Tells the stories of some of the major and minor shipwrecks that have occurred on the Great Lakes, including the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the capsizing of the excursion liner Eastland on the Chicago River.

Great Lakes Naval Training Station was authorized as a "training ship on land" in 1904. The base opened on July 1, 1911, and the first class of 300 U.S. sailors graduated four months later in a grand ceremony attended by Pres. William H. Taft as guest of honor. It has since sent to the fleet over four million sailors, serving the nation through all the conflicts of the 20th century. Today Great Lakes is the sole remaining navy boot camp in the United...

In 1923--just 20 years after the Wright brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk--a Naval Reserve aviation training program was established at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Originally, sea planes and a few small land-based planes were used for primary flight instruction. With the development of heavier, faster military aircraft, the Great Lakes facility became inadequate. Under Rear Adm. John Downes, commandant of the 9th Naval District, the search...

Seeing a tall ship under full sail is an unforgettable experience - it's like a trip back in time! From full-rigged ships that look like the pirate vessels of old to replicas of the sleek Baltimore schooners that helped win the War of 1812, tall ships still ply the waters of the Great Lakes, and each one carries its own incredible tales. More than 25 ships are featured in this amazing full-color book, complete with vessel and crew details, as well...

"Buried deep in the Wisconsin Northwoods, the ruined splendor of the Summerwind Mansion bares the bones of its legendary past. Robert Patterson Lamont purchased the property in 1916 as a country retreat where he could entertain such guests as President Warren G. Harding. Unfortunately, the house played host to visitors of an entirely different sort, and Lamont reportedly fled the property after discharging a pistol at a ghoul in the basement pantry."--Page...

The history of Porter County goes back several centuries. The area now known as Porter County was first inhabited by several Indian tribes, primarily the Potawatomi. With the formation of the state of Indiana and the establishment of Porter County, the area grew rapidly. The natural beauty of Porter County and its scenic freshwater lakes attracted developers who erected several summer resorts around the lake area. Access to these resorts was enhanced

...

From an acclaimed Scientists in the Field author comes the electrifying story of the scientists and engineers who are working to transform ocean waves into electricity in hopes of generating a cleaner, more sustainable power source.

"Columbus knew no greater thrill than I, a ten-year-old discovering new creeks and branches and islands and mainland hideaways...I resolved to make my living as an explorer and said so in school when we were all asked what we planned to do upon our growing up." John Leland lived a Huckleberry Finn sort of boyhood that most children would envy. A fifth-generation low country native, he grew up fishing, swimming, and hunting arrowheads on a tidal creek...

Essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817—62) ranks among America's foremost nature writers. The Concord, Massachusetts, native spent most of his life observing the natural world of New England. His thoughts on leading a simple, independent life remain a foundation of modern environmentalism, as captured in Walden, his best-known work. Canoeing in the Wilderness, the 1857 diary of a two-week sojourn in Maine, chronicles the author's...