In this lively and engaging book, Bruce W. Dearstyne presents New York state history through an exploration of nineteen dramatic events. From the launch of the state government in April 1777 through the debut of the musical play Hamilton in 2015, Dearstyne puts the fascinating people who made history at the center of the story: John Jay, the lead writer of the first state constitution; Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the irrepressible crusader for women's...

The friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the North Country belies a dark and sordid history: a time when it seemed that every city had its red-light district and every hamlet its brothel. Revisit an enigmatic period fraught with pistol duels and "tramp camps;" hermits on the run, "wild man" sightings and horse thieves. Local author Cheri Farnsworth has carefully researched and compiled the region's most wicked stories here, like the Potsdam man who literally...

Harper's Weekly reported in 1857 that no engineer had yet been able to present a feasible plan for Central Park and that "it may not ever happen." Their pessimism was misplaced, as Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's Greensward Plan was approved in May 1858. By 1860, visitors were enjoying the magnificent new park's naturalistic splendor. Central Park quickly became one of New York's premier attractions, featuring the menagerie, the mall, Bethesda...

Stories abound about legendary New York City gangsters like "Lucky" Luciano, but Buffalo has housed its fair share of thugs and mobsters too. While many were nothing more than common criminals or bank robbers, a powerful crime family headed by local boss Stefano Magaddino emerged in the 1920s. Close to Canada, Niagara Falls and Buffalo were perfect avenues through which to transport booze, and Magaddino and his Mafiosi maintained a stranglehold on...

A historic guide to Washington, D.C.'s neighborhoods, featuring photographs, maps, and beautiful drawings.- Get off the National Mall and enjoy nine walking and driving tours of Washington, D.C.'s historic neighborhood- Discover the hidden history of the nation's capital with tales of political intrigue, scandal, romance and tragedy. - Experience the overlooked architectural and cultural treasures in such neighborhoods as Georgetown, Dupont Circle,...

The author of the popular blog "The Streets of Washington" shares new vignettes and reader favorites exploring the colorful history of America's capitol. In Lost Washington, D.C., John DeFerrari investigates the bygone institutions and local haunts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Washington may seem eternal and unchanging with its grand avenues and stately monuments, but longtime locals and earlier generations knew a very different...

Brooklyn has always been a place of diversity and distinction. These qualities are everywhere across the borough, from its people to its events, landmarks, and more. In Chronicles of historic Brooklyn, Borough Historian John Manbeck has collected the stories that reveal the history and spirit of this ever-growing metropolis. From stories of murderous pirates who once besieged Sheepshead Bay to tales of the still-beloved Brooklyn Dodgers who played...

Frenchtown is a picturesque community on the banks of the Delaware River. In the late 1700s, a series of land sales to French-speaking Swiss gave the town its name. The river fostered the town's growth throughout the nineteenth century, bringing railroads and successful businesses like Frenchtown Porcelain Works. Remnants of this industrial past are still visible in places like the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. Visitors and locals admire...

A guide to the important but half-forgotten chapters of New York State's French history. Raquette Lake, Ausable River, Lake Bonaparte-despite the number of French place names scattered across the state, New York's rich and compelling French history has received less attention over the years than its English and Dutch heritage. Aiming to correct this imbalance, J'aime New York, 2nd Edition offers information on the French who have explored, settled,...

An exciting travel guide for Upstate New York road warriors, history lovers, and tourists. In Ultimate Upstate! Chuck D'Imperio mines deep into his travel journal and shares an astonishing array of fun and amazing places in Upstate New York that the casual traveler might otherwise miss. As one of Upstate's most ardent advocates, D'Imperio has traveled the backroads and byways of the region seeking out the stories, tales, and folklore writ upon the...