John Bowne came from England in the 1660s and fought tirelessly for religious freedom and an end to slavery. Fast forward to the 1800s, and German immigrant Conrad Poppenhusen is building a successful business and using his wealth to establish a town for his workers. Enter the modern world, and John Wang is operating the Queens Night Market, an open-air bazaar that averages more than 15,000 weekly visitors. What do they all have in common? In a word: Queens!
Plus, all three are mentioned in Rob MacKay’s new book, Famous People From Queens, which Arcadia Publishing printed on Feb. 6, 2023. With a $23.99 price tag, it’s currently available for order on Arcadia’s website.
Featuring 219 images and lengthy, informative captions, this 128-page paperback informs on Queens overachievers in such fields as acting, business, music, politics, science, sports, and religion with a special chapter dedicated to fallen war heroes and justice advocates.
“I truly believe that the best thing about Queens is its people. We’re diverse, talented, friendly, awe-inspiring, and even a little bit crazy… in a good way,” MacKay stated.
“I spent countless weekends writing this book, but it was worth it. It’s an honor and a pleasure to share these stories with readers, and I hope they enjoy them as much as I do. ¡Que viva Queens!”
MacKay is a former newspaper and magazine editor who also drafted Arcadia Publishing’s 2021 book Historic Houses of Queens and the Queens In Your Pocket guidebook, which has been updated several times since its 2012 launch. The Sunnyside resident currently works for the Queens Economic Development Corporation, where he runs the It’s In Queens social media channels that pro- mote the borough’s hotels, restaurants, shops, and tourism attractions. His interest in writing about his home county grew organically — and intensely — after he became a trustee of the Queens Historical Society in 2018.
Established in 1993, Arcadia Publishing specializes in books that offer inside views of regional history and for- gotten aspects of American life. The company’s ever-increasing catalog has more than 12,000 titles, including several other paperbacks on Queens neighborhoods, landmarks, and ethnic communities.
