History of Letcher County Told in New Book

Aug. 30, 2011 - PRLog -- New from Arcadia Publishing and local author Deborah Adams Cooper is Letcher County. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images, giving readers a unique opportunity to reconnect to the history that shaped their community.

Since 1795, when Peter Whitaker built the first known settlement on what is now Linefork Creek, Letcher Countians have demonstrated the perseverance and fortitude for which Appalachian people are known. The majesty of Pine Mountain in the south of the county or the rare beauty of old-growth forests that became Lilley Cornett Woods must have brought Daniel Boone to seek a paradise in “Kanta-ke.”

Whitesburg and Letcher County have seen their resources of timber, oil and coal bring growth, as well as decline. With the rise of the coal industry before World War I came a steady flow of Eastern European immigrants who contributed a new and exciting perspective on life, business and art. It was Italian stonemason John Palumbo Sr. who led other Italians to Whitesburg because the beauty of it reminded him of his home in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The churches, homes and buildings they established stand in homage to their energy and skill.

A portion of the profits from the sale of the book are being donated to the Letcher County Historical Society.

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

# # #

With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.