New Book Celebrates the History of Canisteo

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - June 17, 2013 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Canisteo from local author Steve Cotton. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images of the people and places of Canisteo’s past.

In the 1840s, construction began on the Erie Railroad, which runs along the floor of the Canisteo Valley. The first train traveled through the valley on May 14, 1851, opening the region to industry and shipping. The town grew rapidly and several hamlets sprung up within the township.

In the 1930s, an alfalfa farmer planted Scotch pines on the hillside overlooking the valley, spelling out the name Canisteo to the world. The same sign appeared in a Ripley's Believe It or Not! book.

Today, Canisteo is a bedroom community, as most residents enjoy the peacefulness of the valley they call home while traveling to surrounding communities to work. Local farms produce cattle and crops while many visitors come for the hunting.

Highlights of Canisteo include:
•   A portion of the author’s proceeds from the book are being donated to the Kanestio Historical Society, which is where a large portion of the images were gathered.
•   Discusses the development of Canisteo’s education system, from rural schools to a centralized system.
•   Images of the different modes of transportation available in the early days of the industrious era. This section also includes the multiple places in the area that sold gas and serviced the early automobile.

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

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.