Local historian Peter C. Vermilyea tells stories of some forgotten moments in Litchfield County, CT from Native American legends to Cold War relics. Traces of Litchfield County's past are hidden in plain sight. Vestiges of long-abandoned railroad tracks crisscross the county while a decaying and unmarked cinder block structure in Warren is all that remains of a cornerstone of national defense. All but forgotten today, a fire roared through Winsted in 1908, causing residents to flee their rooms at the Odd Fellows boardinghouse. In Bantam, art deco chairs made by the Warren McArthur Corporation prompted the War Department to order bomber seats from the company during World War II. Author Peter C. Vermilyea explores these and other obscure tales from the history of Litchfield County, Connecticut.

In the late-nineteenth century, Ehrick Rossiter (1854-1941) recognized the inherent beauty of the Shepaug River Valley and bought up riverfront land, including a renowned cliff known as Steep Rock. He wound carriage roads through the valley's fields and forests to link scenic overlooks, river crossings, and riverside picnic spots, creating a rustic park.After enjoying his property for almost forty years, he founded a land trust in 1925 to preserve the waterside slopes in perpetuity for the recreational use and enjoyment of future generations. Recognized today as high conservation value land, Rossiter's original 378-acre woodland retreat has become the core of Steep Rock Association, now a 5,200-acre land trust in Washington, Connecticut approaching its one hundredth anniversary.The History of Steep Rock Association: The Jewel in the Crown focuses on the community members who took up Rossiter's cause as the land trust grew to encompass three publicly-accessible nature preserves - the Steep Rock, Hidden Valley, and Macricostas Preserves. Based on both archival material and recent conservation reports, the book is illustrated with over 150 photographs and maps. It features twenty-five "then and now" comparisons with hundred year old photographs from the town of Washington's Gunn Historical Museum, bringing the history of one of the most picturesque and conservation worthy riverine landscapes of Litchfield County to life.