions that scholars hoped to answer in an extensive, professional dig funded by National Geographic from 1991 to 1993. This skilled team of excavators-with a little luck-revealed America's first scientific laboratory, where the Elizabethan scientist Thomas Harriot analyzed North American natural resources and Joachim Gans assayed ores for valuable metals.

Famed archaeologist of Colonial America Ivor Noël Hume describes the labor-intensive process of discoveries at Fort Raleigh.

Wrecks and disasters have been part of New England's railroad history since the 1830s. Derailments, head-on collisions, equipment failures, and human error all contributed to the tragic list of events between 1853 and 1966.

Forever etched in the public's memory is the horrific bridge disaster at South Norwalk, Connecticut - the deadliest railroad event to occur in the region that claimed forty-six lives. The catastrophic rear-end collision at Revere, Massachusetts, and the head-on crash of the Quebec Express in West Canaan, New Hampshire are among the eighteen wrecks explored herein.

Renowned railroad author Gregg M. Turner details the deadliest rail disasters across six states, their causes and some of the safety improvements they inspired.

From Piney Folklore to Legendary Figures of South Jersey's Past

Author William Lewis presents fascinating tales, revealing legends and beloved lore from the heart of Southern New Jersey.

Atchison is a town where the migration West started and proudly calls itself the "most haunted city in Kansas." Many former residents are still present longing to be heard and seen. Hannah Jo Cusack leaves pennies for the living to make her presence known. Another woman is perhaps still looking for her ride home walking the woods in the shadows of night. In the Sallie House, something seems to dislike the men visiting, while a ghost named Goldie still sits in her rocking chair scowling at all those who enter the home, but especially the women. Join Brooke Montoya as she shares the incredible stories and harrowing hauntings in Atchison.

Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents answered the call to military duty in the Second World War, while the rest of the state's citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone in the family, including pets, found creative and essential ways to contribute.

Thousands worked in factories, volunteered for Civil Defense, watched for enemy aircraft, and took part in salvage collections and bond drives, all while dealing with rationing, blackouts, rumors and a host of other wartime inconveniences. And while thousands of service members left to fight overseas, the Bay State also welcomed thousands more to serve on its military bases that were such an important part of our nation's defense.

Author James Parr reveals the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens--from the famous to the ordinary--as they faced wartime challenges.

Murder and mystery haunt the shadowy corners of the Victorian Era in Southwest Michigan.

Decades after his supposed death in 1846, a litigious bachelor was discovered to have been buried alive. In 1865, a Battle Creek woman, yearning for her lover, used Spiritualism to conceal poisoning her three children. An 1883 unsolved quadruple homicide near Jackson caused two suicides, one attempted suicide and two assassination attempts. In 1891, a ten-year-old girl adopted from the State School in Coldwater one morning was found dead in an icy river two counties away that same afternoon.

Researcher and author Michael Delaware unfurls these and other stories that shocked Michigan and the nation over a century ago.

A history of betting on the East Side.

Making it as a professional gambler in the first part of the twentieth century was a long shot, but wagering on the wide open scene of East St. Louis could help even the odds. Folks who were feeling lucky enough might grab a copy of Louis Cella's racing form, or get the inside scoop from turf men like Barney Schreiber. Students of the art of bookmaking had plentiful mentors in local legends like Adam "Mulepole" Fritz. But even then, a hot streak could attract the attention of a representative of the Chicago Outfit such as Frank "Buster" Wortman. The nephew of Vic and Jim Doyle, who built the Ringside Casino into the Midwest's largest casino, author James Doyle connects the dice rolls of bygone St. Louis Kingpins to high stakes players in New York and New Orleans.

Haunting cold cases from the Heart of It All

Northern Ohio is best known for its stunning lake views and bustling cities, but even a region as gorgeous and prosperous as this has seen its measure of tragedy. Judy Martins was a beautiful Kent State University coed who disappeared after a dorm party. Frank Noch was a mathematical genius and valuable employee at the General Motors plant in Cleveland. Someone broke into his home and killed him. Hinckley Police Chief Mel Wiley had a secret. Maybe that is why he disappeared. DNA helped Sandusky Police identify a Jane Doe forty-three years to the day she washed up on the shores of Lake Erie. Now, detectives are hoping to find out who put Patricia Greenwood in the water and why.

Award-winning author Jane Ann Turzillo unfolds these unsolved cases and eight more from the north of the Buckey State.

Union victory in the Civil War was far from guaranteed. The Northern war effort depended upon local communities to raise the troops and supplies needed for the battlefield.

The history of Litchfield County highlights the challenges Northern communities faced. Armed confrontation erupted over the flying of secession flags. Supporting the war effort provided women with skills and experiences that would aid in the suffrage movement. Scandal swirled around the local army medical examiner. Family and friends actively supported their loved ones as they transformed from civilians to soldiers.

Author Peter C. Vermilyea uses first-hand accounts-many never published before-to investigate these events and show how the process of preparing for war created a lasting bond between a community and its soldiers.

Established in 1924 by freshman Irving Harris, the Brown University Band is one of the school's oldest student-run organizations. Its participation at sporting events, convocation and commencement makes it an integral part of campus life, providing music and spirited fun for the Brown and Providence communities.

A "scramble" band, rather than a traditional marching band, the Band provides cheeky entertainment on and off campus. Legendary antics from the world's only ice-skating band include the infamous bass drum heist by the "Foxboro Four" and notable halftime shows at hundreds of football games. While invariably adapting over the years, the band keeps school songs and spirit alive and maintains its long-standing traditions.

Author and former percussionist Sean Briody pays homage to the band's roots and vibrant history.

An in-depth look at frontier life in Eastern Oklahoma.

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, a steady stream of new arrivals began making their way into the rugged lands of Eastern Oklahoma. European settlers and the tribes who were forcibly relocated to the territory after 1830 established new lives alongside the Native Americans indigenous to the region. Their biographies make up an often untold story of two hundred years of Oklahoma history. From the origin of towns and commercial enterprises to profiles of pioneers both prominent and obscure, Ronald R. Switzer highlights the diversity and determination of the people who grappled for success in the early days of the Oklahoma frontier.