In a highly-mobile, rootless world where places can easily lose their individual character, Lake Claremont Press books foster and reveal Chicago’s special identity by sharing what’s distinctive about our city’s history, culture, geography, built environment, spirit, people, and lore.

In an age of giant media mergers at one end of the spectrum, Lake Claremont Press represents the alternative at the other end: a small, independent, niche publisher specializing in a subject that we know better than anyone. As such, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the publishing houses of that other big city.

Founded by Sharon Woodhouse in 1994, Lake Claremont Press has published over 30 titles, including local bestseller Chicago Haunts: Ghostlore of the Windy City and award-winners Hollywood on Lake Michigan: 100 Years of Chicago and the Movies, The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History, Near West Side Stories: Struggles for Community in Chicago’s Maxwell Street Neighborhood, Finding Your Chicago Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide to Family History in the City and Cook County, The Streets & San Man’s Guide to Chicago Eats, and Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom. We will release eight new books in 2008 and are working on our first Spanish translation, two new product lines, and titles that cover aspects of Chicago social history, the labor movement, music, and African-American neighborhoods.

LCP authors and books have been featured in hundreds of local and national newspapers, magazines, and Internet publications, and on dozens of local and national radio programs, television shows, and cable channels, including CNN, National Public Radio, the BBC, A&E, The History Channel, The Travel Channel, The National Geographic Channel, WGN, Chicago Tonight, the Chicago Stories series, Crain's Chicago Business, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times. Our staff and authors are actively involved in promoting and sharing our love and knowledge of Chicago with our community and the world beyond.

Our books are available retail at dozens of Chicago book, gift, museum, and specialty shops, and online at Amazon.com and bn.com. Our books are available wholesale from Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Big River, Partners, Quality Books, and Unique Books. Books may also be purchased directly from us; discounts start on orders of two or more copies.