The story of Harriet Smith Pullen’s early life, from her childhood journeys by covered wagon to her family’s subsistence in sod houses on the Dakota prairie where they survived grasshopper plagues, floods, fires, blizzards, and droughts is a narrative of American migration and adventure that still resonates today. But there is much more to the legendary woman’s life, revealed here for the first time by Eleanor Phillips Brackbill, her great-granddaughter, who has traveled the path of her ancestor, delving into unpublished material, as well as sharing family stories in this American story that will capture the imagination of a new generation.

After migrating by emigrant train to Washington Territory, Harriet endured typhoid fever and a shipwreck, then homesteaded among the Quileute people on the coast of Washington, where she married Dan Pullen, with whom she was an equal partner in ranching and managing an Indian fur-trading post before a life-changing series of events caused her to strike out for the north. In 1897, she landed in Skagway, Alaska, broke and alone after leaving her husband and four children in Washington, determined to make a fresh start and to reunite with her sons and daughter. Newly independent and empowered, she became an entrepreneur, single-handedly hauling prospectors’ provisions into the mountains where gold beckoned and then starting the Pullen House, an acclaimed hotel.

Later in life, Harriet would entertain her guests with fabulous stories about the gold rush and her renowned collection of Alaskan Native artifacts and gold rush relics. She achieved near-legendary status in Alaska during her lifetime and The Queen of Heartbreak Trail brings to life moments that are well known and moments that have never before been published—her arrest for holding a claim jumper at gunpoint, her grueling courtroom testimony defending herself against the spurious accusations of a malevolent employer, and, how, in her father’s words, she “turned out” her husband of twenty years.

A comprehensive guide to the architectural history of
Jamestown, New York.

New York’s small cities are little-known
treasure troves of American history. Among them, Jamestown stands out with a
memorable and engaging cityscape highlighted by steep hills, brick streets, a
remarkably intact city center, and numerous buildings of historical and
architectural interest.

Peter A. Lombardi’s Jamestown, New York
chronicles the development of this Southern Tier city’s built environment over
two-hundred years—from a frontier outpost, to a leading maker of furniture and
textiles, to a reenergized postindustrial city. Part one provides a short
history of Jamestown, emphasizing the economic and social forces that have
influenced the city’s architecture and development patterns. Part two includes
detailed entries on more than one hundred buildings and sites, with maps to
facilitate walking and driving tours. This comprehensive guide to New York’s
Pearl City illuminates the stories behind the buildings, connecting Jamestown’s
past and present to the evolution of urban America.

“Jamestown, New
York tells the story of Jamestown, a typical northeastern American city,
through the architectural landscape that exists today. Peter gives the reader
the tools to interpret clues hidden in plain sight about Jamestown’s growth,
decline, and revitalization. He also ties national trends and issues into the
Jamestown story. The book is easy to read, informative, and immediately
applicable for novices and experts alike.” — Joni Blackman, Director, Fenton
History Center

Driven by an almost fanatical desire for whatever is new, "modern," and likely to make money, Houston is constantly in the process of remaking itself. Few structures remain from the nineteenth century, and even much of the twentieth-century built environment has fallen before the wrecking ball of "progress." Indeed, the demolition of older buildings in Houston can be compared to the destruction of cityscapes such as Berlin, Warsaw, and Tokyo in World War II. But because this wholesale restructuring of Houston's built environment has happened in peacetime, historically minded people have only recently sounded an alarm over what is being lost and the toll this destruction is taking on Houstonians' sense of place.

Houston Lost and Unbuilt presents an extensive catalogue of twentieth-century public and commercial buildings that have been lost forever, as well as an intriguing selection of buildings that never made it off the drawing board. The lost buildings (or lost interiors of buildings) span a wide range, from civic gathering places such as the Houston Municipal Auditorium and the Astrodome to commercial enterprises such as the Foley Brothers, Sears Roebuck, and Sakowitz department stores to "Theatre Row" downtown to neighborhoods such as Fourth Ward/Freedmen's Town. Steven Strom's introductions and photo captions describe each significant building's contribution to the civic life of Houston. The "unbuilt" section of the book includes numerous previously unpublished architectural renderings of proposed projects such as a multi-building city center, monorail, and people mover system, all which reflect Houston's fascination with the future and optimism that technology will solve all of the city's problems.

In sixty-seven exquisite watercolors and drawings, nationally famous architect Eugene Aubry captures on paper the sensibilities, the memories, and the grace that evokes Galveston, especially for those who are BOI (“born on the island”). Commissioned by the Galveston Historical Foundation, these works of art are intended to enhance the visual record of the buildings and the unique local architectural style that so many have appreciated over the years.?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, Galvestonians became more aware than ever of the treasure of the island’s historical architecture and the vulnerability of this heritage to forces beyond human control. Aubry’s art captures the almost palpable sense of past glories these buildings bring to mind. Aubry—himself BOI—has fashioned these pieces in a way that resonates with those who love the island’s ethos.

With a fine eye to the artist’s intent and a mastery of detail, architectural historian Stephen Fox expertly and eloquently introduces the work as a whole and, in discursive captions that accompany each image, informs the reader’s appreciation of Aubry’s art.

So much more than a tribute, Born on the Island: The Galveston We Remember stands as a loving homage to Galveston—one that will call its readers home to the island, even if they have never ventured there before.

During the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth centuries, the erection of nearly one thousand covered bridges was recorded in New England's archives. However, the ravages of time, storms, floods, neglect, and vandals have reduced the remaining historic, authentic covered bridges to fewer than two hundred. While the majority of these bridges are in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire, wonderful examples of covered bridges can be found in all six of the New England states.
In the preparation for writing this book, the Evanses traveled 13,821 miles documenting and photographing more than 200 covered bridges. The introduction to the book familiarizes readers with covered bridges by discussing their history, twelve different kinds of truss designs, and current preservation and restoration efforts. The Evanses provide, for each of the 206 bridges in this book, the name of the bridge, its location, specific directions to the bridge, its year of construction, its truss design, and the name of the waterway it crosses. Additional information includes whether the bridge is in use, its number of spans, the names of its owner and builder, its length and width, its condition, number, national register data, and anecdotal material. A short glossary of covered-bridge terminology is also included.

Beginning in the 1920s, New Orleans was one of the first U.S. cities to deliberately attempt to preserve its architectural heritage. In this influential and prophetic essay, Tulane professor of architecture Bernard Lemann argues for a rational balance between commercial growth and historic preservation in the French Quarter, offering a philosophical blueprint for keeping the Vieux Carr‚ a living, vibrant neighborhood.

Bridges, the least known and understood of China's many wonders, are one of its most striking and resilient feats of architectural prowess.

Chinese Bridges brings together a thorough look at the marvels of Chinese bridge design from one of the world's leading experts on Chinese culture and historical geography, Ronald G. Knapp. While many consider bridges to be merely utilitarian civil engineering, the bridges of China move beyond that stereotype, as many are undeniably dramatic, even majestic and daring. Chinese Bridges illustrates in detail 20 well-preserved ancient bridges, along with descriptions and essays on the distinctive architectural elements shared by the various designs.

For the first time in an English-language book, Chinese Bridges records scores of newly discovered bridges across China's vast landscape, illustrated with over 400 color photographs, as well as woodblock prints, historic images, paintings and line drawings.

Architects of Little Rock provides biographical and historical sketches of the architects working in Little Rock from 1830 to 1950. Thirty-five architects are profiled, including George R. Mann, Thomas Harding, Charles L. Thompson, Max. F. Mayer, Edwin B. Cromwell, George H. Wittenberg, Lawson L. Delony, and others. Readers will learn who these influential professionals were, where they came from, where they were educated, how they lived, what their families were like, how they participated in the life of the city, and what their buildings contributed to the city. Famous buildings, including the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Old State House, the Arkansas State Capitol, St. Andrews Cathedral, Little Rock City Hall, the Pulaski County Court House, Little Rock Central High School, and Robinson Auditorium are showcased, bringing attention to and encouraging appreciation of the city’s historic buildings.

Published in collaboration with the Fay Jones School of Architecture.

This richly illustrated book tracks the evolution of Fredericksburg architecture and guides readers through the streets of this once-westernmost German settlement in America, pointing out the log, fachwerk, and stone buildings that housed the town’s full-time residents, its weekenders, and the businesses of the nineteenth century.

Abundant with details uncovered by Hafertepe in his research, including corrections to construction dates based on newly tapped records, this guide features those buildings visible to visitors from the public streets and sidewalks. The author lists which buildings are open for tours and which ones have been converted to public use such as museums, stores, or restaurants.

The buildings of Fredericksburg reflect memories of classic German construction and technique with a gradual transition to American styles, including a few remarkable decades that were neither purely German nor American distinctively but saw the creation of a regional style.

This book allows readers to walk down the streets of Fredericksburg and see the layers of Texas history on display: everything from a pioneer log cabin to an art deco courthouse.

First one-volume paperback edition of one of the most important documents in American architecture. Depicted are over 130 structures -- the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pierpont Morgan Library, Tiffany & Company, and the original Penn Station, among others, in New York, as well as many important landmarks in other cities. 435 photographs, over 250 line illustrations.