The History Press brings a new way of thinking to history publishing: seeking out history and heritage titles that are written by excellent historians capable of making their area of expertise understandable to a wide audience. We hope to play a part in the revival of interest in local and regional history and to form an integral part of a healthy history community.
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Catalogue—Brief Histories

The History Press publishes high-quality history and heritage titles with a strong regional base. Our books help to revive and preserve the past in various regions throughout the United States, and we strive to make these histories accessible and available to a wide audience.

 

A Brief History of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: From Farmland to Suburb
Lewis and Trudy Keen

 This brief history tells a story of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, that few know. Drawing on a wealth of original documents, Lewis and Trudy Keen explore the area’s colorful past and provide an account of the characters, events, neighborhoods and businesses that have made Fort Washington a flourishing community. test

978-1-59629-127-0
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 180 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
June 2006
A History of Boca Raton
Sally J. Ling

 Boca Raton’s renowned Atlantic-coast beauty is matched only by its long, captivating history. From pirates burying doubloons in sand dunes to the farms and land booms that sparked dramatic growth, this is the story of Boca Raton.

978-1-59629-135-5
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
March 2007
A History of Connecticut's Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe
Charles Brilvitch

 Like all of New England’s indigenous people, western Connecticut’s Paugussett tribe has suffered injustice and fought determinedly to preserve their cultural identity. In A History of Connecticut’s Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe, author Charles Brilvitch passionately chronicles the tribe’s struggles and fascinating history through the Victorian era to the present, and traces their traditions and ongoing determination to preserve an irreplaceable and vanishing culture.

978-1-59629-296-3
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 25 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2007
A History of Oakland: The Story of Our Village
Kevin Heffernan

 Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Bergen County, Oakland was for years a peacefully undiscovered outpost. Yet as Kevin Heffernan chronicles in A History of Oakland, the town’s placid, easygoing character belies a fascinating and deeply engrossing history.

978-1-59629-334-2
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 70 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2007
A History of the Boston and Maine Railroad: Exploring New Hampshire's Rugged Heart by Rail
Bruce D. Heald

 On June 27, 1835, New Hampshire chartered the Boston & Maine Railroad, and a juggernaut was born.From the gravity-defying Mount Washington Cog Railway to logging transport trains to the famous Depression-era Snow Train, A History of the Boston & Maine Railroad traces the fascinating history of New England's most renowned railway.

978-1-59629-360-1
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 70 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
A History of the Homes and People of Williamsburgh District
Gordon

Beginning with the area’s early settlers, this journey through Williamsburg County’s history reveals its important families, homes and communities. Jenkinson details the county’s growth and preserves its past for generations to come.

978-1-59629-146-1
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
February 2007
A History of Westbury, Long Island
Richard Panchyk

 Author Richard Panchyk narrates the dramatic transformation of Westbury, a once-agricultural hamlet founded in 1670 by Quakers. Little more than a country town until the early twentieth century, Westbury changed overnight as titans of industry and finance embarked on a frenzied pace of building and development—mansions, resorts, even a racetrack and an airport—catapulting the community into modern times.

978-1-59629-213-0
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 70 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
August 2007
A Story of North Carolina's Historic Beaufort
Mamre Marsh Wilson

 As a community shaped by its waterside location alongside the Newport River, Beaufort has been a proud center for fishing, tourism and gracious living for more than three hundred years. In this captivating history, author Mamre Wilson walks readers through the rich past and intriguing community that is Beaufort.

978-1-59629-168-3
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
June 2007
African Americans of Chattanooga: A History of Unsung Heroes
Rita L. Hubbard

 Beginning in 1541 with Hernando de Soto's Spanish expedition in search of gold, African Americans have held a prominent place in Chattanooga's history. Author Rita Hubbard chronicles the ways African Americans have shaped Chattanooga, and presents inspirational achievements that have gone largely unheralded over the years.

978-1-59629-315-1
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 100 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
Badge #1: True Stories from a Boston Cop
Frankie DeSario

 Frankie DeSario offers a vivid account of his forty year career in the Boston Police Department. From true stories of the mafia and gangland slayings to busing, race riots, thugs and corruption, Frankie reveals what it was like to have a ringside seat at events that made history. Engrossing and revealing from the first page to the last, here is a realworld look at life on the beat and behind the badge.

978-1-59629-293-2
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 35 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
September 2007
Boston Harbor Islands: A History of an Urban Wilderness
David Kales

 From pirates’ sanctuaries to military fortifications, Boston’s Harbor Islands have undergone innumerable transformations. Carved by glaciers, the constellation of thirty-odd isles has played an outsized role in Boston’s history and growth. Harbor Islands expert David Kales examines the variety of uses Bostonians have found for their island archipelago.

978-1-59629-290-1
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 40 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
August 2007
Catawba Nation: Treasures in History
Thomas J. Blumer

 The Catawba—one of the few Native American communities who remained in the Carolinas after the notorious Trail of Tears—have a rich and fascinating history that can be dated to 2400 BC. With this compelling volume, Thomas J. Blumer seeks to preserve and present the history of this resilient people.

978-1-59629-163-8
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 20 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
February 2007
Cedar Key, Florida: A History
Kevin McCarthy

 Rich in small-town atmosphere and old Florida history, Cedar Key is a quiet island community nestled among many tiny keys on the Gulf Coast. As a refuge for birds and wildlife, Florida’s oldest port and home to artists and writers, the island has long been admired for its tranquility and natural beauty.

978-1-59629-310-6
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 100 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
August 2007
Chatham Sea Captains in the Age of Sail
Joseph A. Nickerson Jr.
Geraldine D. Nickerson
 Chatham Sea Captains in the Age of Sail chronicles the lives and adventures of twenty-five men who traveled the seas from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. Spurred on by the Industrial Revolution’s demands, these mariners continued their pelagic exploration while pirates, privateers and Confederate raiders tested their mettle.

978-1-59629-431-8
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
February 2008
Colonial Inns and Taverns of Bucks County: How Pubs, Taprooms and Hostelries Made Revolutionary History
Marie Murphy Duess

 Author Marie Murphy Duess filters the Revolutionary history of Bucks County through the area's wide array of taprooms and discovers a fascinating facet of life in early Pennsylvania.

978-1-59629-344-1
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 90 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
Dahlonega: A Brief History
Anne Dismukes Amerson

 In recent years, Dahlonega, Georgia, has developed a well deserved reputation as a welcoming home for its residents and charming destination for visitors nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to its breathtaking setting, Dahlonega enjoys a lively, intriguing history, which is revealed here by local historian Anne Amerson.

978-1-59629-130-0
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 60 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
October 2006
Dewees: The Island and Its People
James Cochrane

 The coast of South Carolina is fringed by a series of low islands covered with glistening white sands, forming little hills that shift with the varying winds. Dewees is once such windswept retreat, and writer James Cochrane lovingly traces its history in Dewees: The Island and Its People.

978-1-59629-339-7
96 pp.
$19.99
Over 15 Pages of Color Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
Folly Beach: A Brief History
Gretchen Stringer-Robinson

 In this expanded version of her Time and Tide on Folly Beach, Gretchen Stringer-Robinson takes readers on a journey from the war years to Hurricane Hugo and the times in between, revisiting the places and people that have made Folly Beach a unique haven on the Carolina Coast.

978-1-59629-111-9
128 pp.
$18.99
Over 90 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
April 2006
Forward Together: South Carolinians in the Great War
Fritz P. Hamer

 In 1917, the United States was thrust into a new kind of war. Compelling and poignant, this look at South Carolina’s role in World War I shows how the state and its people rose to the call of duty to help defeat one of history’s gravest threats.

978-1-59629-244-4
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 90 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
May 2007
Fripp Island: A History
Page Putnam Miller
Introduction by Pat Conroy
 This combination of enlightening historical analysis and delightful vignettes offers the first comprehensive account of Fripp Island’s history. Author and historian Page Putnam Miller brings Fripp’s past to life and reveals how the island’s natural beauty and dedicated residents combine to form a truly special community.

978-1-59629-169-0
192 pp.
$22.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
October 2006
Gaston County, North Carolina: A Brief History
Rita Wehunt-Black

 In this readable, skillfully researched volume, historian Rita Wehunt-Black rediscovers the rich heritage of Gaston County, from the original European settlements in the eighteenth century to the growth of mill villages in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and into the modern day.

978-1-59629-327-4
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 95 Black & White Photographs

Publication Date:
March 2008
Georgia's Rome: A Brief History
Jerry R. Desmond

 Romans have always been justifiably proud of their city. Located in the northwest corner of Georgia, Rome consistently ranks as one of the most livable small cities in America. Georgia’s Rome tells the stories of the city’s founding, its upheaval in the Civil War, its rebirth from the ashes of that conflict, the growth of its industry and the origins of its vibrant arts community. The book also focuses on the leaders and personalities of the city, including a first lady of the United States and the father of naval aviation.

978-1-59629-309-0
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 60 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
May 2008
Ghent: John Graham’s Dream, Norfolk, Virginia’s Treasure
Amy Waters Yarsinske

 Ghent has a story to tell that transcends its historic port city lineage, reaching national importance in its planning and execution. Despite changing times and tastes, Ghent’s period architecture, tree-lined streets and attractive waterfront location combine to ensure that Ghent will remain a beloved, integral area of Norfolk for generations.

978-1-59629-187-4
192 pp.
$24.99
Over 150 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
October 2006
Glastenbury: The History of a Vermont Ghost Town
Tyler Resch

 From mysterious murders and curious development schemes to the township's eventual annexation by the U.S. Forest Service, Glastenbury narrates the ultimately redemptive tale of a community that lost its political status, only to gain a national forest.

978-1-59629-337-3
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 30 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
January 2008
Granville County, North Carolina: Looking Back
Lewis Bowling

 Granville County, North Carolina, has produced sports stars, award-winning authors, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and numerous other influential state and political leaders. Author Lewis Bowling discusses these important figures and paints an intimate picture of Granville's past, from Christmas celebrations to tobacco harvests.

978-1-59629-333-5
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 55 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2007
Greater Raleigh Court: A History of Wasena, Virginia Heights, Norwich and Raleigh Court
C. Nelson Harris

 Mayor and author Nelson Harris tells the story of this neighborhood through an exploration of its old residential streets, its historic bridges and buildings—including the renowned Grandin Theater—and brings to life each era of a history that is marked by both controversy and pride.

978-1-59629-235-2
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 80 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2007
Greene County, Virginia: A Brief History
Donald D. Covey

 In this in-depth look at Greene County’s vibrant past, historian Donald D. Covey—former president of the county’s historical society—explores Greene County from the first settlement through the Civil War and beyond.

978-1-59629-311-3
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 30 Black and White

Publication Date:
November 2007
Haywood County: A Brief History
Janet Threlkeld Webb

 Picturesque Haywood County has a rich, distinct history that has been continually shaped by a variety of factors and factions. This brief history examines many of the towns contained within Haywood’s borders and shines a particularly insightful light on Waynesville and its transition from quiet settlement to Smoky Mountain destination.

978-1-59629-175-1
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 80 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2006
Hendersonville & Flat Rock: An Intimate Tour
Terry Ruscin

 Discover a trove of regional Western North Carolina treasures within these pages. With a warm, insightful style, Terry Ruscin takes you on a journey to the early nineteenth century, when the city of Hendersonville and the village of Flat Rock were beginning to blossom in their roles as beloved North Carolina destinations.

978-1-59629-265-9
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 50 Black and White and 35 Color Photographs

Publication Date:
June 2007
Herreshoff Yachts: Seven Generations of Industrialists, Inventors and Ingenuity in Bristol
Richard V. Simpson

 From 1893 to 1920, the Herreshoff clan designed and built a succession of undefeated Cup sailboats. Their mastery was so unchallenged that Cup enthusiasts refer to the era as simply “the Herreshoff Period.” While others have focused on the yachts themselves, author Richard Simpson tackles the achievements of seven generations of Herreshoff's.

978-1-59629-306-9
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 80 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
August 2007
Historic Bristol: Tales from an Old Rhode Island Seaport
Richard V. Simpson

 Author Richard V. Simpson offers up a diverse sampling of fascinating stories that explore Bristol's every facet-from early investigations into possible Viking settlements on the peninsula to the nationally famous Fourth of July celebration, and from the antics of local politicians to the yachts and sailors that have brought the town glory and renown.

978-1-59629-356-2
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 65 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
January 2008
Historic Frenchtown: Heart and Heritage in Tallahassee
Julianne Hare

 As Tallahassee’s most vibrant African American community, Frenchtown has been the site of great change through the centuries. This compelling account reaches back to the days of the Spanish conquistadors and focuses on the rich heritage of Frenchtown’s African American population, which has driven its past and continues to shape its future.

978-1-59629-149-2
128 pp.
$18.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2006
Hurricane Destruction in South Carolina: Hell and High Water
Tom Rubillo

 Examining more than thirty major hurricanes that have struck the Palmetto State, this book offers a revealing look at the destruction that results from these violent manifestations of nature’s power. Rubillo combines first-person accounts of the storms—including Hurricane Hugo—with the stories of the survivors’ struggles to rebuild in the wake of tremendous loss.

978-1-59629-133-1
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 20 Black and White and 12 Color Photographs

Publication Date:
June 2006
Kiawah Island: A History
Ashton Cobb

 This landmark new book reveals the history of Kiawah Island as never before. Historian Ashton Cobb tells the story of a South Carolina sea island that has been the site of great change through the centuries, but has remained a treasured location for generations of inhabitants and devoted visitors.

978-1-59629-039-6
128 pp.
$21.99
16 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
June 2006
Magnolia: A Brief History
Lisa Peek Ramos

 Magnolia's rocky coastline, long known to the native population for its abundant fishing grounds, was discovered in 1623 by a European expedition sent by England's King James to establish an outpost for exporting fish. Over the next three centuries, the settlement gradually grew from a sparsely developed farming community into a summer resort destination for the rich and famous. In Magnolia: A Brief History, author Lisa Peek Ramos, a fourth-generation native, chronicles the incredible transformation of Magnolia.

978-1-59629-453-0
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 90 Black & White Photographs

Publication Date:
May 2008
Miami's Criminal Past: Uncovered
Sergio Bustos
Luisa Yanez
 This fascinating history of dramatic true-life crimes includes tales of vigilante justice, family tragedies, politically motivated homicides, cross-country killers and celebrity murder. Edgy and compulsively readable, each chapter presents the dark acts that have marred Florida's most alluring metropolis.

978-1-59629-388-5
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 30 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2007
Mount Holly, New Jersey: Hometown Reinvented
Dennis C. Rizzo

 On Christmas Eve, 1776, while Colonel von Donop’s troops lingered in nearby Mount Holly, Washington crossed the Delaware. Donop’s fateful delay changed the course of the war, yet there is more to Mount Holly than its Revolutionary pedigree. Author Dennis Rizzo guides readers from the town’s origins to development.

978-1-59629-276-5
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 80 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
July 2007
New City Upon a Hill: A History of Columbia, Maryland
David Stebenne and Joseph Rocco Mitchell

 Published in anticipation of Columbia’s fortieth anniversary, this books showcases the history of one of the nation’s leading “new towns.” Built from the brilliant plan developed by visionary designer James Rouse, Columbia’s innovative design is the foundation for a unique community that has thrived for decades and flourishes today.

978-1-59629-067-9
224 pp.
$24.99
Over 60 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
April 2007
Peekskill's African American History: A Hudson Valley Community's Untold Story
John J. Curran

 The first African Americans of Peekskill had no choice in making the Hudson Valley their home. What they did choose was what kind of home to make of it—choices that were to shape both their community and the course of American history. Meet both the African American sharpshooter who helped swing the balance of the American Revolution and the people whose quiet, consistent contributions were no less dynamic in bringing about social change.

978-1-59629-484-4
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 80 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
May 2008
Pompano Beach: A History
Frank J. Cavaioli

 A history of Pompano's fascinating journey from a rural community with no paved roads to a favorite vacation destination-renowned for white sands, blue skies and year-round summer. Fascinating facts and residents' own accounts trace the story of the hardworking men and women who transformed Pompano from a wild farming community into a flourishing city on Florida's coast.

978-1-59629-280-2
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 90 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
Run the Rum In: South Florida During Prohibition
Sally J. Ling

 Discover the tricks of the trade and learn about “the Real McCoy.” In this history of Prohibition in South Florida, author Sally J. Ling explores the impact of bootleggers and moonshiners on Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties and presents tales of rumrunning and lawbreaking as told through personal and written accounts.

978-1-59629-249-9
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 60 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
September 2007
Saratoga Springs, New York: A Brief History
Timothy Holmes

 The springs of Saratoga had already established the city as the center of a thriving wellness trade when a thrill-seeking public demanded more excitement. Gambling and horse racing flourished, eventually giving the city a reputation for wickedness and seedy splendor. Today, after decades in which economic and societal changes seemed to write the city a death sentence, Saratoga has recaptured the verve of the earlier age, reinvigorated by new people and fresh ideas.

978-1-59629-452-3
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 130 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
May 2008
Somerset County, Maryland: A Brief History
Jason Rhodes

 From its first sighting by European explorers in 1498, Somerset County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has played a significant role in America’s heritage. In this volume, award-winning journalist Jason Rhodes details the important events and colorful characters that have made Somerset County such a well-loved place for generations of residents and visitors.

978-1-59629-273-4
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
September 2007
Tales from the South Carolina Upstate: Where the Cotton & Peaches Grow
Nancy Rhyne

 Far from the sweltering heat of South Carolina’s storied Lowcountry—setting of author Nancy Rhyne’s best-selling 2006 novel Edisto Island—lies the rugged Upstate region. Using oral history excerpts compiled by the Depression-era Federal Writers’ Project, Nancy Rhyne chronicles the natural and human history of this spectacular area.

978-1-59629-345-8
96 pp.
$17.99
Over 10 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
The Civil War in Fairfax County: Civilians and Soldiers
Charles V. Mauro

 This book is an important glimpse into the everyday lives of those in Fairfax County-both soldiers and civilians-who lived through the most turbulent four years in American history, in a county that was occupied by both the Confederate and Union armies throughout the Civil War.

978-1-59629-148-5
160 pp.
$21.99
Over 40 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2006
The Handbook of Amherst: New Edition of the Classic
Frederick H. Hitchcock
edited by Richard Panchyk
 The Handbook of Amherst provides a rich and illuminating vignette of life in the late nineteenth century in a classic New England college town. Edited and with a foreword by Richard Panchyk, University of Massachusetts alumnus and author of twelve books, including A History of Westbury, Long Island.

978-1-59629-295-6
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 65 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
November 2007
The Isles of Shoals in the Age of Sail: A Brief History
Russell M. Lawson

 Noted Isles of Shoals enthusiast Russell M. Lawson traces the colonial and early modern history of these rocky, storm-lashed outcroppings. From the hardships endured during the 1778 wartime evacuation to the island's revival as a summer retreat for wealthy Victorian-era Yankees, the Isles of Shoals have undergone changes as dramatic as the surging surf that pounds their shores.

978-1-59629-203-1
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 50 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
December 2007
The North River: Scenic Waterway of the South Shore
John Galluzzo

 John Galluzzo, who leads cultural and natural history tours of the river for Mass Audubon's South Shore Sanctuaries, traces this natural landmark's multifaceted history from multiple vantage points as a shipbuilding center, a highway into the interior and facilitator of trade and a protected wildlife sanctuary today.

978-1-59629-222-2
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 50 Black & White Photographs

Publication Date:
March 2008
The Piscataqua Valley in the Age of Sail: A Brief History
Russell Lawson, PhD

 In this dynamic book, Russell M. Lawson navigates the history of trade, shipbuilding, and fishing in the Piscataqua Valley from colonial days into the nineteenth-century. Lawson reveals the major role Piscataqua played in the foundation of the United States as well as the river valley’s natural splendor.

978-1-59629-219-2
128 pp.
$21.99
Over 40 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
May 2007
The Wilmington Shipyard: Welding a Fleet for Victory in World War II
Ralph Scott

 Although the brief life of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company was surrounded by controversy, some 243 ships were built in Wilmington to bolster the United States Navy’s World War II fleet. Author Ralph Lee Scott examines the impact of this shipyard and its effect on Wilmington’s transformation from a sleepy coastal town into a major state industrial center.

978-1-59629-210-9
160 pp.
$19.99
Over 10 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
June 2007
Wilmington's Carolina Heights: A Neighborhood History
David K. Ohashi
David W. Frederiksen
 Nearly one hundred years ago, on the outskirts of Wilmington, North Carolina, Mary Bridgers began a novel experiment in residential development—Carolina Heights. Adorned with turn-of-the-century mansions set alongside smaller Frank Lloyd Wright–influenced homes, the neighborhood remains a bulwark against bland housing, as Ohashi and Frederiksen document in this richly detailed study.

978-1-59629-259-8
128 pp.
$19.99
Over 60 Black and White Photographs

Publication Date:
July 2007