The History Press [new releases]

Brick City Past Revealed

Newark's history is as diverse and powerful as the community that continues to call New Jersey's largest city home. The colonial settlement at Four Corners--the Broad and Market intersection--grew into one of the most heavily traveled thoroughfares in the nation. In the nineteenth century, innovations such as the public use of the electric light bulb in Military Park and the discovery of how to make patent leather established Newark as a flourishing industrial hub. Dramatic events including the battle between Nazi sympathizers and city residents in the 1930s, hearings held by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s and the event that triggered the infamous 1967 riots, defined a raucous twentieth century in Newark. Today, urban farming can be found in the Ironbound, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal has helped fund the city's first high-rise tower in fifty years and revitalization efforts continue. Author Helen Lippman presents hidden history of Newark, New Jersey.

The Queen of New Jersey Lakes

Only 40 miles from Manhattan, Lake Hopatcong is the largest lake in the Garden State. An early colonial pioneer in damming, the lake was formed by the flooding of Great Pond, Little Pond and the Musconetcong River. It became a luxury destination for wealthy New Yorkers looking for a cool retreat as a cadre of celebrities frequented its glamorous hotels. Though the Golden Age of the lake's history has passed, it remains a vibrant source of revitalization, community and environmental enjoyment for the region today. Join author Peter Astras as he recounts the history of New Jersey's Lake Hopatcong.

They used arsenic to obtain chemical divorces and strychnine to settle scores. They bludgeoned husbands to make way for lovers. They flattened love triangles with blunt objects. They murdered for money, for revenge, for pleasure.

Meet the heiress who just could not take "no" for an answer from her mechanic lover; meet the two nursing home workers whose deadly game ended after the murders of six residents; meet the three sirens who lured a wealthy banker to the strip poker game of death. And many, many other Michigan mistresses of mayhem in this collection of true crime tales.

In September 1918 Elizabeth Kalb boarded a train to Washington, DC to fight for voting rights for women.

For over two years, Elizabeth lived and worked at the National Woman’s Party headquarters a block from the White House. Letters she wrote during that time describe detention at the Capitol and an arrest at the White House, raising money, serving in the organization's Tea Room and struggling through the 1918 flu epidemic. Elizabeth draws the reader into a world of intense partisanship, battles with police, and diverse personalities united in a common cause. Suffragists ensured that politicians could not ignore women’s rights.

Author Shirley Marshall uses this eyewitness account to create an indelible portrait of life within the National Woman's Party.

The place names of Arkansas reflect four centuries of settlement and human response to the state's unique geography. Each new group of settlers brought their own rich memories, heritage and hopes for a better life, all of which manifested in the names of the places they encountered and the towns that grew. Merchants and businessmen (and women), especially railroad officials, eagerly attached their own names to the new stations and towns that sprang up in the late nineteenth century, while bureaucratic bumbles and confused legends led to unique names. And all the while, irrepressible humor combined with local patois to generate names like Greasy Corner, Oil Trough, Pig Eye, and Smackover. Arkansas place names provide a rich treasury for residents and visitors seeking to better know the history and popular culture of the Bear State.

Prohibition is recognized as the most unpopular law in US history. It was so unpopular at the time that some Floridians weren't all too keen on obeying it. Learn how it was instigated by small town Protestants who believed that newer immigrants living in big cities were immoral because of their emphatic use of alcohol. Prohibition bred corruption, defiance of the law, and hypocrisy as illegal bootlegging, moonshining and rum running replaced legitimate taxpaying industries. Florida actually voted state-wide Prohibition into law before the dreaded 18th amendment and was the only state to elect a governor from the Prohibition Party. Florida's Bill McCoy "The Real McCoy" founded Rum Row and became an international celebrity as he made a mockery of the U.S. Coast Guard's inability to squelch his innovative rum running operations. Al Capone, the infamous gangster, vacationed in Florida while his henchmen perpetrated the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Many virtually unknown stories of tragic killings in Florida during Prohibition are also recounted.

Mysterious lights, mystical vortexes and the Mogollon Monster.

Go beyond the beautiful vistas and desert landscapes and discover a new, stranger side of Arizona. From the legendary cryptid that stalks the Grand Canyon to a purported alien abduction that inspired a feature film, strange happenings and weird occurrences have been recorded in every corner of the state. Join author Patrick Whitehurst as he explores tales of the odd and unexplained. 

Men of ValorIn the late 1800s, the new state of Washington promised peace and prosperity to new settlers. At least thirty-three African American men who had served during the Civil War answered the call. Paul Barrows, a former legislator from Mississippi, established the Calvary Baptist Church of Spokane. Gideon H. Stump Bailey became the first African American Justice of the Peace in Franklin. Allin Alfred Hawkins, born into slavery, became one of the wealthiest African American farmers in the Yakima Valley.Author Cynthia A. Wilson uncovers the stories of these courageous men.

War of Empires

The colonial frontier of Western Pennsylvania set the stage for the fight over control of North America and the promise of the American West. The war began in the Commonwealth and the defenses, roads and skirmishes fought in the Western part of the state defined the war and the early career of George Washington. Join author Robert M. Dunkerly as he reveals the harrowing history of the French and Indian War in Western Pennsylvania.

Many Alabamians may not realize how many of their fond memories involve advertising signs.

Although these neon spectaculars, billboards and even signs painted directly onto brick walls were created expressly to persuade customers or tourists to patronize businesses, many such signs remained in place for so long that they became landmarks in their own right. From the California-inspired sign for Art’s Char House and the ubiquitous signage of Bargain Town USA to Tuscaloosa’s famed Moon Winx Motel neon masterpiece, author Tim Hollis guides readers on a hunt for signs that wormed their way into the collective Alabama memory.

Harrisburg Answers the Call of Duty

In 1917, at the start of World War I, among global war and a global pandemic, Harrisburgers stepped up, surffered and served. They mustered municipal agencies, associations, churches, clubs and corporations as well as fraternal and female organizations to address the multiple challenges presented by the global events. Women volunteered for the Red Cross and sought employment in industry as locals observed federal stipulations for draft calls, food conservation, fuel savings and arms' production. The city experienced tribulations as residents feared espionage, suspected foreigners and demanded loyalty. A Teutonophobia cast aspersions on anything German. Hospitals struggled with the 1918 flu at their doorstep. Join author Rodney Ross as he charts the World War I era and the Harrisburg home front.

Haunting mysteries from America's Heartland

Indiana rightly prides itself as a safe place to live. Nevertheless, the Hoosier State has experienced its share of unexplained deaths and unsolved disappearances. The state's oldest missing child case, the disappearance of four-year-old Richmond Byers from Seelyville in 1904, may never be solved. The 1998 attempted bombing of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse remains one of the only unsolved instances of domestic terrorism in the United States. The identities of Bedford's so-called Carnival Babies will likely forever be unknown. The 1929 murder of Elizabeth Miller tragic death may have been the result of the community's belief that she was a witch, but the true culprit has never been brought to light.

Author of Unsolved IndianaAutumn Bones explores some of Indiana's least known unsolved mysteries.

America's Oldest Black Swim Club

When it opened in July of 1959, the Nile Swim Club welcomed over one thousand people to its pool. The only problem that day, remembers Bill Mellix, then 13, "None of us knew how to swim." In the 1930s, an African American middle class began moving into Yeadon, leading to one of the nation's first Black suburban enclaves. By the end of the 1950s, Ebony magazine dubbed Yeadon Philadelphia's "Black Mainline." The town remained majority white however, and strict racial segregation was enforced, including the local pool. Typical for the time, white residents maintained it as a private swim club to avoid public desegregation laws. The response of Yeadon's African Americans proved unique. They built their own pool and opened it to all, regardless of race. It attracted members from the Philadelphia area, including New Jersey and offered a variety of programming. Celebrities such as Harry Belafonte and members of the Supremes visited. Decades later, hip hop icon D.J. Cash Money and actor Will Smith started out at the Nile as MCs. Join author Robert Kodosky as he reveals the incredible history and legacy of the Nile Swim Club and the vibrant landmark it remains today.

Author Foxx Nolte gives readers a glimpse behind the curtain of the most magical place on earth.

Millions of people a year visit Walt Disney World, but few would consider it to be a place with any real history. But hidden just below the surface, past the blanket of pixie dust, is a story as vivid and bizarre as any. It is a history of corporate politics, urban planning, crazy ambitions, and failed schemes. The Hidden History of Walt Disney World takes you on a journey that stretches from "Old Florida" to the events that made Walt Disney World what it is today. There's birds made of citrus, horizontal elevators, a ghost town, and tennis ball factories. And that's just the start. Whether you've visited one or one hundred times, your vacation will never be the same again. Yep, the castle is fake. But the stories are not .

Before the Flood

The lost town of Sopris lies silently beneath the depths of Trinidad Lake. Once a thriving mining community in the late 1800s, it was renowned for abundant coal deposits and a bustling population. Three generations called Sopris home. They fought in the Civil War, homesteaded and immigrated to work in the mines. Unfortunately, the town's fate took a drastic turn with the construction of the Trinidad Dam, which flooded the area and submerged the town. Authors Genevieve Faoro-Johannsen and Robert Daniel Vigil, Jr. preserve an enduring legacy of community and resilience through first-hand accounts, historic photos and never-before-seen maps.

Galveston was the birthplace of Juneteenth.

Issued in Galveston on June 19, 1865, General Orders, No. 3 announced to the people of Texas that all slaves were free. It is one of the Island's most important historical moments. Although Juneteenth has now become the basis for a national holiday, many Americans wonder how and why this date emerged as the basis for the oldest continually celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery. To even begin to answer these questions, it is necessary to return to the historic roots of the event itself. The Galveston Historical Foundation's African American Heritage Committee tracks Emancipation Day observances through previously unknown images and untold stories which are also part of an interactive exhibit experience at Ashton Villa, the site of Galveston's city-wide Juneteenth celebration.

How the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome appeared on the Texas frontier.

From 1895 to 1913, promoters on the Texas-Mexico border imported a variety of large mammals from around the world to pit them against one another in interspecies combat. Lions fought bears, an elephant took on a bull, and one promoter released a tiger, a bull, and a bear into the same cage at the same time. Human combatants occasionally entered the fray, from a rodeo pioneer who squared off against an elk to a bullfighter who took on a buffalo. Vaudeville showmen supplied livestock, sensationalistic newspapers drove ticket sales, and Progressive Era animal rights groups lobbied to shut down the spectacle. Bradley Folsom gives an account of the epic border battles, both in and out of the cage, which tell the story of a time when Texas was a rising economic power and Mexico verged on revolution.

The North End - Boston's Little Italy - is an enclave with a rich history and a culture rooted in family, food and faith.

Once home to hardworking immigrant families from Italy, it was also the neighborhood of Sacco and Vanzetti, Charles Ponzi and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Organizations like the North End Industrial Home and the North Benet Street School helped to educate and serve the community. With St. Leonard’s of Port Maurice Church at its heart, la via vecchia (the old way) is woven through its narrow, winding streets, brick buildings, restaurants and pastry shops. Today, neighbors and tourists alike meet for coffee and cannolis, unaware of the neighborhood's complex history.

Local author and resident Patricia Annino reveals the resilient journey from one of America’s poorest slums to a place of opportunity.

Chronicles of the Memorable and Mysterious!Utah’s history is as distinctive as its uniquely stunning landscape. From the state’s own “Mount Sinai” to the tourist mecca of the Four Corners, remarkable locales demanded national attention. Angels Landing, the Zion Narrow Treks and Twin Peaks were sites of milestone explorations. Beloved, bygone resorts like the legendary Saltair and short-lived Eden Park represented cherished memories. Historic catastrophes defined local resilience, such as the state’s first earthquake in 1859 or the 1944 holiday railroad disaster. And, seasonal mishaps and tragedies underscored the dark side of Utah’s five national parks. Author Lynn Arave presents a diverse, unorthodox collection of Beehive State heritage, illustrated with nearly 100 images. 

Circle City Catastrophes

Disaster was a fact of everyday life in 1800s and early 1900s Indianapolis. During the 1860s, more than 1,700 people died in what is now the Herron-Morton Place neighborhood. In 1882, ten people drowned under the Union Railroad Depot. Ropes were considered an adequate fire escape in the 1890s, but when the National Surgical Institute caught fire, they proved unequal to the task. The owners of the Prest-O-Lite Company created the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but their company also had four major incidents that caused eleven deaths and destruction in the city. In 1917, Hollywood was responsible for the deaths of six people in an Indianapolis apartment building. Join Jack Finney as he explores these and other Indianapolis fires and disasters.

Join Jack Finney as he explores these and other Indianapolis fires and disasters.

Louisville has a long history of violence and murder. Editor Godfrey Pope shot Leonard Bliss over a political joke. A hanged man was allegedly revived with electricity. Josephine Lawrence was a sex worker bent on revenge with unfortunate bad aim. Two locals engaged in a feud that resulted in one man's death and the other's marriage to the dead man's widow. A United States president had a direct descendant arrested for committing a murder near the city. Author Keven McQueen details twenty-four little known homicides that rocked the city from the 1840s to the 1920s.

The Victorian Era is usually thought of as a time of elegant formality, of stately mansions in the "upstairs/downstairs" tradition. But the era was rife with social issues. In January 1918, the Baroness von Zollner was released from custody and further investigation on charges of spying. She was never seen again in Tennessee. A Nashville newspaper story exposed the "trashy" literature that "boys read." While the protest was real, nothing was done to curtail the accessibility of such dime novels due to the First Amendment right to free speech. A.K. Ward found his way to Central America "in a hilarious mood" before being returned to Tennessee to face charges of embezzlement and fraud. Historian James B. Jones details these stories and more.