SIGNED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER/AUTHOR!  Journey across Pennsylvania with Walter Choroszewski, who presents a special collection of images featuring beloved landmarks, natural landscapes people and intimate vignettes of the Keystone State. PENNSYLVANIA, A Photographic Journey, is Choroszewski's 14th book and showcases his colorful style with over 175 photos from every corner of the state - mountains, cities and farms. Walter Choroszewski has been traveling the highways and back roads of Pennsylvania his entire life, visiting favorite locations and seeking new views. He invites us to join him on this visual journey to enjoy the beauty he has found. He also shares a personal essay about his early childhood living in the coal region of Northeastern PA and also about his college years and travels to various other locations of his native state.

Written by Randy Watts, limited edition signed and numbered by the author, the story is told in 12 detailed chapters based on extensive research from the company’s records and over 220 years of newspaper articles and other documents. It relates the history of the company to the life of Carlisle since its founding in 1751. The story is enhanced with nearly 200 photographs (many never published), maps and graphics. It is an exciting story told in the words of people who watched it unfold. This book is perfect for the reader who enjoys the history of the local area, volunteer fire service, and America!

This is the story of the historic farms and crossroads of the area with 120 photographs and illustrations. Although the crossroads were of importance, it was the farms that played a large role in the history of the area. Many farms were owned by the same family for generations, thus providing stability for the individual farms and the crossroads. The farmers were also educators, stonemasons, church founders, and even store and mill owners. 

As families went about their day to day lives, they sent their children down dusty roads to a one room school. On Sunday, many worshipped at a local church. By the early 1900s, families could visit stores and post offices at the crossroads.

In this rural area, the history is often found in the homes of current residents who are members of long standing families. Author Linda Martin Gilmore interviewed local and former residents, pored through ledgers and old documents, and collected many vintage photographs. This book of local history on Madison Township in Perry County, Pennsylvania, will give a glimpse of rural life as it was then for our grandparents and great-grandparents. 

Paperback

173 Pages

Back When: Andersonburg, Cisna Run & Couchtown, Pennsylvania is a treasure trove of real stories, reminiscences, and 125 photographs of the local history of the area. From 1755 to 1955, the three crossroads were not the hamlets of quiet, sleepy houses that dot the valley today.  Instead, they were bustling, thriving centers with storekeepers, millers, undertaker, doctor, hotelier and tavern keeper, and teachers.  Farmers up and down the valley provided for their families on productive farms while sawmillers on the Couchtown Road mined the woodlands.  Families worshipped at St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Green Grove Sunday School, and children learnd readin', 'riting, and 'rithmatic at one of the four one-room schools.

This collection of essays examines the impact that the United States entry into WWI had on the people and communities of Central Pennsylvania. The authors in this collection explored how the national events precipitated by American entry into the First World War in April 1917 transformed the institutions and day-to-day life of the men, women, and children living in communities in Central Pennsylvania. Some of the topics explored include WWI's impact on educational institutions (including local universities, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and private preparatory schools), the National Guard, the Red Cross, Camp Colt in Gettysburg, conservation efforts, and photojournalism. The narratives included connect these topics to life in Adams, Franklin, and Cumberland Counties, as well as more in depth explorations of activities in Harrisburg, Carlisle, and Gettysburg.

Since William Penn presided over the state's only official witch trial in 1684, witchcraft and folk magic have been a part of the history of the Keystone State. English and German settlers brought their beliefs in magic with them from the Old World--sometimes with dangerous consequences. In 1802, an Allegheny County judge helped an accused witch escape an angry mob. Susan Mummey was not so fortunate. In 1934, she was shot and killed in her home by a young Schuylkill County man who was convinced that she had cursed him. In other regions of the state, views on folk magic were more complex. While hex doctors were feared in the Pennsylvania German tradition, powwowers were and are revered for their abilities to heal, lift curses and find lost objects. Folklorist Thomas White traces the history and lore of witchcraft and the occult that quietly live on in Pennsylvania even today.

Strange creatures and tales of the supernatural thrive in Pennsylvania, from ghostly children who linger by their graves to werewolves that ambush nighttime travelers. Passed down over generations, Keystone State legends and lore provide both thrilling stories and dire warnings. Phantom trains chug down the now removed rails of the P&LE Railroad line on the Great Allegheny Passage. A wild ape boy is said to roam the Chester swamps, while the weeping Squonk wanders the hemlock-shrouded hills of central Pennsylvania, lamenting his hideousness. On dark nights, the ghosts of Betty Knox and her Union soldier beau still search for each other at Dunbar Creek. Join Thomas White and company as they go in search of the truth behind the legends of supernatural Pennsylvania.

Book Description:

 
Established in 1757, Silver Spring Township is the fourth-oldest township in Cumberland County. The area was founded by the Scots-Irish, who cleared the area for farming and built taverns, inns, and mercantile businesses. Eventually, the villages of Hogestown and New Kingstown were established; these two villages are still home to many township residents. Rich in history, Silver Spring is home to the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, the oldest church west of the Susquehanna River. Between 2012 and 2013, Silver Spring Township was the fourth-largest growing township in Pennsylvania. What were once heavily traveled Native American trails have become well-traveled highways and byways, and within a few hours, travelers can be in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. Through vintage photographs, Silver Spring Township shares and celebrates the history of this well-preserved community.

Author Bio: Christine Clepper Musser is a lifelong resident of Cumberland County who currently resides in Silver Spring Township. A local historian with a bachelor of arts in American history from Vermont College, she has given presentations on the Susquehanna River, the Bosler family, and Centralia, Pennsylvania, in addition to the historical articles she has published online and in print. Sen. Patricia H. Vance has been a member of the Pennsylvania Senate since 2005, after serving 14 years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She resides in Silver Spring Township. 

On July 12, 1926, Frances Bowermaster McBride, a forty-year-old divorcée, called off her affair with twenty-seven-year-old Norman Morrison. Driven into a rage, Morrison tracked Frances to her home in Carlisle’s East End, where she sat on the porch with her three-year-old daughter, Georgia, on her lap. Morrison shot and killed Frances before turning the pistol on himself. Morrison lived but was blinded. Young Georgia fell to the pavement unharmed. Eventually standing trial, Morrison was convicted of first-degree murder. Historian Paul D. Hoch goes beyond the conviction as he traces the later lives of Morrison and Georgia McBride as she came of age in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Hoch spins a tale of murder, perseverance and, ultimately, redemption.

The rolling fields and quiet towns of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, belie its dynamic history. From slaves who escaped to freedom through Underground Railroad stations in Shippensburg and Boiling Springs to a telephone-like invention created by Lower Allen's Daniel Drawbaugh a full decade before the patent of Alexander Graham Bell, the pages of Cumberland County's history conceal long-forgotten but true tales. There are numerous but often-overlooked contributions from county residents--from 1920 to 1923, Newville hosted the first state police academy in the nation, and during World War II, a humble bandage invented in Carlisle saved countless lives. With an engaging collection of vignettes, author Joseph David Cress explores these and other hidden tales from the history of Cumberland County.

With Wicked Carlisle, author Joe Cress revisits the criminal history of Cumberland County. Taking a more focused and less bloody approach, Cress will largely bring new stories of mischief to the table, though he will revisit the lighter side of two or three crimes from Murder and Mayhem in Cumberland County. From stories of college pranks gone wrong, Carlisle's own Robin Hood and the robbing and subsequent torching of a beloved local theater (the Strand where the local HS now sits!) to abuses at the Carlisle Indian School and the town's connection to the raid on Harper's Ferry, Cress scours the underbelly of the borough for mischief and misdeeds.

Nestled between the Tuscarora and Blue Ridge Mountains is the center of the Cumberland Valley, an area settled by men and women who crossed the Susquehanna River and built their log cabins in the wilderness. These early settlers were hardy souls who confronted the hardships and struggles of Native American raids, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. In the 1800s, the iron industry sprang up in the small villages of Roxbury, Edenville, and Mont Alto, and academies and colleges were founded. The late Victorian resorts of Pen Mar, Monterey, and Buena Vista drew visitors to the valley. Today, within the mountain-protected borders of "Mother Cumberland," are the towns of Chambersburg, Mercersburg, Waynesboro, Greencastle, St. Thomas, and other small communities each with a rich history of its own.

A handsome commemoration of the 275th anniversary of what is now the First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle PA.  Published in 2009, it was written by Richard J. Sommers, Charles E. Thompson, and Richard L. Tritt.  Many historical and contemporary photographs.

Published in 2009 to commemorate the 275th anniversary of what is now the First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle PA, this large format book is written by Richard L. Tritt and amply illustrated with historic and contemporary photographs of the Meeting House Springs and its graveyard.  Many biographies of Presbyterians affiliated with the Meeting House Springs church and downtown Carlisle Presbyterian church are included.

Tropical Storm Agnes, along with the unprecedented flooding which resulted from it, is arguably the most significant event to have transpired in the Harrisburg area in the last 150 years. Over the course of June 21 and June 22, 1972, Agnes drenched the region with more than a foot of rain. As a result, the Susquehanna River rose to record-breaking levels and backed into the already overwhelmed feeding creeks and streams. In Harrisburg, armed National Guardsmen patrolled the vacant streets and set up checkpoints to enforce a curfew and deter looting. Surrounded by floodwaters, row homes near the governor's mansion burned, and firefighters waded through chest-high water as they attempted to reach the blaze. Entire neighborhoods in both Shipoke and Steelton were ultimately lost due to the high waters entering homes. To this day, Agnes continues to serve as the measuring stick by which all storms since have been judged.

Erik V. Fasick is a member of the board of trustees for the Historical Society of Dauphin County and holds a master's degree in American Studies from Penn State Harrisburg. He has published articles and given lectures relating to local history and cultural studies in the Harrisburg area. 

AUTOGRAPHED COPY!

In warm and humorous prose, this award-winning columnist writes about her adventures in Pennsylvania's apple country and the realities to be faced when the ambiance wears thin. Each subject in An Outlander's Journal seems ordinary, but Eileen Graham digs deep to reveal layers both bright and dark, like the red shale and ironstone found under her Adams County soil.

Through her clear yet compassionate eyes, explore the Stony Batter, Maybelle's place, Dickey's Hill and the neighborhood swimmin' hole.

Meet a faith healer,

beekeepers, a skunk trapper of the year, and country folk who celebrate spring by throwing an egg over their house. Commiserate as she comes to terms with goats, pigs, sheep, a horse, a goose, two growing boys, and a husband who never met a tractor he didn't like.

In the words of her neighbor Hazel Johnson, An Outlander's Journal may just be "the most wonderfullest" book you read this year.

Carlisle Barracks was established by the British Army in 1757 to support operations against the French during the French and Indian War. During the Revolutionary War, the post supported Washington's army against the British. After the post was burned by Confederate forces during the Civil War, it was rebuilt and served as the U.S. Army's Cavalry School until 1871, when the post was closed. In 1879, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School opened at the post to educate Native American children. This school operated until 1918, when the U.S. Army resumed control of the post and opened a hospital to care for wounded World War I soldiers. The U.S. Army Field Medical School opened there in 1920 and remained until that function was relocated in 1946. In 1951, the U.S. Army War College moved to Carlisle Barracks, where it remains. Using vintage photographs, Carlisle Barracks chronicles how for more than 250 years this post has supported military operations and training and continues to do so today.

Harrisburg lies on a broad swath of the great Susquehanna River, punctuated with its distinctive bridges. Founder John Harris ventured beyond the frontier and established a ferry in 1733 that ushered the pioneer migrants as they trickled west. Many stayed on to establish a city that became the legislative seat of America's most industrious state. The unusual vintage postcards in Harrisburg illustrate the history of a city that played an important role in the Civil War and politics of a growing nation. From canals to superhighways, Harrisburg was always one step ahead of others. Birthplace of the steel mill and transportation giant of the North, this city is a story of triumph, tragedy, and rebirth.

Mechanicsburg, nestled in Cumberland County midway between Harrisburg, the state capital, and Carlisle, the county seat, was once known as Drytown, Pinchgut, and Stauffertown. Incorporated in 1828 and named for a settlement of mechanics that repaired Conestoga wagons, Mechanicsburg was raided by the Confederates and held for three days during the Civil War. Both the Cumberland Valley Railroad and the development of the inland Naval Support Activity Base influenced the rapid growth of this borough. Since 1924, Mechanicsburg has played host to Jubilee Day, Pennsylvania's largest one-day street fair.