John D. Rockefeller's Cleveland roots stretched across the oil-drenched banks and murky flats of Kingsbury Run in Cleveland and ended in the wooded sanctuary at Forest Hill. Six miles east of Public Square, Forest Hill was the Rockefeller family's country estate and summer home for four decades. It had formal gardens, greenhouses, a lake and lily pond, a golf course, a horse track, and acres of farmland. In the early 1900s, tourists and local residents rode the streetcar out Millionaires' Row to East Cleveland, where they peered through the imposing iron gates scrolled with an R to peek at the gatekeeper's lodge, the manicured lawns, and the road that led to the mansion atop the hill. Unfortunately, in 1917, Forest Hill burned to the ground. Because so many records, mementos, and photographs perished, the estate remains as shrouded in secrecy today as it did during its lifetime. Forest Hill: The Rockefeller Estate unveils the story of the estate, how it evolved and changed over the years, and how its legacy continues.

Forest Hill boasts one of the largest nursery industries in the country, despite its tiny population. In the early days, the community was a summer retreat for plantation owners. The lumber industry rolled into town with the railroad, which eased the transportation of virgin timber. By 1901, the nurseries had emerged after Samuel Stokes began selling a variety of plants from his woods. Today, more than two hundred nurseries are in operation, many by the families who founded them. Author Chere Dastugue Coen reveals the deep roots of this horticultural hub.

Forest Hill, located in the North Ward of Newark, overlooks the Passaic River to the east and Branch Brook Park to the west. This desirable residential area is filled with large homes representing a variety of architectural styles, from Richardsonian Romanesque to Craftsman. In the mid-1800s, three major landowners acquired most of the former farmland on the northern edge of Newark. These men built mansions for themselves and modest housing for those who worked in their nearby plants. With easy commuting access to downtown Newark and New York City, the Forest Hill neighborhood was marketed to wealthy professionals. One local landmark is the old Tiffany factory. A 52-block area of Forest Hill has been designated a National Historic District and is listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. Forest Hill showcases the rich architectural and community history of this Newark neighborhood.

Forest Hill boasts one of the largest nursery industries in the country, despite its tiny population. In the early days, the community was a summer retreat for plantation owners. The lumber industry rolled into town with the railroad, which eased the transportation of virgin timber. By 1901, the nurseries had emerged after Samuel Stokes began selling a variety of plants from his woods. Today, more than two hundred nurseries are in operation, many by the families who founded them. Author Chere Dastugue Coen reveals the deep roots of this horticultural hub.

Beyond the rustic gates of the Forest Hill Cemetery in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, lies a vast wealth of history. Early in 1870, George Sanderson, Elisha Phinney, William Breck, and J.A. Robertson, with J. Gardner Sanderson and George S. Kingsbury, purchased a 50-acre tract of land from the Pennsylvania Coal Company, which became the last resting place for the cemetery's 18,000 residents. The Civil War section of the cemetery is home to over 300 Union soldiers and two Confederates. Numerous congressmen, lieutenant governors, state representatives, and other elected officials make up Forest Hill's political graveyard. The rich, the poor, the famous, and the unsung all have stories to be told, and this book recounts their tales.