Carl Ballenas's Books

Jamaica

By: Carl Ballenas

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Jamaica, Queens, has long occupied a commanding position in the political, social, and industrial life of Queens County. Indigenous people created a trail, used by various tribes to trade furs and other goods, through the woods that later became Jamaica Avenue, the main street of the village. Jamaica was witness to the evolution of change, receiving a charter from Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant in 1656, becoming an English colony in 1664, and winning freedom in the American Revolution with the Jamaica Minutemen. The area is richly steeped in history: George Washington slept here; and Walt Whitman, Susan B. Anthony, Rufus King, Jacob Riis, and many more have left their mark on Jamaica. Jamaica is an astounding visual journey documenting the unique history of this remarkable community over more than 350 years.

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Page Count

132

Publisher

Arcadia Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0738574260

ISBN 13

9780738574264

Richmond Hill

By: Carl Ballenas,Nancy Cataldi,Richmond Hill Historical Society

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Richmond Hill

By: Carl Ballenas,Nancy Cataldi,Richmond Hill Historical Society

Picturesque Richmond Hill evolved after the Civil War on land where orchards once blossomed and cattle once grazed. Nestled in the shadow of New York City, it is one of the city's first planned communities. The Victorian era saw the construction of Queen Anne-style mansions, and the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 brought expansion and increased traffic. Soon, newspapers began boasting about the many parks, grassy lawns, tasteful homes, and proud residents heralding a promising future. Richmond Hill contains more than two hundred vintage photographs to illustrate the unique history of the community. The oldest eatery in Queens, the Hofbrau Restaurant, was the favorite hangout of Mae West, Babe Ruth, and many others. Baseball great Phil Rizzuto made Richmond Hill his home, as did the Marx Brothers, author Amelia Edith Barr, and photojournalist Jacob Riis. Important political events took place in Richmond Hill, such as the newly rediscovered address made in 1903 by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, as well as cultural milestones, such as the composition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" at the Hofbrau Restaurant. Richmond Hill includes these and countless other stories that make up its rich, unique history.

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Page Count

136

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Arcadia Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1439628416

ISBN 13

9781439628416

Jamaica Estates

By: Carl Ballenas

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Jamaica Estates

By: Carl Ballenas

The Jamaica Estates community evolved with the advent of the 20th century. The verdant hills north of the colonial village of Jamaica were blanketed with forests of deciduous trees and dotted with crystal clear glacial lakes. The area's country beauty and tranquility offered people an escape from the congestion of the crowded city. As the Queensborough Bridge neared completion in 1907, two wealthy real estate speculators, Ernestus Gulick and Felix Isman, envisioned a unique community. Together they imagined a residential park offering people the ability to have homes in an area of breathtaking country beauty while working in the city.

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132

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Arcadia Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0738572551

ISBN 13

9780738572550

Kew Gardens

By: Carl Ballenas with the Aquinas Honor Society of the Immaculate Conception School

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Kew Gardens

By: Carl Ballenas with the Aquinas Honor Society of the Immaculate Conception School

Kew Gardens, Queens, evolved with the dawn of the 20th century. The lush, hilly terrain--"the backbone of Long Island"--is situated north of the Victorian village of Richmond Hill. In 1910, Alrick Hubble Man noted the 1909 completion of the Queensborough Bridge and envisioned a modern sister community to Richmond Hill in this northern terrain. He developed Kew Gardens, offering people the ability to have homes in an area of breathtaking country beauty while continuing to work in the city. The century-old Kew Gardens Civic Association, formed in 1914, remains a vibrant, active organization. Its members were a large force behind the advancements in Kew Gardens; in 1915, they fought for underground wiring to prevent the installation of unsightly electric poles, and they continue to serve the community today.

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128

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Arcadia Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1467120723

ISBN 13

9781467120722

Maple Grove Cemetery

By: Nancy Cataldi,Carl Ballenas

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Maple Grove Cemetery

By: Nancy Cataldi,Carl Ballenas

Maple Grove Cemetery, a rural Victorian cemetery located on the backbone of Long Island," opened in 1875. Found within this tranquil sanctuary are extraordinary monuments with lush landscaping that continues to offer a serene escape from New York City. Beyond its gates are the resting places of those who left their mark on the world. Maple Grove Cemetery features the fascinating stories of such noteworthy individuals as Millie Tunnell, former 111-year-old slave; Ann Wilkins, one of the first female missionaries to Africa; John Sutphin, Queens politician and philanthropist; Samuel Loyd, America's puzzle king; Charles Manly, aviation pioneer; Alfred Grebe, radio and broadcast pioneer; Elisabeth Riis, wife of social reformer Jacob Riis; Russian pianists Josef and Rosina Lhevinne; and Blues singer Jimmy Rushing. The cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

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130

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Arcadia Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1439634459

ISBN 13

9781439634455

Voyage of the Turtle

In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur

By: Carl Safina

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Voyage of the Turtle

In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur

By: Carl Safina

The story of an ancient sea turtle and what its survival says about our future, from the award-winning writer and naturalist Though nature is indifferent to the struggles of her creatures, the human effect on them is often premeditated. The distressing decline of sea turtles in Pacific waters and their surprising recovery in the Atlantic illuminate what can go both wrong and right from our interventions, and teach us the lessons that can be applied to restore health to the world's oceans and its creatures. As Voyage of the Turtle, Carl Safina's compelling natural history adventure makes clear, the fate of the astonishing leatherback turtle, whose ancestry can be traced back 125 million years, is in our hands. Writing with verve and color, Safina describes how he and his colleagues track giant pelagic turtles across the world's oceans and onto remote beaches of every continent. As scientists apply lessons learned in the Atlantic and Caribbean to other endangered seas, Safina follows leatherback migrations, including a thrilling journey from Monterey, California, to nesting grounds on the most remote beaches of Papua, New Guinea. The only surviving species of its genus, family, and suborder, the leatherback is an evolutionary marvel: a "reptile" that behaves like a warm-blooded dinosaur, an ocean animal able to withstand colder water than most fishes and dive deeper than any whale. In his peerless prose, Safina captures the delicate interaction between these gentle giants and the humans who are finally playing a significant role in their survival. "Magnificent . . . A joyful, hopeful book. Safina gives us ample reasons to be enthralled by this astonishing ancient animal—and ample reasons to care." -- The Los Angeles Times

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