All Non-Digital Titles

The intense heat of the steel mills and the clatter of coal-filled locomotives once filled the streets of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Hardworking immigrants, iron rails, and anthracite coal from beneath the surface of the lush Lackawanna River Valley powered America's Industrial Revolution, and until World War II, the city reigned as a cutting-edge boomtown. Local journalist Cheryl A. Kashuba chronicles the history of Scranton from the glory days of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company and the Dickson Works through the post-Industrial decline and an eventual revitalization of the city. With a deft hand, Kashuba captures the spirit of a proud community and creates a fascinating portrait of the Electric City.

Abington, Jenkintown, and Rockledgepresents a portrait of the area that was originally the township of Abington, now a northern suburb of Philadelphia.

The towns and villages that comprise the Abington area are captured in this timeless photographic history.

From the days of the horse and buggy and the stagecoach, to the days of the grand estates, Abington, Jenkintown, and Rockledgeportrays the area as it developed over the years. Pictured are many familiar sites, as well as those that helped define the area but no longer remain. From the long and distinguished histories of such venerable institutions as the Abington Friends' Meetingand Abington Presbyterian Churchto the nationally knownWillow Grove Park.

Abington, Jenkintown, and Rockledgeis a celebration of the area's legacy. Glimpses of the past are brought into focus with many rare and previously unpublished photographs. The fire companies, businesses, schools, people, and institutions that define Abington, Jenkintown, and Rockledgeare included in this comprehensive photographic history.

This is the story of how one quaint Pennsylvanian village became a modern utopia.

Until 1906, Aliquippa was known as a small farming community called Woodlawn, but the 20th century ushered in tremendous change when the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company came to town. The company designated the plant site as the Aliquippa Works, ultimately leading the town to change its name to Aliquippa in 1928 to more closely identify with the mill. By 1930, the population would balloon to over 27,000 residents. To accommodate its workforce, Jones & Laughlin developed a community that boasted of homes with all of the modern conveniences, including indoor plumbing and electricity. Schools and businesses were built to support the population, along with fire and police departments and a modern transportation system. Immigrant workers were recruited from around the world to man the massive industrial complex, and as the mill grew, so did the town. Aliquippa is a testimony to the people who built and nurtured the growth of this memorable city.

Documenting the short but remarkable history of Allegheny City.

Allegheny Town was established in 1784 by order of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania. By 1840, the tiny wilderness community had grown in size and population to be incorporated as Allegheny City. Throughout the 19th century, Allegheny City became home to immigrants from many European countries who found work in the city's expanding commercial and industrial firms, as well as prominent Americans such as Andrew Carnegie, Samuel P. Langley, Mary Cassatt, George Ferris, and Mary Roberts Rinehart.

The citizens of Allegheny City's many neighborhoods took great pride in their city's heritage, schools, parks, and congregations. On January 1, 1907, Allegheny City was the third-largest city in Pennsylvania. By the end of that year, however, the city was an autonomous municipality and no longer existed as a result of an annexation by Pittsburgh, its sister city across the river.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Allentown, Pennsylvania with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Allentown, the Queen City of the Lehigh Valley, is the youngest but largest of the three cities in the valley. Founded in 1762 by William Allen, it was little more than a crossroads and small market town along the Lehigh Riveruntil it became the county seat in 1812. Heavy industries based on iron developed in the mid-eighteenth century along the Lehigh Riverand, by the 1860s, Allentown had become the largest community in the Lehigh Valley. In 1867, Allentown became a city.

In Allentown, readers nostalgic for times past will find photographs showing the places they remember from years ago, the Pennsylvania Power & Lighttower, and the effects of the devastating floods on the Lehigh River. Equally, newcomers who have heard about the great department stores of Hamilton Street, the trolley systems, Central Park, the breweries, and the iron and silk industries will treasure the images in this volume. Many places that still exist are shown in Allentown as they appeared in their earlier days.

Local historian and author Ann Bartholomew has compiled a riveting photographic record of the vibrant city of Allentown. Perusing these pages will evoke memories and will provide opportunities for parents and grandparents to introduce a younger generation to the city as it was in their youth.

Along the Perkiomen provides a glimpse of the Perkiomen region's rich an interesting history.

The Perkiomen Creek is a picturesque stream that drains a major portion of western Montgomery County. It begins just beyond the northern borders of the county and travels south. The creek empties into the Schuylkill River at the county's lower border. The old Perkiomen Railroad closely followed the same path. Along the Perkiomen showcases postcards of the Perkiomen Valley in Montgomery County as it existed during the first half of the twentieth century. Readers will visit the villages and towns along the creek and others nearby. This visual journey is intended to provide a glimpse of the Perkiomen region's rich history.

Altoona is a city built by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Cities usually grow to maturity and then sprout suburbs. With Altoona, it was the opposite. The suburban towns are older than the city and form a larger community.

In 1849, Altoona was farmland, a little hamlet in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. The site was chosen by the railroad for locomotive repair shops. Situated at the eastern base of the Allegheny Mountains, Altoona was destined to become the largest railroad yard in the world. The complex occupied 217 acres and included two huge roundhouses. Centered around the railroad, the city and its population grew. In this historic city were various shops that provided employment to early settlers and the old furnaces of the ironmasters. Also here were the Logan House hotel, where a meeting of governors saved the Union, and Cricket Field, where great athletes from across the country competed. Over the years Altoona has been visited by not only presidents and statesmen but also celebrities of stage and opera. It is home to the world-famous Horseshoe Curve and to Lakemont Park, which has the world's oldest roller coaster.

Ambler, a working-class town located fifteen miles north of Philadelphia, boasts some of the grandest homes in Montgomery County.

Ambler's evolution is rooted in the mills that sprang up along the Wissahickon Creekin the 1680s. The town entered the industrial age when the North Penn Railwaypushed through in the 1850s. In 1856, a catastrophic head-on train collision killing fifty-nine created the heroine Mary Ambler, whose generous ministrations to the wounded caused the railroad in 1869 to rename its Wissahickon Stationin her honor. But it was Philadelphia manufacturers Henry G. Keasbey and Richard V. Mattison who changed Ambler's character forever. When they relocated their business to Ambler in 1881, it became the asbestos capital of the world.

Frank D. Quattrone, an editor at Montgomery Newspapers, has written extensively on the history of Montgomery County.Amblercaptures the lasting legacy of Mattison's thriving company town, with its array of fanciful and simple homes, churches, shops, and cultural institutions.

Before the discovery of "black gold'? in the late 1870s, Bradford was considered a backwoods lumber town, but the following oil boom changed everything.

Almost overnight, Bradford was transformed into a place of millionaires and mansions, people and progress, but Bradford's important earlier history was promptly forgotten. Each photograph is from the collection of the Bradford Landmark Society, and many of these pictures have never before been published. Covering the era from the late 1850s to the mid-1940s, Around Bradford focuses on a time that people regard with fondness and hold firmly in their memories. We can never hear what those early residents heard, and we can never feel what they felt, but with these photographs, we can at least see what they saw.

Explore the fascinating history of Bradford, Pennsylvania with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Around Bradford Volume II further looks at the history of the area as it has not been seen before. Once one of the largest cities in Pennsylvania, Bradford relied heavily on oil production in the 1880s for its success.

Author Sally Ryan Costik allows us to glimpse into the Age of Innocence at the turn of the century before she endeavors to examine the city's own tumultuous past. In the 1920s, it was home to KKK activity, gangster slayings, and mob retaliation––events that contrast sharply with the images of Sunday school, industrial growth, and high society from Millionaires Row found in this collection. In the years following the Roaring Twenties, Costik takes a unique look at the Depression era through the eyes of sports fans. She chronicles Bradford's baseball team through the decade as they played within the PONY league circuit (comprised of Pennsylvania, Ontario, and New York). No history of Bradford would be complete without giving mention to the Bradfordians who supported the war effort on the home front.

With images from the Connellsville Historical Area Society's archives and private collections, encounter the hidden history of Connellsville.

Connellsville became the first city in Fayette County when it merged with New Haven in 1909. Connellsville's growth was shaped by the Youghiogheny River, coal mining, and coke production, which fueled the nation's steel industry for nearly 100 years. Known as the coke capital of the world, Connellsville became an early manufacturing, commercial, and transportation center, attracting a diverse ethnic population. Around Connellsville celebrates this heritage with images of coke ovens, coal patches, railroads, streetcars, and Brimstone Corner. It follows South Pittsburgh Street to Anchor Hocking and the beach, cheers ball teams at Fayette Field in the north end, and admires St. Rita's grotto on the west side. Although recent economic growth shifted from the town center to nearby highways, Connellsville remains the preeminent gateway to the Laurel Highlands Recreational Area, which includes world-class resorts, state parks, historical sites, and the singular beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

In this book, early views of the famous Horseshoe Curve, the Gallitzin Tunnels, and the Mountain House are intertwined with photographs of homes, churches, and the people who made the area prosper and grow.

The Allegheny Mountains constantly challenged early settlers to use their creativity and skills to conquer what seemed an almost insurmountable barrier. The founding fathers recognized potential in the area both as a resort and as a thriving town that would attract industry. Through hard work and innovation, an all-rail route over the mountains was established, linking the area with important industrial and trade centers. Many people came to Cresson to enjoy the health and recreational benefits of its natural springs, and the area's pike afforded the first stage link between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. When the Pennsylvania Railroad established headquarters here, with a roundhouse, machine shops, and branch lines, the area entered an era of industrial prosperity. In this remarkable volume, over 200 rare images are combined with informative and insightful text. Readers visit Loretto, a town founded by A Prince-Priest, Demetrius A. Gallitzin, Apostle of the Alleghenies and they are transported to Portage and Lilly, areas of woodlands that gave rise to numerous sawmills.

Ford City was once known as one of Pennsylvania's fastest-growing communities. Experience its transition from company townto bustling borough through stories and images.

The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Companyand the Ford China Company, both established by John B. Ford, made this town the destination of many United States citizens, as well as European immigrants searching for a new life of employment and prosperity.

The vintage postcards in Around Ford Cityreflect the essence of this hardworking, proud, ethnic community. The people, along with the factories, hotels, churches, and many homes, have grown together over generations to form the spirit of Ford City.

The modern day village of Lake Ariel is located in Lake Township. The town and the surrounding area have a long and colorful heritage.

The early pioneers settled at the southern end of the Lake Arieland established the area known as Jonestown and Jones Lake. The northern end of the lake was initially called No. 19, for the stationary steam engine on the Pennsylvania Coal Company's Gravity Railroad. While one newspaper account claims that the lake was named for a spirit in Shakespeare's Tempest, another claimed the lake was renamed Lake Ariel from Isaiah 29, the home of David.

Around Lake Arielfeatures historic images of the steam launches and the amusement park that drew hordes of vacationers to the area, as well as the summer homes of many of Scranton's leaders that were built along the lake's shores.

From early homesteads to coke ovens to Lake Forest Park and the YMCA,  journey through over 200 years of Scottsdale and Everson's history in this photographic tale.

Prior to the Great Depression, coal mines and coke ovens made Scottdale the wealthiest community in Westmoreland County. Once part of a region that was known as the world's largest producer of metallurgical coke, the area's prosperity created a thriving business district on the road to Pittsburgh, lined Chestnut Street with elegant Victorian mansions, and provided a home for a baseball farm team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. Immigrants from Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean joined earlier Scotch Irish and German settlers to create a rich cultural heritage. Around Scottdale and Everson celebrates this ethnic diversity. Pictured within are views of early homesteads, coke ovens, mills, and places where residents lived, shopped, worshiped, and played, including Lake Forest Park and the YMCA. Although recent economic growth shifted to nearby interstate highways, Scottdale and Everson occupy a strategic gateway to the Laurel Highlands, which promises to attract new immigrants preferring to live near open spaces and in neighborhoods without strangers.

he Shrewsbury area was one of the first Pennsylvania settlements west of the Susquehanna River. Located midway between Harrisburg and Baltimore, Maryland, an important north south transportation route known as the Potocas Trail ran through the town s center. What began as a quiet farming area in the late 1700s developed into a commerce center of furniture and sewing factories by the late 1800s. Today, its central business area, now on the National Register of Historic Places, is the antique hub of southern York County. Shrewsbury continues to provide peaceful living for many who work in the Baltimore area."

Historic photographs of the German and Croatian immigrants who flocked to this area on the outskirts of Allegheny City, and their customs, religions, skills, and traditions.

The Reserve Tract across from Fort Pitt was set aside in the 1780s by the government of Pennsylvania as a way of raising funds to pay the troops who had served during the American Revolutionary War. Although many areas in the commonwealth were set aside like this, few grew to such prominence as the distinct neighborhoods of Troy Hill, Spring Garden, Spring Hill, and Mount Troy. Photos of the German and Croatian immigrants who helped build a new nation by providing steel, leather products, food, and even beer; their spirit and work ethic set a standard that many Americans to this day try to emulate. The Heinz complex, the old E&O Brewery, St. Anthony's Chapel, Most Holy Name Church, and the Teutonia Mannerchor are several of the local landmarks that were established generations ago and are still being utilized today.

Witness the sensational Polly Williams murder trial, and learn about some of the unique individuals who have called Uniontown home, such as Gen. George C. Marshall, David Blythe, and ""Crazy Billy.""

Once scattered with frontier forts and Native American paths, Uniontown has changed considerably since Henry Beeson, a Virginia Quaker, offered fifty-four lots for sale on July 4, 1776. Around Uniontown captures this history with nearly two hundred vintage images culled from personal collections and the Uniontown Public Library's archives. In these pages, revisit 1896, when Uniontown had its greatest patriotic festivity. View beautiful tree-lined streets with the magnificent homes of coal barons. Visit the ""patch towns,"" and meet the people who lived and worked during the booming coal and coke era.

From quiet rural village to major manufacturing center, Waynesboro's history of transformation will engage and interest any who read.

Developed in 1797 by Scotch-Irish settler John Wallace, Waynesboro was a quiet rural village in Pennsylvania's fertile Cumberland Valley. Until the 1850s, the town's chief distinction was its location astride two main roads, which enabled local farmers and artisans to deliver their goods to bigger markets, such as Baltimore. During the next half-century, the mechanical genius of George Frick, Peter Geiser, the Landis brothers, and other visionary industrial leaders transformed the sleepy village into a major manufacturing center and patented inventions still used worldwide today. Waynesboro's location amid rolling farmland and forested mountains, which made the surrounding area a popular resort destination at one time, ensured that industrialization did not come at the cost of scenic beauty. Around Waynesboro is a photographic treasure that documents the many historical milestones and individuals of the area.

Over 200 rare images from the late 1770s to the present chronicle the proud lumber, canal, and railroad traditions that first drew residents to this bucolic area.

With Athens, Sayre, and Waverly, the first pictorial history of the valley, Bonnie Stacy has created a nostalgic look at the picturesque communities where the Susquehanna and the Chemung Rivers flow together. Over 200 rare images from the late 1770s to the present chronicle the proud lumber, canal, and railroad traditions that first drew residents to this bucolic area. From the unique house photographs taken by local photographer M. Louis Gore to the unusual archaeological and historic photographs from the collection of the Tioga Point Museum, these images bring the past to life. In Revolutionary times, Tioga Point was the location of Fort Sullivan. Later, the area was settled by lumbermen, canal workers, and railroaders. Included here are painted portraits of the well-known founders of the settlements in the area, as well as those of everyday people—millworkers, shopkeepers, and bridge builders—who made their marks here and enriched their communities.

During Beaver Falls' first 150 years, residents of the town built it into a self-supporting community committed to family values.

Initially known as Brighton before its incorporation, after it became Beaver Falls, the town saw extensive industrial development, and the city was described as "one of the most well-established manufacturing towns in western Pennsylvania.'? Carefully preserved images from the Beaver Falls Historical Society are combined with revealing and informative text, and this fascinating history includes some of the homes and businesses of early Beaver Falls families, as well as the railroad, canal, and river that connected the town to the rest of the state. Newly discovered images and sources of the community's history make this book a rare and timeless keepsake.

Beaver Falls: Gem of Beaver County devotes a chapter to local football legend Joe Namath's first season of greatness, complete with play-by-play details of the exciting Friday night high school games. "Broadway Joe's" early team picture is here, along with dozens more rare and compelling, never-before-published images. Readers will also find telling narratives of the Big Snow of 1950 and the Great Race of 1908, with more than 100 vintage photographs and maps detailing the gripping stories and unique memories chronicled here.

On Christmas Eve of 1741, a group of Moravians founded the mission community of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and like its namesake, it became a bright beacon of hope.

The Moravians, a Protestant denomination, envisioned Bethlehem as a support center for missionaries, intent on converting Native Americans and other German-speaking Pennsylvanians, but it became much more. Moravian traditions are still strong in this town, from the preservation of the original stone buildings on Church Street to the sounds of the Trombone Choir on Easter morning. Yet with the arrival of industrialists and new immigrants into the area, Bethlehem evolved into a center of heavy industry and trade in the 19th century, the second-largest steel producer in the world, after its neighbor Pittsburgh. In addition to the ubiquitous steel mills, there also came silk mills, railroads and canals, all shaping Bethlehem to resemble the one we know today. In the process, Bethlehem evolved into a graceful place, famous for its institutions of higher learning and for steel production. This collection is a reinterpretation of the photograph exhibit that graced the windows of the Bethlehem Area Public Library during the city's 250th anniversary celebration, covering the years between 1845 through 1900. The original exhibit consisted of 350 photographs, selected from more than 600 submitted by area residents from their personal collections.

Beginning as a farming community, today, Brookline is Pittsburgh's second largest neighborhood, boasting character, charm, and convenience.

Brookline was settled in the mid-eighteenth century as a farming community along Pioneer Avenue, a state road from Pittsburgh to Washington. The West Liberty Development Company and the opening of the Liberty Tunnels, in 1924, helped this Pittsburgh neighborhood grow. The area became a choice locale for city workers and others to settle. It is also the home and birthplace of many notable persons, including basketball phenomenon Suzie McConnell and radio legend Craig ""Porky"" Chedwick. Today, Brookline is Pittsburgh's second largest neighborhood, boasting character, charm, and convenience.

Bordered by the Delaware River and dotted by dozens of delightful 18th-century towns and villages, Bucks County retains a wistful air of long ago.

Covered bridges, colonial homes, classic farmsteads, and a breathtaking countryside are only part of this beautiful county's story. In 1683, Pennsylvania's founder, William Penn, established his manor here and helped build a nation by inviting industrious immigrants to its fertile soil. In 1776, Gen. George Washington launched one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War from its shores. Farmers harnessed the land for centuries, followed by writers, artists, and innovators who weaved its charms into their work for the world. Bucks County features photographs from area historical societies and collectors that capture the spirit of the everyday life, as well as the extraordinary people and events, that helped shape one of the most distinctive places in America.

In its very early years, Butler County was a vast wilderness of untamed forests. The fi rst pioneers suffered insurmountable odds while scratching out an existence in this frontier west of the Allegheny River. With determination, they succeeded, and the 1800s brought the development of many towns from the scant settlements. Butler City, the county seat, was laid out in 1800, and many smaller towns followed suit. With the arrival of oil after the Civil War, the county grew. The railroads and trolley lines that expanded into the area furthered the growth and helped industries prosper. Butler County Revisited celebrates the history of the area with 200 postcards, including scenes of the Chicora Whip Factory, a Memorial Day parade in Evans City, the Buhl Trolley Trestle over Connoquenessing Creek, and a large bear wrestling his trainer on Bruin Street.

A fascinating journey through the history of Cambridge Springs and Edinboro, Pennsylvania with postcard images and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

The penny postcardbecame popular during the years that mineral water therapy changed the quiet, rural town of Cambridge Springs into a popular resort town.

Hotels and spas filled the area, and several daily trains brought guests to this world-class resort town. Hotels such as the Riverside, Rider, and Bartlettbrought wonder and hope to people seeking cures for illnesses. Edinboro, known for its university and lake, has been another popular vacation spot for more than 200 years. The town developed an academy that became a normal school, a college, and finally a university.

Through historic postcards, Cambridge Springs and Edinboroinvites readers to witness the past wonders of this beautiful area. A portion of the proceeds for this book are being donated to the Cambridge Springs Heritage Society.

Explore the fascinating history of Carbondale, Pennsylvania with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

The first non-native settlers arrived in Ragged Island, as Carbondale was then known, around 1802. Twenty years later, brothers William and Maurice Wurts were exploring the wilderness when they took note of several outcroppings of curious black stones.

These stones turned out to be anthracite coal, and the two Philadelphia businessmen became pioneers in America's Industrial Revolution. Carbondale's journey has taken many twists and turns during the past two centuries.

The colorful and fascinating mosaic of images in Carbondalegives the reader a glimpse into the heart of small-town America and a clear picture of this historic city's past.

Their pride is evident in the images in Catasauqua and North Catasauqua. Bustling businesses, spacious schools, cherished churches, opulent houses, big parades and public celebrations, and strong, confident faces abound in these photographs. The culmination of that pride and prosperity came in 1914, when Catasauqua welcomed the world to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Crane Iron Works with Old Home Week. Less than ten years later, the iron business was gone, its last years recorded in extraordinary photographs. Life in Catasauqua, though harder, went on and today, the heritage of the Iron Borough days is visible everywhere in both towns-the streets, houses, and churches still loved and lived in as they were a century or more ago.

Philadelphia, as laid out in the 1680s, extended from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River and from Vine Street to South Street, an area known today as Center City.

As its population grew, the settled areas expanded westward from the Delaware River beyond early important landmarks such as Christ Church, the Pennsylvania State House, and Pennsylvania Hospital. By the mid-19th century, commercial, religious, and cultural institutions arose along Broad Street, and exclusive residential neighborhoods developed even farther west in areas previously undeveloped or used as industrial sites. Bustling shopping districts anchored by stores such as Wanamaker's Grand Depot and Strawbridge and Clothier ran for blocks along Chestnut and Market Streets. Center City Philadelphia in the 19th Century highlights the buildings, people, and activities of this area from the 1840s until the end of the century.

Images of America: Centralia chronicles many of the images and stories from this fascinating and colorful Pennsylvania community.

Centralia is the saga of a Pennsylvania community consumed by an underground mine fire. The town, founded in 1866, has often been embroiled in tragedy and controversy. Beginning with the infamous Molly Maguires, Centralia was confronted with the murder of its founder and an assault upon its Catholic priest, who cursed the town, saying, One day this town will be erased from the face of the earth. Almost one hundred years later, a vein of coal that ran underneath the town caught fire and has burned since 1962. In the 1990s, the state of Pennsylvania declared eminent domain and forced most of the town's sixteen hundred residents to leave. Ten people remain in Centralia today.