{"product_id":"a-philadelphia-family","title":"A Philadelphia Family","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree generations of the Houston-Woodward family, one of the wealthiest and most influential in Philadelphia, have been leaders in politics, diplomacy, suburban planning, housing reform, land conservation, and historic preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eA Philadelphia Family\u003c\/i\u003e, David Contosta analyzes the impact the Houstons and Woodwards have had economically, politically, and demographically on Philadelphia, a city known for its reserved and private leading families. The story of the Houston and Woodward families' continuing public service offers a unique perspective on Philadelphia history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFamily founder Henry Howard Houston (1820-1895) was one of America's greatest post-Civil War entrepreneurs, a top executive of the Pennsylvania Railroad as well as a leading speculator in oil, mining, and other railroad ventures. Houston created a unique, planned suburb in Chestnut Hill, which his son Samuel and son-in-law George Woodward maintained and expanded in the twentieth century. Woodward, in particular, became an energetic crusader for housing reform.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther family members have distinguished themselves in government service and charitable work. Stanley Woodward served in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, George Woodward was a state senator for 30 years, and Lawrence M. C. Smith was founder and owner of a prominent classical music station in Philadelphia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"By David R. Contosta. Foreword by E. Digby Baltzell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53616341451132,"sku":"9780812214062","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0251\/4980\/0541\/files\/9780812214062_e383e540-124a-455e-8602-c1928c0378d9.jpg?v=1727171895","url":"https:\/\/combined-academic.myshopify.com\/products\/a-philadelphia-family","provider":"Combined Academic Publishers - Mare Nostrum Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}