A new book by a Washington author take a close look at some of the city’s unique, famous and notorious residents.

Suzanne Stotesbury, a freelance writer, former newspaper reporter and an English instructor at Beaufort County Community College, is scheduled to sign copies of her book — “Legendary Locals of Washington” — beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at the North Carolina Estuarium. Stotesbury will deliver a 20-minute presentation, followed by a discussion period. Copies of the book will be available at the event.

The 128-page, paperback book, published by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, provides information about well-known Cecil B. DeMille, the director of epic movies like “The Ten Commandments,” and a somewhat obscure Edward Peed, a firefighter who died while battling a raging waterfront fire in 1902.

“I wrote this book for the people of Washington,” Stotesbury said, adding the book has 100 main entries. It’s her first book. It tells the stories of people — a mix of old and new — who affected or continue to influence Washington in a positive way, she said.

The book’s publisher contacted Stotesbury about writing a book about “local legends” of Washington. “They did some digging looking for a writer. They came across my name. … They asked me if I’d be interested since I already taught a class that talked about culture and local history. So, I decided to do it. I will say it was quite an endeavor. I was not quite prepared for how much work it would be,” said Stotesbury, who lives in Jamesville. “It was a great adventure. It really was.”

It took about 16 months to write the book. “I had to do it outside of everything else I have to do. … They gave me time, which was really nice, knowing I was going to need it.”

Stotesbury named William Blount, who signed the U.S. Constitution, as one of the local legends she finds extremely interesting. “I had no idea he was involved in that,” she said.

Stotesbury includes Katie Paul, who took over the nursing education program at the former Tayloe Hospital and was instrumental in developing the nursing program at what is now Beaufort County Community College, as another of her fascinating legends.

What does Stotesbury want the book to impart to readers? “What I found out in this process, as I was working on this, is that a lot of people might know their own story, but not understand how their story connects to the other stories in town. I often found myself sharing those stories with people that I went and spoke with.”

Writing the book, Stotesbury believes, has made her a better teacher. “Because I know more of the history of the town and about the people here in town, it’s a little bit easier for me to help my students choose subjects for their writing.”

Writing the book brought enjoyment … and worry.

“Worrying. Worrying did I get the facts correct, did I spell that right,” Stotesbury said about the hardest part of writing the book. “I know there are a couple of things that have already been found. That’s typical. You run into mistakes all the time, but you feel terrible about that. … That sort of waiting to find out what I’ve done wrong I think has been worse than anything else.”

Stotesbury is not sure if she will write another book. “I need a little break,” she said.

Copies of the book sell for $21.99.