Arcadia Bestsellers

From theater to landing plce for immagrants, this is the photographic hsitory of 200 year old Castle Garden and Battery Park.

Few buildings in Manhattan have had a richer and more varied life than 200-year-old Castle Clinton, the magnificent red sandstone structure that lies in historic Battery Park. Although originally built as a fortress just before the outbreak of the War of 1812, its actual fame rests on the years when it was known worldwide as Castle Garden, a name that underlined its intimate connection with the surrounding park. Under that name, it served successively as Manhattan's preeminent public events hall and theater (1824-1855), then as America's first great landing place for millions of immigrants (1855-1890), and finally as the oldest and grandest municipal aquarium in the United States (1896-1941). Castle Garden and Battery Park invites readers to step back in time and dip into this legendary monument's dramatic story and learn how it has managed to survive into the 21st century.

Derby's long history and contributions, from the town's beginnings in the 1600s to 1950, is revealed in this fascinating history.

Here is the first pictorial history of Derby, a community with a glorious Colonial past, a manufacturing era that spurred development throughout Connecticut's lower Naugatuck Valley, and a strong and enduring interest in its heritage. Derby traces the community from its early beginnings in the 1600s to 1950. Derby is unique in many ways. It has what is probably the oldest public burial ground in the country. It operated the first electric railway in New England at a time when there were only 12 others in the entire land. And today, it has the distinction of being the state's smallest municipality, with an area of only 5.4 square miles.

This fascinating photographic history tells the story of Campbellsville, a town in Taylor county with a rich history.

Taylor County became the 100th county in the commonwealth of Kentucky when it was created on March 1, 1848. The county was named after Zachary Taylor, who gained fame as a general in the Mexican War and eventually became president of the United States. The town of Campbellsville, founded in 1817, was selected to serve as the county's seat of government. Throughout its history, the growth of Campbellsville and Taylor County has been marked by both boom periods and years of severe trials and tribulations. Despite the difficulties faced by the residents of Taylor County, its citizens have always shown admirable grit and determination in improving the circumstances of their families and community. Today the county features a diversified economic base that serves a population of 24,069. Of that number, 11,010 reside within Campbellsville's borders.

The engaging history of Buchanan County is explored in-depth in this book.

Buchanan County, like many small counties, has gone through boom and bust in its history. From floods and fires to economic prosperity, Buchanan went from being one of the wealthiest counties to one of the poorest in the state of Virginia. Unlike many small counties, Buchanan is reinventing itself. The original county is no more and is currently being rebuilt.

In 1668, a Sagamore Indian named Wesumbe conveyed all of the lands between the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers to Kittery trader Francis Small. This area ranged from the waters of the Saco to the Newichawannock River. For over

100 years, the land title was questioned. Finally, the ancient deed was declared genuine by two Boston experts: William P. Upham of the Suffolk County Court and Robert B. Swan, commissioner of public records for Massachusetts. Once the

court rendered the deed valid in 1772, this unbroken wilderness was surveyed. Within a few short years, five new communities emerged. Over 230 years later, The Ossipee Valley presents a visual history of the villages, lifestyles, and the countryside as it once was. Vintage photographs

witness a place of family and friends, working and sacrificing for what they believed important.

Washington County, located on the Mississippi River in the heart of the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, is the culture that cotton built.

Founded by hearty pioneers willing to risk even their lives for the unexcelled wealth that the ""white gold"" of cotton promised, the county was literally carved out of a swampy, cane-covered wilderness where the brave were as likely to reap an early grave as elaborate grandeur. This collection of more than two hundred photographs from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth depicts the unique and pervasive dichotomies that the struggle to weave the ""Cotton Kingdom"" produced, especially the twin threads of prosperity and poverty. Here men struck it rich in an unprecedented short time, but here they lost it just as quickly. While high cotton bought white men opulent homes and the leisure to produce literary classics, simultaneously it bought the black man little more than a shotgun shack and the pain that birthed the blues. Witness the challenges presented to the mule by the machine and to the isolation of the county's way of life by international war and the infusion of industry. Despite the divisions, this collection also illustrates the common, commendable effort by the citizens of one American county in the South to clear their land, cultivate their fields, build their homes, pave their streets, construct their highways, lay their railroads, and protect it all from flood, fever, and fire with an unfaltering faith in the future.

Visit the history of the orphanage in Cincinnati that changed the lives of children left by themselves after their parents died in a cholera outbreak in the 1800s, and went on to become an outstanding Cincinnati institution.

In 1849, a cholera epidemic devastated Cincinnati, taking the lives of 4,114 residents. The First German Protestant Aid Association proposed creating a home for the orphaned children and established the German General Protestant Orphan Asylum in Mount Auburn. The annual Orphan Feast and parade began in 1851 and was one of the largest one-day festivals in Cincinnati for 137 years. In 1949, the orphanage moved to 62 acres straddling Mount Washington and Anderson Township. The orphanage's name changed to Beech Acres, after the beech trees lining the property. In the 1980s, the orphanage closed and the focus shifted from restorative to preventive social services for children and families. The increased focus on strengthening the relationship between parents and their children resulted in a change to the current name, Beech Acres Parenting Center.

The town of Bristol, Rhode Island, has been celebrating Independence Day in grand fashion since 1785.

Americans from near and far have long regarded the town as a center of patriotism and history. With this pictorial history, Bristol resident and ""Fourth of July Historian"" Richard V. Simpson presents a lively tribute to his town's heritage. Simpson has combined carefully selected images--many rare and previously unpublished--with informative and compelling text to take his readers on a journey through the history of this dynamic and diverse community. Readers are taken inside Hope Street's historic mansions and family-run shops, gaining valuable insight into the lifestyles of Bristolians in the early 1900s. By contrast, the growth and development of the town in the 20th century is revealed in aerial views taken over a period of 50 years.

In this book, more than 200 historic photographs portray the days when the Brentwood Dinky streetcar ran from St. Louis, Link's Chicken Farm became infamous, and Louis J. "Pat" Bompart, grandson of Brentwood's founder, bought tavern patrons round after round of drinks. Pictured here are the schools, churches, businesses, and festivals that have endeared residents to Brentwood since its earliest days as a whistle stop.

Sandstone quarries and buildings, sod houses and mansions, cattle and cowboys, work and play, and other images of daily lives are featured within these pages. Using over 200 vintage images and accompanying captions, author Peggy Sanders brings to life the rich history of the area and the incredible residents who made it all possible.

With a collection of early-twentieth-century to the recent past photographs and informative historical information, Leonardo explores the many features of a town that has become known as the "jewel in the crown." This history features images of Leonardo's celebrated sculptor and artist Donald DeLue, who created the sculpture The Rocket Thrower for the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. Also seen are photographs of the Leonardo State Marina and the famous Conover Beacon Lighthouse. The historic Applegate Cemetery, where the legendary Mary Stillwell Applegate is buried, is pictured along with a description of its folklore tale.

Bennington explores the scenic town with more than two hundred vintage photographs from the Bennington Museum and private collections, many of which have never before been published. The area's growth and diversity are evident in views of the changing architecture, transportation, and recreational activities. Victorian estates of industrialists offset the row houses of the mid-1800s mill workers. The family horse is replaced by the trolley and then by the motor car, such as the Martin Wasp. Bennington tells a story that reveals the rich character of this historic Vermont town.

The acclaimed artist and architect shares a strolling, personal tour of a city that has become his creative muse and home away from home.

Over the years, Danish architect and artist Mikael Olrik has developed a special relationship with New York City, finding endless inspiration in the vibrant and ever-changing metropolis. In Walks in My New York, Olrik shares his fascinating perspective on New York life through a combination of watercolor, photography and text.

Olrik explores the city with the broad view of an architect, the specificity of an artist, the straight-forwardness of a photographer, and the companionable text of a diarist. He captures everything from street scenes of everyday life to pastoral views of Central Park and landmarks such as the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. Small maps accompany each entry and act as a sort of ‘GPS’ in print.

The Lincoln family moved from Kentucky, crossing the Ohio River and settling in an area known as Little Pigeon Creek in December 1816. Now known as Lincoln City, the town is just one of several stops on a back roads tour that takes wanderers through many historic sites, representing important moments in the life of a great man. Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried here, and the cabin where his cousin lived and Lincoln spent the night still stands. Those who want to retrace Lincoln's life in southern Indiana can do so easily by following the narrow roads that traverse the 20-mile area where he lived and traveled during those 14 years when he called Indiana home. The people of the region still claim Lincoln as one of their own.

South Orange follows the village through growth and development, illustrating how it has maintained much of its original character. The many extant homes in a wide variety of late-architectural styles hint at the summer afternoon tea parties of the nineteenth century. The gas-service lamps lining the streets of South Orange were once fueled by whale oil. The home of the Orange Lawn Tennis Club and Seton Hall University, South Orange was also the dwelling place of W.F. Havemeyer, real-estate tycoon, and Louis Bamberger, founder of Bamberger's Department Store, now known as Macy's. Another South Orange notable was William Frederick Allen, editor of the Official Railway Guide, who helped to implement the use of standard time in the United States.

This remarkable photographic history of Federal Hill features images of the community from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s, chronicling the arrival of immigrants from many countries over the years.

During the thirty-four year period from 1898 to 1932, more than fifty thousand Italian immigrants arrived at the port of Providence. The majority of them settled on Federal Hill, the three-hundred-acre land mass that stands high above Rhode Island's capital city. Federal Hill is a rich community in many ways. Its hard working and tenacious settlers started out with a deep and abiding faith in God. Their numerous accomplishments are evidenced today in the many thriving family-owned businesses and stunning architectural achievements so prevalent in the downtown area. Many people from around the state enter Federal Hill through the welcoming pine-cone arch for seasonal festivals or a night on the town. The vitality and hospitality of this historic area are truly cherished by many in the modern era.

Newfound Lake occupies some 4,106 acres in the foothills of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Fed by underground springs, this pristine lake is nature's own recreation center. In quiet harmony with the lake are centuries-old towns and villages embracing its bounds: places such as Hill, Hebron, Groton, and New Hampton, known by other names and proprietary boundaries when first settled; Alexandria and Danbury, nestled at the foot of Mountains Cardigan and Ragged, respectively; Bridgewater, claiming the lion's share of the Newfound shoreline; and Bristol, the industrial hub.

Along the north bank of the Missouri River, in Great Falls, Montana, there was once an industrial complex: the Great Falls Reduction Department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. From 1892 to 1982, it was a definitive silhouette on the skyline, used as a sign that travelers were close to home. 

At its peak, one-third of the world’s copper was smelted, refined, and molded here for direct consumption in line with the Anaconda Copper Mining Company’s slogan, “From Mine to Consumer.” Today, its existence has been wiped from the landscape, leaving a Superfund site that will take several decades to restore. Though the buildings, machinery, and workers are now gone, the memory is still imprinted heavily on the community.

The archives and operations manager of The History Museum & Research Center/Cascade County Historical Society, Megan Sanford, has created a specialized pictorial tour of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company Collection. Having collected objects, photographs, testimonies, and memories over the last half century, The History Museum & Research Center stewards the story of the Great Falls Reduction Department Plant and endeavors to share the tales of its workers and the work they did for the world.

Vintage postcards celebrate the charming, historic town of Norwell's timeless appeal, capturing scenes of daily life, natural beauty, and beloved landmarks from the early 20th century.

In 1849, Norwell took on a life of its own when it split off from Scituate to become known as South Scituate. In 1888, the town adopted the forever name of Norwell and its own identity. In the early 1900s, the automobile was changing the complexion of Norwell. Residents were able to commute to better-paying jobs, while nonresidents were discovering the town’s country charm and natural beauty. Included in the book is a special section of postcards on the North and South Rivers, both of which played an important role in Norwell’s history.

The Rancocas Creek was a vital waterway in the Burlington County, New Jersey, area for hundreds of years.

Initially a source of transportation for trade routes and nourishment for the Lenni Lenape Indians, various industries developed adjacent to the creek after the European settlers arrived. There were ironworks, mills, and phosphorus production. Steamships took patrons from Philadelphia up the Rancocas so they could enjoy the amusement parks, hotels, and respite. Others enjoyed paddling a canoe, and some swam in the flowing cedar water. As the area became more residential in the 20th century, the runoff from the development caused the Rancocas to fill in with dirt, sand, and debris. While many of the homes are still there, the industries have relocated or closed down, and most of the creek has reverted back to a simple waterway with a wide variety of birds, wildlife, and vegetation along its banks. 

Stephanie Marks Sawyer is a lifelong resident of Burlington County, New Jersey, and the author of Arcadia Publishing’s Mount Laurel. She has collected historic photographs of the Rancocas Creek and its surroundings for years. Sawyer also met with residents who lived, summered, or vacationed along the Rancocas who shared their experiences and private collections of family photographs. 

Readers interested in the America's heartland and the growth of both nuclear power and agriculture will delight in DeWitt County. Founded in 1824 by settlers such as Prettyman Marvel and Cicero Twist, DeWitt County was considered an abundant area because of its flat, open prairies that could be used for farmland and its plentiful forests. Within 15 years, DeWitt County was officially formed, with the first census including approximately 600 people. Over time, several towns changed their names: Mount Pleasant became Farmer City, Marion became DeWitt, and Dunham became Midland City. Other towns came and went, such as Shoo-Fly and Niptight. Clinton, the county seat, drew lawyers and politicians, allowing Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Vespasian Warner, and many others to make impressions first in Illinois and then throughout the nation. Over 180 years from DeWitt’s founding, factories and a nuclear power plant boosted population by 15,000. The county’s fertile sediment of rich minerals and organic matter left by glaciers and wind over millennia helps Illinois rank as the third state in total prime agricultural acreage.

Images of America: DeWitt County provides photographs covering almost 200 years of engaging county history. The author of two other Images of America books, Maureen Holtz lives in Champaign with her husband and cat. Her two other books about Robert Allerton were published locally.

Jacksonville, Florida’s Gullah Geechee heritage is an integral part of the city’s story.

Gullah Geechee people, descendants of west and central Africans forcibly brought to the southeastern coast of the United States, have retained many of their indigenous African traditions through architecture, food, culture, religion, and occupations. This legacy, combined with northeast Florida’s unique blend of Indigenous, French, Spanish, and English colonial history, has contributed to the African American journey in Jacksonville. Today, Jacksonville is the largest city in the federally designated Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, which stretches from Wilmington, North Carolina, to St. Augustine, Florida.

Ennis Davis is a Gullah Geechee descendant, urban planner, heritage advocate, and writer. Adrienne Burke is a historian, urban planner, and heritage advocate. Together they own Community Planning Collaborative, a firm working to assist communities with heritage-based urban planning solutions. Drawing from archival photographs housed in the Library of Congress, State Archives of Florida, National Archives, Jacksonville Public Library, University of Florida, University of North Florida, the Ritz Theatre & Museum, and the Jaxson magazine, each image illuminates the unique stories of the past that continue to shape Jacksonville’s character today. The foreword is provided by Saundra Morene with the Jacksonville Gullah/Geechee Nation Community Development Corporation.

Through historic postcards discover how Hilton Head Island went from a relatively dormant community to a renowned tourist destination.

English explorer Capt. William Hilton found the island and named Hilton Head after himself in 1663. After the Civil War was over, the island was relatively dormant for almost 100 years. The biggest event of the 20th century was the installation of electricity in 1950. Soon after, tourism to the area started when the Sea Crest Motel opened in 1955. In 1956, the James F. Byrnes Bridge was built, and the first grocery store opened near Coligny Plaza. Developer Charles Fraser visualized an environmentally friendly residential community and named it Sea Pines Plantation. Sea Pines Plantation wrote its first sales contract in 1958, and Fraser’s formula has since been copied around the world. In 1969, the Heritage Classic golf tournament set the island on a path to being nationally known. 

Nelle Smith and Ora Smith, who arrived on the island in 1963, were true pioneers. They coauthored the book Paradise: Memories of Hilton Head Island in the Early Days, a historical memoir. Ora is a self-proclaimed archivist of modern Hilton Head historical documents. The postcards in the book are from their private collection of the modern era of the island. 

For over 125 years, Philadelphians and visitors from around the world have delighted in discovering Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, a hidden gem within the city’s sprawling Fairmount Park.

Since opening in 1899, at the bequest of Richard and Sarah Smith, this unique play space, complete with a mansion purpose-built to support young children’s play, has provided a respite from city heat, connection to nature, and myriad opportunities for child-directed play and family recreation. The playground’s beloved Ida Newman wooden slide, originally built in 1905, has delighted generations of children. The evolution of Smith’s Playground and Playhouse and the numerous other programs and facilities it ran across the city over its first 125 years follows the development and theories of the playground movement and other child-saving campaigns of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Using the rich visual material in the Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse Archives, housed at the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University’s Charles Library, as well as holdings at other regional archives, former Smith board member, landscape architect, and play advocate Anna Forrester and play movement scholar Dr. Deborah Shine Valentine provide a nuanced, well-researched tribute to one of Philadelphia’s unique historic spaces.

Boyle County was formed from portions of Lincoln and Mercer Counties in 1842. Named after Judge John Boyle, the county covers 182 square miles. Danville, the county seat, was the location of the first courthouse in Kentucky, the first US Post Office west of the Alleghenies, and the first state-supported school for the deaf, which opened in 1823.

Perryville, located nine miles west of Danville, was established in 1817 and known for the largest battle during the Civil War in the state of Kentucky. Junction City was originally founded as Goresburg in 1858 but was renamed Junction City when the Cincinnati Southern Railroad reached the town and the tracks intersected with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Parksville had a major railroad depot for the county from 1866 until 1970. The railroads brought prosperity to Boyle County, along with hemp and tobacco. 

Bryan S. Bush has a master’s degree in history from the University of Louisville and has written over 17 books and numerous articles. He is the park manager for the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site and a member of the US Semiquincentennial Commission for Boyle County.

The establishment of Mansfield brought along a diverse community with a myriad of stories and cultural backgrounds, and the town became a beacon of quintessential Texas that readers will both appreciate and revel in.

Around 1856, Ralph Man and Julien Feild arrived at a small community among the oak groves bordering Walnut Creek. Here, they built a gristmill at the crossroads that would become the center of Mansfield. The steam mill they established ground grain into flour and meal and eventually served customers from San Antonio to Oklahoma. As the community grew, Dr. John Collier established the Mansfield Male and Female College, insisting the community be platted before the college opened in 1870. The community progressed with the arrival of the railroad between Fort Worth and Mansfield and the community’s incorporation. With the building of the town’s Memorial Hall in 1920, many of Mansfield’s functions became centralized, and the town grew to be more than a collection of buildings and fields. It grew to be a reflection of the voices, histories, and cultures of those who settled here and shaped the rich, diverse identity of the town. This cultural reflection continues today with the city’s rapid growth. New voices continue to add to the spirit that is Mansfield.

A special committee of the Mansfield Historical Society, along with the staff of the Mansfield Historical Museum, worked in collaboration for the creation of this book. All recognize and are grateful for the work of the Mansfield Historical Society in assembling the wealth of information and photographs contained in this book. 

Relying heavily on resources from Worcester-based research archives and libraries, Schindler and Slatkin have curated a rich collection of historical images that vividly illustrate Robert Goddard’s visionary life and his enduring connection to Massachusetts.

Robert Goddard, PhD, is widely considered the father of the space age. Born in 1882 in Worcester, Massachusetts, he spent much of his early life in the Boston suburb of Roxbury before returning to Worcester as a teenager. A pivotal moment came during his youth when, while climbing a cherry tree near his home, he envisioned the possibility of space travel—a vision that would shape the course of his life. Driven by this dream, Goddard dedicated himself to making spaceflight a reality. In 1926, he launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts, a groundbreaking achievement that laid the foundation for modern rocketry and space exploration. Among his many innovations, Goddard demonstrated that rockets could produce thrust in a vacuum, pioneered the use of scientific instruments aboard rockets, developed the concept of rocket-based weaponry (such as the bazooka), and introduced early methods for rocket stabilization.

Kevin Schindler, historian at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, has authored eight books on science and history. Charles Slatkin, founder and executive director of The Wonder Mission’s Goddard Project initiative, is leading efforts to promote Goddard’s legacy and establish a National Space

Trail. Astronaut Jim Lovell flew to the moon on Apollo missions 8 and 13.

Augusta, Georgia was home to the Augusta Arsenal for more than 125 years. In this compilation of images, familiar places meld together with historic characters to paint the picture of one of Augusta’s longest-standing federal outposts.

In 1791, US president George Washington visited Augusta and later proposed that the arsenal be built along the banks of the Savannah River. The arsenal was completed in 1819 and moved up the hill to Summerville in 1827. Part of the US Army Ordnance Department, the Augusta Arsenal service members and civilian employees were charged with making and repairing small firearms for the military. World War II–era images show the breadth of operations at the arsenal during its busiest time. Community members came together to support the expanded arsenal operations during the war when more than 2,000 employees worked at the Summerville site. Now home to Augusta University’s Summerville campus, many original buildings, sites, and historic objects are preserved for future generations. The historic quadrangle, commandant’s home, and stable are just a few of the many structures preserved by Augusta University. 

Stacey Thompson is director of the Guard House Museum and the Museum Studies Certificate program in the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Augusta University. David Tucker, a seasoned writer and editor, is retired from the Medical College of Georgia.

Discover the Chattanooga landmarks that remain and the ones that exist only in images and fading memories.

Twenty-five years ago, the citizens of Chattanooga met together to plot the future of their city by reinvigorating the town's origins by the river. Changes since then have refreshed the city and the waterfront, renewing energy in this friendly Southern town.

The area now known as Los Gatos dates to time out of memory, when Ohlone Indians settled in a favored locality, rich in natural beauty and resources.

From El Rancho de Los Gatos, the Mexican land grant of 1839, to 1854 when James Alexander Forbes built his flour mill, and to the era of the Valley of Heart’s Delight, an orchardist’s paradise, history has been recorded, and photographs still survive. The railroad arrived in 1877 and put Los Gatos on the map. The town burned down twice, in 1891 and 1901, but was rebuilt by residents who took pride in the matchless small town they called home. In the 1920s, Los Gatos attracted writers, painters, poets, and other assorted creative folk. The population expanded rapidly after World War II, and the orchards disappeared, replaced by homes and businesses. The October 17, 1989, Loma Prieta Earthquake devastated the town, with old unreinforced masonry buildings on Main Street and North Santa Cruz Avenue collapsing and at least 400 homes, including stately restored Victorians, damaged. Images of America: Los Gatos Remembered showcases the memories and history of this picturesque area of California. 

Peggy Conaway Bergtold, MA, MLS, retired director of the Los Gatos Public Library, has gathered together photographs from many sources to help preserve the community’s collective memory. 

Capturing its founding as a welcoming area of Virginia where people of all backgrounds could plant roots, Reston demonstrates the definition of community, from its beautifully constructed buildings to its array of people.

Reston, Virginia, was named utilizing the initials of its founder, Robert E. Simon Jr. In 1961, Simon purchased over 6,000 acres of wooded farmland between Washington, DC, and the soon-to-be opened Dulles International Airport to build a planned community where all could live, work, and play. Since its founding, Reston challenged the norms of the day by establishing an open community, fighting for affordable housing, and building a sense of belonging through its Restonian-led community organizations like Reston Black Focus, Common Ground Foundation, and more. This collection of vintage images portrays the people, places, and events that have built Reston into the thriving community it is today. Its unique architecture and design both inspire and evoke nostalgia. 

Alexandra Campbell and Ava Smigliani are George Mason University history graduates, museum professionals, and historians of American history. Both have also presented and contributed to publications on various topics of American history. Founded in 1997, the Reston Museum is a community 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that preserves the past, informs the present, and influences the future of Reston through its exhibits, educational public programs, and events. Most images are provided by the Reston Museum, and photographs are overwhelmingly captured by Restonians. 

Secondary education for African Americans in Washington, DC, marked a defining moment in the history of a people less than a decade removed from chattel slavery and legally prohibited from learning. In 1862, when legislation passed creating a “colored” school system, an educational foundation had been laid; by the decade’s end, thousands of people had received a basic education, and thousands more were in need.

A high school was needed to train grammar school graduates to teach in the rapidly growing system, which ultimately became a catalyst for academic excellence. When the first courses for Preparatory High School for Colored Youth were organized in a church basement in 1870, Black youth embarked on a journey of life-changing academic and personal growth. Many graduates not only became notable in fields ranging from arts to sciences, but even more helped to expand the city’s school system. Armstrong, Dunbar, and Cardozo High Schools emerged from this segregated system, each offering rigorous academic curriculums while shaping students’ civic, social, and physical development. 

Alice K. Thomas, educated in Washington, DC, holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and a master’s degree and doctorate in sociology. She writes and lectures on topics related to the experiences of African Americans. Her encounters with DC graduates often lead to nostalgic stories of the “good old days.” 

The wild west is exemplified in a pictorial history of Rural Roswell and South Springs Ranch, capturing accounts of ranching, war, and outlaws in the southeast region.

Years ago, much of southeastern New Mexico belonged to the “Cattle King of the Pecos,” John Simpson Chisum.

His vast domain stretched up both sides of the mighty Pecos River, ranging from just south of Fort Sumner all the way down to Seven Rivers.

Chisum faced many challenges, surviving both the Lincoln County War and threats from its star player, Billy the Kid. From the 1870s until his death in 1884, Chisum called the Roswell region home. Significant ranching operations included Bosque Grande north of Roswell and the South Springs Ranch south of the fledgling town.

Chisum’s various ranching outfits and those of his successors, like J.J. Hagerman, J.P. White’s LFD Farm, the Oasis Ranch of East Grand Plains, farms and ranches of friends like Pat Garrett and John W. Poe, plus many other unique facets and locations in rural Roswell, are included in historic photographs. 

John LeMay, author of over 50 historical titles, including Images of America: Roswell, and the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico use their extensive photograph archives to chronicle the history of John Chisum, his South Springs Ranch, and rural Roswell with over 200 rarely seen images. 

Lying deep within southwest Florida, the Big Cypress National Preserve protects over 1,000 square miles of the Big Cypress Swamp. Home to namesake cypress tree swamps as well as prairies, forested islands, ghost orchids, alligators, Florida panthers, and waterbirds, its human history spans thousands of years, becoming a refuge for the unconquered Seminole and Miccosukee people. Nearly inaccessible until the 1920s, when opened by roads and the railroad, it was America’s last frontier, settled by hardy pioneers, plume and alligator hunters, farmers, smugglers, and moonshiners. Avoiding large-scale development, the preserve was established over 50 years ago to protect the swamp and Everglades water resources while facilitating compatible traditional uses. Today, the preserve continues to support its swamp heritage, both natural and cultural, enabling Seminoles, Miccosukees, backwoodsmen, recreationists, and passing motorists to appreciate its unique environment.

James A. Kushlan is an author, conservationist, and South Florida historian with a University of Miami doctorate focused on the Big Cypress Swamp. He has authored 12 books. Kirsten Hines is an author, photographer, and conservationist. Her writing and photography highlight wildlife, including in her recent books Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey and Birds of Florida. This is the fifth book they have coauthored for Arcadia Publishing on South Florida. 

Significant members and locations of the Haitian-American community of Chicago are detailed in this book, highlighting the influence and importance Haitian culture has had on the city.

Haitians have always had a place in Chicago history. From Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a Haitian man and the first nonindigenous founder of Chicago; to the Haitian Pavilion built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; to Nicole Smith, a gallerist that uplifted Haitian art and artists, Haiti is here to stay in this diverse city.

The book includes information and images featuring Haitian community leaders such as the Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul and Metz T.P. Lochard, former chief editorial writer for the Chicago Daily Defender newspaper; academics; and topics like immigration and religion. Haitians in Chicago is the one-stop guide to uncovering the history, vibrancy, and resiliency of the Haitian community.

Elsie Hector Henandez, a native of Haiti, founded the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) in 2012, located in Uptown, a multicultural area of Chicago. The mission of the museum is to promote and preserve Haitian art, culture, history, and community in Chicago and beyond.

The museum is an institution that holds a wide array of programs and exhibits showcasing Haiti’s rich culture and art as well as its complex history. Here is an unforgettable record of the extraordinary impact Haitians have had, and continue to have, on Chicago.

The beacon of the historic Cape St. George Lighthouse still guides mariners into Apalachicola Bay more than 150 years after it was built.

Founded in 1831, the town of Apalachicola took its name from Creek Indians, to whom it signified a land of friendly people. Sheltered from the Gulf of Mexico by a string of barrier islands, the port flourished as the only site in Florida on a river that is navigable for over 300 miles to the fall line at Columbus, Georgia, Apalachicola's sister city. Generations of lighthouse keepers were bound to St. George Island and its great bay by an intense sense of duty to sustain seagoing commerce and a love for a place where they could raise their families in freedom. When the foundation washed away in 2005 after a very active hurricane season and a final surge from Hurricane Wilma, residents took action to salvage and rebuild the historic lighthouse. Visitors may still climb the lighthouse tower, surrounded by bricks that were first laid in 1852. Enjoy the rich history of the Cape St. George Lighthouse in this collection of 15 historic black-and-white postcards.