It was a vacation to Michigan that started it all.
Escalon resident Barb Willis, who attended high school in Marshall, Michigan, went back there on vacation in July, 2007 and saw a book that, through photos and interesting anecdotal captions, captured the history of the community.
Knowing that local resident Angelo Dugo wanted something similar for Escalon, Willis found out everything she could about the Marshall book and the end result is a new book in the 'Images of America' series from Arcadia Publishing.
'Images of America - Escalon' was officially released for sale on Monday, Sept. 15 and Willis, with help from the Escalon Historical Society, can now add published author to her list of personal accomplishments.
"Marshall is where I went to high school and it was the same size as Escalon," explained Willis. "They've got a history and it's unique to Marshall."
Escalon has that same uniqueness, Willis said, and it needed to be chronicled, through pictures and words.
"He wanted a book about Escalon," she said of Dugo, who served as a war photographer, ran a local photography studio and donated many of the photos that hang in the Escalon Historical Society Museum on Main Street.
Most of the photos reproduced in the book were taken by Dugo as well.
"He wanted future generations to know the history of this community." Willis said. "He was one of the ones that stared the Historical Society.
"I guess I was carrying out his dream."
Mission accomplished.
Escalon resident Barb Willis, who attended high school in Marshall, Michigan, went back there on vacation in July, 2007 and saw a book that, through photos and interesting anecdotal captions, captured the history of the community.
Knowing that local resident Angelo Dugo wanted something similar for Escalon, Willis found out everything she could about the Marshall book and the end result is a new book in the 'Images of America' series from Arcadia Publishing.
'Images of America - Escalon' was officially released for sale on Monday, Sept. 15 and Willis, with help from the Escalon Historical Society, can now add published author to her list of personal accomplishments.
"Marshall is where I went to high school and it was the same size as Escalon," explained Willis. "They've got a history and it's unique to Marshall."
Escalon has that same uniqueness, Willis said, and it needed to be chronicled, through pictures and words.
"He wanted a book about Escalon," she said of Dugo, who served as a war photographer, ran a local photography studio and donated many of the photos that hang in the Escalon Historical Society Museum on Main Street.
Most of the photos reproduced in the book were taken by Dugo as well.
"He wanted future generations to know the history of this community." Willis said. "He was one of the ones that stared the Historical Society.
"I guess I was carrying out his dream."
Mission accomplished.
