Popular Local History Books

15+ [Hand Picked] Popular Books On Local History

4/5

They Died Crawling: And Other Tales of Cleveland Woe; True Stories of the Foulest Crimes and Worst Disasters in Cleveland History by John Stark Bellamy II

The foulest crimes and worst disasters in Cleveland history are recounted in these 15 incredible-but-true tales. Each no-holds-barred account delves into one of this city's most notorious moments, from the 1916 waterworks collapse to the Cleveland Clinic fire to the sensational Sam Sheppard murder trial. The gripping narratives deliver high drama and dark comedy, heroes an The foulest crimes and worst disasters in Cleveland history are recounted in these 15 incredible-but-true tales. Each no-holds-barred account delves into one of this city's most notorious moments, from the 1916 waterworks collapse to the Cleveland Clinic fire to the sensational Sam Sheppard murder trial. The gripping narratives deliver high drama and dark comedy, heroes and villains, obsession, courage, treachery, deceit, fear, and guilt--all from the streets of Cleveland.

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4.7/5

California: A History by Kevin Starr

California has always been our Shangri-la–the promised land of countless pilgrims in search of the American Dream. Now the Golden State’s premier historian, Kevin Starr, distills the entire sweep of California’s history into one splendid volume. From the age of exploration to the age of Arnold, this is the story of a place at once quintessentially American and utterly uniq California has always been our Shangri-la–the promised land of countless pilgrims in search of the American Dream. Now the Golden State’s premier historian, Kevin Starr, distills the entire sweep of California’s history into one splendid volume. From the age of exploration to the age of Arnold, this is the story of a place at once quintessentially American and utterly unique. Arguing that America’s most populous state has always been blessed with both spectacular natural beauty and astonishing human diversity, Starr unfolds a rapid-fire epic of discovery, innovation, catastrophe, and triumph. For generations, California’s native peoples basked in the abundance of a climate and topography eminently suited to human habitation. By the time the Spanish arrived in the early sixteenth century, there were scores of autonomous tribes were thriving in the region. Though conquest was rapid, nearly two centuries passed before Spain exerted control over upper California through the chain of missions that stand to this day. The discovery of gold in January 1848 changed everything. With population increasing exponentially as get-rich-quick dreamers converged from all over the world, California reinvented itself overnight. Starr deftly traces the successive waves of innovation and calamity that have broken over the state since then–the incredible wealth of the Big Four railroad tycoons and the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906; the emergence of Hollywood as the world’s entertainment capital and of Silicon Valley as the center of high-tech research and development; the heroic irrigation and transportation projects that have altered the face of the region; the role of labor, both organized and migrant, in key industries from agriculture to aerospace. Kevin Starr has devoted his career to the history of his beloved state, but he has never lost his sense of wonder over California’s sheer abundance and peerless variety. This one-volume distillation of a lifetime’s work gathers together everything that is most important, most fascinating, and most revealing about our greatest state. From the Hardcover edition.

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4.1/5

In Eddie's Name: One Family's Triumph Over Tragedy by William Knoedelseder

On November 11, 1994 in Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Eddie Polec was brutally beaten to death on the front steps of his own church. What became one of the most infamous crimes in the city's history generated worldwide headlines, due to the fact that dozens of frantic calls for help to 911 operators went unanswered.Written with the full cooperation of the Polec family, In On November 11, 1994 in Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Eddie Polec was brutally beaten to death on the front steps of his own church. What became one of the most infamous crimes in the city's history generated worldwide headlines, due to the fact that dozens of frantic calls for help to 911 operators went unanswered.Written with the full cooperation of the Polec family, In Eddie's Name is about a seemingly ordinary father, his family, and their struggle to overcome this extraordinary tragedy. Rather than seek revenge or sue the city for millions, as might be expected, Eddie's family reacted in a way that was unusual and heroic. In Eddie's Name goes behind the headlines to show the remarkable actions that are possible in the aftermath of that phone call every parent dreads. Eddie's case continues to attract attention not only because of the viciousness of the crime and the ruthlessness of the lawyers defending the teenage killers (later convicted of third-degree murder), but also because John Polec, Eddie's father, singlehandedly designed a new 911 system for Philadelphia, which was put into place last year. His actions helped unite and heal a divided, angry city.

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4.7/5

Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery by Marian J. Morton

Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery reveals the profound effects the cemetery and the City of Cleveland had on one another. Founded in 1869, this garden cemetery served as an escape and a model for Cleveland parks and suburbs, such as University Circle, Little Italy, East Cleveland, and Cleveland Heights. Lake View is home to cultural, economic, and political leaders and thousa Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery reveals the profound effects the cemetery and the City of Cleveland had on one another. Founded in 1869, this garden cemetery served as an escape and a model for Cleveland parks and suburbs, such as University Circle, Little Italy, East Cleveland, and Cleveland Heights. Lake View is home to cultural, economic, and political leaders and thousands of others from all classes, races, and religions. This rich diversity is manifested in the natural and man-made landscape, which features the President James Garfield Monument, the Wade Chapel, and the John D. Rockefeller obelisk.

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3.9/5

Lower Northeast Philadelphia by Louis M. Iatarola , Lynn-Carmela T. Iatarola , Historical Society of Tacony

In the early part of the twentieth century, as traditional communities in Philadelphia that had been swallowed up by the Consolation Act of 1854 grew more dense, an area known as Northeast Philadelphia came into its own. Development of Roosevelt Boulevard, the Market-Frankford Elevated Railway, and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge facilitated access to large swaths of undeveloped In the early part of the twentieth century, as traditional communities in Philadelphia that had been swallowed up by the Consolation Act of 1854 grew more dense, an area known as Northeast Philadelphia came into its own. Development of Roosevelt Boulevard, the Market-Frankford Elevated Railway, and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge facilitated access to large swaths of undeveloped land. Lower Northeast Philadelphia focuses on the area following the path of the Delaware River north to the city limits at the Poquessing Creek and also along and between the Frankford and Pennypack Creeks. Most of Northeast Philadelphia developed much later than the rest of the city, but the area now possesses the same “town of neighborhoods” feel each with a unique character and history.

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4.3/5

Frankford by Brian H. Harris , The Historical Society of Frankford

Located in the lower northeast section of Philadelphia, Frankford was first settled by Swedish immigrants in the mid-seventeenth century, and it rivaled Philadelphia itself in notoriety. At one time, Frankford was considered one of the most thriving manufacturing areas in the state. Built along the banks of Frankford Creek, which flows into the Delaware River, Frankford gr Located in the lower northeast section of Philadelphia, Frankford was first settled by Swedish immigrants in the mid-seventeenth century, and it rivaled Philadelphia itself in notoriety. At one time, Frankford was considered one of the most thriving manufacturing areas in the state. Built along the banks of Frankford Creek, which flows into the Delaware River, Frankford grew for centuries and witnessed many of America's historical events and people. In 1854, it became a part of the city of Philadelphia. Frankford was home to the Frankford Yellow Jackets, one of the first NFL teams in America. Now a vital connection in Philadelphia's Market-Frankford elevated system, Frankford continues to be one of the city's best-known neighborhoods.

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5/5

Her Worship: Hazel McCallion and the Development of Mississauga by Tom Urbaniak

Mississauga is Canada's sixth largest city and its largest suburban municipality. Toronto's upstart western neighbour, with its multicultural population of more than 700,000, is a place not only of endless subdivisions and monotonous industrial parks, wide thoroughfares, and even wider expressways, but also of some distinctive older communities, notable lakefront and river Mississauga is Canada's sixth largest city and its largest suburban municipality. Toronto's upstart western neighbour, with its multicultural population of more than 700,000, is a place not only of endless subdivisions and monotonous industrial parks, wide thoroughfares, and even wider expressways, but also of some distinctive older communities, notable lakefront and riverside parks, and occasionally bold architecture. Hazel McCallion, Mississauga's octogenarian mayor, is a national celebrity and a municipal icon. Head of the city council since 1978, she holds a position with limited formal authority but remains the virtually undisputed - and often feared - leader of this sprawling city. The first full-length study of McCallion's politics and the development of Mississauga, Her Worship examines the mayor's shrewd pragmatism and calculated populism. Tom Urbaniak argues that McCallion's executive skills and dynamic personality only partially explain the mayor's dominant and pre-emptive political position. He points also to key historical and geographical factors that contributed to a kind of civic stability - but also to stagnation and missed opportunities - in a place that had once been fraught with political rivalry and heated conflicts over future growth. A fascinating account both of a remarkable public figure and of an area that is emblematic of "edge city" development in North America, Her Worship is a fresh look at municipal governance and politics in rapidly growing communities.

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4.1/5

Birch Coulie: The Epic Battle of the Dakota War by John Christgau

In the days following the Battle of Birch Coulie, the decisive battle in the deadly Dakota War of 1862, one of President Lincoln’s private secretaries wrote: “There has hardly been an outbreak so treacherous, so sudden, so bitter, and so bloody, as that which filled the State of Minnesota with sorrow and lamentation.” Even today, at the 150th anniversary of the Dakota War, In the days following the Battle of Birch Coulie, the decisive battle in the deadly Dakota War of 1862, one of President Lincoln’s private secretaries wrote: “There has hardly been an outbreak so treacherous, so sudden, so bitter, and so bloody, as that which filled the State of Minnesota with sorrow and lamentation.” Even today, at the 150th anniversary of the Dakota War, the battle still raises questions and stirs controversy. In Birch Coulie John Christgau recounts the dramatic events surrounding the battle. American history at its narrative best, his book is also a uniquely balanced and accurate chronicle of this little-understood conflict, one of the most important to roil the American West. Christgau’s account of the war between white settlers and the Dakota Indians in Minnesota examines two communities torn by internal dissent and external threat, whites and Native Americans equally traumatized by the short and violent war. The book also delves into the aftermath, during which thirty-eight Dakota men were hanged without legal representation or the appearance of defense witnesses, the largest mass execution in American history. With its unusually nuanced perspective, Birch Coulie brings a welcome measure of clarity and insight to a critical moment in the troubled history of the American West.

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4.3/5

The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas by Jerry Dennis

If fresh water is to be treasured, the Great Lakes are the mother lode. No bodies of water can compare to them. One of them, Superior, is the largest lake on earth, and the five lakes together contain a fifth of the world's supply of standing fresh water. Their ten thousand miles of shoreline bound eight states and a Canadian province and are longer than the entire Atlanti If fresh water is to be treasured, the Great Lakes are the mother lode. No bodies of water can compare to them. One of them, Superior, is the largest lake on earth, and the five lakes together contain a fifth of the world's supply of standing fresh water. Their ten thousand miles of shoreline bound eight states and a Canadian province and are longer than the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. Their surface area of 95,000 square miles is greater than New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island combined. People who have never visited them -- who have never seen a squall roar across Superior or the horizon stretch unbroken across Michigan or Huron -- have no idea how big they are. They are so vast that they dominate much of the geography, climate, and history of North America. In one way or another, they affect the lives of tens of millions of people. The Living Great Lakes is the most complete book ever written about the history, nature, and science of these remarkable lakes at the heart of North America. From the geological forces that formed them to the industrial atrocities that nearly destroyed them, to the greatest environmental success stories of our time, the lakes are portrayed in all their complexity. The book, however, is much more than just history. It is also the story of the lakes as told by biologists, fishermen, sailors, and others whom the author grew to know while traveling with them on boats and hiking with them on beaches and islands. The book is also the story of a personal journey. It is the narrative of a six-week voyage through the lakes and beyond as a crewmember on a tallmasted schooner, and a memoir of a lifetime spent on and near the lakes. Through storms and fog, on remote shores and city waterfronts, the author explores the five Great Lakes in all seasons and moods and discovers that they and their connecting waters -- including the Erie Canal, the Hudson River, and the East Coast from New York to Maine -- offer a surprising and bountiful view of America. The result is a meditation on nature and our place in the world, a discussion and cautionary tale about the future of water resources, and a celebration of a place that is both fragile and robust, diverse, rich in history and wildlife, often misunderstood, and worthy of our attention.

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4.9/5

Along the Schuylkill River by Laura Catalano , Kurt Zwikl

The Schuylkill River got its name, meaning "hidden river," from Dutch settlers who discovered its mouth sequestered behind the Delaware River's League Island. It later became a river of revolutions. Along its banks Revolutionary War battles were fought, and George Washington's army famously camped at Valley Forge. Later the river helped fuel the Industrial Revolution with The Schuylkill River got its name, meaning "hidden river," from Dutch settlers who discovered its mouth sequestered behind the Delaware River's League Island. It later became a river of revolutions. Along its banks Revolutionary War battles were fought, and George Washington's army famously camped at Valley Forge. Later the river helped fuel the Industrial Revolution with coal from Schuylkill County shipped to Philadelphia via the Schuylkill Canal. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad began here and grew into the largest corporation in the world. The iron and steel industry flourished along its waters. The Schuylkill River Desilting Project of the 1950s was the first large-scale cleanup of its kind and helped usher in an environmental revolution. The nation's first public water supply was developed here, and its first zoo and university overlook the river.

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4.1/5

Cleveland's Department Stores by Christopher Faircloth

Originating as simple one- or two-room storefront operations, Cleveland's department stores grew as population and industry in the region boomed throughout the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th. They moved into ever larger and elaborate structures in an attempt to woo the shopping dollars of blue-collar and genteel Clevelanders alike. Stores such as Halle's, Originating as simple one- or two-room storefront operations, Cleveland's department stores grew as population and industry in the region boomed throughout the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th. They moved into ever larger and elaborate structures in an attempt to woo the shopping dollars of blue-collar and genteel Clevelanders alike. Stores such as Halle's, Higbee's, May Company, Bailey Company, Sterling-Lindner-Davis, and others both competed with and complemented one another, all the while leaving an indelible mark on the culture of northeast Ohio and beyond. From the humble origins of Halle's horse-drawn delivery wagons and the elaborate design of Higbee's on Public Square to Christmas favorites like Mr. Jingeling and the massive Christmas tree at Sterling-Lindner-Davis--it is all here in crisp, black-and-white images, many of which have not been seen in print for decades.

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4.2/5

Eloise: Poorhouse, Farm, Asylum and Hospital 1839-1984 by Patricia Ibbotson

Eloise, which started out as a poorhouse, later became known as Wayne County General Hospital. From only 35 residents on 280 acres in 1839, the complex grew dramatically after the Civil War until the total land involved was 902 acres and the total number of patients was about 10,000. Today, all that remains are five buildings and a smokestack. Only one of them, the Kay Bea Eloise, which started out as a poorhouse, later became known as Wayne County General Hospital. From only 35 residents on 280 acres in 1839, the complex grew dramatically after the Civil War until the total land involved was 902 acres and the total number of patients was about 10,000. Today, all that remains are five buildings and a smokestack. Only one of them, the Kay Beard Building, is currently used.In Eloise: Poorhouse, Farm, Asylum, and Hospital, 1839-1984, this institution and medical center that cared for thousands of people over the years, is brought back to life. The book, in over 220 historic photographs, follows the facility's roots, from its beginnings as a poorhouse, to the founding of its psychiatric division and general hospital. The reader will also be able to trace the changing face of psychiatric care over the years. The book effectively captures what it was like to live, work, and play on Eloise's expansive grounds.

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4.9/5

Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town by Elyssa East

In rich first-person narrative, Dogtown tells the strange, dark story of a wilderness ghost town that has enthralled artists, writers, and eccentrics—and of a brutal murder committed there. Documenting its history and lore, East explores the possibility that certain landscapes wield their own unique power. The area known as Dogtown—an isolated colonial ruin and the surrou In rich first-person narrative, Dogtown tells the strange, dark story of a wilderness ghost town that has enthralled artists, writers, and eccentrics—and of a brutal murder committed there. Documenting its history and lore, East explores the possibility that certain landscapes wield their own unique power. The area known as Dogtown—an isolated colonial ruin and the surrounding 3,600-acre woodland in historic seaside Gloucester, Massachusetts—has always exerted a powerful influence over artists, writers, eccentrics, and nature lovers. But its history is woven through with tales of hallucinations, pirates, ghost sightings, witches, drifters, and violence. A 1984 murder there continues to loom large in Gloucester’s collective psyche: a mentally disturbed local man crushed the skull of a schoolteacher as she walked the woods. In alternating chapters, East interlaces the story of this murder with Dogtown’s bizarre history. The colonial settlement was a haven for former slaves, prostitutes, and witches until it was abandoned 180 years ago. Since then, Dogtown has inspired various people, including a millionaire who carved Protestant precepts into its boulders; the Modernist painter Marsden Hartley, whom Dogtown saved from a crippling depression; the drug-addled poet Charles Olson; a coven of witches that still holds ceremonies there today; and the murderer, who spent much of his life in Dogtown’s woods. The murder tapped a vein of thinking that has quietly endured in Gloucester for centuries: some people rallied around Dogtown protectively, but others blamed it for the tragedy. In luminous, insightful prose, Dogtown tells an evocative tale of a community both haunted and bound together by its love of this strange, forgotten place and its denizens.

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4.3/5

The Maniac in the Bushes: More Tales of Cleveland Woe by John Stark Bellamy II

"Morbidly fascinating and wickedly entertaining." -- The Plain Dealer The second volume in Bellamy's popular series includes 13 more incredible true stories of Cleveland crime and disaster, including . . . - Martha Wise, Medina's not-so-merry widow, who poisoned a dozen relatives with arsenic--including her own husband, mother, brother, niece, and nephews--because she enjoye "Morbidly fascinating and wickedly entertaining." -- The Plain Dealer The second volume in Bellamy's popular series includes 13 more incredible true stories of Cleveland crime and disaster, including . . . - Martha Wise, Medina's not-so-merry widow, who poisoned a dozen relatives with arsenic--including her own husband, mother, brother, niece, and nephews--because she enjoyed attending funerals; - The legendary Torso Murders, which baffled Cleveland safety directory Eliot Ness, two Cuyahoga County coroners, and the entire Cleveland police force as they tried in vain to catch the perpetrator--whom newspapers dubbed the "Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run"; - The unspeakably horrible Collinwood School Fire of 1908, in which 172 schoolchildren perished in panic because of obstructed fire exits; - Hammer-wielding Velma West, a big-city girl of Cleveland's Jazz Age driven to murder her small-town husband by the slow pace of life of Painesville--and her own obsession with another woman; - The Flats lumber fire of 1914, which leveled Cleveland's industrial Flats, melted bridges, and very nearly set the entire city ablaze; - The enduring mystery of ten-year-old Beverly Potts, whose puzzling disappearance from west-side Halloran Park in 1951 launched Cleveland's greatest manhunt; And many other local heroes and villains in these compelling tales of mayhem, melancholy, and mystery.

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4.1/5

Lost Cleveland: Seven Wonders of the Sixth City by Michael DeAloia

Lost Cleveland is an engrossing excursion into the city's rarefied architectural air during its heyday as the sixth-largest city in the country. Author Michael DeAloia recounts the histories of seven culturally significant and iconic architectural gems that defined Cleveland's position of wealth and importance during the industrial age. Inspired by noble visions of Clevela Lost Cleveland is an engrossing excursion into the city's rarefied architectural air during its heyday as the sixth-largest city in the country. Author Michael DeAloia recounts the histories of seven culturally significant and iconic architectural gems that defined Cleveland's position of wealth and importance during the industrial age. Inspired by noble visions of Cleveland's most elite residents, these structures reflect the vigor and imagination that suffused city leaders. From Severance Hall, still home to the Cleveland Orchestra and the only structure in this collection that remains standing, to "Andrew's Folly," the grandest house built on legendary Millionaire's Row, Lost Cleveland provides a revealing historical retrospective on the growth, development and ultimate decline of the North Coast's greatest city.

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