In 1820, a group of Leominster volunteers formed Engine Company No. 1 "in the interests of protecting the rights of the settlers in case of fire." Since then, more than 1,400 individuals have served as firefighters for the citizens of Leominster, each of them leaving behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. Leominster Firefighting features images, memorabilia, and photographs from the early days of the hand tubs and horse-drawn hose carts of the 1800s to the 20th century when motorize...

On August 1 1966 Charles Whitman ascended the University of Texas Tower and committed what was then the largest simultaneous mass murder in American history. He gunned down forty-five people inside and around the Tower before he was killed by two Austin police officers. In addition to promoting the rise of S.W.A.T. teams to respond to future crises the murders spawned debates over issues which still plague America today: domestic violence child abuse drug abuse military indoctrination the ...

The most comprehensive book yet on this unique art form. Whether flaunted or hidden, sought as art or curiosity, the tatoo has left its mark on generations. From its beginnings as a pagan ornament to today's popular body art, this book takes an intriguing look at the world of tatoos.

"With the meticulous attention to detail of a historian and a storyteller's eye for human drama, Bernstein shines a beam of truth on a forgotten American tragedy. Heartbreaking and riveting."---Gregg Olsen, New York Times best-selling author of Starvation Heights"A chilling and historic character study of the unfathomable suffering that desperation and fury, once unleashed inside a twisted mind, can wreak on a small town. Contemporary mass murderers Timothy...

St. John’s has been called the “City of Fire” for a reason, and the St. John’s Fire Department has responded to every call for help. Faithful and Fearless is a richly detailed history of over four hundred years of fighting fires in St. John’s. Outlining the equipment used and the firefighting methods employed from the seventeenth century to present day, the book also introduces the reader to the many firefighters who have worked to keep the city safe. Dramatic historic photographs compleme...

The Tragedy at the Loomis Street Crossing After five years of intense research, Author Chuck Spinner has written the definitive story of the Naperville Train Wreck of April 25, 1946. He has uncovered the histories of the 45 victims of the tragedy, interviewed two surviving eye witnesses of the event, and talked with survivors and helpers at the scene. His family lived just a block from the crossing where the accident occurred. Spinner was born at St. Charles Hospital in Aurora, Illinois on...

The Long Beach Fire Department�s adaptability has been tested by a wide variety of disasters that have marked it as a unique firefighting force on the West Coast. Thousands of residents and others have owed their very lives to thedepartment since its 1897 formation. The LBFD moved into action during the devastating 1933 Long Beach earthquake, in which its own Fire House No. 1 was reduced to rubble. Itsfirefighters have quelled oilfield blazes through the 20th century, and its fireboats hav...

New Paltz was established in 1678 by a small group of Huguenot refugees and their families. These pioneers settled into the fertile Wallkill River Valley with the majestic Hudson River to the east and the Shawangunk Mountains defining the western border. These families endured what today would be insurmountable odds, yet for generations they survived and constantly improved their quality of life. The homesteads of these patentee families still stand along historic Huguenot Street and are t...

In this humorous collection of stories about incidents that occurred in and around gas stations, the author captures moments in time that tells the American story about our fascination and love for gas stations. With the advent of the horseless carriage at the beginning of the 20th century, the mass production of the Model T, and the hunger of the American public for this new form of transportation, gas stations sprung up all over the country to satisfy the thirst of these new contraptions...

“Camp Lejeune Command” describes Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Dunn’s life as an Artillery Battalion Commander at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina during the early 1990’s. The book starts the summer before the family moves to Jacksonville, NC while still stationed at Fort Monmouth, NJ. Dunn describes his daily activities and the feelings associated with those activities, while commanding 5th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2d Marine Division. This is a great read about command, family and of course, the...

The New London Fire Department was born in 1767 when Nathaniel Shaw Jr. presented the city with its first fire engine. Since then, New London has had a successful history of emergency medical service, heroic assistance during natural disasters, and fantastic 0firefighting. The city�s most notorious fire occurred on September 6, 1781. Under the command of the infamous traitor and New London County native, Gen. Benedict Arnold, British troops set New London ablaze. A great deal of life and p...

Located in southeast Oakland County, the area now known as Clawson was first settled in the 1820s. Farming was the primary industry during the first 100 years, but in the 1920s, Clawson began to develop into a "bedroom" community within the 2.2 miles that now comprise the city limits. Through a large collection of photographs from the Clawson Historical Museum, Images of America: Clawson documents the people, places, and events that have contributed to Clawson's rich heritage. Join author ...