Poised on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, Dubuque provided a vital entry point for westward expansion. Explorers, Native Americans, fur traders, lead miners and pilgrims all played a part in the little-known history of Iowa's Driftless Region. It was Dubuque that contributed the first military company in the country for service at the start of the Civil War. Jefferson Davis made a foray into the city in pursuit of lead miners. And gangster Al Capone reportedly used the Hotel Julien as a retreat and hideout. Uncover these lost stories and more with author and historian Susan Miller Hellert as she chronicles the fascinating and all-but-forgotten tales of Dubuque and the surrounding region.

Poised on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, Dubuque provided a vital entry point for westward expansion. Explorers, Native Americans, fur traders, lead miners and pilgrims all played a part in the little-known history of Iowa's Driftless Region. It was Dubuque that contributed the first military company in the country for service at the start of the Civil War. Jefferson Davis made a foray into the city in pursuit of lead miners. And gangster Al Capone reportedly used the Hotel Julien as a retreat and hideout. Uncover these lost stories and more with author and historian Susan Miller Hellert as she chronicles the fascinating and all-but-forgotten tales of Dubuque and the surrounding region.

Atop a scenic bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown Dubuque there once lay a graveyard dating to the 1830s, the earliest days of American settlement in Iowa. Though many local residents knew the property had once been a Catholic burial ground, they believed the graves had been moved to a new cemetery in the late nineteenth century in response to overcrowding and changing burial customs. But in 2007, when a developer broke ground for a new condominium complex here, the heavy machinery unearthed human bones. Clearly, some of Dubuque’s early settlers still rested there—in fact, more than anyone expected. For the next four years, staff with the Burials Program of the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist excavated the site so that development could proceed. The excavation fieldwork was just the beginning. Once the digging was done each summer, skeletal biologist Robin M. Lillie and archaeologist Jennifer E. Mack still faced the enormous task of teasing out life histories from fragile bones, disintegrating artifacts, and the decaying wooden coffins the families had chosen for the deceased. Poring over scant documents and sifting through old newspapers, they pieced together the story of the cemetery and its residents, a story often surprising and poignant. Weaving together science, history, and local mythology, the tale of the Third Street Cemetery provides a fascinating glimpse into Dubuque’s early years, the hardships its settlers endured, and the difficulties they did not survive. While they worked, Lillie and Mack also grappled with the legal and ethical obligations of the living to the dead. These issues are increasingly urgent as more and more of America’s unmarked (and marked) cemeteries are removed in the name of progress. Fans of forensic crime shows and novels will find here a real-world example of what can be learned from the fragments left in time’s wake.

Two things people frequently say about Clinton are that it was the lumber capital of the world and home to the most millionaires per capita. While those interesting nuggets are not exactly true, there are plenty of fascinating facts about the city. Learn why Clinton could easily be known as a holiday town if not overshadowed by the meetings and parties of America's lumber kings. See what life was like guiding an acre-long log raft down the Mississippi. Enter the century-long debate on the location of the Big Tree. And find out how Clinton fed the world. Matt Parbs, director of the Sawmill Museum, unearths Clinton's past from the weight of myth and details its hidden history.

A collection of colorful stories about some of New Hampshire’s most notable newsmakers and remarkable historic events. Includes photos. Hidden in the cracks and crevices of the Granite State are the stories of pioneers who pursued their passions, creating legacies along the way. Compiled by a Smithsonian researcher and former Boston Globe contributor, this treasury includes tales of: the mountain man who became an innkeeper the “Bird Man” who took his passion to the White House the gentleman who ascended the highest peak in the Northeast in a steam-powered locomobile the story of one skier’s dramatic win at the 1939 “American Inferno” Mount Washington race the Shaker Meetinghouse, built in just one day, in complete silence the gallant efforts to save the Old Man of the Mountain and much more

Step backstage in this look at little-known and utterly fascinating aspects of Jazz Age Louisiana. New Orleans' early jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Kid Ory and Buddy Bolden had fascinating careers, but Hidden History of Louisiana's Jazz Age is filled with tales of murder, lust and adventure. Clarinetist Joe Darensbourg of Baton Rouge ran away and joined the circus three times before the age of 20. The Martel Band of Opelousas witnessed a legal public hanging of a convicted serial murderer in 1923 Evangeline Parish. Trumpeter Evan Thomas of Crowley could have been a rival to Satchmo but was cut down on the bandstand in the Promised Land neighborhood of Rayne, La. Author Sam Irwin explores the odd and quirky in these fascinating stories of the Roaring Twenties.

The author of Lost Rochester explores more Med City history beyond the medicine. Stories surrounding the establishment of Rochester as a medical mecca are well documented and often showcased, but countless other tales haven't received as much attention. William Costley, son of the first slave freed by Abraham Lincoln, lived his last few months at Rochester State Hospital. Beloved citizen Reinhold Bach sailed aboard the doomed ocean liner the Empress of Ireland. The life of Minnie Bowron, hired as the city's first policewoman in 1917, offers an intriguing story, and teenager Lottie Schermerhorn awed crowds during the Roaring Twenties with daredevil aerial stunts. Join historian Amy Jo Hahn on an engaging narrative journey, a revelation of fascinating characters who made their mark on Rochester.

This volume serves up a bountiful combination of local history, classic recipes, and colorful Midwestern food lore. Iowa’s delectable cuisine is quintessentially midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. Classics like fresh sweet corn and breaded pork tenderloins are found on menus and in home kitchens across the state. At the world-famous Iowa State Fair, a dizzying array of food on a stick commands a nationwide cult following. From Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, A Culinary History of Iowa reveals the remarkable stories behind Iowa originals. Find recipes for favorites ranging from classic Iowa ham balls and Steak de Burgo to homemade cinnamon rolls—served with chili, of course!

The Driftless Land, a collection of essays by Kevin Koch, is a search for the spirit of place among the bluffs, woodlands, and prairies of the Upper Mississippi River valley. The Midwest is commonly known for its flatlands, for oceans of corn pressing towards the horizon beneath a big sky. Lesser known are the steep hills and bluffs, the ravines and towering rock outcroppings where the upper Mississippi carves its meandering path. These rugged lands amid the prairies are known as The Driftless Area, a 20,000 square-mile region of northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, southeast Minnesota, and southwest and central Wisconsin, bypassed by most of the glaciers. Koch observes, "You can 'love nature' and 'love the land'--but you won't know place until you've walked slowly and attentively through Lost Canyon or the Kickapoo Valley Reserve or Swiss Valley or Trempealeau Mountain, and then returned to learn what you can about them." Hidden within the woodlands are the imprints of human history and the deeper geological story as well, the story of a land untouched by the ancient onslaught of leveling glaciers. The result is a call to know place deeply, whatever place you inhabit.

Packed with dozens of the most difficult Hidden Pictures puzzles Highlights has ever created, this book is perfect for advanced puzzlers ages 8-12 looking for a next-level challenge! This jam-packed collection includes over 80 advanced Hidden Pictures puzzles, including photo puzzles, puzzles without clues, puzzles with scrambled clues and more. A great gift for anyone who loves a puzzle challenge, this engaging activity book is filled with more than 1,500 total objects to find. Kids (and grown-ups, too) will need to keep their eyes peeled searching through hilarious scenes like sloths playing ping pong, dogs enjoying a fiesta, and a fishy carnival. There are both full-color and classic black-and-white scenes to solve. Over 125 pages of puzzles adds up to hours of screen-free fun, great for keeping kids engaged during road trips or rainy afternoons at home. Plus, this book is crafted by puzzle experts to include learning benefits parents can count on. Searching for hidden objects is a great way for kids to develop important school skills like vocabulary, concentration and visual perception. Every puzzle solved will boost kids’ confidence and encourage them to take on new challenges.