The Heart Of The Catskills Reveals History

Oct. 18, 2010 - PRLog -- Local author Mary L. Herrmann and Arcadia Publishing present  Shandaken, the newest addition to the popular Images of America Series. Boasting over 200 vintage images, Shandaken showcases the towns earliest settlers and the great community they helped to build.

Shandaken is known as the “Heart of the Catskill Mountains.” In the town’s early years, leather tanning, barrel hoop shaving, and quarrying were mainstays of employment and were relied on by local residents.  With time, each of these industries became obsolete due to modern advances and developments.

Shandaken was revitalized with the arrival of the railroad, which enabled New York City residents to escape the summer heat and travel to the many hotels that sprang up in town.  Tourism increased with the formation of the Forrest Preserve, the Catskill Park, and the New York City Watershed.  Later winter tourism boomed with the popularity of skiing.  Although Shandaken has endured many changes, it has retained its charm and historic character.

Highlights of Shandaken:
•   Features more than 200 vintage images from public archives at the Town of Shandaken Historical Museum
•   Showcases many of the notable residents from the town such as Marion Umhey, Amelita Galli-Curci, the Picolo Midgets, and many others
•   Chronicles the rise and fall of many of the early business and industries in the area and depicts the tourism boom after the arrival of the railroad

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 6,000 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.