In the 1950s and 60s, John W. Allen told the people of southern Illinois about themselvesabout their region, its history, and its folkwaysin his series of newspaper articles, It Happened in Southern Illinois. Each installment of the series depicted a single item of interesta town, a building, an enterprise, a person, an event, a custom. Originally published in 1963, "Legends & Lore of Southern Illinois" brings together a selection of these articles preserving a valuable body of significant local history and cultural lore.During territorial times and early statehood, southern Illinois was the...

In this collection of articles describing the people, places, and folkways of southern Illinois, John W. Allen provides entertaining and informative glimpses into the region s past. Included here are sketches of the early pioneering days when wolves were literally chased from the door, stories about the many Indian artifacts discovered among the rolling hills and valleys of the area, and articles pertaining to the strategic role the region played during the Civil War. Allen also describes the activities of such infamous outlaws as Samuel Mason and the Harpe brothers as well as the famous...

Filled with beautiful color photographs, Divine Mushrooms and Fungi is a must-have for anyone who wants to step into the magic mushroom field of ethnomycology. With detailed information on how to distinguish magic mushrooms from potentially dangerous lookalikes, this guide also features a detailed history of the ritual use of magic mushrooms among pre-Columbian inhabitants of the New World and the evolution of the use of psychedelic fungi from sacred rituals to today's recreational use. Common epithets used for naming mushrooms around the world are accompanied by photographs and...