Books by Susan L. Kelsey

Billy Caldwell (1780-1841): Chicago and the Great Lakes Trail Paperback – December 16, 2019

Billy Caldwell was a Métis born March 17, 1780, outside of Fort Niagara, New York (then Canada), to Rising Sun, Mohawk Nation, and William Caldwell, an Irish Captain in the British army. He was an influential leader during the dawn of America and one whose story transcends history as a man fighting for his family, a way of life, and ultimately, a home for his tribe. Caldwell found himself at the crossroads of a new America, caught between two worlds--a quickly descending minority world of Native Americans and the growing white settlers. He navigated the changing landscape by creating commerce in the Great Lakes region, following opportunities across the country and building a community for his family and friends. Situated in a unique position in 1833, Caldwell was named chief for the three Chicago tribes--Ottawa, Ojibwa, and the Potawatomi--and negotiated one of the largest land trades in American history. This treaty represented over five-million acres, allowing white settlers to occupy the Midwest and Lake Michigan area. The result was removal of thousands of Native Americans to "Indian Territory" west of the Missouri River. Since the early nineteenth century, Native Americans have worked to rebuild community, families, commerce, and equality 

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Billy Caldwell was a noteworthy leader during the dawn of America. Negotiating the largest land trade in American history, thousands of Native-Americans were resettled in exchange for five-million acres of land. Purchase your copy of Billy Caldwell (1780-1841): Chicago and the Great Lakes Trail Paperback 

Downtown Lake Forest (Then and Now)

Lake Forest is a picturesque city built on the shores of Lake Michigan and has been home to Chicago's capitalist families, who developed estates around beautiful Lake Forest College. For over 150 years, the Lake Forest Central Business District has been the heart of the community. Now, you can see for yourself why that is thanks to never-before published photographs from personal collections, the estate of Griffith, Grant and Lackie, the City of Lake Forest and others.

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https://www.amazon.com/Downtown-Lake-Forest-Then-Now-ebook/dp/B009ACCN9U/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1674576844&refinements=p_27%3ASusan+L.+Kelsey&s=books&sr=1-4 

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West Lake Forest Hardcover – December 3, 2012

West Lake Forest has had a shifting boundary since the 1850s. By 1926, Lake Forest had grown to encompass the farm community of Everett, five miles southwest of the lakeside commuter suburb. Since then, Lake Forest has annexed most of the former farm and estate land west to the Tri-State Tollway (I-94). Now, West Lake Forest denotes an expansive, low-density suburban area of mostly newer housing and businesses. Its eastern limit is cited variously as the Skokie River, Route 41, and Waukegan Road. Within this area of pioneer farms, fox-hunt territory, estate district, and series of suburban neighborhoods are stories of new arrivals living the "American Dream." This book attempts to share the stories of these pioneering men and women.

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https://www.amazon.com/West-Lake-Forest-Susan-Kelsey/dp/1531661181/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1674576844&refinements=p_27%3ASusan+L.+Kelsey&s=books&sr=1-3 

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Legendary Locals of Lake Forest

Since the 1850s, Lake Forest, located 30 miles north of Chicago on Lake Michigan, has been a distinctive suburb. It has been a retreat from the diseases, public accessibility, rougher elements, soot, stockyard smells, and general density of bustling city life. For at least five generations, it has been the retreat for Chicago's leading New England-descended families, such as the Farwells, Swifts, and Armours. And for over 150 years, Lake Forest has been the home for a community of educators, merchants, artisans, designers, and a wide variety of estate specialists, the latter from pre-Civil War escaped slaves and Scots and Irish immigrants to today's notable garden and interior artists. Legendary Locals of Lake Forest draws on rare archival images from local and Chicago public and private sources.

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https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Locals-Forest-Susan-Kelsey-ebook/dp/B01A7LRAZ4/ref=sr_1_5?qid=1674576844&refinements=p_27%3ASusan+L.+Kelsey&s=books&sr=1-5 

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