Newton has more than enough legendary locals to fill volumes of books. Endless are the stories about men, women, and young people who dedicated, or still dedicate, countless hours of their lives in order to make Newton and the world a better place. Newton has been a launching ground for award-winning authors, Nobel Prize winners, Olympic medalists, and Hollywood stars. Some of Boston's best athletes have chosen to make "the Garden City" their home. In the pages of this book, readers will learn about Newton's first mayor, James Hyde, who never lost an election in more than 50 times on the ballot; Rev. Edmond Kelley, the first pastor at Myrtle Baptist Church and a former slave; Leonard Zakim, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League who dedicated his life to fighting prejudice and civil rights violations; Louise Bruyn, who walked from Newton to Washington, DC, to protest the Vietnam War; Shirley Lewis, known as the "regal queen of the blues"; and Ted Williams, regarded as baseball's greatest hitter, who lived in Newton Upper Falls.

Newton has more than enough legendary locals to fill volumes of books. Endless are the stories about men, women, and young people who dedicated, or still dedicate, countless hours of their lives in order to make Newton and the world a better place. Newton has been a launching ground for award-winning authors, Nobel Prize winners, Olympic medalists, and Hollywood stars. Some of Boston's best athletes have chosen to make "the Garden City" their home. In the pages of this book, readers will learn about Newton's first mayor, James Hyde, who never lost an election in more than 50 times on the ballot; Rev. Edmond Kelley, the first pastor at Myrtle Baptist Church and a former slave; Leonard Zakim, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League who dedicated his life to fighting prejudice and civil rights violations; Louise Bruyn, who walked from Newton to Washington, DC, to protest the Vietnam War; Shirley Lewis, known as the "regal queen of the blues"; and Ted Williams, regarded as baseball's greatest hitter, who lived in Newton Upper Falls.

Founded as a lumbering town in the mid-1800s, Cheboygan has transformed over the years to be something much less simplistic and much more dynamic; so, too, have its people. While some of Cheboygan's residents played important roles in business or commerce, others made their mark through philanthropic work, service to the community, or just by their demeanor. History is as much about people as it is about events--people like Gordon "Scoop" Turner, who came to Cheboygan for a few months but ended up staying for a lifetime. There are businessmen like Millard D. Olds, who became one of the most successful lumbermen at a time when others were leaving town, and George M. Humphrey, the 55th treasurer of the United States. An eye towards the community has also made some residents legendary, such as Joyce and Quincy Leslie. And, of course, there are those whose history is shrouded in controversy, including Sheriff Fred Ming, under whose authority a Native American village was burned to the ground. Whatever their story, these locals have contributed to the character and history of Cheboygan.

From the first settlers, the Lewis family in the 1790s, to the New River Settlement led by William Cooley in the 1830s, to the arrival of Frank Stranahan in 1893, Fort Lauderdale is an "old" young town. Named for the Second Seminole War fort commanded by Major Lauderdale, the town incorporated in 1911. The land boom of the 1910s-1920s brought an influx of people including publicist Commodore Brook, architect Francis Abreu, developer Charles Rodes, and businessmen Moe and Mack Katz. Following the economic downturn after the 1926 hurricane, the postwar boom transformed the sleepy town into the tropical paradise and tourist destination that it is today. Hotelier Bob Gill, developer James Hunt, "Crazy Gregg" Newell, and entrepreneur Wayne Huizenga led that charge. Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale also tells the story of groundbreaking civil servants such as Easter Lily Gates and Andrew DeGraffenreidt, civil rights activists Eula Johnson and Dean Trantalis, educators Mae McMillan and Sister Marie Schramko, and sports stars Katherine Rawls, Chris Evert, and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Already famous throughout Europe for his theories of planetary motion and gravity, Isaac Newton decided to take on the job of running the Royal Mint. And there, Newton became drawn into a battle with William Chaloner, the most skilful of counterfeiters, a man who not only got away with faking His Majesty's coins (a crime that the law equated with treason), but was trying to take over the Mint itself. But Chaloner had no idea who he was taking on. Newton pursued his enemy with the cold, implacable logic that he brought to his scientific research. Set against the backdrop of early eighteenth-century London with its sewers running down the middle of the streets, its fetid rivers, its packed houses, smoke and fog, its industries and its great port, this dark tale of obsession and revenge transforms our image of Britain's greatest scientist.

Founded in the 1830s by Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings, an intrepid young couple from Yorkshire, England, the small settlement of Oak Park grew slowly until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Before the ashes had cooled, Oak Park's population boomed as displaced families relocated into the community on the west edge of Chicago. By the turn of the 20th century, this thriving village became a magnet attracting ever-larger numbers of prosperous, progressive people to settle in what many referred to as "the finest of the streetcar suburbs." In the 1960s and 1970s, Oak Park became widely recognized for encouraging racial and ethnic diversity. Though best known for such residents as architect Frank Lloyd Wright and novelist Ernest Hemingway, Oak Park also lays claim to scores of others who have shone brightly in the national spotlight, as well as current folks who are passionate, daring, and dynamic. More than 100 noteworthy Oak Parkers-- past and present--are featured in this volume, from writers and restaurateurs to mobsters and movie stars.

From presidents and patriots, to locals engaged in service both heartwarming and heartbreaking, Quincy has been a place where names endure. On Adams Street, a stately mansion evokes the nations second president and his storied kin, while the nearby Bernazzani Elementary School recalls a beloved educator who died after suffering a medical episode during a school committee meeting. In addition to two presidents and John Hancock, Quincy also birthed Dunkin Donuts and Howard Johnsons, Hollywood stars Ruth Gordon and Bill Dana, punk rock legends the Dropkick Murphys, and a host of prominent industrialists who made quarrying and shipbuilding Quincys national calling cards. Less renowned but equally ingrained are the citys local characters. Memories of Mike The Winger Zadrozny launching vinyl records like Frisbees around the city still elicit nostalgia. Generations who played Little League in the Koch Club recall Richard Kochs commitment to community. The homeless honor Fr. William McCarthy, who founded the shelter Father Bills Place and personified charity. These legendary namesindividuals both towering and humblemade Quincy a uniquely American city and kept it that way.