Regional History
Harpers Ferry experienced the Civil War like no other place and was a case study of repeated invasions, military operations, martial law, and endless danger. Journey into the Civil War with stories from those who lived, worked, fought, and died in a border town. This narrative is complemented by full color and black-and-white illustrations, photographs, and maps. Paperback, 200 pages.Author Dennis E. Frye is the Chief Historian at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. He is a writer, lecturer, guide, preservationist, and prominent Civil War historian. A well-know author, Dennis has written 77 articles and six books. Measures 7" x 9.75" x 0.4". Weighs 1 lb. 2 oz.
A Voice from Harper’s Ferry is the singular first-person account of John Brown’s raid by one of the surviving raiders, Osborne P. Anderson. Anderson, a free black man, joined Brown’s army in Canada and followed him to Harpers Ferry in the abolitionist’s attempt to bring an end to the institute of slavery in America. This reprint by the Harpers Ferry Park Association includes a foreword by Harpers Ferry National Historical Park rangers and an essay on Anderson by award-winning author and former Washington Post writer, Eugene L. Meyer. The book also includes a series of watercolors by two artists commissioned by the National Park Service. The artwork—some never before seen by the public—brings Anderson’s dramatic story to life. Publisher: Harpers Ferry Park Association. Paperback, 103 pages. Measures 6" x 9" x 0.25". Weighs 6.4 oz.
Interweaving social, political, environmental, economic, and popular history, John Alexander Williams chronicles four and a half centuries of the Appalachian past. Along the way, he explores Appalachia's long-contested boundaries and the numerous, often contradictory images that have shaped perceptions of the region as both the essence of America and a place apart.Williams begins his story in the colonial era and describes the half-century of bloody warfare as migrants from Europe and their American-born offspring fought and eventually displaced Appalachia's Native American inhabitants. He depicts the evolution of a backwoods farm-and-forest society, its divided and unhappy fate during the Civil War, and the emergence of a new industrial order as railroads, towns, and extractive industries penetrated deeper and deeper into the mountains. Finally, he considers Appalachia's fate in the twentieth century, when it became the first American region to suffer widespread deindustrialization, and examines the partial renewal created by federal intervention and a small but significant wave of in-migration.Throughout the book, a wide range of Appalachian voices enlivens the analysis and reminds us of the importance of storytelling in the ways the people of Appalachia define themselves and their region. Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press. Paperback, 473 pages. Measures 5.75" x 9.25" x 1.25". Weighs 1 lb 7.9 oz.
Combining visual observation with mountain tradition to help children learn the alphabet, this book offers a letter-by-letter glimpse of the history and botany of the Appalachian Trail. Publisher: The Overmountain Press. Hardcover, 56 Pages. Measures 11.25"x8.75"x0.375" . Weighs 1 lb 0.4 oz.
The southern Appalachian Mountains are rich with produce, including wild ramps, corn, berries, and black walnuts. Drawing from these natural resources and fusing traditions of Native Americans and Scots-Irish settlers, the people of the region have developed a unique way of cooking. These foodways run in John Tullock's blood. As a child growing up on an East Tennessee farm, Tullock helped his grandmother make biscuits and can pickles, and walked to town with his grandfather to trade fresh eggs for coffee. In Appalachian Cooking, he shares these memories and recipes passed down over generations, as well as modern takes on classic dishes. Recipes include: Sweet Onion Upside-Down Corn BreadFried Green TomatoesSkillet Braised Pork ChopsBlackberry CrumbleVibrant watercolor illustrations throughout remind us that beautiful produce is often the best culinary inspiration. Publisher: The Countryman Press. Paperback, 196 pages. Measures 7.5" x 9" x 0.75". Weighs 1 lb 5.8 oz.
The Mountain State's irregular borders and rugged geography are home to a fascinating mix of cultures, landscapes and foods. West Virginia's culinary history is rooted among the native fauna and flora that early residents hunted and foraged, and the taste of pawpaws and ramps is familiar across the state. Immigrants brought international flavors to Appalachian cuisine, resulting in local traditions like moonshine and the iconic pepperoni roll. Historian, author and West Virginia native Shannon Colaianni Tinnell explores a history that is still being written by a new generation hungry for tradition and authenticity. Publisher: American Plate. Paperback, 144 Pages. Measures 8.75"x5.8"x0.25" . Weighs 12.3 oz.
Follow Archaeologist Darla Spencer as she discovers the history and habits of 16 Native American sites in West Virginia.Once thought of as Indian hunting grounds with no permanent inhabitants, West Virginia is teeming with evidence of a thriving early native population. Todays's farmers can hardly plow their fields without uncovering ancient artifacts, evidence of at least ten thousand years of occupation. Members of the Fort Ancient culture resided along the rich bottomlands of southern West Virginia during the Late-Prehistoric and Protohistoric periods. Lost to time and rediscovered in the 1880s, Fort Ancient sites dot the West Virginia landscape. This volume explores sixteen of these sites, including Buffalo, Logan, and Orchard. Archaeologist Darla Spencer excavates the fascinating lives of some of the Mountain State's earliest inhabitants in search of who these people were, what languages they spoke and who their descendants may be.Publisher: The History Press. Paperback, 160 Pages. Measures 9"x6"x0.25" . Weighs 12.6 oz.
Incorporating recent events in the Native American community as well as additional information gleaned from publications and public resources, this newly redesigned and updated second edition of First People brings back to the fore this concise and highly readable narrative. Full of stories that represent the full diversity of Virginia's Indians, past and present, this popular book remains the essential introduction to the history of Virginia Indians from the earlier times to the present day. Publisher: University of Virginia Press. Paperback, 98 Pages. Measures 9.8"x7"x0.25" . Weighs 7.6 oz.
Chock full of the wit and wisdom that has become the Foxfire trademark, this entirely new volume in the acclaimed, 6-million-copy best-selling "Foxfire" series is on oral history of Appalachian lives and traditions, homespun crafts, and folk arts.Publisher: Anchor Books. Paperback, 488 Pages. Measures 9.24"x6.06"x1.34" . Weighs 1 lb 4.1 oz.
In the late 1960's, Eliot Wigginton and his students created the magazine "Foxfire" in an effort to record and preserve the traditional folk culture of the Southern Appalachians. This is the original book compilation of Foxfire material which introduces Aunt Arie and her contemporaries and includes log cabin building, hog dressing, snake lore, mountain crafts and food, and "other affairs of plain living." Publisher: Anchor Books. Paperback, 384 Pages. Measures 9"x5.875"x0.8" . Weighs 1 lb 2.6 oz.