American History Books

After an extremely hot and dry summer, Chicago got a spark that grew into something unimiginable and unforgettable on Oct. 8, 1871.

On Oct. 8, 1871, what became known as "the Great Chicago Fire" was a massive firestorm that moved faster than most men could run, fueled by southwest winds of at least 30 miles per hour. The heat was so intense it melted stone and brick buildings in minutes and turned sand on the lakeshore into glass. A total of 18,000 buildings were destroyed. About 100,000 were left homeless, and over 300 lost their lives. The very same day, and nearly the same hour, both the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and Peshtigo, Wisconsin, suffered similar firestorms. Peshtigo's was even worse, creating an event that came to be known as "the Peshtigo Paradigm." Many people believe the three fires forming a huge triangle of destruction were related as one with cosmic causes, and it remains a mystery to this day. Authors and native Chicagoans John Boda and Ray Johnson take you inside this historic happening.

Sodaro's book reveals the deadly 1967 tornado that struck towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn in northern Illinois and left a 16 mile long path of destruction.

The morning of April 21, 1967, was crisp and clear, marking the arrival of spring. As the day progressed, dark clouds covered the skies over Oak Lawn, and a deadly tornado touched down in the village just before 5:30 p.m. Cutting through the intersection of 95th Street and Southwest Highway and striking elsewhere, the storm left mountains of debris and over 30 people dead in its wake. Oak Lawn Community High School, St. Gerald Catholic Church, and the Fairway Super Mart were among the structures damaged or destroyed by the high winds. After the disaster, rescue workers and volunteers poured into Oak Lawn to search for survivors, while Christ Community Hospital and other institutions treated more than 400 injured people. The immense cleanup, which took weeks to complete, saw debris hauled out or disposed of in controlled fires. Despite the scope of the devastation, many of the affected structures were repaired or rebuilt within 12 months.

Track the history of the Chicago Great Western Railway through vintage images in this volume authored by David J. Fiore Sr.

The Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW) was a Midwestern line that operated in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska. Although this territory was served by much larger systems, the CGW was able to retain its share of passenger and freight business for 83 years through aggressive management, dedicated employees, innovations, and efficient operations. By the early 1960s, however, the growth of the trucking industry and airlines had taken away a substantial amount of the business previously handled by railroads. The CGW would not survive as operating costs increased while revenues declined. The only solution was to consolidate with another railroad, and a favorable agreement was reached with the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW). At 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 1, 1968, the CGW ceased to exist, as it became part of the C&NW. Since that time, much of the system has been abandoned, and today only a few segments of former CGW trackage remain in service. This book provides nostalgic images and photographs of the operations, employees, locomotives, and stations of a little railroad that is now only a memory.

In 1818, Illinois became America's 21st state, and over those 200 years, Illinoisans have been prominent in every war that the United States has been involved in.

From the French and Indian War to the current War on Terror, Illinoisans, Illinois Militia, and National Guard units have been called upon to act. Throughout Illinois there are monuments dedicated to national figures as well as lesser known heroes. For example, Abraham Lincoln moved to Illinois as a young man, and during the Black Hawk Wars, he served in the Illinois Militia as a captain; on April 11, 1930, the State of Illinois dedicated a monument in Dixon in honor of his service. On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, ceremonies are held throughout Illinois at these monuments in honor of those who have served our state and nation.

The historic Great Lakes Naval Training Station was authorized as a "training ship on land" in 1904.

The base opened on July 1, 1911, and the first class of 300 U.S. sailors graduated four months later in a grand ceremony attended by Pres. William H. Taft as guest of honor. It has since sent to the fleet over four million sailors, serving the nation through all the conflicts of the 20th century. Today Great Lakes is the sole remaining navy boot camp in the United States. Anchored by the stately Building One, the entire 43-building complex was designated as Great Lakes Naval Training Station on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This book, with over 200 vintage images, explores its colorful and important history.

Page by page, picture by picture, step back in time and discover the remarkable history of Evanston.

Enjoy a trip through historic Evanston. See how Davis Street and Sherman and Orrington Avenues appeared around the beginning of the 20th century. Learn how Fountain Square has evolved and how the Merrick Rose Garden is connected. See Northwestern University as it was founded, along with early Evanston's lakefront, city hall, library, and post office. Many of the buildings shown in this book are still standing, while others have been demolished. In some postcard views the stately elm trees of later decades are seen as saplings. The Library Plaza Hotel, North Shore Hotel, and Georgian Hotel are here as well, along with the historic schools, churches, train depots, and, of course, Grosse Point Lighthouse, which all helped shape the city in its formative years.

Long before the Gateway Geyser erupted in the shadow of the Gateway Arch, East St. Louis had a rich and compelling history.

On April 1, 1861, the people in the village known as Illinois Town went to the polls to choose a new name. On that day, with 183 votes for and 89 votes against, the map had a new place--a bustling town called East St. Louis. This wonderful collection of photographs and memorabilia (some published for the first time) shows the exciting history of this once-mighty industrial town, as well as the people who made it work and shaped its destiny.

Join Bill Nunes, award-winning author of fifteen books on the history of St. Louis, East St. Louis, and Illinois, as he takes the reader through the streets of East St. Louis.

An entertaining romp through the charming history of a beloved Chicago neighborhood.

The town of Pullman, the brainchild of George M. Pullman, began as a small community on the far south side of Chicago. In 1879, Pullman, builder of the well-known Pullman Sleeping Car, purchased land just west of Lake Calumet and surrounding the Illinois Central Railroad, to build his model town in 1880. Pullman was the first planned model industrial town, and its center was Pullman's railroad car business. Employees lived in well-constructed housing on pleasantly landscaped streets, with all the necessary conveniences, including a bank, library, theater, post office, church, parks, and recreational facilities. In fact, Pullman was presented an award for the ""World's Most Perfect Town"" in 1896.

Start your engines! Relive the energy and intensity Blue Island's Raceway Park offered for decades with numerous rarely-seen images.

On September 24, 1938, Raceway Park officially opened its doors, and the track remained open for over 60 years. The first race was won by Harry McQuinn, who went on to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and become the chief pit steward of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1948, Raceway Park added stock car races to its regular program, and the track became a popular entertainment venue throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s as thousands of Chicagoans filled the stands. The track held its last race in 2000 and was torn down the following year. Although Raceway Park is now a part of history, the ""World's Busiest Track"" is still in the hearts and minds of many Chicagoland race fans.

Home to Chicago's Polish Village, impressive examples of architecture, and the legendary Olson Waterfall, Avondale is often called "the neighborhood that built Chicago."

Images of America: Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village sheds light on the little known history of the community, including its fascinating industrial past. From its beginnings as a sleepy subdivision started by a Michigan senator, it became a cultural mecca for Chicago's Polish community, playing a crucial role in Poland's struggles for independence. Many people from all over the world also called Avondale home, such as Scottish proprietors, African American freedmen, Irish activists, Swedish shopkeepers, German tradesmen, Jewish merchants, Filipino laborers, and Italian entrepreneurs; a diversity further enriched as many from the former Soviet Bloc and Latin America settled here. Avondale would be unrecognizable today from its humble origins, but the strong sense of community these neighbors have will never change.

Throughout Chicago, historic mansions built by legendary architects were the homes to characters just as great and whose impact is still felt today.

Chicago is known throughout the world for its architecture. Although many people are familiar with the city's skyscrapers and public buildings, they often overlook or are unaware of Chicago's mansions that are located throughout the city. These mansions represent Chicago's past and its future, and it can even be said that they are the very embodiment of Chicago and its architecture. These fashionable residences were built to make a statement, and what better way to have done this than to employ the leading architects of the time to design them. These architects included men such as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Henry Hobson Richardson, Daniel Burnham, and John Wellborn Root. While the city's mansions are significant because of who built them, they are just as important because of who lived in them. Many of these mansions were built for Chicago's elite businessmen and captains of industry-men who represented old money, new money and big money. Just as important were the families of these men and the other residents who came to live in these mansions-for they left a legacy of their own that contributed to the city's history.

This fascinating addition to the Images of America series offers a glimpse into the unique history of Dixon, Illinois, with more than 200 historic photographs.

In the spring of 1830, John Dixon settled with his family near the Rock River in Northern Illinois. Dixon, Illinois, soon grew as men crossed the river here on their way to work in the mines at Galena. In 1832, the Black Hawk War brought a number of now-famous men to this remote outpost of civilization. Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor, Robert Anderson, Abraham Lincoln, and Jefferson Davis were all here, each of them equally unconscious of future immortal honors. The act of the Illinois General Assembly creating Lee County was approved February 27, 1839, with Dixon officially becoming the county seat on May 31, 1839. Dixon was on its way to fast becoming a central point in Illinois, well known for its industry, beautiful scenery, and the enchantment of the Rock River Valley.

The fascinating story of Aurora's industries is recalled through the photographs of the workers themselves--many of which have never been published. Also featured in Aurora, Illinois, is a look at a master photographer and his son, who ran the foremost studio in Aurora. An 1887 description of downtown Aurora, written by a high school student who was a contemporary, is also included in this welcome new addition to the Images of America series.

From Holy Family Log Church to Jarrot Mansion, the over 300 year history of the close knit Cahokia community is detailed in this photographic history.

In 1999, Cahokia will celebrate 300 years as the historic, close knit community located directly across the great Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. The village's proximity to St. Louis allows residents to enjoy all the cultural opportunities of a large city, while keeping its small-town atmosphere. Cahokia has a distinctive French heritage and is today still inhabited by many of the same families whose ancestors came to the community in the 18th and 19th centuries. Among the many fascinating pieces of Cahokia's history featured in this book is the Holy Family Parish, founded by missionary priests from Quebec. The first Mass was said there on December 8, 1698, establishing Holy Family as the oldest continuous parish in the United States. Today, the treasured Holy Family Log Church, dating from 1799, occupies this site. Other images among the 200 shown here include the historic sites of the Cahokia Courthouse and Jarrot Mansion, as well as scenes of daily life around town.

Cicero is well known for its mob history in the Roaring Twenties, and its evolution into a town representing the American Dream.

Mention the town of Cicero just about anywhere in the world, and you may receive two responses: first, a mimed tommy-gun pointed at you, reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties when Al Capone ran the town; second, a comment about Cicero's racial intolerance. Although the old Capone hangouts are mostly gone, and the town's racial makeup ischanging, those old stereotypes linger. Cicero: The First Suburb West tells the story of thisvibrant community and its links to the past--including its connections to Western Electric and the tragic Eastland disaster. The Hispanic families that are making their homes in Cicero today mirror the Slavic immigrants who settled here a century ago. Their goal was, and is, to provide safe and affordable housing for their families, and pursue the ""American Dream.""

Elgin was named by a city founder, James T. Gifford, after his favorite hymn.

The city shares its name with 20 cities in 15 states and 8 countries. Elgin is situated on the banks of the Fox River, 35 milesnorthwest of Chicago, the city with which Elgin had thriving business exchanges in agricultural and industrial goods. The city's world-wide fame, for the most part, has come from its watch factory and Mr. Gail Borden's milk company. Pianos, shoes, books, and even chewing gum were also manufactured in Elgin and sold internationally. This exciting new study of a major Midwestern city is chock-full of images, many of which have never before been published. Featured in Elgin, Illinois is information about the Elgin National Watch Company, early circus and carnival attractions, as well as rip-roaring national road races. Highlighted in one chapter is Elgin's part in helping to win World War Iat home, complete with original photographs from the front in Europe. This lively and historical look at Elgin from the 1800s to the 1930s is interwoven with national and international trends and events.

These pages bring to life the people, events, communities, and industries that helped shape and transform McHenry County. With more than 200 vintage images, culled from three collections-the McHenry County Historical Society, the Crystal Lake Historical Society, the James Keefe Collection, and the personal collection of Don Peasley-McHenry County, Illinois, portrays life against a backdrop of international wars, national social struggles, and technological advances in an expanding world.

See Highland Park's transformation from forest and farmland to a fashionable and residential Chicago community.

Highland Park represents one of the finest examples of late-19th-century suburban development. Its abundant natural beauty was quickly recognized and preserved by the visionary design of two well-known landscape architects, Horace W. S. Cleveland and William M. R. French. Capitalizing on the setting and boasting ""good schools, good churches and good society,"" the Highland Park Building Company transformed the scenic village into one of the most desirable communities on Chicago's North Shore, attracting socially prominent residents who built gracious lakefront estates and quiet country homes along its bluffs and shady lanes.

Historic photographs illustrate this change and capture the social, civic and business accomplishments of Highland Park's early citizens. The city's early progress and prosperity are celebrated in this book.

Chicago was once the second-largest Bohemian city outside the Czech lands. The Czechs first settled, serendipitously, behind the notorious O'Leary barn.

Spared the Great Fire of 1871, they were displaced several blocks south by the ensuing land crush. There they built more permanent quarters in the community that became known as Pilsen, a neighborhood whose name and architecture survive to recall its Bohemian origins. The thriving Czechs soon began a century-long move westward from Lawndale to Cicero to Berwyn, and today they flourish across the western suburbs. From the desolation of the 1915 Eastland disaster, in which hundreds of victims were of Czech descent, to the triumphant Depression-era election of Czech-born mayor Antonín Cˇermák, Czechs of Chicagoland depicts how the Czech community and its great leaders, benevolent societies, and charitable and social organizations have shaped and continue to shape the course of Chicago's history.