Products

The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own.

Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently. 

Freelance science writer Richard Cunningham is on the City of West University Place Parks and Recreation Board. In 2021, he originated research into the location of the 1894 Harris County Poor Farm, which led to the approval of a historical marker on the Edloe Street pathway. Richard and his wife, Lily Ann, live on Ruskin Street in a 1948 cottage that they remodeled in 2007. 

West Virginia in the Civil War chronicles the role West Virginians played in the Civil War through the use of vintage photograph

West Virginia, Child of the Storm, was the only state formed as a result of the Civil War. West Virginia witnessed battles, engagements, and guerrilla actions during the four years of the Civil War. The struggle between eastern and western Virginia over voting rights, taxation, and economic development can be traced back to the formation of the Republic. John Brown's 1859 raid on the United States Arsenal at Harpers Ferry played a major role in the Civil War, which started in western Virginia with the destruction of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad property. When Virginia voted to secede and join the slave-holding Confederacy, the counties of western Virginia formed the pro-Union government known as the Restored Government of Virginia in Wheeling. West Virginia in the Civil War chronicles the role West Virginians played in the Civil War through the use of vintage photographs.

One of the most notoriously dangerous and deadly correctional facilities in the US, this history of the legendary penitentiary in West Virginia will make you reconsider a life of crime.

In 1863, the newly formed West Virginia lacked a state penitentiary to house convicted felons. As a result, construction began in July 1866 on the West Virginia Penitentiary, the second public building constructed in the state. The infamous and foreboding West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville was known as one of the bloodiest institutions in the United States. With an extensive history of violence, the prison was ranked on the Department of Justice's Top Ten Most Violent Correctional Facilities list. Nearly 1,000 inmates perished within the stone walls of the prison, many of whom are said to still be serving their sentence, even after death. Many inmates were tortured, executed, murdered, or committed suicide. Plagued by these horrific events, the prison is a hotspot for paranormal activity. Images of America: West Virginia Penitentiary chronicles the fascinating history of a notorious prison from the planning stages to present day.

This is a visual history of the youngest county in Rhode Island from emancipation from Warwick in 1912 to present day.

By 1912, the citizens of the western portion of Warwick had been talking about secession. They possessed all the mills on the Pawtuxet River and were largely democratic, while the eastern section was primarily republican. Finally in 1913, the town of West Warwick was incorporated and became the youngest town in the state of Rhode Island. West Warwick still maintains that status today as it celebrated its centennial in 2013. The town of nine villages-Arctic, Centreville, Clyde, Crompton, Lippitt, Natick, Phenix, River Point, and Wescott-has grown to be the 10th largest out of 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. It is mainly located in the Valley of the Pawtuxet.

On the banks of Lake Chauncy sit the remains of the Westborough Insane Hospital, later known as Westborough State Hospital.

Westborough is perhaps best known as the second homeopathic hospital for the insane in the United States and the first example of institutional reuse in the nation.The hospital's unique treatment methods put it squarely at the forefront of mental health treatment, and it was one of the last state hospitals in Massachusetts to close its doors.The pioneering African American pathologist Solomon Carter Fuller spent much of his career at Westborough studying the physical changes made to the brain by Alzheimer's.When it closed in 2010, it was the only state hospital in New England with a dedicated unit for deaf and hard of hearing patients.Though somewhat less infamous than some of its neighbors, Westborough holds a very distinctive place in the history of mental health treatment.

Katherine Anderson is a veteran special education teacher and has been researching and writing about asylums and mental health care for more than a decade. With the help of researcher and historian Jon Maynard, this book continues the legacy of Westborough State Hospital and the many men and women who lived and worked there.

Westchester County: Protect and Serve offers a glimpse into the history of law enforcement in Westchester County by documenting the development of the Department of Public Safety. The department serves the residents of the county of Westchester in cooperation with many other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The sworn and civilian members of the department provide primary police coverage for county parks, facilities, and parkways, along with specialized police services to all of the communities located in Westchester County and adjoining areas.

It extends from the Indiana Dunes that line the shore and continues south, to the rolling hills of the Valparaiso Moraine. The township is home to four incorporated towns, the Burns Harbor Plant of Bethlehem Steel, and two large expanses of public land--the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Indiana Dunes State Park. Westchester Township tells the story of the people who settled the township and those who contributed to its growth and transformation into a vigorous and diverse community. The photographs date from the early 1850s through the early 1960s, focusing primarily on the period from the 1880s to the 1940s. The majority of the images were drawn from the files of the Chesterton Tribune, which has served Westchester Township and the surrounding area since 1884. Additional pictures were kindly loaned by a variety of local citizens and institutions.

A collection of rare and vintage images documents the fascinating history of Westerly and its many stages of development over time.

These images take us on a journey into the past. We see pictures of local buildings and businesses, many of which no longer exist but are still warmly remembered by native citizens, and we also see the many stages of development, including street widening and drainage, which have revolutionized life for local people over the decades. Other photographs show how much transport in particular has changed, as we see the great sailing vessels of the early nineteenth century and early modes of transport such as horses and carriages and open trolleys. From livery stables in the 1800s we are transported to the era of the automobile with pictures of Hoxsie Plymouth Dodge in the early 1900s and early autos from the 1920s and 1930s. There are images of the famous local Smith quarries, showing granite employees at work and the oxen-drawn carts used at that time. Taken over many decades, the photographs collected here bring home just how much the town has changed over the years. We experience bad times as well as good as we witness the many fires which have so drastically changed the landscape of Westerly and also the harsh years of the 1930s when the area was devastated by the Great Depression. Most important of all, we encounter the local people of Westerly, at work and at play over the decades, including school groups, sports teams, fraternities, and individual portraits of the men, women, and children who have created Westerly's history. Combining fascinating old photographs and concise, yet informative, text, this compelling visual history will delight young and old, resident and visitor alike.

From Fantasy Island to Darien Lake,  Western New York's 100 year amuseument park history is documented in this fast-paced photographic tale.

For more than 100 years, western New Yorkers have enjoyed the region's exciting amusement parks. During the days of trolleys and steamships, area businessmen created Celoron Park, Crystal Beach Park, and other fine local summer resorts. Decades later, lifelong memories were formed for neighborhood baby boomers who visited Glen Park and Fantasy Island, as well as one of New York State's finest theme parks, Darien Lake. Western New York has always been a proving ground for some of the nation's most famous roller coasters. The terrifying Cyclone, the fast and furious Silver Comet, and the extreme Ride of Steel have attracted the very bravest of visitors. In the new millennium, the summer tradition of visiting local amusement parks continues with a blend of family-orientated parks and theme parks that appeal to all ages.

Today, the village's limestone and brick water tower, built in 1892, still stands as the centerpiece for many village events and celebrations. With nearly 200 vintage photos documenting the village's first century, including the first schools and churches, old-fashioned automobiles, and a photo of a young local woman who was one of only 305 female marines in World War I, this book brings to life the evolution of Western Springs from farming village to stately suburb.

Explore the town of Westfield and embrace the thriving suburban community, rich in history, culture, and civic pride.

Located just 22 miles outside of New York City, it is affectionately known as Colonial Westfield. In 1720, the West Fields of Elizabeth Town were settled by English immigrants. During the Revolutionary War, several altercations with the Red Coats took place here. Not only did George Washington stop in Westfield during the Revolutionary War, but it is believed he slept at the home of one of the town's forefathers. After the advent of the railroad in mid-1800s, the small but productive farming village gradually developed into the attractive upscale community it is today. Known for its high standards in education, emphasis on the arts, and religious and civic institutions, Westfield is one of the few suburban towns in New Jersey that continues to maintain an active downtown shopping area, complete with a major department store. With approximately 50 restaurants, it draws visitors from all over the state.

This book about Westford describes the effect of the mills‚' demise in the 1950s, and chronicles the town‚s recent development into a very appealing bedroom community for workers in Boston.

From its incorporation in 1729 through the late nineteenth century, Westford, Massachusetts, was a farming community sparsely populated by families of English ancestry. But in the first years of the twentieth century, a significant change occurred in Westford when mills that had opened in the town‚'s Forge Village and Graniteville sections began to recruit workers from Russia, Poland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Canada. Westford depicts what the arrival of the mills and the mill workers meant to the town and its evolution in the twentieth century.

In Westminster, the story unfolds from the first settlers gathering on Academy Hill to weather the bleak early years to the joyous return of the soldiers from the bloody battles of World War II. It portrays the early inventive entrepreneurs, along with the sturdy men and women who made the town's blueberries famous and its chickens delicious. Savor the memories of the Westminster Cracker Factory and the golden corn fritters of the well-known Old Mill Restaurant, recall the bustling chair factory of Artemus Merriam, and remember the wartime heroes and eager faces of Westminster's children. Capture in Westminster the spirit of the town's residents joining together in celebration and tragedy, from the first festive centennial parade to the pain of devastating fires.

Westminster documents the history of this town located at the center of an industrial and agricultural community.

William Winchester established Westminster in 1764 by laying out 45 town lots along the main road to Baltimore. The lots sold quickly, and soon there was a small but thriving community. When Carroll County was established in 1837, Westminster was named the county seat, bringing government officials, judges, lawyers, and visitors to the town. Hotels, homes, and stores sprang up to serve the influx of new residents and visitors. The Western Maryland Railway reached Westminster in 1861. In 1863, Confederate general J. E. B. Stuart's cavalry arrived en route to Gettysburg and battled a small detachment of Union cavalry responsible for guarding the vital railroad link to Baltimore. After Stuart's troops continued on to Pennsylvania, Union troops established an important depot, with supplies arriving from Baltimore for transport to the battlefield and wounded soldiers returning to be cared for in Westminster's hotels, churches, and homes. Westminster prospered throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as it became the center of an industrial and agricultural community.

In Westwood, rare photographs from the Westwood Historical Society, the Westwood Public Library, and private collections offer glimpses into the town's past. The images include sawmills, icehouses, metal foundries, and many small businesses. Within these pages are photographs of Fellowship Farm, a socialist experiment under Rev. George E. Littlefield; the Fisher School, now home of the Westwood Historical Society; Betsey Baker's bonnet-making industry; Buckmaster Pond; the Willow Farm and Windsor Road neighborhoods; schools and churches; and landmarks lost to demolition and fire. Westwood illustrates the transformation of the town from a farming community to a modern suburb of Boston.

Rare and vintage photographs document Wethersfield's historic transformation, from English hamlet to bustling suburbia.

Considered by many to be the state's oldest permanent English settlement, Wethersfield is referred to in the Connecticut Code of 1650 as ""ye most Auncient Towne."" The town was established on the Connecticut River in 1634 and boasts a well-documented Colonial history, as well as an enviable array of historic homes and public buildings that illustrate three centuries of community life. The vintage images in Wethersfield testify to the town's more recent transformation from a rural agricultural hamlet of 2,700 in 1900 to a densely settled suburb of over 26,000 inhabitants today. Growth stimulated by an early transit system, affordable suburban development, a thriving Hartford job market, and subsequent urban redevelopment pulled and pushed hundreds of new families into Wethersfield during a century of prosperity and progress.

Discover what made Whalom Park a beloved institution for generations through historic photographs.

Whalom Park’s name is derived from adjoining Lake Whalom. Native Americans originally called the lake Unketchewhalom, meaning “the lake of the magician,” based on a legend. They also considered it to be magical since there is no inlet. The Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway acquired the land in 1892 and installed trolley lines and amusements, opening the park the following year. A deer park, an open-air theater, and an inn were followed in subsequent years by food concessions, a variety of games of skill, and amusement rides. A succession of natural disasters, fires, modernization, and expansion shaped the park into an iconic memory for so many area citizens and visitors. At the time of its closing in 2000, Whalom—at 108 years of age—held the distinction of being the oldest amusement park in America.

Authors C. William Lakso, William E. Tyler, and Edwin G. Ollikkala thoroughly researched the history of the park and utilized donated photographs to augment those at the Lunenburg Historical Society. Their goal was to prepare a volume that would enable readers to quickly recall and visualize many pleasant memories and the happy times spent with their families at Whalom Park.

Where will you find C. S. Lewis's wardrobe, J. R. R. Tolkien's desk, Malcolm Muggeridge's typewriter, Madame Blavatsky's tiara, the bones of a hulking mastodon, Billy Graham's traveling pulpit, and Tyndale House, publishers ofthe best-selling Left Behind series?

Where will you find students, mystics, theologians, doctors, authors, actors, and musicians living in harmony? In Wheaton. Located 26 miles west of Chicago, the ""All America City"" boasts excellent schools, exquisite old homes, safe streets, and fine museums. Though Horace Greeley is credited with uttering the immortal ""Go west, young man!"" the sentiment had been acted upon much earlier by questing pioneers, many of whom halted in the middle plains, sensing terrific potentialin the rich black soil of Illinois. Among these were Warren and Jesse Wheaton and Erastus Gary from Pomfret, Connecticut. Seeking suitable land for farming, they settled and constructed a mill. From there they built cabins and harvested spring crops. Soon there was a village of a few hundred, connected by train to the farthest reaches of the nation. Now there is a city of 55,000 residents.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was created on July 7, 1938, when Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to establish the Wheeler Migratory Waterfowl Refuge with a mission to serve “as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.”

The refuge was Alabama’s first national wildlife refuge and the first national wildlife refuge to be an integral part of a man-made reservoir, encompassing part of Wheeler Lake, which was formed by the construction of Wheeler Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority. In the ensuing years, the character of the land within the refuge boundaries changed. From eroded, barren fields arose thick stands of hardwoods and pines, lush wetlands, and shady sloughs that attracted huge flocks of ducks and geese. Beaver, deer, otters, and alligators returned. Today, the refuge is a haven of natural beauty surrounded by the trappings of modern society, attracting thousands of visitors who come to view the large numbers of ducks, geese, cranes, and other wildlife that inhabit the refuge.

The playground of figures like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Buffalo Bill, Wheelingis filled with memorable snapshots documenting famous (and infamous) moments in American history.

When most people think of Wheeling they remember Independence Hall and the birth of West Virginia, but Wheeling's history goes back even further to the frontier legends of Lewis Wetzel and Maj. Samuel McColloch. Including photographs of both Wetzel's cave, Major McColloch's smokehouse, and a multitude of historic photographs Images of America: Wheelingdepicts the way life used to be. Famous visitors like Babe Ruth, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, President John F. Kennedy, actress Sarah Bernhardt, and Buffalo Bill are featured.

Within these pages memorable snapshots document some famous moments in the history of the 20th century, such as when President Eisenhower decided to keep Senator Nixon on the ticket at the Ohio County Public Airport and Sen. Joseph McCarthy's famous speech about Communists in the State Department at Wheeling's McLure Hotel. However, the real stars of this book are Wheeling's own buildings, industries, and people, from machine workers on the job to millionaires at play. A chapter devoted to the African-American experience in Wheeling includes Center Market's slave auction block as well as an image of the great jazz saxophonist Leon ""Chu"" Berry. This collection highlights some of the horrific natural disasters that occurred at the turn of the century as well as Wheeling's Victorian architectural treasures, which were erected during the same era.

White Plains in the 20th Century explores the community's growth as the county seat of Westchester through historic images that span a century.

White Plains, located about 25 miles north of New York City, is the county seat of Westchester County and the birthplace of New York State. Its central location in Westchester made White Plains the hub of 18th-century stagecoach roads that ran from New York City to upstate New York and Connecticut. After the Revolutionary War and a famous battle, White Plains continued to grow into a large village connected to the city by train; its population exploded in the first decade of the 20th century thanks to European immigrants. In the 1920s, the population grew again, with professionals and commuters filling the new house and apartment developments created during a real estate boom. The city’s last growth spurt was during the post–World War II baby boom, when urban renewal transformed the city into an imposing urban landscape. Through it all, White Plains has been a city with a diverse population in an affluent suburban county with strong governmental, business, educational, cultural, and commercial institutions.

Explore the building, heyday and eventual demise of Whitemarsh Hall, once considered the "Versailles of America."

Whitemarsh Hall was one of the largest and most exquisite estates in North America. Edward Townsend Stotesbury, one of the wealthiest Philadelphians in the early 20th century, commissioned renowned architect Horace Trumbauer to build the 147-room mansion in 1916 on 300 acres just outside Philadelphia. Whitemarsh Hall, which took five years to build at an estimated cost of $10 million with all the furnishings, was a wedding present for his second wife. This book explores Whitemarsh Hall's construction, its prime in the 1920s, the multiple impacts of the Great Depression, Stotesbury's death, and subsequent ownership over the next four decades, culminating in its eventual submission to decay, vandalism, and the wrecking ball in 1980.

The story of a remote community in Tennessee with a frontier spirit. So remote, it even attracted Jesse James.

Located less than 10 miles from Tennessee's state capital, the area now called Whites Creek is a rural historic district settled by Zachariah White during the late 18th century. Nestled between the Central Basin and the Highland Rim, Whites Creek is located on the Cumberland, or Shawnee, River Plateau, which is the largest wooded plateau in the world. Known for its resiliency to climate change and alluvial soil, the area boasts rich farmland comparable to the Mississippi Delta. It is surrounded by desolate hills and hollers that even drew Jesse James to the area with hopes of laying low and living off the land. Today, the frontier spirit still lives on throughout the region as residents typically embody a similar bold and independent ethos much like those who settled here long ago.

The partner communities of Whiting and Robertsdale epitomize Americana and the melting-pot concept at its finest. Together, they built beautiful churches, quality schools, and recreational facilities.

Whiting started out as a small, frontier-like town settled by German and Irish immigrants and quickly became a booming industrial city after Standard Oil Company arrived in 1889 to build a refinery. Neighboring Robertsdale became home to thousands of Eastern European immigrants who came to the area in search of jobs and new opportunities. They raised their families to be proud Americans and incorporated traditions from their homelands into daily life. This pictorial history is a tribute to the citizens who created a warm and inviting environment amidst the cold, hard steel of the industries that surrounded them and who left behind a legacy rich in tradition, tenacity, and a tendency to celebrate everything!

Wilbraham, a unique collection of more than two hundred vintage images, reveals how the area started as a rural town-with mills located along the rivers of its northern and southern borders and with agriculture spread between the two rivers. This volume also shows how Wilbraham evolved into a residential community, why the town holds a three-day Peach Festival each year, and how the Wesleyan Academy moved to the center in 1823 and became an integral part of the town.

Told through the lens of vintage images, discover the rich and storied past of Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Hardy pioneers settled this area of the North Carolina backcountry in the 18th century. Perhaps best known for illegal whiskey and stock car racing, Wilkes County heritage also lies in agriculture and industry. Farmers toiled the land while industrialists and merchants built houses, businesses, railroads, and services in the county's three municipalities: Wilkesboro, North Wilkesboro, and Ronda. Major corporations Lowe's and Holly Farms were born here. Americana music is a staple of local culture, with popular festivals like MerleFest drawing international acclaim to the area. The enduring folkways and down-home values of this rural community have long made Wilkes County a place where the roots of family and history run deep.