5 comments about Newark's Little Italy: The Vanished First Ward.

1. I just finished reading Mr Immerso's book "Newark's Little Italy-The Vanished First Ward". All I can say is WOW. Not only was it a great trip back to another day and time, but I also found some of my ancestors in it. If your Italian, you need to read this book.



2. My wife gave me this book as a Christmas gift last year. I finished it that very day and have since variously underlined passages, highlighted sections and dog eared pages. This work by Michael Immerso reiterated all the stories I heard at the knee of my grandfather or in the kitchen with my mother, aunts and cousins.

   Mt.Prospect and 7th Aves. came to life again where I often heard what it was like living in St. Lucy's parish and a few doors down from the Fire House and behind Rotunda pool.

   Even those that have no personal identity with the 1st. Ward would be served well if they read this chronicle. It speaks of the way that the American dream can be earned. If a community value system exists, if simple pleasures count, and if a work ethic matters, than this Italian community wrote the book.

   I'm just really happy that Michael Immerso had the historical perspective and vision to recount it.




3. My parents are first generation Italians who lived in Newark. I was born in Newark and lived there until I was five years old. To this day my parents still talk of how great Newark was back in those days. I read the book and loved it. I gave it to my mother who also loved it. Great work. I hope Michael Immerso writes a follow up book.



4. This is a great book of photographs of the old times in Newark
   if you are from the area or had relatives there, the
   pictures will take you right back.



5. I thank Michael Immerso for putting this book together. He puts together a history of the Italian-American culture that flourished in Newark. This culture that was so strong that despite the fact that the First Ward is vanished (as the title points out), its legacy still lingers in New Jersey (anyone remember 'Nicky Newark'?)

   For fans of this book, there was an New Jersey Network documentary that accompanied it, which airs occasionally on NJN and WNET/channel 13. A copy of the video is available.

   Also, the Newark Public library ran an exhibit concurrently with the release of this book, and if I am correct, the exhibit is now part of their archives.

3 comments about The Revolutionary War in the Hackensack Valley: The Jersey Dutch and the Neutral Ground, 1775-1783.

1. Leiby's book draws on a range of primary sources and concentrates on the Hackensack River Valley in New Jersey (extending up to Rockland County, NY). Few modern books go into as much detail for this region as does Leiby. His documentation is sound and he uses it to construct a dramatic narrative of the Revolutionary period. Excellent also for genealogists. However, genealogists may sometimes be a little frustrated that Leiby chose the most archaic form of each surname rather than attempt to arbitrate the most "accurate" spelling.

   One serious complaint, from the perspective of an historian, is that Leiby sometimes seems methodologically naive in his nearly uncritical support for the American side. He does not try to understand the Loyalists. Many of them were decent people, as demonstrated by books such as Philip Ranlet's The New York Loyalists. I think Leiby's book would have been much richer for it. Leiby is definitely worth reading.




2. This was a great book for learning about the events, the backdrop of religious civil war, and the loyalties of the inhabitants of Bergen County during the American Revolution. The book is well written and fairly thorough. It will be of interest to anyone who wants to know how the Revolution played out in one area for the entire duration of the war. More interesting since it was a hotly contested area where neighbors had a visceral hatred for each other.

   The writer is unabashedly pro American, but so what? At least he's not veiling his biases as is the tendency of far too many historians.

   I do wish that the maps were a)more readible, b) accompanied by modern maps for comparison -- I still can't find where Liberty Pole is/was.




3. Most people with even the most basic understanding of the founding of America and the conflicts this country went through know that Virginia was the main battleground for the American Civil War. The first large-scale engagement was fought in Manassas and Lee surrendered in Appomattox, and Virginia has done an excellent job with it's "Civil War Trails" highlighting this history.

   Why then, is New Jersey not given the same attention for its role in the war? This book, a perfect companion to "Washington's Partizan War", gives a wonderful account of what seven years of war in northern New Jersey and southern New York was like.

   Besides the British occupying New York City and several blockhouses across the river in New Jersey, this theater of the war was very different. The inhabitants were almost all Dutch, either remnants of New Netherlands or adopted by the culture, but of two very different view points on both religion and politics. A disagreement over governance of the Dutch Reformed Church in the 1760s spilled over into the Revolution, with lines being drawn between Tory and Whig, Loyalist and Rebel. Though the Carolina Backcountry gets most of the attention of the "civil war" aspect of the Revolution, what went on in New Jersey was on a larger scale and longer duration.

   This book will not only tell you of the "Retreat Across the Jerseys", the battles of Paramus, Paulus Hook, Hackensack, Bull's Ferry, the Tappan Massacre, etc., but it is wonderfully documented with detailed footnotes, the mark of any good scholarly work. Any student of the area or the war will appreciate the leads this gives for in depth study on this topic.

1 comments about Bridges Over the Delaware River: A History of Crossings.

1. Covers the history of all non-interstate bridges across the Delaware with photos of nearly every edition of every bridge. The background information and stories of how each bridge came to be are engrossing and full of interesting detail. I expected to skim this book for information on bridges I was familiar with and ended up reading it cover-to-cover.

No comments about Columbia and Richland County: A South Carolina Community, 1740-1990.

2 comments about Iron in the Pines.

1. 
   Although superseded by later books in terms of touring forgotten towns in the NJ Pine Barrens, this book is still the best regarding the history behind these towns. It is especially good for providing two important primary sources: the Martha Furnace Diary, kept by the clerk at the furnace, Caleb Earle, of which only copies exist today, presented in full (it ran, on and off, from March 1808 to May 1815); and extracts from the Batsto Store Books, which go from Jan. 1851 to Dec. 1863. Pierce details the major establishments of the Pines, including Batsto, Atsion, Washington, Harrisville, Etna Furnace, and Pleasant Mills and relates their history at length. He has done his research well and, again, his use of primary sources (old books, letters, journals) is commendable. The book has remained in print since first published in 1957, and hopefully it will remain in print for many years to come.



2. This is a great book. Since a child, my family has spent a lot of time in the pines--on the Mullica, visits to Batso, canoe trips and hikes all around. I wish I had gotten this book thirty years ago!

5 comments about Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey.

1. Beware that once you read this book, you'll be hooked on trying to find these towns.

   An excellent reference for those looking to disover the history of Southern New Jersey.




2. Need a brief escape from the modern world? Want to know what life was like a hundred years ago in Southern NJ? This is the book for you. Mr. Beck wrote in a beautiful, yet folksy style about the people and places that once existed in what we now call the Pine Barrens. After reading this, I am anxious to go back and look for some of these places myself.



3. Including Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey I also owned 4 other books by Henry Carlton Beck.
   I purchaded these books in 1982 and read them over and over until the pages became worn.
   There is no better way to study and get to know the ghost and forgotten towns of southern New Jersey than through these books.
   Henry Carlton Beck put his heart into every word and deed, the information coming from that is wonderful.
   There is no better reading on southern New Jersey that can be found on book shelves.
   These books will live on forever and to experience his windom in these is a real blessing.
   I lost all my books to a fire but plan to replace them next month.
   If your interest is in southern New Jersey these are the books to have on your shelf.



4. Henry Charton Beck spent much of his spare time in the 1930s traipsing around the rural areas of New Jersey searching out local history and lore. He wrote about what he learned in newspaper articles and then in full-length books. This book is the first in a series, published in 1936 (always in print since then, but never revised).
   
   Beck is concerned with the tiny settlements that grew and died mainly in the Pine Barrens, a huge, sparsely settled area that stretches across a good portion of southern NJ. Beginning with Ongs Hat, he tells about 37 different places, one per chapter. The chapters are short, and all the places were visited by Beck, with much of his narrative told through his own eyes. Many of the places are still identified on larger topo maps (there are no maps in the book, unfortunately); very few of these places were ever large enough to support a post office and were merely placenames. Photos grace the book, though what is depicted in them has long disappeared for the most part. Also missing, though it would be very helpful, is an index.
   
   Beck's style has the effect of drawing the reader out into the field to see what he's seen. I've been to quite a few of the places mentioned in the book and have enjoyed having the book along with me. Being almost 70 years old, the book is somewhat outdated (some isolated areas he writes about outside of the Pine Barren reserve are filled with housing developments and strip malls now), but it's still a great book on the local history of southern NJ of long ago.



5. I had this book when I was a teen and lost it. I've read it a few times. I can't say that about many books. I've also read More Forgotton Town a few times as well. A must have for anyone interested in Jersey history.

No comments about Family Tree Guide to Finding Your Ellis Island Ancestors: A Genealogist's Essential Guide to Navigating the Ellis Island Database and Passenger Arrival List.

5 comments about Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955.

1. Mary Shafer has approached a detailed account of a tragic flood with unusual thoroughness, compassion, continuity, and research. It is a non-fiction book like no other, holding the reader spellbound throughout. One cannot help but become emotionally involved with those who suffered through this event, and one cannot help but admire Shafer for her accomplishment. Obviously, Shafer was passionate about her subject; it shows in throughout this book.



2. Mary Shafer's "Devastation on the Delaware" is an engrossing account of the tragic Delaware Valley flood of 1955, created by Hurricanes Connie and Diane. Told as a narrative timeline of events, this book introduces us to the people and communities overcome by the wrathful waters of the Delaware and its tributaries. It reads like historical fiction rather than documentary, with many amazing and touching stories uncovered by the author's interviewing diligence. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it as a full and varied account of an unbelievable event and its effect on the Delaware Valley.



3. Mary Shafer's book Devastation on the Delaware is the amazing result of years of research and emotional commitment. Written to commemorate the August, 1955, Delaware River Valley Flood, the book takes the reader on a "roller-coaster ride" through those days of death and "devastation." Ms. Shafer describes in detail the Flood as experienced in all the areas of the Delaware Valley during August 18-20.
   
   Her professional commitment to her "craft" and her personal commitment to the survivors and victims of the Flood are extraordinary. The survivors' stories (remembered in minute detail 50 years later) are heart-wrenching. The graphic details are horrifying.
   
   The author is an exceptional writer, one who weaves historical and scientific facts into a compelling "story." The fascinating history of the Delaware River and its tributaries, general information about hurricanes (and Hurricanes Connie and Diane in particular) and the status of weather reporting in the mid-1950's and the abandoned plans to dam the River after the Flood all become part of the drama of one of our country's worst natural disasters. This book will hold everyone's interest. It is a great "read."
   
   For those of us who lived through the Flood, it is also a priceless gift. Many people waited over 50 years for the kind of closure only Ms. Shafer's book has given them.



4. Mary Schaefer's Devastation on the Delaware is an eye-opening account of what happens when people forget the power of flood waters. Extreme natural events can't often be tamed by mankind.
   
   There are many very sad as well as hearwarming and uplifting accounts of people's response to the flood.
   
   Ultimately the 55 flood created a National Park on the Delaware River. Although the Tocks Island project displaced and did great harm to some, the net result - - the National Park - - is a good thing, if only because it keeps people from forgetting again and trying to live too close to the banks of this great river.



5. I grew up hearing about this flood, but in the way of casual family talk, I never really learned much about it. Fascinating to read such a well-researched book on the many aspects of the flood. It was indeed life-changing for so many people. While my own family didn't suffer from it, they knew many, many people who did. The stories went on for years. They'd be lost now except for this excellent book.

No comments about There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos.

4 comments about The Official Guide to Ancestry.com.

1. The book is a good reference to have on hand to clarify a point or search a question.



2. I am of two minds when it comes to an "official guide" to any site on the World Wide Web. First, a website can consist of as many pages as necessary to cover the subject, and there can be as many interconnections between pages as necessary to guide the user. Second, the nature of hyperlinking is such that any properly designed website shouldn't need a guide. It should be so logically organized that navigation is obvious, and it should include its own internal "help" system. At least, that's the theory. In practice, even a site as generally well designed as Ancestry (and it is well designed) can eventually become so large, with so many layers, that it can be daunting even to an experienced genealogical web surfer.
   
   George Morgan, a well-known Florida genealogist, book author, and columnist, began doing research back in the 1960s, when "research" meant many trips to the courthouse and the library and waiting for replies to correspondence. Recent, younger converts to the hobby may find it difficult to imagine such a thing, but that's how it was. Ancestry was one of the earliest multi-database resources to appear online and is now part of the Generations Network, a huge conglomerate (in genealogical terms) that includes nearly a dozen previously separate database sites, plus Family Tree Maker and Ancestry Publishing. The Ancestry site itself includes more than 23,000 databases and transcribed books, with many more being constantly added, and the company has done the online researcher the service of making the templates nearly identical that give access to them. This book follows the obvious logical structure of devoting a chapter to each broad category: Census records, birth/marriage/death, immigration, directories and membership lists, newspaper and periodicals, court records, land, military, PERSI. maps, and local and family histories. Other chapters give advice on starting your first family tree on the site itself (something I don't recommend for reasons of access and lack of backup), on how to work with the many kinds of digitized records at Ancestry (much improved over the early days), using the Learning Center (lots of freebies here), and how to most efficiently spend your money at the Ancestry Store. The text of the book is generally well thought out and the sales pitch (Ancestry itself is the publisher, don't forget) is reasonably subtle.
   
   One thing: Don't forget that Ancestry is not a free research service, it's a business. If you live in a small town far away from large research libraries -- and especially if you need to do research in a far corner of the country -- a subscription is going to be far cheaper than gasoline. Plus, you can work online at any time of the day or night. But also don't forget that in many states the state library makes available a subscription to Ancestry to city and county libraries all around the state, and that anyone with a library card can therefore access any database at Ancestry for free by visiting their local library. (But no, you generally can't logon to the library's access point from home.)
   
   I can recommend this volume to anyone new to the websites it describes, although most of what is available on the site can be discovered simply by "walking around." It would especially make a good auxiliary gift if you're planning on giving someone in your family a gift subscription to Ancestry for Christmas.



3. I have been using Ancestry for a couple of years, but needed some help figuring out how to accomplish certain tasks. This book had the relevant information. I would recommend it to both new and old users of Ancestry.com



4. tHIS IS A REFERENCE BOOK TO KEEP RIGHT BESIDWE YOU WHEN YOU ARE WORKING WITH [...]. tHEY HAVE SO MUCH INFO AND YOU NEED HELP TO FOLOOW THE TRAILS. tHIS IS AN EXCELLENT MAP.