Hidden History

The City of Destiny took shape where rails met sails on the shores of Commencement Bay. When Tacoma was chosen as the Northern Pacific Railroad�s terminus, the city rose from the mudflats and took the lead as the Northwest�s destination for opportunity. In this collection, discover the city�s early notables and uncover the stories behind the historic landmarks. Why did city planners abandon Olmsted�s vision? How many war bonds did Lana Turner�s kisses buy? Why were vegetarians warned, �Don�t drink the water�? Who is the tiny figure with coal black hair and bound feet who haunts Old Tacoma? Local author and guide Karla Stover answers these questions and more as she spins stories from the tomes of Tacoma�s past.

Explore forgotten pieces of Pinehurst's past. Pinehurst is called the "cradle of American golf," yet its origin story has nothing to do with tees, greens, or driving irons. Read about founder James Walker Tufts, who intended to use his fortune to build a health resort for people of modest means. Meet the famous caddies, respected for their knowledge of the tough Pinehurst courses and discover the movers and shakers of the Sandhills Women's Exchange. Learn about Annie Oakley, who taught thousands of women to shoot at the Pinehurst Gun Club. Enjoy profiles of women golfers like Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Peggy Kirk Bell, and step back into the bygone era of rogue tournaments and zany gymkhanas. Author Julia Hans recounts lesser-known stories of Pinehurst's multifaceted past.

Beyond the grand facades and trappings of the Main Line cream-and-crystal crowd are hidden tales and scintillating stories. Author Mark Dixon's collection of articles from Main Line Today explores the region's offbeat and oft-forgotten history. With a keen eye and a touch of humor, Dixon delves into the Welsh origins of nearly unpronounceable towns and the journey of the Sound of Music's Trapp family to Merion. From anecdotes of the socialite who divorced her husband when he had the gall to survive the sinking of the Titanic to the Wayne native who turned from the convent to a career as an internationally renowned opera star, Dixon brings to light the lost pages of Main Line history.

Author Jeff Suwak guides readers on a tour of the often overlooked and all-but-forgotten components of Amelia Island history. Beneath the sands and cobblestones of Amelia Island lies a richness of history disproportionate to the location's relatively small size. The bones of this place are composed of pirate treasures literal and metaphorical, remnants of ancient Timucuan Indians, a grim role in the illegal slave trade, tales of bravery and madness, and a scene for the triumph of the human spirit. Eight different flags have flown over Amelia Island. It was an important stage in the 1812 Patriot War, which most people have long forgotten. From Gregor MacGregor to Abraham Lincoln Lewis, characters strange and inspiring have left their mark in this island's psychic currents. Dead in some ways, they're still here in others, etched into the land itself and waiting to be discovered. Let's go find them.

Forgotten History in the Tar Heel State Take an adventure through ruins of ghost towns and lost communities in the Old North State. Explore isolated settlements like Lost Cove, hidden so deep in the mountains that no roads reach it. Ferry out to Portsmouth Island, where a ghost town has withstood multiple wars and generations of hurricanes. Explore the ruins of Brunswick Town, a port community of secret rebels destroyed in the Revolutionary War as punishment for "treason" against the British. Visit decaying remains in Snow Camp, a community that sheltered freedom seekers in the Underground Railroad. Author Heather Leah details the lost and forgotten towns of North Carolina.