U.S. & State Histories
Art & Photography • Military
The First Steamboat on the Ohio
Steamboats on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers changed this young country in dramatic ways, transforming the Ohio-Mississippi River Basin almost overnight. The steamboat brought commerce, quickened immigrations, and began a building frenzy as new town sprung up all along the frontier. Growth was rapid and the economy of the area boomed and it all began with one steamboat, the New Orleans. Full Steam Ahead: Reflections on the Impact of the First Steamboat on the Ohio River, 1811–2011 tells the story of the New Orleans and the new age of prosperity it brought to Ohio-Mississippi River Basin.
History of Jefferson County in the State of New York
The title A History of Jefferson County in the Sate of New York, From the Earliest Period to the Present Time is relative to the dates involved. The “Present Time” for this book is 1854; yet, over 200 years of history are presented in roughly 600 pages. The author, Franklin B. Hough, A.M., M.D., provides a brief background to the peoples who populated the area before the organization of an official county. However, the majority of the book covers a 60 year period, just prior to the formation of Jefferson until the time this book was first published. Copies available today are mostly from a 2005 reprint by The Family Tree.
“Her name was Matoaka, but they called her Pocahontas.” There are many books, some more story and legend than accurate portrayal, on the famous Indian girl who “saved” the life of Captain John Smith. Few books, however, offer as concise or possibly as an accurate accounting of the life of Matoaka as can be found in Pocahontas by Stuart E. Brown, Jr.
Art & Photography
Another Early Indiana Photographer and Fascinating History
Ben Winan’s best work was done during the period from 1902 to 1916, where he produced over 3,000 glass negatives in various sizes. These pictures were almost lost and destroyed after his death in 1949. Fortunately, Eugene Brock, and Anderson newspaper man, saved the glass negatives. These were later given to this books author. Dunaway, a Brookville resident himself, carefully restored many of these images. This book contains 130 of Winans best works, selected to not only show his skill but also to show Brookville’s place in Indiana history. The Photography of Ben Winans of Brookville, Indiana, 1902–1926, by Donald L. Dunaway, was published by the Indiana Historical Society and includes some of the clearest and cleanest 100 year old photos I have ever seen.
Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840–1900
Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840–1900, by Taylor, is just another in a great line of useful books for the family historian. According to Taylor, your ancestor’s hair, “whether straight or curled, clean-shaven or fringed, oiled or bewigged,” can tell you a lot about that person. By reading the clues of clothing and hairstyles in photographs, you can learn: when the photo was taken, how old individuals were at the time, how wealthy they were, and even about their personalities.
Otto Ping: A Look into Rural American Life in the Early 20th Century
Otto Ping was an itinerant photographer who began taking pictures at the age of 17 in 1900. Unlike most itinerant photographers of his day, he chose not to travel, but rather conducted all his work in a single county. Brown County is in many ways typical of rural America during this time period. Many were poor with few opportunities. Life was not easy and times were tough. This is the period of the Great Depression, of World War I, and the build up to a second world war. Otto Ping caught life and people as they were. Otto Ping: Photographer of Brown County, Indiana 1900—1940 is a collection of his pictures, which can easily represent life in any rural town across the country.
Military
Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory by Steve Cottrell outlines the conflict of war as it directly affected Texas and the New Mexico Territory, their participation, and the people involved. All the “Civil War in” books in this series share the story style of writing. Cottrell writes this story with skill, captivating the reader from page one. The book opens immediately with Texas voting against it Governor’s wishes and joining the Confederacy. The quickly established army immediately took over all U.S. forts and military installations in the state without a single casualty. There is even a story of how Robert E. Lee was nearly held captive, but was permitted to leave the state because a declaration of war had not yet actually been declared. The book continues with story after story about Texas’ and New Mexico’s part in the war. Between the lines of this well-written story lies the facts and interesting detail of the Civil War in the South West and is well worth the time taken to read its pages.
Even as U.S. broke in half and fought themselves in the bloodiest war in its entire history, hostilities continued to escalate across the western frontier, ranging as far West as Arizona, Montana, and Utah. Indian nations in these states as well as New Mexico, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, and Missouri fought back against what they saw as an incursion by the white man. Civil War and the Indian Wars, by Roy Bird, tells tale the events, incidents, and confrontations as written by contemporary authors and historians. The stories are ordered chronologically instead of by battle. Stories cover conflicts between Confederate Soldiers as well as Union Army. However, as the Civil War pulled experienced and regular troops from the west, these positions were often replaced by lesser trained volunteers who often as inept as they were intolerant.
The Civil War — One State at a Time
Civil War in Kansas portrays in vivid detail the wars direct affect on Kansas. The events, battles, and major players, that waged war in and around the people and towns in Kansas are told so as to appreciate what people must have felt and seen. Written in story book style, though entirely a non-fiction work based solely on fact, the book paints a picture of all aspects of the war and its affect upon the state. Reading history in this style and format both helps to bring alive the events as they occurred, and also to better understand and appreciate, even draw closer to, one’s own ancestors.
Civil War in Tennessee revisits the major battles, along with some minor actions, as they occurred in the “Volunteer State.” Steve makes a great effort to simply tell an historically accurate account of events without expressing any political or partisan opinions. By his own account, “The fact that I have ancestors who fought on both sides in the war helps me to be fairly non-biased in my accounts.” However, he does note that he had a great-great grandfather who served in Tennessee during the war.
Finding Civil War Era Records for Soldiers and Civilians
In Genealogical Resources of the Civil War Era: Online and Published Military or Civilian Name Lists, 1861-1869, and Post-War Veteran Lists, published in 2009, Dollarhide looks past the traditional soldier and regiment records and examines documents relating to the population as a whole. He helps readers identify where to look and how to find resources for anyone living during the decade of 1861–1869. This book is a guide to the various records which list names of both soldiers and civilians. Perhaps more than any other war in American history, did the Civil War touch the lives of every citizen, regardless of race, age, or location. For this reason has Dollarhide written this book to help locate individuals and families and not just the soldiers who fought in the war.
New York in the Revolution as Colony and State
In 1894, James A. Roberts became the comptroller for the State of New York. During his first term he took action to systematically order, “for the purpose of easy reference,” the old records of the comptroller’s department. Records and papers relating to the service of New Yorkers in the Revolutionary War were discovered during this process. The discovery contained muster and pay-rolls of different organizations. The subsequent result of this discovery and its review is a list of New York soldiers with names, ranks, and organizations. This list is presented in New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, second edition. This book is credited to and was published by Roberts, as comptroller, 1898. A second volume, compiled by Frederic G. Mather, was added in 1901.
The Sesquicentennial Edition of Company Aytch
“A Better Book There Never Was” proclaims Robert Hicks, author and historic preservationist, in his introduction to Company Aytch OR a Side Show of the Big Show: A Memoir of the Civil War by Sam R. Watkins. When it comes to books about the Civil War, many people agree wholeheartedly, Company Aytch is the best ever written. For sure, few memoirs have stood the test of time as well as this memoir by Samuel Watkins.
The War of 1812 — A Bicentennial Review of the War That Defined a Country
Acknowledging the Bicentennial of the war, a television documentary on The War of 1812 premiered on PBS on October 11, 2011. The documentary details the conflict from events leading up to the declaration of war by Congress and President Madison, through key battles, and the results which defined the country in ways most people don’t appreciate. As a companion to the documentary, a new book was published entitled, The War of 1812: A Guide to Battlefields and Historic Sites.