Lighthouses were built on the Hudson River in New York between 1826 to 1921 to help guide freight and passenger traffic. One of the most famous was the iconic Statue of Liberty. This fascinating history with photos will bring the time of traffic along the river alive. Set against the backdrop of purple mountains, lush hillsides, and tidal wetlands, the lighthouses of the Hudson River were built between 1826 and 1921 to improve navigational safety on a river teeming with freight and passenger traffic. Unlike the towering beacons of the seacoasts, these river lighthouses were architecturally diverse, ranging from short conical towers to elaborate Victorian houses. Operated by men and women who at times risked and lost their lives in service of safe navigation, these beacons have overseen more than a century of extraordinary technological and social change. Of the dozens of historic lighthouses and beacons that once dotted the Hudson River, just eight remain, including the iconic Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor's great monument to freedom and immigration, which served as an official lighthouse between 1886 and 1902. Hudson River Lighthouses invites readers to explore these unique icons and their fascinating stories.

A wealth of facts and history fill this beautifully designed armchair and reference book. This single volume, packed with full-color and vintage photos, contains everything a lighthouse lover or maritime historian wants to know about lighthouse history, changing technologies, lighthouse keepers, and the lenses themselves. A detailed index of more than 150 lighthouses around the world offers quick and easy access to basic information—know the height, age, elevation, optic type and status for every lighthouse! An appendix listing lighthouse groups nationwide makes it easy to see these historic treasures, visit museums and get involved with preservation. See how the appearance or location of lights has changed over time. Read about the historical contributions made by Augustin Fresnel, Winslow Lewis and Stephen Pleasanton, and learn about breakwater lights, caissons, lightships, mercury baths, daymarks and clamshell lenses. The most complete reference book on lighthouses—which won a Benjamin Franklin book design award in hardcover—is finally available in paperback. Ray Jones is a leading authority on lighthouses and the author of more than 14 books and countless magazine articles on American history. He lives in Pebble Beach, California.

Understanding the Department of the Interior reviews many of the major issues handed by the Department of the Interior and impacting the U.S. today. The book aims to present the case, scientific and otherwise, for both sides of all the issues addressed. Areas covered include protection of national lands, environmental issues, the role of the Environmental Protection Agency, the threats posed by mining and drilling on sensitive land, and the debate over renewable energy. It also discusses how best to manage and sustain America’s lands, water, wildlife, and energy resources, honor the nation’s responsibilities to tribal nations, and advocate for America’s island communities. Features: A list of all the major environmental events over the last 100 years. A comprehensive glossary of environmental terms and acronyms About the Series: TheCabinet Series looks at the major departments in the Federal Government explaining why they were created and the responsibilities of each agency and how they conducts their daily business at home and abroad. It helps to explain what federal agencies do and how they affect the lives of citizens.

Icons of the American shoreline, the lighthouses of the Atlantic coast stand in eloquent witness to the nations rich seafaring history. A guide to the longest-standing sentinels of all, those of New England, this engaging illustrated handbook takes you on a fascinating, fact-filled tour of the historic lighthouses of Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Written by one of the nations most respected lighthouse historians, this pocket field guide is as informative as it is easy-to-use. You will find historical and architectural details, anecdotes about deadly storms, hauntings, and life as a lightkeeper, and directions to more than 150 lighthouses from Cape Neddick in Maine to Boston Light, Americas first true lighthouse. Here are the towers of limestone, granite, and iron gracing shipwrecking islands aptly called "The Miseries" and "The Graves," as well as the beacons once fueled by whale oil and kerosene still standing at colorfully named points such as Burnt Coat Harbor and Deer Island Thorofare. With eye-catching color photographs, vintage postcards, and historical black and white images, this field guide is the ideal companion for travelers, tourists, and history buffs alike, as they explore the lighthouses of New England.