Book Review: At a Place Called the Boiling Springs

At a Place Called the Boiling Springs. Edited by Richard L. Tritt and Randy Watts. Illustrated, 247 pp. Boiling Springs Sesquicentennial Publications Committee, 1995. $35, cloth.

This book, commemorating the sesquicentennial of Boiling Springs, provides a well written and visually rich history of this charming Cumberland County village. Although the foreword states that "with today's roads and speeds Carlisle and the village virtually run together," the book proceeds to illuminate the image of a distinct, charming, and historically rich community, whose heritage encompasses a remarkable blend of industry, recreation, and nature.

The organization of the contents is particularly notable. The first three chapters provide an overview of the village's history up to the present, and subsequent chapters focus indepth on aspects of the community's history, including its architecture, military history, industry, transportation, parks, and institutions, among others. Individual authors of these detailed chapters clearly bring their expertise and enthusiasm to bear on their subjects. This results in a local history with an unusual vitality, one which provides the reader with a genuine understanding of the community past and present. The chapter on "Preserving the Heritage" is a particularly valuable portrayal of community organizations, development issues, and planning, highlighting the kind of issues which are still facing many communities today. The editors and writers have brought real vitality to the genre of local history.

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