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Beginning as a school for Civil War orphans, the Scotland School for Veterans' Children became a unique center for education in the heart of Pennsylvania. The school aimed to develop disciplined, patriotic and productive citizens. As the nation became engulfed in the wars of the twentieth century, the Scotland School became even more vital, with a focus on educating the children and orphans of military veterans. Though it was closed by the state in 2009, memories of the school and its community of alumni remain vibrant. Author Sarah Bair charts the history of a place where thousands of children of our nation's finest found more than just a school--they found a home.

Defined by a tangled web of deception for more than a century, Northwest Indiana s political culture involved secret handshakes, tapped phone calls, backroom deals and murder. Found submerged in his car with a rock on the gas pedal, city official Babe Lopez s execution-style murder rocked East Chicago. Shot and killed at a political fundraiser, power broker Jay Given s murder occurred while four hundred guests mingled in a neighboring room. Former Lake Station mayor Keith Soderquist stole thousands of dollars from his reelection campaign and the city s food pantry account to gamble at local casinos. Author Jerry Davich explores the hidden political scandals and highly publicized court cases of public servants once sworn to serve and protect."

Claiming the lives of seven adults and seventeen children, the Belvidere tornado struck the most vulnerable at the worst possible time: just as school let out. More than five hundred people suffered injuries. New interviews and fascinating archival history underscore the horrific drama, as well as the split-second decisions of victims and survivors that saved their families and neighbors. Since the tragedy, three more devastating tornadoes have further defined Boone County s resilience: Poplar Grove in 2008, Caledonia in 2010 and Fairdale in 2015."

In 1764, a small town in the British colony of Massachusetts ignited a bold rebellion. When Great Britain levied the Sugar Act on its American colonies, Parliament was not prepared for Boston s backlash. For the next decade, Loyalists and rebels harried one another as both sides revolted and betrayed, punished and murdered. But the rebel leaders were not quite the heroes we consider them today. Samuel Adams and John Hancock were reluctant allies. Paul Revere couldn t recognize a traitor in his own inner circle. And George Washington dismissed the efforts of the Massachusetts rebels as unimportant. With a helpful guide to the very sites where the events unfolded, historian Brooke Barbier seeks the truth behind the myths. Barbier tells the story of how a city radicalized itself against the world s most powerful empire and helped found the United States of America."

Michigan established St. Joseph County in 1829. It was a fertile land with an abundance of fresh water supplied by the St. Joseph River. The county s colorful past is the result of forgotten locals and visitors. Hezekiah Thomas fished for diamonds in Corey Lake. Saloon smasher Carrie Nation sold miniature hatchets at the county fairgrounds. The United States Congress recognizes the village of Colon as the Magic Capital of the World, and Lakeside Cemetery is the final resting place of more magicians than any other cemetery on the globe. Author and historian Kelly Pucci digs into the entertaining and often overlooked history of St. Joseph County."

The Revolutionary War in the Lymes started as a rebellion of ideas. From its origins in the Cromwellian Saybrook Colony, Lyme (today s Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme and Salem) prospered under the free hand of self-governance and spurned King George III s efforts to rein in the wayward colonies. In 1765, Reverend Stephen Johnson wrote incendiary missives against the Stamp Act. A few years later, the town hosted its own Tea Party, burning one hundred pounds of British tea near the town green. When the alarm came from Lexington in 1775, Lyme s citizens were among the first to answer. Historians Jim Lampos and Michaelle Pearson explore how local Patriots shaped an epic revolt."

From the earliest days of settlement, South Temple was Salt Lake s most prestigious street. In 1857, William Staines built the Devereaux House, Salt Lake s first of many mansions. The once-bustling Union Pacific Depot eventually found itself increasingly isolated. Downtown s gleaming copper landmark overcame numerous hurdles before its construction was finally finished, and the Steiner American Building helped usher in acceptance of Modernist architecture. Evolving to reflect its continued prominence, in 1975, the thoroughfare s core became the city s first local historic district, and in 1982, it made the National Register of Historic Places. Author and historian Bim Oliver celebrates the changing landmarks along these famous eighteen blocks."

After Monroe Edwards died in Sing Sing prison in 1847, penny dreadfuls memorialized him as the most celebrated American forger until the turn of the century. With a bizarre biography too complicated for easy history, his critical contributions to Texas settlement, revolution and annexation were inextricably mired in his activities as a slave smuggler and confidence man. Author Lora-Marie Bernard unravels the unbelievable story of one of the most notorious criminal adventurers ever to set foot on the soil of the Lone Star State.

East Village was not always the fashionable destination it is today. When the first settlers arrived in 1843 on the muddy banks of the Des Moines River, it was in direct violation of a treaty with the local natives. The settlement grew so quickly that by 1855, the fledgling city had been selected to be the state capital, and the building was constructed in East Village. The next century saw rivalries with the western half of the city, the birth and battle of one of the city s largest red-light districts and the construction of some of Des Moines most prized historic treasures. Historian Hope Mitchell investigates the people and events that shaped the culture and landscape of Des Moines most dynamic neighborhood."

Durham and Orange Counties have vibrant and active African American communities. Throughout the region s unjust past, generations have shown extraordinary strength and resolve. Floyd McKissick became the first African American student at the University of North Carolina School of Law after Thurgood Marshall argued for his admittance in court. The struggle for civil rights in Durham shaped the poetry of Jaki Shelton Green, one of the state s most esteemed wordsmiths. More recently, local leaders such as Michelle Johnson find the work of equality is far from over. Journalist and writer Jean Bolduc reveals the voices of Durham and Orange County African Americans in a series of inspirational oral histories."

Upon declaration of war on April 6, 1917, Redlands mobilized immediately. The local National Guard Company G departed on April 4 to Arcadia and quickly relocated to San Diego. Residents worked to establish a chapter of the American Red Cross and formed war committees through the YMCA, YWCA and Salvation Army. Thousands of residents pulled together to serve the war at home, donating their time and orchestrating bond drives. More than eight hundred locals served in the military, and Redlanders could be found fighting in every major battle involving American troops. Thirty-nine men and one woman made the ultimate sacrifice. This book commemorates the community s perseverance and sacrifices during the Great War."

By late June 1862, the Union army, under George B. McClellan, stood at the doorstep of Richmond. In a desperate hour for the Confederate capital, Robert E. Lee attacked McClellan and drove the Union army into a full retreat toward the safety of the James River. Lee recognized an opportunity to seal a decisive victory and commanded his Army of Northern Virginia to prevent the Union forces from retreating. A.P. Hill, James Longstreet and Stonewall Jackson were among those who engaged in the harrowing day of battle during the Seven Days Campaign. Author Douglas Crenshaw details the dramatic Battle of Glendale in the Civil War."

When shoppers went to Younkers, they experienced something magical. Celebrities signed autographs, chefs gave cooking demonstrations and Miss Universe discussed the latest styles in swimwear. The flagship store, a showplace in the heart of downtown Des Moines, boasted dazzling selling spaces equipped with the first escalator and air conditioner in the state. The Tea Room established a legendary reputation for its food, fashion shows and Theater Nights. A great place to work, it gave thousands of teens their first paychecks and afforded hundreds of associates a lifelong career. Join Vicki Ingham for Younkers journey to become one of the most important department store chains in the Midwest."

For more than one hundred years, Campustown has served the students and community of Iowa State University. The originally residential neighborhood west of Ames was born in the early 1900s, when the school compelled students to seek residence off campus. However, local government overlooked the neighborhood, and it fell behind the achievements of Big Ames. After the boom of the previous decade, community leaders organized a secession movement in 1916. It took nearly a quarter century, but the neighborhood finally connected to the grid of public utilities. Author Anthony Capps takes readers on a journey from Campustown s roots, through its vibrant years in the 1960s to current projects breathing new life into the district."

Oklahoma s central location makes it a natural crossroads, and the trails of yesterday became the superhighways of today. Perhaps the best example is Route 69, also known as the Jefferson Highway. The paved highway was begun in 1915, but its course was heavily traveled for centuries before that. Engineers could map no better path than the generations who cut it through the wilderness out of necessity. Author Jonita Mullins leads a journey along this ancient way that recalls some of Oklahoma s most important history and celebrates some of its most fascinating characters."

The Army of the Potomac s mounted units suffered early in the Civil War at the hands of the horsemen of the South. However, by 1863, the Federal cavalry had evolved into a fighting machine. Despite the numerous challenges occupying officers and politicians, as well as the harrowing existence of troopers in the field, the Northern cavalry helped turn the tide of war much earlier than is generally acknowledged. It became the largest, best-mounted, and best-equipped force of horse soldiers the world had ever seen. Further, the 1863 consolidation of numerous scattered Federal units created a force to be reckoned with a single corps ten thousand strong. Award-winning cavalry historian Eric J. Wittenberg chronicles this story, debunking persistent myths that have elevated the Confederate cavaliers over their Union counterparts."

It takes stubborn dedication and passionate optimism to brave the frosty, wet conditions for the chance to shoot ducks and geese. And yet the tradition continues every year as more than one million waterfowl occupy the waters of the Chesapeake. Whether you are setting decoys or watching the sun rise from a blind, hunting the bay is as challenging as it is rewarding. No one understands that better than the generations who have experienced it, from the goose pits of Rock Hall and Chestertown to the frothing whitewater of the Tangier Sound. Join author and hunter C.L. Marshall as he recounts more than forty years of stories and anecdotes chock-full of dogs, good friends and fast-paced waterfowl action.

Traveling across the treacherous and diverse landscape of western North Carolina is a challenge historically met with human ingenuity. Mountain traces of Native Americans, dusty stagecoach routes and vital railroads lined the region. Asheville installed the state s first electric streetcars. Intrepid young men and women continued North Carolina s aviation legacy. The Buncombe Turnpike helped tame the Blue Ridge Mountains, allowing livestock drives to reach markets in South Carolina. Author Terry Ruscin reveals the visionaries and risk-takers who paved the way to the Land of the Sky in a wondrous examination of western North Carolina transportation history."

One of the oldest cities in Texas, Galveston has witnessed more than its share of tragedies. Devastating hurricanes, yellow fever epidemics, fires, a major Civil War battle and more cast a dark shroud on the city s legacy. Ghostly tales creep throughout the history of famous tourist attractions and historical homes. The altruistic spirit of a schoolteacher who heroically pulled victims from the floodwaters during the great hurricane of 1900 roams the Strand. The ghosts of Civil War soldiers march up and down the stairs at night and pace in front of the antebellum Rogers Building. The spirit of an unlucky man decapitated by an oncoming train haunts the railroad museum, moving objects and crying in the night. Kathleen Shanahan Maca explores these and other haunted tales from the Oleander City."

Spirits linger on the pine-covered slopes of the Adirondack Mountains that surround Old Forge. Books fly off the shelves at the Maxson House, and something--or someone--spies on the living from the attic window of the Goodsell Museum. The spirit of Mohawk Peter Waters is said to linger along the shores of First Lake, where an assassin killed him in 1833. The scent of a phantom cigar hints at the presence of the former owner of the Strand Theatre. Authors Dennis Webster and Bernadette Peck and the Ghost Seekers of Central New York take a chilling journey into the paranormal history of what may be the most haunted town in the nation.

A reputation as the town of shoes, booze and blues persists in St. Louis. But a fascinating history waits just beneath the surface in the heart of the city, like the labyrinth of natural limestone caves where Anheuser-Busch got its start. One of the city s Garment District shoe factories was the workplace of a young Tennessee Williams, referenced in his first Broadway play, The Glass Menagerie. Downtown s vibrant African American community was the source and subject of such folk-blues classics as Frankie and Johnny and Stagger Lee, not to mention W.C. Handy s classic St. Louis Blues. Navigate this hidden heritage of downtown St. Louis with author Maureen Kavanaugh."

During the past two centuries, the central region of the Tar Heel State was populated with numerous active coal mines, many of which dealt with catastrophes such as cave-ins or gas explosions. Over fifty-three miners lost their lives in an explosion at the Carolina Mine at Coal Glen in 1925, the largest industrial disaster in state history. The Egypt Coal Mine was a key resource for Confederate forces during the Civil War despite a series of explosions that claimed scores of lives. The last efforts by the Raleigh Mining Company to continue coal mining in the state in the 1950s were marred by accidents and signaled an eventual end to the industry. Author John Hairr chronicles the history and tragedy of coal mining in North Carolina s Deep River region."

In old Omaha, the scent of opium wafted through saloon doors, while prostitutes openly solicited customers. When the St. Elmo theater ran short of the usual entertainment, the residents could always fall back on robbing strangers. Tenants of the Burnt District squirmed under the extorting thumb of a furniture dealer dubbed the Man-Landlady. The games of chance and confidence and outright municipal graft all played a part in a wicked city where gambler Tom Dennison ran politics and Madam Anna Wilson drove philanthropy. Join Ryan Roenfeld for a stroll along the seamier side of Omaha s past."

Founded amidst the bloodshed of the French and Indian War, Pittsburgh is haunted by the ghosts of its gritty and sometimes violent past. Many believe American industrialist Henry Clay Frick still inhabits Clayton, one of the last surviving homes on Millionaires' Row. The spirit of Kate Soffel lingers at the Allegheny County Jail, where she helped plot the escape of the Biddle brothers and fell in love in the process. The Duquesne Incline in 1877 employed teens disguised as ghosts to boost business. However, an authentic sinister entity is said to haunt the nearby Monongahela Incline without compensation. Join the Haunted Pittsburgh team as it explores ghostly encounters in the Steel City.

Westbound immigrants, pioneers and entrepreneurs alike arrived in Kansas City with a thirst for progress and beer. Breweries both small and mighty seized opportunity in a climate of ceaseless social change and fierce regional competition. Muehlebach Brewing Company commanded the market, operating in Kansas City for more than eighty years. Built in 1902, the iconic brick warehouse of Imperial Brewing still stands today. Prohibition made times tough for brewers and citizens in the Paris of the Plains, but political Boss Tom Pendergast kept the taps running. In 1989, Boulevard Brewing kicked off the local craft beer renaissance, and a bevy of breweries soon formed a flourishing community. Food and beer writer Pete Dulin explores Kansas City s hop-infused history and more than sixty breweries from the frontier era to the twenty-first century."