Frog Hollow

Portraits of a gritty New England neighborhood and its people, with accompanying photos, reflecting waves of immigrants and tides of American history. Frog Hollow: Stories from an American Neighborhood is a collection of colorful historical vignettes of an ethnically diverse neighborhood just west of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. Its 1850s row houses have been home to a wide variety of immigrants. During the Revolutionary War, Frog Hollow was a progressive hub, and later, in the mid-late nineteenth century, it was a hotbed of industry. Reporter Susan Campbell tells the true stories of Frog Hollow with a primary focus on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: the inventors, entrepreneurs and workers, as well as the impact of African American migration to Hartford, the impact of the Civil Rights movement and the continuing fight for housing. Frog Hollow was also one of the first neighborhoods in the country to experiment with successful urban planning models, including public parks and free education. From European colonists to Irish and Haitian immigrants to Puerto Ricans, these stories of Frog Hollow show the multiple realities that make up a dynamic urban neighborhood. At the same time, they reflect the changing faces of American cities. “Goes into great detail about the misfortunes, the corporate decisions and the governmental missteps that contributed to bringing Frog Hollow low. But despite a sometimes sorrowful tone, the book ends on a hopeful note.” —Hartford Courant

Frog Hollow Journal is a colorful memoir - peopled with vividly drawn neighbors, family members, and a beloved dog. It is the story of one family's quest to carve out a more authentic life amid the demands of modern society. With self-deprecating humor and the telling detail of a born raconteur, James Fairfield traces a path from his childhood on the Canadian prairie to his transformative experiences on a small farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. James, like many of us, felt overwhelmed by responsibilities, credit limits, and rush hour traffic. After moving to Virginia, however, he began to yield to the countryside's slower cadences and realize that life doesn't have to be so hectic. His musings along the way, and the lessons learned through exploring the Beatitudes, trace his spiritual journey as well. Anyone, he proposes, can learn to live "Frog Hollow style," practicing integrity, neighborliness, and indomitable faith. Here is an affectionate account, roaming from the pick-up ball games and lively escapades of the author's youth on the plains of Manitoba, Canada, to the honorable inhabitants and timeless traditions of the Shenandoah Valley. His experiences, often humorously humbling and spiritually challenging, are illustrated by Norma's drawings. AUTHOR BIO James G. T. Fairfield has written in many genres, including a syndicated newspaper column; articles for naturalist publications; and books on conflict resolution, theological studies, and biography. He and his wife, Norma (a gardener, vegetarian cook, and illustrator) live in a century-old farmhouse near Frog Hollow. They have been married for sixty-three years.

Portraits of a gritty New England neighborhood and its people, with accompanying photos, reflecting waves of immigrants and tides of American history. Frog Hollow: Stories from an American Neighborhood is a collection of colorful historical vignettes of an ethnically diverse neighborhood just west of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. Its 1850s row houses have been home to a wide variety of immigrants. During the Revolutionary War, Frog Hollow was a progressive hub, and later, in the mid-late nineteenth century, it was a hotbed of industry. Reporter Susan Campbell tells the true stories of Frog Hollow with a primary focus on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: the inventors, entrepreneurs and workers, as well as the impact of African American migration to Hartford, the impact of the Civil Rights movement and the continuing fight for housing. Frog Hollow was also one of the first neighborhoods in the country to experiment with successful urban planning models, including public parks and free education. From European colonists to Irish and Haitian immigrants to Puerto Ricans, these stories of Frog Hollow show the multiple realities that make up a dynamic urban neighborhood. At the same time, they reflect the changing faces of American cities. “Goes into great detail about the misfortunes, the corporate decisions and the governmental missteps that contributed to bringing Frog Hollow low. But despite a sometimes sorrowful tone, the book ends on a hopeful note.” —Hartford Courant

It seems that residents prefer to see money spent on fixing the immediate dangers on their blocks than on making toxic waste sites safe. Beginning with a call for a definition of environment that fits the reality, the authors propose policy initiatives that address all the neighbourhood's needs.

Located 16 miles northeast of Hartford, Ellington was incorporated in 1786 and has retained the charm of a New England village and farming community. Originally part of Windsor, it was known as the Great Marsh. Ellington Center, with its town green and 18th- to 20th-century houses, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Japanese business pioneer Francis Hall donated the jewel of the district to his hometown in 1903—the neoclassical-revival-style library. Archival photographs preserve faded memories of schools, churches, townspeople, and a unique dentist's tooth-shaped tombstone. Ellington captures a time when John Hall's Ellington School was known worldwide, Crystal Lake was a popular summer resort, and Daniel Hallady invented the modern windmill.

Frog Hollow Journal is a colorful memoir - peopled with vividly drawn neighbors, family members, and a beloved dog. It is the story of one family's quest to carve out a more authentic life amid the demands of modern society. With self-deprecating humor and the telling detail of a born raconteur, James Fairfield traces a path from his childhood on the Canadian prairie to his transformative experiences on a small farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. James, like many of us, felt overwhelmed by responsibilities, credit limits, and rush hour traffic. After moving to Virginia, however, he began to yield to the countryside's slower cadences and realize that life doesn't have to be so hectic. His musings along the way, and the lessons learned through exploring the Beatitudes, trace his spiritual journey as well. Anyone, he proposes, can learn to live "Frog Hollow style," practicing integrity, neighborliness, and indomitable faith. Here is an affectionate account, roaming from the pick-up ball games and lively escapades of the author's youth on the plains of Manitoba, Canada, to the honorable inhabitants and timeless traditions of the Shenandoah Valley. His experiences, often humorously humbling and spiritually challenging, are illustrated by Norma's drawings. AUTHOR BIO James G. T. Fairfield has written in many genres, including a syndicated newspaper column; articles for naturalist publications; and books on conflict resolution, theological studies, and biography. He and his wife, Norma (a gardener, vegetarian cook, and illustrator) live in a century-old farmhouse near Frog Hollow. They have been married for sixty-three years.

Governance and Public Space in the Australian City is a rich and evocative examination of the production and use of public spaces in Australian cities in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Using Brisbane as a case study, it demonstrates the way public spaces were constructed, contested, and controlled in attempts to create ‘ideal’ city spaces. This construction of space is considered not just in the literal and material sense but also as a product of aspirational and imaginative processes of city-building by municipal authorities and citizens. This book is as much about people as it is about cities – uncovering the manner in which perceived models of ideal urban citizenship were reflected in the production and ordering of city spaces. This book challenges common narratives that situate public spaces as universal or equalising aspects of the urban sphere. Exploring three distinct types of public space – the streets, slums, and parks – the book questions how urban spaces functioned, alongside how they were intended to function. In so doing, Governance and Public Space in the Australian City situates public spaces as products of manipulation and regulation at odds with broader concepts of individual liberty and the ‘rights’ of people to public space. It will be illuminating reading for scholars and students of urban history and Australian history.

Vermont Art Guide is the state’s most comprehensive and up-to-date guidebook focusing exclusively on Vermont’s art scene. “Vermont is the Chelsea of New England: for so long ignored, and now roaring to life!” said Barbara O’Brien, Editor-in-Chief of Art New England about Vermont’s vibrant art scene. The most comprehensive and up-to-date guidebook focusing exclusively on Vermont’s exuberant art scene, the Vermont Art Guide is a must-have for art lovers who live in or travel to Vermont. Authors Ric Kadour and Christopher Byrne have combed the state searching for art galleries, open artist studios, and other places that show Vermont art. They present and discuss over 300 venues and events. For each, they provide visiting information and describe the sort of art one can expect to see. Community art centers and significant points of interest are discussed in greater detail. The venues are organized by region and the Vermont Art Guide includes a thorough index for easy searching. The book contains twenty-one stylized black and white photographs of art venues. “The Vermont Art Guide is a testament to the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary art in Vermont,” said Ric Kadour.