August 18-20, 1955: Three terrifying days and nights still remembered with awe in the Delaware River watershed. Record-breaking rainfall from back-to-back hurricanes— Connie, then Diane—abruptly ended a withering drought, but the relief was short-lived. It was soon overshadowed by terror and destruction that tore away bridges and ripped houses from their foundations. From the river’s headwaters in the Catskills and through the Poconos, excessive runoff surged down steep slopes and through valleys on both sides of the river. Tributaries swelled unbelievably, some rising thirty feet in fifteen minutes. Eventually, they all poured into the Delaware, transforming the usually placid waters into a raging, uncontrollable beast. Mountain resorts were inundated, leaving cars up-ended in swimming pools. Entire summer camps were washed away. More than 400 children were evacuated by helicopter from island camps in a tense, unprecedented operation. In the end, nearly a hundred people were dead and hundreds more homeless in the Delaware River watershed. Dozens were missing, some ripped, still sleeping, from their beds in the middle of the night. Victims’ bodies were still being recovered thirty years later—at least one was never found. Despite several more destructive floods in the first decade of this century, the deadly flood of 1955 remains the record-holder in terms of life lost, property destroyed and longterm effects on the Delaware River. Devastation on the Delaware follows the true stories of survivors and eyewitnesses to bring these chilling events to life. More than 125 historical photos and two dozen+ maps illustrate this definitive account of a tragic weather disaster that changed life in the Delaware watershed forever. 60th Anniversary Edition Foreword by Dr. Jon Nese, former Weather Channel Storm Analyst “In the tradition of Isaac’s Storm and The Johnstown Flood, Mary A. Shafer’s Devastation on the Delaware is a meticulously researched, compellingly written account of a major meteorological catastrophe. The stories of innocent people swept away in raging flood waters—some of them taken by surprise in the middle of the night or carried off while would-be rescuers extended helping hands—will haunt me. The prose is crisp, the photos mesmerizing...an electrifying read.” – David Laskin, author of The Children’s Blizzard and Braving the Elements

Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955

History

Shafer, Mary A.

Americas

Word Forge Books

Quite simply, this is a book written for those who love the Badger State (and it's not named after the animal -- not directly, anyway), or who want to learn more about it in a format that's accessible, interesting and relatable. Eight chapters cover the first century of statehood, roughly from 1845 through the end of World War II. Beginning with pre-statehood settlement, through the period when Wisconsin marked the western frontier of the young United States, with a look at how schools and churches developed, industries rose and fell, how people adapted to the advent of leisure time, to the state's singular political history, its survival of the Great Depression, and the huge part it played in helping the country win the Second World War. Each chapter is bracketed by a pair of profiles of more-or-less-well-known Wisconsinites who made an impact on the state somehow. By no means an exhaustive, scholarly tome, "Wisconsin: The Way We Were" is instead intended to be a lighthearted look back over the early years of this most interesting area of America's Heartland. It's designed to be read in snippets, as you have time, and heavily illustrated with dozens of historic photos, many of which had never been published before. Reading this book is the literary equivalent of finding and perusing a long-lost photo album stuffed with letters and news clippings from your grandma's attic. It provides just enough information about all aspects of Wisconsin to be the perfect introduction for anyone who wants to know more. A great gift to or from Badget State boosters!

Wisconsin: The Way We Were

Heartland Press

Winner of a 1995 Best Book Award from the MidAmerica Publishers Association, this book is an affectionate tribute to agrarian America before the Industrial Revolution. Profusely illustrated with 150 vintage black-and-white photos from the Library of Congress, this book is both historical essay and catalog of an almost vanished way of life. The details in many of the photos could serve as excellent reference for historical re-enactors, stage managers, anyone seeking to recreate authentic period settings.

Rural America: A Pictorial Folk Memory

Willow Creek Pr

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Shafer, Mary A.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Shafer, Mary A.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Shafer, Mary A.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955

Wisconsin: The Way We Were

Rural America: A Pictorial Folk Memory