The History Press
winter
2010
The History Press brings a new way of thinking to history publishing—preserving and enriching community by empowering history enthusiasts to write local stories, for local audiences, as only a local can.
table of contents 4 north carolina 5 florida 6 georgia 7 tennessee 8 kentucky 9 virginia 11 maryland/deleware 12
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south carolina
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7
6
13 15 16 17
pennsylvania new jersey new york rhode island
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13 15
winter
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michigan indiana
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illinois
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t i t l e s t r a d e pa p e r u n l e s s ot h e rw i s e n ot e d
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Hidden History of Old Charleston Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman with Edward FitzSimons Good
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south carolina
978.1.59629.843.9 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp. * 46 images * $19.99
From the Lowcountry’s first recorded duel to old-fashioned summers at the “hottest spot in town,” these pages will captivate you with stories of people, events and places that have all but vanished from memory. Find out the real history behind some of Charleston’s beloved mansions and learn about the early plantations and their owners. Join the authors as they relate the riots and romance, the preservation and politics—and even a ghost story—from Charleston’s hidden history.
A Tour of Historic Sullivan’s Island Cindy Lee 978.1.59629.865.1 * 5.5 x 8.5 * 112 pp. * 34 images * $17.99
From the very beginning, Sullivan’s Island has held a unique place in the history of South Carolina. As a fortress, it provided protection from enemies. As a lazaretto, it became a main corridor through which slaves entered America. Its most enduring role, however, has been as a place of escape—first for those in the nineteenth century avoiding the epidemics plaguing the city and lately for those in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries looking for a relaxing vacation. Join native Cindy Lee as she traces the island’s singular past using the buildings to illustrate the stories of the people who lived and worked on Sullivan’s Island for over three centuries.
Murder in the Courthouse:
Reconstruction & Redemption in the North Carolina Piedmont Jim Wise 978.1.59629.755.5 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp. * 51 images * $19.99
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north carolina
No suspect was ever indicted or tried for the murder of scalawag politician John W. “Chicken” Stephens in a North Carolina courthouse; and the Ku Klux Klan not only rid itself of a troublesome adversary, but also set up a showdown between the state’s old guard and the radical regime of Governor William Woods Holden. Follow this littleknown tale from the murder, through the “Kirk-Holden War,” through the courts and to the finale, when Holden became the United States’ first governor impeached and removed from office. Newspaper reporter and historical columnist Jim Wise takes us beyond the final days of the Civil War in North Carolina, amidst the destruction and poverty and debt, to chronicle the men whose clashing agendas and personalities shaped a violent era and laid foundations for the Jim Crow century to come.
Paradise for Sale: Florida’s Booms and Busts Nick Wynne and Richard Moorhead
In the mid-1920s, entrepreneurs and real estate developers became overnight millionaires as they created luxury seaside resorts, golfing communities and country clubs in the Sunshine State. Every element of American and world society flocked to the “Pleasure Paradise of the World.” Florida was a perpetual motion machine—destined to go on forever. But in 1926, small bank failures led to panic, the new federal income tax law led to bankruptcy and a series of hurricanes decimated the tourist trade. Florida’s great boom had gone bust, not to recover until World War II. However, Floridians remained optimistic that the sun of prosperity would always rise again.
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florida
978.1.59629.844.6 * 6 x 9 * 192 pp. * 72 images * $21.99
Remembering Jacksonville: By the Wayside Dorothy K. Fletcher 978.1.59629.*781.4 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp * 65 images * $19.99
As longtime residents and newcomers alike can agree, Jacksonville holds within its city limits wonderful places to grow, play and contemplate the beauty of North Florida. This entertaining collection of Dorothy Fletcher’s “By the Wayside” columns will help you remember what it was like to see the world and Jacksonville with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm. From Marineland to the Soul Searchers to Peterson’s 5 & 10, Remembering Jacksonville captures this coastal community’s glory days, including fond recollections from local citizens who responded to the original columns.
The Highs and Lows of Little Five: A History of Little Five Points Robert Hartle Jr. 978.1.59629.874.3 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 42 images * $19.99
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georgia
Atlanta’s Little Five Points, the city’s first Neighborhood Commercial District, stands out as one of the most distinctive shopping districts in the Southeast. There have been quite a few ups and downs in the area’s history, but ultimately the dedicated, passionate individuals who made L5P what it is today handled them with perseverance and foresight, creating unique, independently owned stores that draw the most eclectic mix of people found anywhere in Atlanta. The cultural melting pot created by these stores is what makes Little Five Points such a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Join author Robert Hartle Jr. as he tells the story of the revitalization of Little Five Points, including firsthand accounts from longtime L5P business owners who were actually there and who helped to save the area from the many threats to its survival.
Nashville Sports History: Stories from the Stands Will Traughber
Enjoy this all-access pass to over two centuries of sports in the Music City packed into one exciting volume! Watch from the bleachers as Ty Cobb practices with the Vanderbilt football team and Babe Ruth blasts home runs out of the old Sulphur Dell Stadium, or go all the way back to 1843 and witness what was then the richest horse race in the world at the Nashville Race Course. These are but a few of the stories compiled by local award-winning sportswriter Bill Traughber in this one-of-a-kind collection no sports fan should be without. Included are excerpts from local sportswriters like the legendary Grantland Rice and over forty historic photographs from the playing field.
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tennessee
978.1.59629.820.0 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 42 images * $19.99
Hidden History of Memphis G. Wayne Dowdy 978.1.59629.875.0 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 45 images * $19.99
G. Wayne Dowdy, longtime archivist for the Memphis Public Library, examines the history and culture of the Mid-South during its most important decades. Well-known faces like Clarence Saunders, Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy are joined by some of the more obscure characters from the past, like the Memphis gangster who inspired one of William Faulkner’s most famous novels, the local Boy Scout who captured German spies during World War I and so many more. Also included are the previously unpublished private papers and correspondence of former Mayor E.H. Crump, giving us a front-row seat to the machine that shaped Tennessee politics in the twentieth century.
Oldham County: Life at the River’s Edge Nancy Stearns Theiss 978.1.59629.862.0 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 58 images * $19.99
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kentucky
Like many counties along the Mason-Dixon line, Oldham County was an area of divided loyalties: an important corridor for slave trafficking as well as part of the Underground Railroad for slaves who chose to run away. It was also a gateway for pioneers as they moved westward to a new frontier. Through the efforts of the Oldham County Historical Society, the stories and tales of this rich history have been preserved through court documents, old newspapers and other artifacts. Join local historian and columnist Dr. Nancy Stearns Theiss as she describes the muddy waters of the county’s beginnings, through turbulent times and along the currents of progress.
Hidden History of Kentucky in the Civil War Berry Craig 978.1.59629.853.8 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp * 51 images * $19.99
“United We Stand, Divided We Fall” is Kentucky’s motto. Yet Kentuckians fought Kentuckians in some of the bloodiest battles of America’s bloodiest war. The names and faces of the winning and losing generals of those battles are in most history books. But this book is about hidden history. Some of the stories told here are proof that the Civil War was truly “a brother’s war” in the home state of Lincoln and Davis. From the Graves County gun grab to pirates in Paducah to dueling gunboats on the Mississippi, this one-of-a-kind collection of little-known tales by Kentucky historian Berry Craig will captivate Civil War enthusiasts and casual readers alike.
The Great Louisville Tornado of 1890 Keven McQueen
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kentucky
978.1.59629.892.7 * 6 x 9 * 112 pp * 35 images * $19.99
On March 27, 1890, a devastating storm moved over the Ohio River Valley, spawning dozens of deadly tornados. The most powerful of these twisters touched down in Louisville, carving a path of unprecedented destruction from Main Street to the end of town. In the aftermath, nearly 800 buildings in the city were destroyed, and over 100 people perished. In all, the storm produced over twenty-five tornados that day, and it remains the twenty-fifth deadliest storm in U.S. history. Join local author Keven McQueen as he chronicles Louisville’s most violent natural disaster, with tales of harrowing rescues and rebuilding.
Churchill Downs: America’s Most Historic Racetrack Kimberly Gatto 978.1.59629.887.3 * 6 x 9 * 144 pp. + 16 pp. color * 93 images * $19.99
Follow Kimberly Gatto as she chronicles the history of the world’s most famous racing venue as it revolutionized the “Sport of Kings” and created the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark Handicap races. Fans will enjoy the tales of various horses, from the early triumph of Ten Broeck over Mollie McCarthy to the Derby victory of the heroic Barbaro. Churchill Downs: America’s Most Historic Racetrack recounts how financial hardships, the introduction of parimutuel wagering, the construction of the famed twin spires and the age of television transformed Churchill Downs into the majestic track we recognize today.
Hidden History of Northern Virginia Charles A. Mills 978.1.59629.831.6 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 32 images * $19.99
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virginia
In this exciting collection of hidden tales from Northern Virginia, author Charles Mills highlights the important role that this region played in our nation’s history from colonial to modern times. Read about the Rebel blockade of the Potomac River, the imprisonment of German POWs at super-secret Fort Hunt during World War II and the building of the Pentagon on the same site and in the same configuration as Civil War–era Fort Runyon. Mills masterfully relates these and other colorful tales of the people and events that left their imprints on Northern Virginia and the nation.
The Battle of Brandy Station:
North America’s Largest Cavalry Battle Eric J. Wittenberg 978.1.59629.782.1 * 6 x 9 * 256 pp. * 65 images * $19.99
Just before dawn on June 9, 1863, Union soldiers materialized from a thick fog near the banks of Virginia’s Rappahannock River to ambush sleeping Confederates. The ensuing struggle, which lasted throughout the day, was to be known as the Battle of Brandy Station—the largest cavalry battle ever fought on North American soil. Meticulously captured by historian Eric J. Wittenberg, these events marked the era when Confederate cavalry dominance in the East gave way to a confident and powerful Union mounted arm. This fascinating volume features a GPS guided tour of the battlefield with illustrations and maps by master cartographer Steven Stanley.
A History of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
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maryland/delaware
David A. Berry 978.1.59629.864.4 * 6x9 * 144pp. * 60 images * $19.99
A thousand hands shaped its banks and a thousand ships have traversed the waters of a canal that defined a region. The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal has both provided an important route between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays and acted as a secondary and unofficial boundary between the North and South. Yet this historic waterway almost failed before the first shovel struck earth in 1804. Local historian David Berry tells the fascinating story of the C&D Canal, from the tenacious Gilpin family’s sixty-year struggle to open the shipway to the canal’s role in the Civil War as a vital path for Union troops and supplies to quickly cross the Delmarva and travel down the Chesapeake.
Massachusetts Avenue inthe Gilded Age: Palaces & Privilege 978.1.59629. 922.1 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 46 images * $19.99
Welcome to Millionaire’s Row, where the Gilded Age mansions and clubs of high society still exude a faded elegance. It was here that fiery Martha Wadsworth—avid sportswoman and social maven— and wealthy hostess Nellie Patterson mingled with the likes of famous inventor Alexander Graham Bell and miner-turned-millionaire Thomas Walsh. From the Union Station Plaza and Embassy Row to Dupont Circle and the Washington National Cathedral, author Mark N. Ozer examines the extant Beaux-Arts architecture of Massachusetts Avenue mansions and tells the tales of socialites and politicians who lived and played behind their grand façades.
Wicked Philadelphia:
Sin in the City of Brotherly Love Thomas H. Keels 978.1.59629.787.6 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 30 images * $19.99
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pennsylvania
Prim and proper Philadelphia has been rocked by the clash between excessive vice and social virtue since its citizens burned the city’s biggest brothel in 1800. With tales of grave robbers in South Philadelphia and harlots in Franklin Square, the 1843 media frenzy that ensued after an aristocrat abducted a young girl and a churchyard transformed into a brothel (complete with a carousel), local author Thomas H. Keels unearths Philadelphia’s most scintillating scandals and corrupt characters in his rollicking history.
Jewish Philadelphia:
A Guide to Its Sights and Stories Linda Nesvisky 978.1.59629.903.0 * 5.5 x 8.5 * 160 pp. * 60 images * $19.99
Encouraged by Penn’s charter of religious tolerance, the Jewish people have flocked to Philadelphia since before the Revolutionary War, and in turn they have made remarkable contributions to the City of Brotherly Love. With a walking tour and a series of intriguing vignettes, tour guide Linda Nesvisky leads her readers down colonial streets to discover the surprising history of the Jewish community in Philadelphia.
Historic Tales from a Pennsylvania Borough SPRANG FROM THE FERTILE Michael T. Snyder
SOIL AND
THE LANGUID
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pennsylvania
A Timages E R S O F* $19.99 THE 978.1.59629.842.2 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. *W45 SCHUYLKILL.
S
oldiers, champions and innovators have all hailed from this buzzing borough on the banks of the Schuylkill
River. Founded in 1761 as Pottsgrove, the small country town was transformed into a thriving industrial center with the coming
remembering
P O T T S T O W N HISTORIC TALES FROM A PENNSYLVANIA BOROUGH
Michael
S N Y D E R
Soldiers, champions and innovators have together a collection of vignettes to chronicle this fascinating all hailed from this borough on Brooke the history. From talesbuzzing of gallant Civil War colonel John Rutter and theSchuylkill dedicated Dr. AliceRiver. Sheppard toFounded memories of summer banks of the in baseball games long past and a community united in the aftermath 1761 as Pottsgrove, the small country town of Hurricane Agnes, Snyder deftly captures the spirit and history was transformed of Pottstown. into a thriving industrial center with the coming of the P&R Railroad. Local historian Michael T. Snyder brings together a collection of vignettes to chronicle this fascinating history. From tales of gallant Civil War colonel John Rutter Brooke and the dedicated Dr. Alice Sheppard to memories of summer baseball games long past and a community united in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes, Snyder deftly captures the $19.99 spirit and history of Pottstown.
of the P&R Railroad. Local historian Michael T. Snyder brings
REMEMBERING POTTSTOWN
INDUSTRY AND Remembering Pottstown : NATIVE TALENT
T.
Sny d e r
Fair Lawn, New Jersey:
Historic Tales from Settlement to Suburb Jane Lyle Diepeveen, Foreword by Elaine B. Winshell 978.1.59629.698.5 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp. * 47 images * $19.99
It Was Only Yesterday Connie McNamara
978.1.59629.801.9 * 6 x 9 * 192 pp. * 109 images * $19.99
Produced in collaboration with the Mountainside Historic Preservation Committee, author Connie McNamara provides a comprehensive look at this tightknit community that prides itself on its bucolic surroundings and its caring and cohesiveness. She recounts anecdotes, passed on by town elders, of Mountainside’s prestigious historic architecture, the establishment of the nationally renowned Children’s Specialized Hospital and the Badgley House, where Revolutionary residents concealed their valuables from the British. Longtime Mountainsiders candidly recall the 1987 tornado, the 1995 centennial celebration and the galvanizing day in 1985 when the historic Hetfield House was moved down Route 22.
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A History of Mountainside 1945–2007:
new jersey
In Fair Lawn, New Jersey, the layered heritage is clear from the mix of Native American, Dutch and English names adorning its street signs. Author Jane Lyle Diepeveen traces Fair Lawn’s history from its origins as a settlement at Sloterdam, a site of the developing Dutch Colonial architecture, to the innovative neighborhoods of Radburn, a cuttingedge planned American new town. Through interviews with longtime Fair Lawn residents, Diepeveen honors the days of dairy farms and swimming holes, as well as this vibrant community’s progress today.
Adirondack Enigma:
The Depraved Intellect and Mysterious Life of North Country Wife Killer Henry Debosnys Cheri L. Farnsworth
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new york
978.1.59629.868.2 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 47 images * $19.99
When Henry Debosnys arrived in Essex, New York, the sleepy town was unprepared for the string of dark events that trailed the exotic European stranger. Within weeks of his appearance, he had romanced wealthy widow Betsey Wells, charming her friends and children and presenting the picture of an ideal new family at their spur-of-the-moment wedding. Yet when authorities discovered Betsey’s mangled body in a nearby forest, Debosnys’s image as a caring family man began to unravel. During his incarceration, Debosnys slowly revealed himself to be a genius fluent in six languages, a master cryptographer and the murderer of at least two previous wives. As the scrutiny on Debosnys intensified, he began producing coded messages, allegedly confessions to a lifetime of villainy. Author Cheri Farnsworth reveals never-before-seen evidence of this Upstate tragedy, including reproductions of the legendary, unsolved Debosnys cryptograms.
Rhode Island’s Founders:
From Settlement to Statehood Patrick T. Conley 978.1.59629.739.5 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp * 55 images * $19.99
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rhode island
Dr. Patrick T. Conley, Rhode Island’s preeminent historian, journeys with us to pre-colonial America, where Rhode Island’s founders laid the groundwork for America’s policy of religious freedom. Learn what led Roger Williams to write The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution and discover how James Franklin, older brother of Benjamin, left a lasting impact on the future of American publishing. Find out why Mary Dyer fought for her religious beliefs until she became one of the “Boston martyrs”; how Anne Hutchinson overcame a male-dominated society to allow women the right to preach and teach; and how General Nathanael Greene helped to liberate the South during the American Revolution. These colorful biographies of political, military and religious leaders, artists and craftsmen, scientists and philanthropists illuminate the beginning of America’s smallest and most tolerant of states.
Tales from the Ypsilanti Archives:
Tripe-Mongers, Parker’s Hair Balsam, the Underwear Club, & More
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michigan
Laura Bien 978.1.59629.877.4 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp. * 50 images * $19.99
Author Laura Bien offers up a diverse sampling of offbeat and lighthearted stories that will transplant readers to the bygone days of Ypsilanti—from the fight Ypsilanti waged against standardized time to the gloom apparent in a Ypsilantian’s Depression-era grocery receipt, and from Jackson’s glowing pork chop to the time Ypsilantians staunchly defended themselves against accusations of “sloppy speech.” Join Bien to enjoy these quirky tales and learn what life used to be like in this fascinating city.
j j LAFAYETTE
lAfAyette murder & mAyhem W.C. Madden 978.1.59629.899.6 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp * 34 imAges * $19.99
Lafayette and the surrounding communities hide a dark and violent history. Come with author W.C. Madden as he guides readers through the most lurid crimes, calamities and occurrences in the area’s past. Find out why a bootlegger’s body wasL found riddled with bullets in a strawberry patch and how Winnie Ruth Judd shot two people and stuffed their bodies into steamer trunks before carrying them onto a train. After reading these chilling accounts, you’ll tread with more caution on your next trip through Tippecanoe and the surrounding counties.
W. c . M a d d e n
murder + mayhem
afayette and the surrounding communities hide a dark and violent history. Come with author W.C. Madden as he guides readers through the most lurid crimes, calamities and occurrences in the area’s past. Read the last words of the men hanged in Lafayette’s famous triple hanging and how a love triangle resulted in murder in Monticello. Find out why a bootlegger’s body was found riddled with bullets in a strawberry patch and how Winnie Ruth Judd shot two people and stuffed their bodies into steamer trunks before carrying them onto a train. After reading these chilling accounts, you’ll tread with more caution on your next trip through Tippecanoe and the surrounding counties.
$19.99
978.1.59629.934.4 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp. * 32 imAges * $19.99
Just about fifty years before lights atop the courthouse put Wabash in the record books, a gang of squirrels came marauding through the area, denuding the trees and crops. Of course, the farmers fought back with guns and the kids with clubs. This happened just about the time of the Irish canal worker infighting; those boys attacked one another with everything they had. Oh, and there are the unexplained monster sightings and things of that nature. But really, it’s not all bizarre. After all, Wabash was the first electrically lighted city, and there are scores of heroes and important businesses. Come along with authors Ron Woodward and Gladys Harvey as they share the strange and important history of this old Indiana county.
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Ron Woodward and Gladys Harvey
indiana
wAbAsh county chronicles: rAucous, Quirky And essentiAl tAles
fi j
A Brief History of Shelby County Indiana
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indiana
Julie Young 978.1.59629.846.0 * 6 x 9 * 160 pp. * 85 images * $19.99
Shelby County, Indiana, was established by pioneers who carved a path enabling future generations to create cities, towns and other communities that remain a testament to the quiet strength and character of a people steeped in the core values that define America. These are the people who worked diligently, possessed vision and farmed the land that fed a nation. Join author Julie Young as she celebrates the history of these sturdy people and their community on the outskirts of the Capital City, where the American dream was created.
Cahokia Mounds: America’s First City William Iseminger 978.1.59629.734.0 * 6 x 9 * 170 pp. * 80 images * $19.99
About one thousand years ago, a phenomenon occurred in a fertile tract of Mississippi River flood plain known today as the “American Bottom.” This phenomenon came to be called Cahokia Mounds —America’s first city. William Iseminger’s work at the site has given him nearly four decades of practice in Cahokia Conversation 101, and he tells the story of the place and its ancient culture (as well as its place in contemporary culture) with the clarity and confidence of a native speaker.
Erika Holst 978.1.59629.901.6 * 6 x 9 * 128 pp. * 38 images * $19.99
In the twenty-four years that Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield, the city saw its share of crime, corruption and scandal, much of it at the hands of Lincoln’s law clients and acquaintances. Erika Holst sheds light on these shady characters, from the man being sued for divorce who claimed that he caught his venereal disease from an outhouse to Governor William Bissell, whose near duel with Jefferson Davis almost made him ineligible to hold office. Read the true stories that fed those depraved appetites, drawn from the newspapers Lincoln read and the docket where he practiced law. Discover the wicked side of Lincoln’s Springfield.
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Crime, Corruption & Scandal during the Lincoln Era
illinois
Wicked Springfield:
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