Arcadia Bestsellers

Former Delaware journalists Rachel Kipp and Dan Shortridge document the past, present, and sometimes the future of Delaware’s landmarks and legends.

Originally part of Pennsylvania and called “the three lower counties on the Delaware,” the First State’s present has been shaped by both colonial culture and modern industry. Many landmarks of its past, including the Greenbaum Cannery, the Rosedale Beach Hotel, the Nanticoke Queen restaurant, the Ross Point School and the Kahunaville nightclub now live solely in memory. The tales of airplanes and auto plants, breweries and bridges, cows and churches provide insight into the state’s many communities, including its Black heritage. Read about fallen hospitals, long-ago lighthouses, crumbling mansions, demolished prisons and theaters that no longer hold shows.

Forgotten Gems of Gatlinburg

When the Great Smoky Mountains was dedicated a national park in 1934, tourists flocked to the area. Ray Bohanan, who owned Bohanan’s Craft Shop and Cabins, stood by the road shouting, “Cabins for rent!” The Frost Lodge reminded tourists of the days when a room cost five dollars. Residents at the LeConte Creek Cottages and Motel were treated to a “woodland wonderland.” Parkway Motor Inn was a haven for weary drivers for decades. The Mountain View Hotel boasted a list of famous residents like Eleanor Roosevelt. Guests at the Terrace Motel remembered waters from the Roaring Fork Creek lulling them to sleep. Brian McKnight relives the simpler times and the city’s finest, long-forgotten lodging.

Explore the city of yesteryear

East Chicago, Indiana, was a melting pot. The Indiana Harbor neighborhood drew comparisons to Ellis Island as immigrants flocked from all over the world to work at its steel mills. Once home to more than a hundred nationalities, the “Workshop of America” made metal and many other products. Despite issues like pollution and political corruption, it earned the nickname “City of Champions,” winning state titles, sustaining a historic high school rivalry, and producing greats like Gregg Popovich and Junior Bridgeman.

Award-winning Region journalist and Lost Hammond author Joseph S. Pete explores bygone landmarks like Washington and Roosevelt High Schools, Inland Steel Christmas parties, the zoo, Taco Joe’s, the Mademoiselle Shoppe, movies palaces, the gym where Michael Jordan played his first Bulls game, and more.

As one of America’s most notorious prisons, Alcatraz has been a significant part of California’s history since 1853.

The small island known in sea charts by its Spanish name Isla de los Alcatraces or “Island of Pelicans” laid essentially dormant until the 1850s, when the US military converted the island into a fortress to protect the booming San Francisco region. Alcatraz served as a pivotal military position until the early 20th century and in 1934 was converted into a federal penitentiary to house some of America’s most incorrigible prisoners. The penitentiary closed in 1963, and Alcatraz joined the National Park Service system in 1972. Since then, it has remained one of the Bay Area’s most popular attractions as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Gregory L. Wellman, a California-based consultant, reveals in these images the evolution of Alcatraz. The island’s startling transformation comes alive through the photographic collections of the Alcatraz Alumni Association, the Golden Gate National Archives, and other private collections from around the country. This stirring imagery documents the evolution of one of America’s most renowned and memorable landmarks.

From the Wabash and Erie Canal to the Faultless Caster Factory, Evansville has seen much of its history disappear.

In the early twentieth century, vestiges of old Evansville like the B'nai Israel temple and Coal Mine Hill gave way to a modern city. Numerous changes in the thirty years following World War II altered the physical appearance of the city, including the removal of the old Central High School, Assumption Cathedral, Gear Town, and more. Less physical but nevertheless vital history like the struggle over Civil Rights in Evansville has been overlooked and, until now, lost.

Weaving together a captivating fast-paced account illustrated with over eighty images, award-winning Evansville historian Dr James MacLeod tells the fascinating story of what was lost, what came in its place, and what was preserved against the odds.

Indiana Authors Awards (Nonfiction) 2024

More than two centuries removed from its founding, Indianapolis has seen its share of landmarks and landscapes pass into memory. Some have totally vanished, such as the National Road covered bridge over the White River, the Marion County Courthouse, the 1835 Indiana Statehouse and the previous headquarters for the long-standing Flanner House organization. Others still exist, but not in their original location or form, like Pogue’s Run, the Central Canal through downtown and the remnants of structures at Riverside Park. Indianapolis historian Edward Fujawa explores the history of lost sites, how they appear today and how some are still used or repurposed.

From sprawling potato farms and incredibly lavish estates, to whaling ships and early race cars, Long Island has an incredibly rich history often lost through the generations.

In the world of racing, Long Island was once the horse racing capital of the state and hosted the nation's first professional auto races. Though farming still thrives in Suffolk County, there are only a few working farms left in Nassau County, where hundreds of farms dotted the landscape generations ago. Cold Spring Harbor, Greenport, Sag Harbor and Southampton were centers of the whaling industry in America and maintain a whaling heritage today. Author Richard Panchyk reveals fascinating narratives of Long Island's lost history.

Serene one moment and destructive the next, Lake Erie’s moods mirror its tumultuous role in history .

As the site of Cleveland’s Great Lakes Exposition, the lake offered visitors a respite from the Great Depression, and Hotel Victory, once considered the world’s largest summer resort, drew thousands to Put-In-Bay. Daring postal workers dangerously crossed the ice-covered surface on hybrid “boats” and by foot. Canal Street, at the Buffalo Wharf, was once called “the Wickedest Street in America.” The Erie/ is one of thousands of ships that lie in a solemn graveyard below the surface. And rum runners turned the lake into a watery highway for illegal booze during Prohibition.

Author Jennifer Boresz Engelking reveals entertaining, heartbreaking, and nostalgic stories of the lost sites, businesses and industries of Lake Erie.

Ballrooms were at the center of social life in the Midwest for over a century, with some dance halls dating back to the late 1800s. Throughout Nebraska, these iconic structures hosted a number of community events and musical performances, bringing together friends, families, and neighbors to socialize, celebrate, and, most importantly, dance. Nebraska’s ballrooms and dance halls brought people together, and these facilities were long the heartbeats of their towns. Pla Mor Ballroom in Lincoln, King’s Ballroom in Norfolk, States Ballroom in Bee, and Howells Ballroom are only some of the legendary dance halls featured among these historic photographs. Although many ballrooms have since burned down, been repurposed, or been demolished, some of the dance halls remain active today, a reminder of a more magical, musical, bygone era.

A fun-filled and nostalgic exploration of Polynesian Pop in the Motor City

When the South Sea craze swept over the nation in the mid-twentieth century, the wave of island-themed décor and tropical cocktails did not pass by Detroit. The Tropics and Club Bali offered a warming escape from dreary Midwest winters. At its completion in 1967, the Mauna Loa was the most expensive restaurant built east of the Mississippi. With its lush interior and celebrity patrons, it did not disappoint. The Chin Tiki, with its exquisitely handcrafted features, was no less an exceptional destination. Even today, long after the Polynesian craze faded, a new generation has taken up the tiki torch and brought island flavor and flair back to the city.

Join author Renee Tadey on a sweeping journey through the tiki destinations of Detroit.

A tender and meticulously compiled exploration of the Sandusky shopping experience as it once was

The Sandusky Mall was the iconic shopping hub for locals who grew up in the 1970s and '80s. Kids visited the Circus World toy store, shopped for local amusement park souvenirs at Cedar Point Gifts, and fawned over the kittens and puppies at Petland. Teens scarfed Scotto's Pizza or a tasty treat at Baskin Robbins before taking in the latest feature at the Mall Cinema. Many others pumped quarters into the games at Goldmine or browsed the collection at Musicland.

Gathering more than 200 images, the original floor map, and the history of every store at every location, author Chris Bores delivers a trip down memory lane as well as never-before-told stories of the scandals and struggles--and the triumphs--that made the Sandusky Mall the place to be.

Travel through the history of Ohio's historic canals and follow its growth throughout the years told with hundreds of photographs.

In the 1800s, the United States was a nation obsessed with finding a form of transportation that was the fastest, cheapest, and most reliable; at the time, canals were the answer. Canals broke through vast, open countryside, forested woodlands, and rolling hills to expose the heart of the nation to development. They took passengers and goods off of dusty or muddy roads and delivered them to their destinations faster and cheaper than by any other means. From Toledo to Cincinnati, the Miami and Erie Canal provided western Ohio with that sorely needed waterway and became part of the 1,000 miles of Ohio canals contributing to the national network of canals. Today, with the help of government, corporations, and citizens, many parts of the Ohio canal system have been preserved or restored and can be visited and experienced. Watered sections of canal quietly reflect a bygone era and lead an explorer down the towpaths of history.

The history of Cape Cod including the creation of the iconic New England landmark, The Cape Cod Canal.

The cradle of New England's shipping doubled as its casket, earning the sailing route around Cape Cod the nickname of graveyard of the Atlantic. J. North Conway plunges into the character of Cape Cod, from its discovery to its chowder, and of the man who managed to cut a path through it.

For 141 years, Hudson River State Hospital was home to tens of thousands of individuals suffering from mental illness.

Famous architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux drafted the main building in 1869. The facility grew from a 208-acre parcel in 1871 with seven patients to 752 acres with five dozen separate buildings containing nearly 6,000 patients in 1954. The main building was constructed on a Kirkbride plan, a treating philosophy centered around an ornate building of equal proportions staffed by employees who integrated dignity and compassion into health care. Famous architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux drafted the main building in 1869. The landscape was penned by Frederick Law Olmsted, perhaps best known for the design of New York City's Central Park.

Through the years, relentless change has swept away many of Mishawaka’s businesses and landmarks and the memory of once-prominent events.

The Great Mishawaka Fire of September 5, 1872, destroyed much of the central business district and changed the downtown forever. The street carnival of August 1901 was the most exciting week in the city’s history but later faded into obscurity. The Twin Branch Power Plant supplied the region with electricity, but hardly a trace of it remains today. The massive Rubber Regenerating Company operated for over twenty years, and now a popular park exists atop its buried rubble. Center Point Tower, the landmark that never was, pointed the way to downtown’s future revitalization.

Peter J. De Kever finds these and other lost stories from Mishawaka’s past.

The University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) had a long and rich history even before California became a state.

Formally established in 1921, UCMP was built with collections accumulated over 150 years. This treasure trove comes from all continents and ages; it is a major source for research, outreach, and teaching in paleontology--extinctions, radiations, asteroids, climate change, paleoceanography, and the animals, plants, and microbes themselves. Now the collections, built by the California Geological Survey (1864-1874), faculty, staff, students, and donors, are among the largest in America. Recently, UCMP members studied the biology of T. rex, the killer asteroid, human ancestors, reef paleobiology, flowering plants, and life on Mars and Europa. UCMP continues to make discoveries, interpretations, and outreach that inspire people.

Prof. Jere H. Lipps, faculty curator and past director of UCMP, studies paleontology, geology, marine biology, and astrobiology, publishing over 520 contributions. Elected fellow of six science organizations and president (1997) of the Paleontological Society, Lipps has also received various awards, including an island in Antarctica named for him (1979). He taught thousands of students in oceanography, paleobiology, and field courses at the University of California, Berkeley. Here, Lipps reviews the major events and people that have built UCMP.

The nightspots, rock clubs, arenas & more that made the city swing

Cincinnati in the ‘50s and ‘60s offered a stunning array of live music and entertainment venues. Though many of them no longer exist, their memories live on. Fulfilling an “obligation” to mobsters, blues crooner Charles Brown played a residency at the Sportsman’s Club in Newport. Incendiary comedian Lenny Bruce performed at the Surf Club on the city’s conservative west side. Jim Tarbell’s short-lived but iconic Ludlow Garage became a major stop on the national “ballroom” circuit that grew up around rock ‘n’ roll as it matured into its progressive, experimental era. Signaling an end to the ‘60s, Iggy Pop created a sensation at the 1970 Cincinnati Summer Pop Festival at Crosley Field.

Join seasoned journalist Steven Rosen on a tour through historically heady days in the Queen City’s music scene.

Los Angeles County’s San Gabriel Valley and the adjacent Inland Empire, encompassing San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, boasted a wealth of movie theatres throughout the 20th century. 

Entertainment options proliferated as people flocked to both areas, which were famed for their wealth-producing citrus groves and vineyards, their position along Route 66, and their mountain and desert resorts. Residents and vacationers could enjoy films at nickelodeons, picture palaces, drive-ins, and other venues; some still operate. Due to the regions’ proximity to Hollywood and their more rural and suburban settings, local cinemas frequently held studios’ test screenings (including for Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz); audiences there thus influenced what moviegoers elsewhere watched. Film exhibition’s history there reflects cultural, social, and demographic trends in these areas and the United States.

Kelli Shapiro, PhD, is a public historian and preservationist who has lived in both regions. She holds degrees from Pomona College, Texas State University, and Brown University. She wrote the Los Angeles Conservancy’s successful California Register of Historical Resources nomination for Route 66’s Azusa Foothill Drive-in Theatre—as well as Historic Movie Theatres of West Virginia, another Images of America book. This book’s images came from multiple museums, archives, and collections.

Pittsburgh has long been in the forefront of developing sports facilities, from Forbes Field, one of the first “modern” concrete and steel ballparks, and PNC Park, the best of the new millennium’s retro design movement, to Schenley Casino and Duquesne Garden, the first artificial indoor ice rinks, and the engineering marvel of the Civic Arena’s movable dome. Pittsburgh’s Historic Stadiums and Arenas chronicles Pittsburgh’s professional baseball, football, hockey, and basketball venues. Photographs cover the design and construction phases, the major changes as facilities expanded and aged, and eventually the demolition of some venues. The great players, teams, and moments are not the focus; there are many other books to tell their stories. Instead, the stadiums and arenas take center stage in this unique history of Pittsburgh sports and architecture.

Best known for Baby Boom-era housing developments that transformed potato fields and orchards into suburban sprawl, East Meadow's past is full of fascinating long-forgotten events.

• Rediscover violent feuds of jealous farmers, such as the love triangles of the 19th century Brower clan.
• Marvel at the unlikely escapades of eccentric millionaire Jacques Lebaudy, who believed he was a sovereign emperor while living in a Gilded Age Salisbury estate.
• Explore the exponential growth of one of New York's original school districts, full of political interference and drama that climaxed with a Pete Seeger performance sanctioned by the Court of Appeals of the State of New York

Across New Jersey, thousands of men have entered through the doors of Masonic Lodge buildings, also known as temples, over the fraternity's more than 250-year history in the Garden State.

These buildings, from humble meeting spaces to elaborate single-purpose centers, stand tribute to the memory and influence of one of the oldest fraternities in the world, founded on the tenets of faith, hope, and charity.From governors and US Supreme Court justices to carpenters and stonemasons, Freemasonry has welcomed men from all walks of life, and the temples they built have played important roles in the civic, social, and charitable life of many towns.Although some lodges have been lost, many still remain and are presented here for the first time through photographs and images collected from various historical societies, museums, libraries, and Masonic organizations.This book attempts not to serve as an encyclopedic source but rather to catalog and organize the development of the Masonic temples in New Jersey.

At its opening in 1964, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was named one of the "Five Wonders of the Modern World" by Reader's Digest magazine.

It was the culmination of a concerted, decade-long push by a group of men, led by Lucius J. Kellam Jr., an Eastern Shore native and businessman who dreamed of opening up the remote Eastern Shore to the bustling Virginia mainland. This $200-million, 17.6-mile-long series of bridges, tunnels, islands, and trestle in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay - long dismissed as impractical and even impossible - won the attention of the world at its opening. It also brought an abrupt end to the ferry service that was long a cornerstone of the New York-to-Florida "Ocean Highway," shuttling millions of cars between the Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads.

This book vividly traces the captivating evolution of Concord, California, from its humble beginnings to its vibrant present. Delve into the city’s rich history through a blend of archival and contemporary photographs and narratives. 

Local history author and longtime Concord resident Joel A. Harris captures the essence of Concord’s resilience, showcasing how it has grown into a dynamic hub while preserving the echoes of its remembered past through images provided by the Concord Historical Society, the City of Concord, and local citizens.

Ann Arbor has seen many cherished landmarks and institutions come and go - some fondly remembered and others lost to time.

When the city was little more than a village in the wilderness, its first school stood on the now busy corner of Main and Ann. Stores like Bach & Abel’s and Dean & Co. served local needs as the village grew into a small town. As the town became a thriving city, Drake’s and Maude’s fed generations of hungry diners, and Fiegel’s clothed father and son alike. Residents passed their time seeing movies at the Majestic or watching parades go down Main Street. Join authors Patti F. Smith and Britain Woodman on a tour of the city’s past.

From 1837 to 1900 the tiny borough of Stonington, Connecticut was a major transportation hub on the route between New York and Boston. Steamboats leaving Manhattan followed Long Island Sound to Stonington Harbor where passengers boarded trains for the rest of the journey to Providence or Boston.

Stonington's Steamboat Hotel, built in 1838 near the piers and railroad yard, was home to saloons, restaurants, a pool hall, a cigar shop, a tailor and a barber shop. Merchants, hotel keepers and saloon workers passed through the building, each with their own unique story. Many of them were immigrants or first-generation Americans, and they are a window onto a late 19th-century class of merchants and service workers.

Join local author Stuart Vyse as he reveals a lively portrait of remarkable harmony in a small village that was far more diverse than it is today.

Give the ball to Leroy,” the “Carmel Connection,” “Holy Toledo!” & More

Over its century in existence, Ross-Ade Stadium hosted thousands of memorable moments. Here are the 100 greatest games from the stadium’s first 100 years. Go inside Ross-Ade as Purdue clinches the 1929 Big Ten Championship and Bob Griese plays a perfect game against top-ranked Notre Dame in 1965. Relive Drew Brees leading the Boilermakers on a dream-come-true Rose Bowl season in 2000 and a former walk-on quarterback sinking #3 Michigan State with an epic passing performance.

From Jack Mollenkopf to Jim Young, Tiller Time to the Brohm Squad, Rod Woodson’s epic Old Oaken Bucket battle to the Tyler Trent game, author and Purdue alum gathers the moments in Ross-Ade when legends were made.

The history of one of the most important airports in the US comes to life in over 150 historical photos.

In 1942, a stretch of Illinois prairie that had served as a battleground and a railroad depot became the site of a major manufacturing plant, producing Douglas C-54 Skymasters for World War II. Less than twenty years later, that plot of land boasted the biggest and busiest airport in the world. Many of the millions who have since passed through it have likely only regarded it as a place between cities. But for people like Michael Branigan, who has spent years on its tarmac, they know that O'Hare is a city unto itself, with a fascinating history of gangsters and heroes, mayors, presidents and pilots.

Take the best seat in the house for this thrilling history that's so much more than the story of a building: discover the triumphs, the tears, and the tenacity of North Carolina sports and its legends.

For more than half a century, William Neal Reynolds Coliseum was at the forefront of college basketball. When filled to capacity, 12,000 fans joined together to create the noise and heat that defined game night. Indeed, Reynolds Coliseum brought big-time basketball to the South. Most area residents know Reynolds as home to the popular Dixie Classic basketball tournament and the North Carolina State University's Wolfpack championship sports teams. Surprisingly, this building was not constructed specifically for basketball. Like the state of North Carolina, the coliseum's origins grew from agriculture, and it was significantly shaped by the impact of World War II. As home to the long-standing Friends of the College series, the coliseum helped extend cultural events to the general public by promoting ""seven shows for seven dollars."" It has hosted presidents and protesters, circuses and symphonies, tractor demonstrations and rock concerts. And yes, for one ten-year stretch, more people watched college basketball games in Reynolds Coliseum than in any other campus arena in America. This volume captures more than 50 years of North Carolina history from the best seat in the house, highlighting the people and events that shaped the building as much as any architect's pencil.

In the heart of the Pacific Northwest sits the Palouse, and at its core is Moscow, Idaho.

Throughout its history, Moscow has been known as the home of the University of Idaho and various agricultural businesses. As the town has grown and evolved, Moscow has become the commercial hub of the area, and it took on a new slogan, the “Heart of the Arts.”

The Latah County Historical Society explores over 130 years of Moscow’s history through photography and traces its roots back to the Latah County Pioneer Association, founded in 1891.

Founded in 1905, Richmond, California, boasts 32 miles of shoreline and is centrally located within the San Francisco Bay Area. From a nationally registered historic district to its critical role in World War II, Richmond fits the quintessential historic bill—both on land and at sea.

Enjoy this glimpse into a past that is still very present courtesy of two native Richmond daughters, Desiree Heveroh and Victoria Stuhr, with images from Richmond Museum of History & Culture, Point Richmond History Association, and the Richmond Public Library.

Downtown Providence, Rhode Island, became an important business center in New England beginning in 1866 due to an increase in immigration, urbanization, municipal planning, public and private investments, and new technologies. The business buildings of the past, some of them gone, still coexist with the modern structures of today in the 21st century.

Louis Azar II chronicles the history of the commercial downtown with historic postcards and present-day photographs from his collection along with images from the Providence Public Library and research from the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Less than an hour by train from New York City...

Croton Point Park encapsulates the history, beauty and promise of the Hudson Valley. The Westchester County Park encompasses miles of Hudson River shoreline with astonishing views and remnants of the region’s past. Incredible shell mounds shed light on the Native peoples who inhabited the area generations prior to European colonization. The remains of the first commercial vineyards in the Northeast are just steps away from historic brickyards that helped build Manhattan. The Point served as a dumping ground for years until local efforts restored the park into a model of environmental conservation. Today, bald eagles have returned to nest alongside visitors exploring remarkable landmarks, sailing the waters of the Hudson or enjoying a scenic picnic.

Authors Scott Craven and Caroline Ranald Curvan present Westchester’s crown jewel, Croton Point Park.

This detailed history of a beloved Queen City institution is sure to offer something new on Findlay Market for the even the most hardcore local history buff.

Located in Over-the-Rhine in the heart of Cincinnati, Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest continually operating market. It opened in 1855 to serve a growing population and quickly became a central neighborhood hub for goods and services. Despite its success, the market experienced dwindling customers and storefront vacancies in the mid- and late twentieth century, reflective of the struggles and decline confronting many cities in those years. Over the last twenty years, market revitalization efforts signal ongoing reinvestment in the city center--a trend transforming many American cities.

Gathering personal stories of the merchants of Findlay Market, historian Alyssa McClanahan shines a light on the past to reveal the market's place in local and American urban history.

Historic schoolhouses preserve Long Island’s story: its generations of people, their settlement patterns, and the growth of their country towns and villages into today’s suburban sprawl and legendary resort destinations.

Celebrated for their simple form and association with early American values, no other historic building type evokes such strong emotions as the schoolhouse. Hundreds were built across Long Island and many survive, either adapted to new uses or restored and open for public access. From the simplest, pre–Revolutionary War period “Town House” in East Hampton to the trendy, octagonal schoolhouses constructed in Brentwood and Yaphank in the 1850s, Long Island saw the greatest variety of these distinctive structures built anywhere. Responding to an 1812 New York State law requiring towns to lay out school districts within walking distance of its younger residents, many early population centers received schoolhouses by the 1820s. Even a handful of Long Island’s schoolhouses are associated with the great American poet Walt Whitman, who taught school as a young man in the 1830s and later shared his concerns about the teaching methods then in vogue. But by the end of the 1800s, one-room schoolhouses became outdated and no longer accommodated the growing population. Many were saved, however, and repurposed as sheds, workshops, and even seasonal dwellings.

White County has been acquainted with loss since its very beginning. First formed in 1834, the county saw its first citizens, the Potawatomi, removed to Kansas in September 1838. As time went by, communities like Wyoming never developed, and others like Headlee died out. Numerous high schools, including Buffalo, Idaville, Round Grove, Wolcott and six others, disappeared with consolidation in the 1960s. Longtime businesses like Bartlett Ford, Ben Franklin Dime Store, Miller's Department Store, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are long gone. Manufacturers like Bryan's Manufacturing, RCA, and McGill Manufacturing have died out, and organizations like the Knights of Pythias, Monticello Jaycees, and the Moose have faded away.

Authors W.C. Madden and Maria Salvo Benson lead a journey through vanished people and places of White County.

A Special Florida Paradise    

“The Gables” is not merely a highly desirable bedroom community or a sprawling city with features of the City Beautiful movement scattered here and there. The brainchild of George Merrick, a visionary congregational minister’s son with a poetic bent, Coral Gables is a planned city, home to of some of the nation’s most valuable real estate, a world-renowned hotel in the Biltmore, headquarters to 120 multinational firms, a major research university and a top-ten botanical garden. The story of how Merrick’s intricate design took shape—while most developments born during the so-called Florida Boom crashed and burned—and the rise of the preservationist movement that maintains it is a testament to the power of a vision. Author Les Standiford details the amazing rise of an iconic place.

Lincoln Park has seen many things come and go.

Originally home to the Wyandot and Potawatomi tribes, the area also served Odawa Chief Pontiac for a historic Native American council meeting. European ribbon farms once stretched from Fort Pontchartrain. By the early twentieth century, rapid growth had transformed Lincoln Park into the “Crossroads of Downriver.” Many of the early building blocks and, indeed, the way the land itself was used by the earliest inhabitants have been lost to time. LeBlanc’s Saloon & Store, the Atlantic & Pacific Grocery Store and Lincoln Park Pharmacy are gone. So are Mother’s and Clemente’s, the Sears Shopping Center and many churches, schools and local attractions.

Utilizing resources from the Lincoln Park Historical Museum and Society, author Craig Hutchison strives to tell and preserve these stories.

Author Patty Molinaro has paired rare historic images with contemporary views to display the intriguing history of Red Lodge, Montana. As intriguing and inviting as its name, Red Lodge, has retained its charm and historic character much the same as when first revered by early Native tribes and frontiersmen.

Once Crow domain, the settlement of Red Lodge was established along a mail route in 1884, slowly evolving as home to coal miners, immigrants, cattlemen, homesteaders, recreationists, and a tourist industry.

Located along the west bank of the Willamette River at the falls in Oregon, the West Linn area offers a vibrant and interesting array of geological history, including ice age floods and the Willamette Meteorite. It is a significant historic site for Native Americans because of fishing and trading at the falls, and it was a settling place for early pioneers at the end of the Oregon Trail. It was known as an important hub of the paper and electric production industry.

The West Linn Historical Society has been sharing “History Without Walls” since 2014.

Oregon City’s storied past remains embedded in its architecture, where impressions of earlier generations linger beneath bricks and plaster. These structures narrate the city’s growth and are concrete reminders of those who labored in its transition.

Anchored between historical and modern lenses, writer Johna Sans Heintz and photographer Jo Lynn Dow have combined their academic backgrounds in history and education to present time-capsuled snapshots of Oregon City. Their street scenes and anecdotes humanize those whose legacies are interwoven into the city’s fabric. 

From the opera house and movie palace to the modern multiplex, the big screens in Delaware have been delighting moviegoers for more than a century.

Hollywood legend Cary Grant visited the Playhouse Theater in 1955, fondly recalling his days on its stage as a child actor. Clint Eastwood came to Wilmington for a secret test screening of his film The Gauntlet at the Branmar Cinema. The groundbreaking history of Star Wars includes a Delaware theater that was one of only forty-five in the country to open the film. Author Michael J. Nazarewycz recounts the cinematic history of Delaware’s grand movie theaters.

A visual narrative of this groundbreaking New Urbanism development in the Florida Panhandle. Designed by planning pioneers Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Rosemary Beach is a decidedly different community. Renowned photographer Richard Sexton became an advocate of Rosemary Beach, finding it a positive example of how future communities can become better and more stimulating places. His admiration is palpable throughout this thoroughly descriptive and artful photo essay, which features a vicarious stroll through residential and civic buildings and public spaces, and details the prescribed house types that define the community. A secondary photo essay focuses on an intimate view of how residents live in Rosemary Beach. The final section provides a walking tour experience.