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The Last Viking
by Stephen R. BownIn the early 1900s, many of the great geographical mysteries that had intrigued adventurers for centuries remained unsolved: the polar regions -- the Northwest Passage, the South Pole, the North Pole and the Northeast Passage -- despite having claimed countless lives, were still shrouded in mystery. One man would claim all these prizes within a span of 20 years.Roald Amundsen was larger than life, arrogant and competitive. He was also a meticulous organizer and planner, willing to learn from the mistakes of others, and humble enough to seek the advice of indigenous peoples skilled in arctic survival -- thus avoiding the early death that was so common among other explorers.But Amundsen's life was one of sharp contrasts: reviled by the British for defeating Robert Falcon Scott, he was loved by his men, hailed as a hero in his native Norway and idolized as a charming and eccentric celebrity in the US. Drawing on hundreds of recently uncovered press clippings, The Last Viking goes beyond Amundsen's conflicted legacy, revealing a humorous, self-deprecating storyteller and a visionary and showman who who won over both his sponsors and his audiences with the same verve that characterized his geographical conquests.
The Last Voyage of the Karluk
by William Laird MckinlayAn astonishing narrative of disaster and perseverance, The Last Voyage of the Karluk will thrill readers of adventure classics like Into Thin Air and The Climb. In 1913, explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson hired William McKinlay to join the crew of the Karluk, the leading ship of his new Arctic expedition. Stefansson's mission was to chart the waters north of Alaska; yet the Karluk's crew was untrained, the ship was ill-suited to the icy conditions, and almost at once the Karluk was crushed-at which point Stefansson abandoned his crew to continue his journey on another ship. This is the only firsthand account of what followed: a nightmare struggle in which half the crew perished, one was mysteriously shot, and the rest were near death by the time of their rescue twelve months later.Written some sixty years after the fact, and drawing extensively on his own daily log, McKinlay's narrative of this doomed expedition is rendered with remarkable clarity of recollection, and with a combination of horror and a level of self-possession that, to modern eyes, may seem incredible. Like most of his companions, McKinlay was inexperienced, without a day's training in the skills essential to survival in the Arctic. Yet he and many of his fellow crewmen, with the help of an Eskimo family accustomed to such conditions, survived a year under the harshest of conditions, enduring 80-mile-per-hour gales and temperatures well below zero with only the barest of provisions and almost no hope of contact with civilization.Nearly a century later, this remains one of the most compelling survival stories ever written-an extraordinary testament to man's overpowering will to live.
The Last Voyageurs: Sixteen Teenagers on an Adventure of a Lifetime
by Lorraine BoissoneaultIn 1976, America's bicentennial, 24 young men set out to re-create French explorer La Salle's voyage down the entire length of the Mississippi River, abandoning their modern identities in order to live like the voyageurs of the 1600s... Reid Lewis never wanted to be an ordinary French teacher. With the approach of the American Bicentennial, he decided to put his knowledge of French language and history to use in recreating the voyage of René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the first European to travel from Montreal to the end of the Mississippi River. Lewis' crew of modern voyageurs was comprised of 16 high school students and 6 teachers who learned to sew their own 17th-century clothing, paddle handmade canoes, and construct black powder rifles. Together they set off on an eight-month, 3,300-mile expedition across the major waterways of North America. They fought strong currents on the St. Lawrence, paddled through storms on the Great Lakes, and walked over 500 miles across the frozen Midwest during one of the coldest winters of the 20th century, all while putting on performances about the history of French explorers for communities along their route. The crew had to overcome disagreements, a crisis of leadership, and near-death experiences before coming to the end of their journey. The Last Voyageurs tells the story of this American odyssey, where a group of young men discovered themselves by pretending to be French explorers.
The Last Whalers: The Life of an Endangered Tribe in a Land Left Behind
by Doug Bock Clark'Remarkable... a rich, novelistic account based on diligent reporting ... An empathetic, even intimate account, but not a dewy-eyed one ... Wonderful' Daily Telegraph'I absolutely loved this magnificent book' Sebastian Junger'A monumental achievement' Mitchell Zuckoff'[An] immersive, densely reported and altogether remarkable first book ... The Last Whalers has the texture and colouring of a first-rate novel' New York TimesAt a time when global change has eradicated thousands of unique cultures, The Last Whalers tells the stunning inside story of the Lamalerans, an ancient tribe of 1,500 hunter-gatherers who live on a volcanic island so remote it is known by other Indonesians as "The Land Left Behind." They have survived for centuries by taking whales with bamboo harpoons, but now are being pushed toward collapse by the encroachment of the modern world.Award-winning journalist Doug Bock Clark, who lived with the Lamalerans across three years, weaves together their stories with novelistic flair to usher us inside this hidden drama. Jon, an orphaned apprentice whaler, strives to earn his harpoon and feed his ailing grandparents. Ika, Jon's indomitable younger sister, struggles to forge a modern life in a tradition-bound culture and realize a star-crossed love. Ignatius, a legendary harpooner entering retirement, labors to hand down the Ways of the Ancestors to his son, Ben, who would rather become a DJ in the distant tourist mecca of Bali.With brilliant, breathtaking prose and empathetic, fast-paced storytelling, Clark details how the fragile dreams of one of the world's dwindling indigenous peoples are colliding with the irresistible upheavals of our rapidly transforming world, and delivers to us a group of families we will never forget.
The Last Whalers: The Life of an Endangered Tribe in a Land Left Behind
by Doug Bock Clark'Remarkable... a rich, novelistic account based on diligent reporting ... An empathetic, even intimate account, but not a dewy-eyed one ... Wonderful' Daily Telegraph'I absolutely loved this magnificent book' Sebastian Junger'A monumental achievement' Mitchell ZuckoffThe epic story of the world's last subsistence whalers.At a time when global change has eradicated thousands of unique cultures, The Last Whalers tells the stunning inside story of the Lamalerans, an ancient tribe of 1,500 hunter-gatherers who live on a volcanic island so remote it is known by other Indonesians as "The Land Left Behind." They have survived for centuries by taking whales with bamboo harpoons, but now are being pushed toward collapse by the encroachment of the modern world.Award-winning journalist Doug Bock Clark, who lived with the Lamalerans across three years, weaves together their stories with novelistic flair to usher us inside this hidden drama. Jon, an orphaned apprentice whaler, strives to earn his harpoon and feed his ailing grandparents. Ika, Jon's indomitable younger sister, struggles to forge a modern life in a tradition-bound culture and realize a star-crossed love. Ignatius, a legendary harpooner entering retirement, labors to hand down the Ways of the Ancestors to his son, Ben, who would rather become a DJ in the distant tourist mecca of Bali.With brilliant, breathtaking prose and empathetic, fast-paced storytelling, Clark details how the fragile dreams of one of the world's dwindling indigenous peoples are colliding with the irresistible upheavals of our rapidly transforming world, and delivers to us a group of families we will never forget.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Last Wild Men of Borneo: A True Story of Death and Treasure
by Carl HoffmanA 2019 EDGAR AWARDS NOMINEE (BEST FACT CRIME) • A BANFF MOUNTAIN BOOK AWARDS FINALISTTwo modern adventurers sought a treasure possessed by the legendary “Wild Men of Borneo.” One found riches. The other vanished forever into an endless jungle. Had he shed civilization—or lost his mind? Global headlines suspected murder. Lured by these mysteries, New York Times bestselling author Carl Hoffman journeyed to find the truth, discovering that nothing is as it seems in the world’s last Eden, where the lines between sinner and saint blur into one.In 1984, Swiss traveler Bruno Manser joined an expedition to the Mulu caves on Borneo, the planet’s third largest island. There he slipped into the forest interior to make contact with the Penan, an indigenous tribe of peace-loving nomads living among the Dayak people, the fabled “Headhunters of Borneo.” Bruno lived for years with the Penan, gaining acceptance as a member of the tribe. However, when commercial logging began devouring the Penan’s homeland, Bruno led the tribe against these outside forces, earning him status as an enemy of the state, but also worldwide fame as an environmental hero. He escaped captivity under gunfire twice, but the strain took a psychological toll. Then, in 2000, Bruno disappeared without a trace. Had he become a madman, a hermit, or a martyr?American Michael Palmieri is, in many ways, Bruno’s opposite. Evading the Vietnam War, the Californian wandered the world, finally settling in Bali in the 1970s. From there, he staged expeditions into the Bornean jungle to acquire astonishing art and artifacts from the Dayaks. He would become one of the world’s most successful tribal-art field collectors, supplying sacred works to prestigious museums and wealthy private collectors. And yet suspicion shadowed this self-styled buccaneer who made his living extracting the treasure of the Dayak: Was he preserving or exploiting native culture?As Carl Hoffman unravels the deepening riddle of Bruno’s disappearance and seeks answers to the questions surrounding both men, it becomes clear saint and sinner are not so easily defined and Michael and Bruno are, in a sense, two parts of one whole: each spent his life in pursuit of the sacred fire of indigenous people. The Last Wild Men of Borneo is the product of Hoffman’s extensive travels to the region, guided by Penan through jungle paths traveled by Bruno and by Palmieri himself up rivers to remote villages. Hoffman also draws on exclusive interviews with Manser’s family and colleagues, and rare access to his letters and journals. Here is a peerless adventure propelled by the entwined lives of two singular, enigmatic men whose stories reveal both the grandeur and the precarious fate of the wildest place on earth.
A Last Wild Place: Seasons in the Wilderness
by Mike TomkiesWhen Mike Tomkies moved to a remote cottage on the shores of Loch Shiel in the West Highlands of Scotland, he found a place which was to provide him with the most profound wilderness experience of his life. Accessible only by boat, the cottage he renamed ‘Wildernesse’ was to be his home for many years, which he shared with his beloved German Shepherd, Moobli. Centred on different landscape elements – loch, woodlands and mountains –Tomkies describes the whole cycle of nature through the seasons in a harsh and testing environment of unrivalled beauty. Vivid colours and sounds fill the pages – exotic wild orchids, the roar of rutting stags, the territorial movements of foxes, otters and badgers, an oak tree being torn apart by hurricane-force gales. Nothing escapes his penetrating eye. His extraordinary insights into the wildlife that shared his otherwise empty territory were not gained without perseverance in the face of perilous hazards, and the difficulties and challenges of life in the wilderness are a key part of this remarkable book.
The Last Wilderness: A Journey into Silence
by Neil AnsellNeil Ansell's THE LAST WILDERNESS is a mesmerising book on nature and solitude by a writer who has spent his lifetime taking solitary ventures into the wild. For any readers of the author's previous book, DEEP COUNTRY, Robert Macfarlane's THE OLD WAYS or William Atkins THE MOOR.Shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Golden Beer Book PrizeShortlisted for the 2018 Highland Book Prize 'Ansell has the rare skill of combining vividly the intimacy of detail and the astonishing grandeur of this North West coastline of Scotland. Through his keen eyes we look again at the familiar with a sense of wondrous revelation' Madeleine Bunting 'Beautiful...a testimony to reticent courage' Daily MailThe experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of being alone as part of nature, rather than outside it.As a counterpoint, Neil Ansell also writes of the changes in the landscape, and how his hearing loss affects his relationship with nature as the calls of the birds he knows so well become silent to him.
The Last Wilderness: A Journey into Silence
by Neil AnsellNeil Ansell's THE LAST WILDERNESS is a mesmerising book on nature and solitude by a writer who has spent his lifetime taking solitary ventures into the wild. For any readers of the author's previous book, DEEP COUNTRY, Robert Macfarlane's THE OLD WAYS or William Atkins THE MOOR.Shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Golden Beer Book PrizeShortlisted for the 2018 Highland Book Prize 'Ansell has the rare skill of combining vividly the intimacy of detail and the astonishing grandeur of this North West coastline of Scotland. Through his keen eyes we look again at the familiar with a sense of wondrous revelation' Madeleine Bunting 'Beautiful...a testimony to reticent courage' Daily MailThe experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of being alone as part of nature, rather than outside it.As a counterpoint, Neil Ansell also writes of the changes in the landscape, and how his hearing loss affects his relationship with nature as the calls of the birds he knows so well become silent to him.
The Last Wilderness: A Journey into Silence
by Neil AnsellNeil Ansell's THE LAST WILDERNESS is a mesmerising book on nature and solitude by a writer who has spent his lifetime taking solitary ventures into the wild. For any readers of the author's previous book, DEEP COUNTRY, Robert Macfarlane's THE OLD WAYS or William Atkins THE MOOR.'A gem of a book, an extraordinary tale. Ansell's rich prose will transport you to a real life Narnian world that C.S.Lewis would have envied. Find your deepest, most comfortable armchair and get away from it all' CountryfileThe experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of being alone as part of nature, rather than outside it.As a counterpoint, Neil Ansell also writes of the changes in the landscape, and how his hearing loss affects his relationship with nature as the calls of the birds he knows so well become silent to him.(P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Last Wolf & Herman
by George Szirtes John Batki László KrasznahorkaiTwo short masterworks by the most recent winner of the Man Booker International Prize: here, in miniature, is every reason why he won The Last Wolf, translated by George Szirtes, features a classic, obsessed Krasznahorkai narrator, a man hired to write (by mistake, by a glitch of fate) the true tale of the last wolf of Extremadura, a barren stretch of Spain. This miserable experience (being mistaken for another, dragged about a cold foreign place, appalled by a species' end) is narrated--all in a single sentence--as a sad looping tale, a howl more or less, in a dreary wintry Berlin bar to a patently bored bartender. The Last Wolf is Krasznahorkai in a maddening nutshell--with the narrator trapped in his own experience (having internalized the extermination of the last creature of its kind and "locked Extremadura in the depths of his own cold, empty, hollow heart")--enfolding the reader in the exact same sort of entrapment to and beyond the end, with its first full-stop period of the book. Herman, "a peerless virtuoso of trapping who guards the splendid mysteries of an ancient craft gradually sinking into permanent oblivion," is asked to clear a forest's last "noxious beasts." In Herman I: the Game Warden, he begins with great zeal, although in time he "suspects that maybe he was 'on the wrong scent.'" Herman switches sides, deciding to track entirely new game... In Herman II: The Death of a Craft, the same situation is viewed by strange visitors to the region. Hyper-sexualized aristocratic officers on a very extended leave are enjoying a saturnalia with a bevy of beauties in the town nearest the forest. With a sense of effete irony, they interrupt their orgies to pitch in with the manhunt of poor Herman, and in the end, "only we are left to relish the magic bouquet of this escapade..." Translated by John Batki.
Latah County (Images of America)
by Julie R. MonroeIts name derived from the Nez Perce language, Latah County is the only county in the United States to have been created by an Act of Congress. The abundance of its natural resources--from blue fields of camas to deep veins of gold, from great stands of white pine trees to vast green grasslands--attracted a diversity of dreamers seeking only the opportunity to build their own futures. Nestled in the heart of the Palouse, an agricultural area of extraordinary production, Latah County is a land of timber and, at Potlatch, was once the site of one of the largest sawmills in the world. At Moscow, it is also the home of the state's land-grant institution, the University of Idaho. From the forests of Troy and the ridges of Juliaetta and Kendrick, from the homesteads of Genesee to Bovill's hunting lodge and Deary's town site, Latah County has had a rich and varied history.
A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain
by Paul RichardsonVivid and richly textured,A Late Dinneris a delightful journey through Spain and Spanish cuisine. Paul Richardson is the perfect guide. In lush prose he brings to life the fascinating people who grow and cook and eat the hugely varied and still little-known food of Spain. Richardson's vibrant writing takes readers beyond gazpacho and paella and immerses them in the flavorful world of Spanish food -- from the typical coastal cuisine; to the ancient shepherd cooking of the mountains; to the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and San Sebastián, where chefs are setting the trend for modern cuisine across the globe. His evocative descriptions -- the fried þsh in Cádiz; the tender asparagus and sweet crispy lettuce of Navarre; the Catalan calçotada, a feast of grilled spring onions in a nutty, delicately spicy sauce; the whimsical creations of internationally acclaimed chef Ferran Adrià -- are a celebration of the senses. Richardson traces the roots of Spanish cooking to the landscape, the people, and the history of this beautiful and complex country. A Late Dinneris a glorious and intimately drawn portrait of Spain.
Lathrop
by Mac Freeman Jennifer PyronFirst home to Yokut Indians, then trappers, hunters, and fishermen, Lathrop was founded by Leland Stanford in 1869 as a railroad town and an answer to Stanford's frustration with his railroad attempts in Stockton. Lathrop's rich history includes the railroad, its Delta waterways, manufacturing and distributing industries, and the fascinating tale of California Supreme Court justice David S. Terry's murder (Terry had previously fought and won the last legal duel in California with U.S. senator David C. Broderick just outside of San Francisco). Reportedly named in honor of a relative of Leland Stanford Jr., today's Lathrop evolved from rugged railroad beginnings to a growing and vibrant community of close to 20,000 residents.
The Latin Inscriptions of Rome: A Walking Guide
by Tyler LansfordA collection of 15 guided walking tours of the ancient Latin descriptions found throughout Rome. Rome&’s oldest known Latin inscription dates from the sixth century BC; the most recent major specimen was mounted in 2006—a span of more than two and a half millennia. Remarkably, many of these inscriptions are still to be found in situ, on the walls, gates, temples, obelisks, bridges, fountains, and churches of the city. Classicist Tyler Lansford has collected some 400 of these inscriptions and arranged them—with English translations—into fifteen walking tours that trace the physical and historical contours of the city. Each itinerary is prefaced by an in-depth introduction that provides a survey of the history and topography of the relevant area of the city. The Latin texts appear on the left-hand page with English translations on the right. The original texts are equipped with full linguistic annotation, and the translations are supplemented with historical and cultural notes that explain who mounted them and why. This unique guide will prove a fascinating and illuminating companion for both sophisticated visitors to the Eternal City and armchair travelers seeking a novel perspective into Rome's rich history.&“This book is wonderful. . . . Lansford&’s evocative depictions of monuments, cityscape, and memorable humans have inspired me anew with the fascination of Rome.&” —Mary T. Boatwright, Duke University&“If this book is not slipped into many a Rome-bound suitcase, there is no justice in the world. I can think of few more enjoyable companions on a prowl through the city.&” —Jane Stevenson, Times Literary Supplement (UK)
Latino History in Rhode Island: Nuestras Raices (American Heritage)
by Marta V. Martínez Albert T. KlybergIn 1956, the Rosarios came to Providence and opened the first Hispanic food market in Rhode Island. This Dominican family's move signaled a new era of Latin American migration for the Ocean State. In the mid-1960s, Guatemalans came to Rhode Island as refugees from the dirty war at home, and Puerto Ricans arrived in the 1920s looking for agricultural work. From the Colombian factory workers who settled in Central Falls in the mid-1960s to the Cubans who fled Castro's revolution in the 1950s and 1960s, Latin Americans were flocking to the coastal towns and quaint neighborhoods of Rhode Island looking for brighter futures and a place to call home. Join author Marta V. Martinez as she turns a collection of oral histories into a fascinating story of the birth of Rhode Island's vibrant Latino community.
Latinos in the Washington Metro Area (Images of America)
by Linda Robinson Jorge Hernandez-Fujigaki Maria Sprehn-MalagónThe Latino presence in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area has diverse roots and a rich history. The earlier residents were relatively small in number, but the Latino population increased dramatically in the late 20th century. Today, this unique Latino community is the 12th largest in the nation. While people of Salvadoran origin are the most numerous, this area is also home to those who hail from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and many other nations and cultures. This book highlights the early days of the Hispanic Festival, the Central American peace movement, the struggle for civil and immigrants� rights, and notable residents. With a shared immigrant experience and broad cultural bonds, these and many other Latino residents have transformed the Washington, DC, area.
Latitude: The True Story of the World's First Scientific Expedition
by Nicholas CraneLatitude is a gloriously exciting tale of adventure and scientific discovery that has never been told before.Crane, the former president of the Royal Geographic Society, documents the remarkable expedition undertaken by a group of twelve European adventurer-scientists in the mid-eighteenth century. The team spent years in South America, scaling volcanoes and traversing jungles before they achieved their goal of establishing the exact shape of the Earth by measuring the length of 1 degree latitude at the equator. Their endeavors were not limited to this one achievement. Not only did their discovery open up the possibility for safe, accurate navigation across the seas, they also discovered rubber and quinine. With a narrative that reads like it was taken from the script of an adventure movie, Nicholas Crane brings to life a narrative that is a timely remind of how scientific discovery can change the world and our future. By knowing the shape of the earth we can create maps, survive the oceans, navigate the skies, and travel across the globe. Without latitude, maps and navigation wouldn&’t be accurate, lives would have been lost, and exact locations of cities and rivers would never be known. After ten grueling years in search of a magic number, the survivors returned to Europe with their historical discovery and fueled the public&’s interest in science. Twent-five years ago, Dava Sobel&’s bestselling Longitude was a global publishing phenomenon, yet it told only one half of the story. With Latitude, this cornerstone piece of our shared history is now complete with this tale of a trip that changed the course of human civilization. Filled with raw excitement and danger, Latitude brings the challenges that faced these explorer-scientists to vivid life.
Latonia
by Lisa Curtiss GillhamThe Latonia Racetrack, opened in 1883, was one of the country's finest. Its presence spurred development, and the resulting town eventually took its name from the famous track. Latonia flourished with the help of the railroad, which carried visitors into town and hauled coal from the mining regions of southeastern Kentucky. The racetrack and railroad made Latonia a bustling center of activity and brought characters from all walks of life. Railroaders and stable boys tipped their hats to wealthy celebrities arriving to play the odds at the track. Famous jockeys, church-going housewives, and con men crossed paths at the racetrack and at Ritte's Corner. Named for a saloon, Ritte's Corner was considered the heart of Latonia, and it was a place where townspeople gathered to socialize, swap stories, and get the latest news. In 1909, Latonia was annexed by Covington, but it continues to be a neighborhood with its own identity and a place families call home, generation after generation.
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (Images of America)
by Frank J. CavaioliLocated on Florida's Gold Coast, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea is noted for its beach activities, living reef system, and family-oriented lifestyle. The quiet beauty of the sea and sand amid friendly low-rise lodgings and quaint stores and restaurants draws visitors to this thriving paradise year-round. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea developed slowly around the original platted land set down by William F. Morang in 1924 as he and others promoted a land boom. The completion of the Flagler Railroad by 1900 paved the way for regional growth. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea lacked a railroad terminal and remained undeveloped in the early years. Melvin I. Anglin pioneered in chartering the town in 1927 and became its first mayor. Two hurricanes and the 1929 stock market crash burst the real estate bubble, leading to the demise of the charter in 1933. In 1947, citizens drew up a new charter that was certified by the state legislature two years later. Construction of the Anglin Pier in 1941 and the Commercial Boulevard Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in 1965 broke down the isolation of the town. Annexation of the unincorporated area north to Pompano Beach completed its growth cycle.
Laugh-Out-Loud Road Trip Jokes for Kids (Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids)
by Gearbox Rob ElliottFrom the #1 bestselling author of Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids comes a brand-new collection filled with hundreds of jokes and riddles perfect for trains, planes, and automobiles—and featuring, for the first time ever, games and puzzles to keep the whole family busy for hours! This year, when school lets out and the kids are raring to go, hit the road with Rob Elliott’s first-ever summer joke collection. An ideal choice for taking to the pool, on summer sleepovers, or on a long, winding car ride!Q: What kind of people travel the most? A: Romans!
Laurel
by Ann Kooistra-ManningEarly Laurel, like many Montana frontier towns, was shaped by tenacious settlers who struggled to carve a living from a harsh, often unforgiving landscape in the wake of the Indian Wars. Laurel started as little more than a railway station and a handful of businesses serving railroad workers, farmers, and ranchers in the early 1880s. Irrigation projects soon transformed the dry, dusty prairies along the Yellowstone River near Laurel into productive farmlands. Homesteaders flocked to the valley. By 1908, Laurel had grown into a bustling shipping and servicing center for three major railroads and boasted the largest rail yard and roundhouse between Seattle and St. Paul. In the 1920s, it became a jumping-off point for tourists destined for Yellowstone Park. A decade later, Laurel staked its claim in the region's emerging oil industry when the Laurel Leaf refinery was built. This small, unassuming town has played a vital role in the development of the Yellowstone River Valley and beyond.
Laurel Hill Cemetery
by Carol Yaster Rachel WolgemuthEstablished in 1836, Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery was one of the earliest rural cemeteries in America. The picturesque views and outstanding horticulture, along with sculptures and monuments designed by notable artists and architects—like Alexander Milne Calder, Alexander Stirling Calder, Harriet Frishmuth, John Notman, and Thomas Ustick Walter—attracted thousands of visitors. Laurel Hill became the desired place of burial for Philadelphia’s elite and the final resting place for those with last names like Widener, Wharton, Meade, and Elkins. The cemetery’s design was much admired and widely imitated, both locally and nationally. While the 20th century ushered in a steep decline for Laurel Hill, the establishment of a friends group in 1978 and the cemetery’s designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1998 signaled a transformation for the cemetery. Laurel Hill entered a new century as a revitalized and relevant institution. Once again, the cemetery is regarded as an important part of the community, a worthy destination for visitors, and a place to share in the stories of the men and women whose lives shaped both Philadelphia and the nation.
Laurelton
by Roberta Kossoff Annette Henkin LandauWhen the 13 colonies declared their independence from the British, the area of Queens that eventually became Laurelton consisted of woodlands, ponds, and farms. This rural community gained some recognition when an attempt to build an upscale housing development for wealthy New Yorkers failed, but left in its place an elegant, new Long Island Railroad Station named "Laurelton." In 1929, the stock market crash and Depression led New Yorkers to the discovery that home ownership was a thrifty alternative to renting. As Laurelton was a beautiful and safe area, real estate boomed. The neighborhood experienced a momentous ethnic change in the 1970s, and within 20 years 80 percent of Laurelton's population was Afircan American and Caribbean middle-class professionals. Laurelton is in the eighth-wealthiest council district in New York City, and its reputation for beauty and community involvement continues.
Lava Beds National Monument
by Lee JuilleratThe region in far northeastern California encompassed by Lava Beds National Monument is often called the "Land of Burnt Out Fires." The name reflects a landscape created by fiery volcanic forces, including cataclysmic events that created more than 700 lava tube caves and an aboveground landscape shaped and fractured by lava flows and other geologic turmoil. Despite its tortured landscape, the region has also been a place of human habitation for thousands of years. Early natives traveled through the lava beds as part of their seasonal travels for food and shelter. The Modoc Indians' knowledge of that landscape, a natural lava fortress now known as Captain Jack's Stronghold, was used during the Modoc War of 1872 and 1873. Modocs, settlers, and others who followed--sheep ranchers, homesteaders, cave discoverers, tourists, spelunkers, and US Forest Service and National Park Service managers--have played prominent roles in creating the region's, and Lava Beds National Monument's, always evolving human history.