New Book Releases

We’re always on the hunt for the next great American history book. When we find it, you’ll see about it here, with our new book releases. We release new history books each month in a variety of subjects and series. Browse through all of our newest titles below, and discover your next favorite history book at Arcadia Publishing! [View all New Book Releases]

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Cardiff

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Lemont

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Lombard College

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Chicago's Historic Pullman District

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

The Illinois Statehouse

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Winfield

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Starved Rock State Park

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

St. Mark United Methodist Church

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Harlem Township in Winnebago County

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Western Kankakee County

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Chicago's Motor Row

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Glen Carbon

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Illinois Oil and Gas

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Mount Prospect Historic Sites

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

US 14th Cavalry at Highwood and Fort Sheridan

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Evanston Hospital School of Nursing

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Naperville's Greene Barn and Oak Cottage

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Cardiff

9781467160759

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

The discovery of a rich coal vein in northeast Livingston County, Illinois, in 1899 turned an open prairie into the large coal mining town of Cardiff within months. An explosion in the mine in 1903 that killed nine men looked like it might be the end of the mine and the town, but another mine shaft was sunk, and the town grew bigger than ever. However, the quality of the coal ran out in 1912. This time it was the end. The mine closed, and the buildings were transported elsewhere. The only thing left of Cardiff was its ghost town reputation. The town lasted only 13 years, but they were exciting years. This book brings the town and its people to life once again.

Lemont

9781467160582

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Located within the Des Plaines River valley in Illinois, Lemont became a village in 1873. The Illinois and Michigan Canal opened transportation opportunities and led to the discovery of dolomite limestone (known locally as Athens marble). Quarrying limestone became Lemont’s leading industry, and it was used for buildings throughout the region, including Chicago’s famous Water Tower. Canal workers made Lemont a capital of vice in the 1890s with bars and brothels located in the area known as Smokey Row. Downtown Lemont boasts well-preserved commercial buildings from this period. Historic homes and church steeples are nestled into the valley bluff, reflecting the community’s devotion to faith, civic pride, and traditions such as the Keepataw Parade. Today, the area’s industrial past is being rediscovered and repurposed for recreational uses in its quarries and along miles of trails that connect Lemont to the rest of the region.

Lombard College

9781467160186

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Lombard College was founded in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1851 under the leadership of the Universalist Church. The college's Universalist roots led the institution to be fully coeducational and nonsectarian, which separated it from other colleges of the time. Over time, a bond formed between the small campus neighborhood and community members. Blocks away one could see the towers of Old Main, hear the cheers of a football game at Lombard Field, or see the streetcar bringing students to campus. Galesburg native and poet Carl Sandburg grew up visiting the campus and eventually attended as a student. Sandburg published his first works while at Lombard College. Even with its many successes, Lombard College would fall victim to the Great Depression in 1929. All was not lost though; the memories and people of Lombard College live on through photographs.

Chicago's Historic Pullman District

9780738500294

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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.

The Illinois Statehouse

9780738560960

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Illinois was admitted to the union on December 3, 1818. For the first two years of Illinois's statehood, its capitol was located in Kaskaskia, a small town on the Mississippi River. Vandalia was home to three capitol buildings during its 19-year tenure as the second capital city. In 1837, a group of legislators, led by Abraham Lincoln and referred to as the Long Nine, campaigned to make Springfield the capital city. The Long Nine's goal was met in 1839, and since then, there have been two capitol buildings in Springfield. The first is where Lincoln delivered his House Divided speech. The second, completed in 1888 and the subject of this book, is still in use today. Since it is the current statehouse, its historical value is often overlooked. However, Illinois's sixth capitol is beautiful in its architecture and rich in its history. Many nationally prominent politicians, including a U.S. president, got their start underneath its dome.

Winfield

9781467127288

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Winfield's history traces back to the mid-19th century, well before its official incorporation in 1921. It began as the Gary's Mill settlement and nearly became Fredericksburg and Frederick Park due to the German heritage that its early people brought with them. It became Winfield when it was believed that Gen. Winfield Scott passed through the area during the Black Hawk War of the early 1830s. Winfield's history is attributed to people, businesses, and social activities. Its people included unique individuals such as Jacob Mueller and John Hamm, as well as the Higgins, Enders, and Besch families. Its businesses included longtime staples Higgins Store and Schmidt's Meat Market, as well as popular gathering locales like Hamm's tavern. Early social activities usually centered at Forester's Hall. Many residents attended mass at St. John the Baptist Church, which started in 1867, burned in 1906, and was rebuilt and rededicated one year later. While Central DuPage Hospital is a staple of today's Winfield, early Winfield had the Forsythe Rest Farm and the Chicago-Winfield Tuberculosis Sanitarium.

Starved Rock State Park

9780738519906

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Visitors to Starved Rock State Park are often struck by the grandeur of its rustic lodge. They marvel at its massive fireplace and hand-hewn logs. Yet few realize that this structure is a tangible reminder of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which in the 1930s provided work for young men left unemployed by the Great Depression. Starved Rock Lodge was one of the biggest projects of the "CCC boys" along the Illinois and Michigan Canal, but it was far from the only one. Working as a team and living in camps from Willow Springs to La Salle-Peru, they built facilities that transformed the old canal into what became the I&M Canal State Trail (1974) and the nation's first National Heritage Corridor (1984). President Franklin D. Roosevelt's nation-wide program preserved the landscape from the ravages of soil erosion, flooding, and deforestation. In the process, the young men built beautiful parks, buildings, and shelters that we use and admire today.

St. Mark United Methodist Church

9781467103282

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Three important events occurred in Chicago in the landmark year of 1893. First was the Chicago World's Fair, second was the founding of Sears Roebuck and Co., and third was the establishment of St. Mark Methodist Episcopal Church, initially located in a storefront on State Street in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. After 125 years, only St. Mark Church is alive and flourishing. Rev. S.C. Goosley was invited to come to Chicago for the purpose of developing a Methodist presence in the African American community. In 1907, St. Mark moved to Fiftieth Street and Wabash Avenue, and the congregation worshipped there until 1959. The church moved to its present location on Chicago's far South Side. Being the largest African American United Methodist congregation in the region, St. Mark parishioners humbly stand on the strong shoulders of their ancestors as they spread the word of the healing gospel to the community.

Harlem Township in Winnebago County

9781467104432

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Harlem Township was once the home of early settlers from areas like Harlem, New York, and Argyllshire, Scotland. These settlers' legacy lives on in the names of local landmarks and places like Argyle Presbyterian Church, Harlem High School, Harlem Road, and Harlem Community Center. Much of the area known as Harlem Township was once called Low Bottom by Native American Indians. The area was also referred to as North Park until incorporation in 1981. North Park was once an area dotted by cottage-style homes located on the picturesque valley of the Rock River. Rock Cut State Park draws millions of people from all over the state and offers camping, hiking trails, walking paths, sailing, fishing, and occasionally special events. Nearby Rockford Speedway has been home to the National Short Track Championships since 1966 and is currently one of only two NASCAR-sanctioned tracks in Illinois. The area now known as Machesney Park played an important role in pioneer aviation with what would become the original Rockford Airport, later renamed Machesney Airport. Harlem Township offers up vibrant living for those who crave a little bit of everything all in one place.

Western Kankakee County

9781467107211

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Kankakee County, named after the Kankakee River, was created in 1853 by an act of the Illinois Legislature. The western portion of the county is an extensive geographic area even though it has only a handful of small towns. Nestled in swaths of farmland, which serve as the foundation of the area, the villages of Herscher, Irwin, Bonfield, Buckingham, Limestone, Cabery, Reddick, Essex, and Union Hill make up Western Kankakee County. In addition to farming, all of these towns owe their existence to the coming of the railroads beginning in 1878. Wherever a railroad decided to build a station, a settlement became a town. Settlements that were bypassed by the railroads vanished. Today, the region's agricultural heritage is on proud display as farming remains the biggest economic factor, along with the Herscher School District and the gas pipeline storage area. The communities of Western Kankakee County continue to be great places to work and play.

Chicago's Motor Row

9781467107624

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Chicago’s Motor Row earned a spot in the National Register of Historic Places by pioneering a new way to market an invention that was remaking America—the automobile.

From approximately 1905 to 1936, well over 100 makes of car were offered by dealers in the 28-acre district. Motor Row started when Henry Ford, the best known name in automobile manufacturing, opened one of his first dealerships outside Detroit on South Michigan Avenue near the homes of Chicago’s most affluent citizens. Others followed with sales and service buildings designed by the nation’s foremost architects, often side by side, inviting buyers to check out the models on display behind plate glass windows. Shoppers flocked to the automotive smorgasbord. Although the auto dealers have left, most of these architectural jewels remain.

John F. Hogan is a veteran broadcast journalist and corporate executive. He was a reporter and editor for WGN Radio and Television in Chicago and director of communications for one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. John S. Maxson, a lifelong antique car enthusiast, retired as president of the advocacy organization for businesses on Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue. Jay Leno, who contributed the foreword, was host of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Jay Leno Show from 1992 until 2014. One of the country’s most respected authorities on automobiles old and new, he currently hosts Jay Leno’s Garage.

Glen Carbon

9781467107808

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

The village of Glen Carbon is tucked into river bluffs in southwestern Illinois. European immigrants working at a brickyard and coal mines incorporated the village in 1892 and elected some of their peers to organize protection and services. In the 1900 US Census, the village’s population reached 1,200; in the 1930s, it dropped to 300. Families stayed together by buying company houses for $50 per room, and neighborhood and government programs helped them survive. As the economy improved, Glen Carbon’s leaders annexed affluent and well-planned subdivisions. While developing parks and bike trails, they protected and preserved Old Town, the heart of the village. Saving historic buildings and venues—along with the planning of newer annexations and modern shopping centers—helped create a peaceful village that unites the past and present. Old Town and other subdivisions are linked by tree-lined bike and hiking trails, which helped lead CNN Money to name Glen Carbon as one of the country’s “Best Places to Live” in 2007.

Illinois Oil and Gas

9781467109642

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

The search for petroleum in Illinois occurred years before the boom days of the early 1900s. Wells were first drilled in 1865 near the town of Casey and then in other areas within the state for the next 40 years with very limited success. Renewed interest in the Casey area resulted in an oil discovery in 1905, followed by significant discoveries in Crawford and Lawrence Counties in 1906, pushing the state's oil production that year to 4.4 million barrels. Towns near the oil fields, such as Oblong, Robinson, Casey, Lawrenceville, and Bridgeport, experienced rapid population growth. Oil refineries near Chicago and St. Louis and in southeastern Illinois provided additional employment. The discovery of the Salem oil field in Marion County in 1938 initiated a major oil boom. By 1940, Illinois ranked third in the nation in oil production, providing a boast to the Allied forces' effort in Europe. Illinois continues to contribute to the petroleum industry of the United States, ranking fourth in crude oil refining and 16th in oil production.

Mount Prospect Historic Sites

9781467160087

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Mount Prospect has undergone dramatic changes since its incorporation as a village in 1917. At that time, it was a small rural community of 300 people, but after population booms in the 1920s, 1950s, and 1960s, the town blossomed into a bustling suburb of Chicago. Out of these changes came landmarks like Randhurst Shopping Center and beloved local businesses like Hotter Than Mother's Music. These new additions sprang up alongside--and in place of--older sites. The transformation continues to this day, making each generation familiar with a different version of the town. Such significant developments can sometimes make local historic sites difficult to locate; the history, however, has not disappeared. It remains in the landscape, the bits and pieces left behind, and the collective memories of its residents. Mount Prospect Historic Sites aims to connect people to the history that can still be found all around Mount Prospect.

US 14th Cavalry at Highwood and Fort Sheridan

9781467108324

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

As Fort Sheridan's nearest neighbor, Highwood and its people and businesses were critical to the operation of the base. The history of Highwood and its relevance are highlighted here as the Highwood Historical Society shares the experiences and connections that demonstrate Highwood's unique participation in the growth that made Fort Sheridan such a special icon on the North Shore. The society's joint partnership with author Bonnie Duresa has led to the release of many never-before-published photographs to illustrate these amazing tales, so readers can now learn about and enjoy the stories and adventures behind the images.

Evanston Hospital School of Nursing

9781467108737

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Using historical images and recollections, Evanston Hospital School of Nursing: 1898–1984 highlights the marketing, education, curriculum, and values of EHSN as well as the students’ experience and dormitory life.

Evanston Hospital was founded in 1891, followed by the school of nursing seven years later. Evanston Hospital School of Nursing (EHSN) provided education at a reasonable cost while the students provided care to patients in between studies. In its first 50 years, the school graduated 1,157 nurses, with the first class of two graduating in 1901. EHSN, like other diploma programs, flourished until educational cost escalated, technology boomed, training methods evolved, and a conversation about where and how nurses should be educated began. After 86 years of training nurses, EHSN closed.

Carolyn Hope Smeltzer and Barbara Ann McQuillan, 1972 EHSN graduates, are proud of their education and realize the historical value of the program. Having graduated 50 years ago, they are passionate about preserving the school’s history and capturing classmates’ memories. Their desire to keep alive EHSN history enables past generations of diploma graduates to cherish their own memories and future generations of nurses to look back on past teaching practices. This book will elicit familiar fond memories for all who attended or taught in any diploma school of nursing.

Naperville's Greene Barn and Oak Cottage

9781467108300

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Nestled on the East Branch of the DuPage River in Naperville, Illinois, sits the Greene family homestead with a 14,000-square-foot barn, the largest one in DuPage County, and a farmhouse lovingly called Oak Cottage by the family.

One of the county’s earliest settlers, William Briggs Greene, acquired land in 1843 and developed the farmstead. Home to six generations of the Greene family, the homestead serves as a tribute to the courage and determination of the early settlers, who came in lumber wagons to the dense rolling prairie woodlands and learned how to farm and manage livestock. This book is also the story of William Bertram Greene, a father, grandfather, businessman, and philanthropist, who with his remarkable wisdom and foresight secured the preservation of the Greene homestead for future generations by donating it to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County in 1971.

Revati Natesan, living across the street for 30 years, witnessed the weather beating down upon the Greene barn and Oak Cottage and the subsequent massive restoration efforts. Following a career as an electronics engineer at Bell Labs, she founded the ThinkGlobal Arts Foundation, which uses the arts as a medium to promote cultural awareness, peace, and harmony. The foundation organized citywide events across Naperville for several years celebrating peace and gifted a peace pole to the city that is installed in Veterans Park, Naperville.