Name: Richmond
Brand: Desiree Heveroh
SKU: 9781467161930
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Richmond

9781467161930

$24.99

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.

Cover image for Richmond, isbn: 9781467161930

La Plata County

9781467161091

$24.99

Established in 1874 as an agricultural lifeline, La Plata County, Colorado, has played many roles. /

European Americans were drawn to the region by the promise of mineral wealth and the mining industry. Agriculture, smelting, transportation, and commerce grew to offer support. As the county matured, its Old West features were discovered, and it was dubbed “Hollywood of the Rockies” when movies were filmed there from the 1940s to the 1960s with notable stars such as Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford. The 20th century brought energy extraction and commercial growth, but as the recreational opportunities in the region started to be discovered, La Plata County became a destination for outdoor pursuits. The county has 14,000-foot peaks, rivers, and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, and ski trails. Today, tourism and recreation drive the economy much as the mining industry once did. /Within these pages, historical photographs from the archives of the La Plata County Historical Society illustrate the many facets of this Colorado county. Edward Anthony Horvat is a third-generation La Plata County native; his grandparents all came to the county between 1905 and 1911. A retired nurse-paramedic, Horvat volunteers at the historical society’s Animas Museum and writes the weekly And the West Is History feature in the Durango Herald newspaper.

Cover image for La Plata County, isbn: 9781467161091

Haunted Boise

9781467154314

$21.99

What goes bump in Boise?

Searching the darkness of the City of Trees reveals what lurks in the liminal spaces. Idaho’s capital city is dotted with haunted residences, hotels and penitentiaries where many still reside in death. Two youngsters lives were cut short, but their spirits never left their childhood homes. Strange specters prowl the foothills, including hooded figures seeking sacrifices. Strange objects patrol the skies. Spooks haunt local prison cells and frighten at a historic fort. Authors Mark Iverson and Jeff Wade collect ghoulish tales that have become local folklore, while setting the record straight.

Cover image for Haunted Boise, isbn: 9781467154314

Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park

9780738571966

$7.99

Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park boasts a rich history.

Vintage sepia postcard cover for Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park showing crashing waves along a seawall

Moscow

9780738548685

$24.99

Each spring for centuries, the Nez Perce Indians visited the area they called Taxt-hinma (place of the spotted deer) to harvest the camas root. Today Taxt-hinma is Moscow, Idaho, a forward-looking university community dedicated to preserving the spirit of place that attracted the area's first permanent settlers in 1871. Originally known as Paradise, Moscow started out as a trading center serving homesteaders settling the prodigiously fertile Palouse. Since its incorporation as a city in 1887, Moscow has grown steadily upon a foundation of education and agriculture. From its central core of notable commercial and public buildings to the splendid houses that once sheltered its founders to the scenic University of Idaho campus, Moscow is clearly a community that values its cultural, economic, architectural, and natural heritage.

Cover image for Moscow, isbn: 9780738548685

Armijo High School

9781467154642

$23.99

Over a century of history, pride and tradition.

Armijo High School opened its doors for the first time in 1891. What began in the upstairs classrooms of Crystal Elementary School in Suisun City grew to the sprawling campus on Washington Street in order to serve the rising population of Fairfield, California. Armijo alumni have made indelible marks in numerous fields, including medicine, law, civil and military service, athletics, and the arts. Notable graduates include Noriyuki “Pat” Morita who earned an Academy Award nomination for playing Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid movies, New York Giants Super Bowl champion George Martin and Johnny Colla, multi-platinum recording artist with Huey Lewis and the News.

Join Tony Wade as he delves into the generations of students, parents and faculty that embody Armijo pride.

Cover image for Armijo High School, isbn: 9781467154642

Windsor

9780738576152

$24.99

Tucked alongside the meandering Cache la Poudre River, the community of Windsor sprouted as the ideal location connecting irrigation and railroads between two county seats. With easy access to water and transportation, eager settlers saw opportunities for commercial development while others sought a leisurely lakeside resort. Through slow and steady growth, Windsor has been a town in transition. Early on, it was an agricultural boomtown with one of the busiest factories of the Great Western Sugar Company and home to bustling downtown businesses and generations of immigrants. Later, it welcomed new industry with one of Eastman Kodak's largest manufacturing facilities in America. But through the ebb and flow of history, Windsor has stood as a steady and vibrant community.

Windsor Images of America book cover with a sepia construction site and workers on scaffolding

The California Channel Islands

9780738595085

$24.99

Every day, thousands of Southern California residents see the California Channel Islands on the horizon, yet few can name all eight. Santa Catalina Island, third largest, is by far the best known. It is the only island with a city, Avalon, where dozens of hotels, shops, and restaurants await visitors year-round. Three of the islands are owned by the US Navy: San Clemente, San Nicolas, and San Miguel. San Clemente and San Nicolas Islands are used for military training, naval weapons development, and missile testing; thus access is restricted. Five islands fall within the boundaries of Channel Islands National Park: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara Islands. Close to the mainland and yet worlds apart, scenic day trips and primitive camping opportunities are available on all five park islands. With neither stores nor modern conveniences, a trip to Channel Islands National Park is a step back in time.

Cover of The California Channel Islands from Images of America showing a vintage boat on a sepia coastline.

Legendary Locals of Carmel-by-the-Sea

9781467102018

$24.99

A place whose history has long been a source of fable and fascination, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a community whose ancestors summered by the sea and ultimately stayed through the seasons. After founders Frank Powers and Frank Devendorf populated the once-barren potato patches with artists and academicians, it became a place defined as much by legends and landscape as by the characters who came to Carmel. Whether it is the clear light that attracted photographers Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Doug Steakley, and Bob Kolbrener; the whisper in the trees, the rhythm of the waves, and the stillness at dawn that seduced writers Mary Austin, Robinson Jeffers, Jack London, Bob Campbell, Rick Masten, and Jane Smiley; or the unbridled beauty in a majestic mountain, surging sea, or verdant valley that drew in artists Mary DeNeale Morgan, William F. Ritschel, E. Charlton Fortune, Mari Kloeppel, Carol Chapman, and Loet Vanderveen, the truth is that Carmel-by-the-Sea gets in one's soul and makes its home there.

Book cover for Legendary Locals of Carmel-by-the-Sea featuring a collage of historic photographs.

San Mateo

9780738529561

$24.99

Ever since the DeAnza expedition camped in the area in 1776, residents and visitors have been making their way to San Mateo--situated in the shadow of its famous northern neighbor, San Francisco. This book trains the spotlight on the unique peninsular city of San Mateo, and illustrates its development from sleepy, oak-studded ranchos to today's bustling city with its own college, three high schools, churches, hospitals, and a population approaching 100,000.

Book cover for San Mateo from the Images of America series showing a historic street scene and a prominent building.

The Lost Communities of Lake Oroville

9781467123990

$24.99

In 1968, Lake Oroville flooded the West Branch, North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork canyons of the Feather River. Also inundated were the communities of Las Plumas, the Big Bend Power House, Bidwell Bar, and Enterprise. In 1994, Feather Falls Village, located above the lake, also ceased to exist due to a totally different situation. But all of these communities had one thing in common: there were people who had resided in them for decades and who still have an emotional connection to them. This book attempts to preserve some of the history of those areas and also tries to show some of what it was like to live in those now almost forgotten communities.

Cover image for The Lost Communities of Lake Oroville, isbn: 9781467123990

Sacramento's Oak Park

9780738529325

$24.99

The history of American cities is a history of suburbs. It is a history of moving out and settling in, of technological innovation, of rearrangements of space, and the creation and erosion of community. Oak Park was Sacramento's first suburb, and before being officially annexed to the city in 1911, it prided itself on having separate law enforcement, its own newspaper, and perhaps most importantly, its own amusement park--Joyland. Unlike the more elite neighborhoods of Land Park and East Sacramento, Oak Park has always reflected working-class values and a less pretentious approach to architecture. Today, Oak Park is actively rediscovering and reestablishing its roots as a distinct, vital community and urban center.

Sacramento's Oak Park cover showing a vintage streetcar and children beside the Oak Park arch in a historic neighborhood

Frisco and the Ten Mile Canyon

9780738575490

$24.99

Frisco and the Ten Mile Canyon tells the story of the once-thriving railroad town that served as the gateway to the towns and mines of the Ten Mile Canyon. Beginning in 1879, mines produced silver, gold, and other minerals while experiencing the usual boom and bust cycles. With the slow, painful death of mining and the curtailing of rail service, Frisco and nearby towns suffered. While the towns in the canyon became memories, Frisco experienced a rebirth and revitalization when the recreational landscape and economy replaced that of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Frisco and the Ten Mile Canyon cover with a sepia photograph of children and a donkey in a western town

Early Hayward

9780738529479

$24.99

The vibrant East Bay city of Hayward was named for William Hayward, a '49er and American squatter who endeared himself to Mexican landowner Guillermo Castro by making him a good pair of boots. With Castro's permission, William stayed to open Hayward's Hotel on what is now Main and A Streets. That fortuitous location, near the convergence of the eight tributaries forming San Lorenzo Creek, made the region a natural transportation hub between the bay and the fertile Livermore Valley. Stagecoach lines, a narrow-gauge railroad, and later modern transportation links encouraged more immigrants to settle. Today Hayward is a diverse city of almost 150,000 people, and home to a campus of the California State University.

Book cover for Early Hayward featuring a horse drawn wagon and people in front of a large house.

Cheyenne

9780738558936

$24.99

Cheyenne, known from its earliest days as the "Magic City of the Plains," sprang up almost overnight in 1867 to meet the Union Pacific Railroad's anticipated westward expansion. Named after the Cheyenne Indian tribe that lived in the area, the wild frontier settlement quickly evolved from a tent town to one of the most sophisticated cities west of the Mississippi River. Cheyenne was settled by a variety of people, including cattle barons, soldiers from nearby Fort D. A. Russell, merchants, railroad workers, prostitutes, and gamblers. Buildings such as the Cheyenne Club, the Opera House, the Inter Ocean Hotel, the mansions along Ferguson Street, and a lively downtown defined Cheyenne as a prosperous city by the early 1880s. As Wyoming's capital grew, annual events such as Frontier Days brought the legend of Cheyenne into the first two decades of the 20th century.

Cheyenne 1867–1917 cover featuring riders on horseback in a dusty street in front of a storefront building.

Boulder City

9781467137157

$21.99

In the depths of the Great Depression, the United States undertook a task so monumental it demanded nearly five thousand people to complete. The Hoover Dam stands as a modern marvel, a testament to America's ingenuity. However, few know the story of the town that built the dam. To house the workers, Secretary of Interior Ray L. Wilbur envisioned a model of city planning, giving birth to Boulder City. Wilbur intended for the city to be temporary, to disappear once the dam was complete, but it didn't work out that way. Local author Paul W. Papa offers a unique look at a town that may have been forged by a dam but took on a life of its own.

Cover image for Boulder City, isbn: 9781467137157

The San Lorenzo Valley

9780738592299

$24.99

The headwaters of the San Lorenzo River are just 15 miles from the city of San Jose and just 15 miles from the city of Santa Cruz, both thriving towns during the Mission period. Even so, a steep canyon, an almost impenetrable forest, and formidable grizzly bears ensured that these headwaters remained unexploited by Westerners until the 1880s. Once the rich natural resources such as vast forests of redwood lumber, lime deposits, and tan oaks were discovered, this virgin landscape was pillaged and plundered. A few enlightened individuals understood that the clear-cutting techniques of the lumber companies would soon result in the total loss of this natural wonder. Their endeavors resulted in the founding of California's first state park at Big Basin, saving this precious resource for future generations.

Sepia historic photo of men in work clothes posing on a large log in a forested San Lorenzo Valley scene

Los Gatos

9780738569628

$24.99

The charming town of Los Gatos is nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is sometimes referred to as the "Gem City of the Foothills." It has inspired hundreds of postcard images through the years, many reflecting the area's abundance of natural beauty. As the town and surrounding area grew and prospered through agriculture, logging, and commerce, the local architecture and landmarks became popular subjects. Glimpses of everyday life--churches, schools, houses, and businesses--further enhanced the pictorial history the postcards represent.

Los Gatos postcard history series cover with a sepia street scene and storefronts in downtown Los Gatos California

Modern San Rafael:

9780738593074

$24.99

Modern San Rafael: 1940-2000 begins where the first volume, Early San Rafael, left off. San Rafael changed dramatically in the years following World War II, and in the 1950s, the gentle hills with roaming cattle gave way to housing developments and shopping centers. Expansion of the city into Terra Linda, Marinwood, and Santa Venetia provided housing for all the new residents. The population soared, and to keep pace, new schools, new streets, and new ideas expanded the size and ambience of the town. The new Marin County Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright became an instant architectural icon. Not everything changed, and some of the old town remains today, adding to San Rafael's charm. The vibrant downtown, the attractive streets with Victorian homes, and the beautiful landscape close to San Francisco Bay have been preserved. San Rafael is a place where the healthy outdoor lifestyle meets a busy center of cultural activity, and the result is a great place to live.

Cover of Modern San Rafael 1940–2000 featuring a horse parade and flags.

Oak Park

9780738595382

$24.99

Ventura County's largest unincorporated community was born in the mid-1960s on pastoral ranchland previously owned by the radio comedy team of Fibber McGee and Molly in the 1950s and by William Randolph Hearst from the mid-1920s through the 1930s. Originally a Native American site, Oak Park was designed by its builder as a "community in the country" capturing "the scenic grandeur of early California, west of the San Fernando Valley." Today, it is still widely known for its award-winning schools, beautiful parks, creekside bike paths and nature trails, and a diverse, well-educated population. Many of its nearly 15,000 residents commute to and from Los Angeles. These historic images demonstrate why Oak Park has become one of the most desirable places to live in Southern California.

Oak Park vintage cover featuring a mother and two children beside a classic car

Fort Collins

9780738569871

$24.99

Photographer Mark Miller opened his studio in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1914. The town he chose to live and work in sits in a river valley in northern Colorado, nestled between the Rocky Mountain foothills and the semiarid high plains, with Denver to the south and Cheyenne, Wyoming, to the north. Established as a Civil War–era army post, the town was a Wild West frontier outpost until it was tamed in the 1870s by the arrival of a land-grant college and the railroad. By the turn of the century, Fort Collins had become a quietly respectable college town with a thriving economy and steadily increasing population. Over almost six decades, as the small town evolved into a city, Miller photographed people, businesses, and landscapes. Fort Collins: The Miller Photographs offers a representative sampling of the over 70,000 Miller images, a collection housed at the Fort Collins Museum's Local History Archive.

Cover image for Fort Collins, isbn: 9780738569871

Early Santa Ana

9780738531007

$24.99

Located at the heart of Orange County, Santa Ana has been the civic and community center as "the OC" grew and prospered. Thirty-three miles from Los Angeles and 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the city was founded by William Spurgeon, who, in 1867, purchased just over 74 acres of what was once the Yorba family's Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana to start a new community. This book revisits those formative years that left a rich history in architecture and culture, laying the foundation for today's 350,000 city residents. Santa Ana boasts two historic districts and 20 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Growing with the ranching and citrus industries as well as the transportation routes they spawned, the city also contains 400 locations of historic significance on its own citywide historic register.

Early Santa Ana book cover showing a sepia photograph of a wooden storefront with two people

La Cañada

9780738531106

$24.99

The city of La Cañada Flintridge is made up of the nearly century-long communities of La Cañada--once a mosaic of ranchlands honeycombed with vineyards and olive and citrus groves--and Flintridge, an affluent enclave and health resort in the early 1900s. La Cañada's various neighborhoods were renamed La Cañada Flintridge during the city's incorporation in 1976. Known for its excellent schools and as a gateway to the Angeles National Forest, La Cañada is also home to Descanso Gardens, an internationally known 165-acre botanical garden sold to Los Angeles County by former Los Angeles Daily News tycoon Manchester Boddy, and to NASA's esteemed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), located on the city's northwest border.

La Cañada book cover featuring a sepia family portrait on a porch

Angel Island

9780738547190

$24.99

Angel Island, in the Town of Tiburon, is a mile-square jewel set in San Francisco Bay that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Few of those who hike, bike, camp, or enjoy the spectacular vistas in this California State Park realize its diverse history. From the Spanish ships that anchored at Ayala Cove in 1775 to the 1960s cold war-era missile silos, Angel Island has endured to become one of the most popular parks in the state. Although many building were demolished, there are still countless reminders of the island's multifaceted evolution, including a quarantine station, army base, and immigration station.

Cover image for Angel Island showing the island and bay with a distant bridge in a sepia tone.

San Francisco's Marina District

9780738528748

$24.99

When driving into San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, the sweeping vistas and greenery gradually give way to the city's charming and inviting Marina District. This area is undoubtedly one of San Francisco's most picturesque and best-known neighborhoods and is famous for its aesthetic and historic appeal. Adjacent to the Presidio, the Golden Gate, and Chrissy Field, the Marina hosts a large number of Art Deco structures and the famed Palace of Fine Arts, a resplendent collection of buildings originally designed for the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915. The exposition was held to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, but also to show the world that San Francisco had recovered and rebuilt from the 1906 earthquake. The Marina rose from the site of the Pan Pacific to become one of the city's most desirable and recognizable districts, known for its architecture, culture, and dramatic waterfront setting.

San Francisco's Marina District book cover featuring an aerial sepia photograph of the marina and surrounding hills

Salinas

9781467130028

$24.99

Salinas is named for the broad saltwater slough that once seeped in from Monterey Bay, saturating the plain between the Sierra de Salinas and the Gavilan Mountains. Originally used for cattle, a town developed from a stage stop after the Gold Rush, and the land was drained and used for grains, potatoes, sugar beets, and other crops. After World War I, irrigation permitted the growing of lettuce, broccoli, and other row crops. Salinas became known as the "Salad Bowl of the World" and one of the wealthiest cities in the United States.

Salinas Postcard History Series cover showing a large vintage street scene in Salinas.

The Port of Los Angeles

9780738556093

$24.99

The epic of the Port of Los Angeles was initiated more than 150 years ago by a handful of visionaries and entrepreneurs who exploited both fortunate and outrageous circumstances to transform a tidal mudflat into the world's largest man-made harbor. Phineas Banning and archrival Augustus Timms were among the first to realize the potential of the coastal dent on the map called San Pedro Bay in the 1850s. The bay's namesake village expanded from a backwater loading point for raw cattle hides to a deepwater harbor rivaling and eventually surpassing San Francisco as the busiest port on the U.S. Pacific coast, and would later become the nation's largest container port. Political battles in far-off Washington, D.C., economic booms and depressions, world wars, and billions of tons of cargo and material later, the Port of Los Angeles remains America's premier revolving door for trade with markets around the world.

The Port of Los Angeles book cover showing a large vintage steamship in a shipyard.

Los Angeles's Historic Filipinotown

9780738569543

$24.99

Historic Filipinotown was officially designated by Los Angeles City Council District 13 as one of the city's historic geographic areas on August 2, 2002. It is the first Filipino community in America to merit a named area with distinct geographic boundaries. Also known as the Temple-Beverly Corridor, this area is located just west of central downtown. Historic Filipinotown was once home to one of the largest Filipino enclaves in California, a place where many Filipinos purchased their first homes, raised families, and established businesses. The cultural continuity of Filipino families and businesses in the corridor in the 21st century inspired the collective efforts of Filipino organizations, Los Angeles community leaders, and individuals working in concert to establish Historic Filipinotown and maintain its vibrant culture.

Cover of Images of America Los Angeles's Historic Filipinotown featuring a sepia group photo in front of a decorated building.

Lordsburg and La Verne in Southern California

9780738502496

$24.99

From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating history of Lordsburg and La Verne, California, showcases more than 200 of the best vintage postcards available.

Front cover of Lordsburg and La Verne in Southern California with a vintage street scene and crowd.

Marysville's Chinatown

9780738559766

$24.99

Marysville's Chinatown was once one of the most important Chinatowns in America. The early Chinese settlers called Marysville Sanfow, or "the third city," meaning the third city by river to the goldfields. Two of the first four Chinese American judges in California were from Marysville as was the first Chinese American elected to the San Francisco Board of Education. The Marysville Chinatown was among the first Chinatowns built in California's Gold Country and is the only one to survive to this day. Because of this, it is possible to view the full panorama of Chinese-American history through the viewpoint of this one Chinatown.

Vintage family portrait on the Marysville's Chinatown cover, showing a woman in a hat, a man in a suit, and a child beside an old car.

Around Nederland

9780738581491

$24.99

Nederland survived three boom-and-bust cycles involving three different minerals. During the silver boom, U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant visited Central City in 1873 and walked on silver bricks that had been mined in Caribou and milled in Nederland. The second boom followed the discovery of gold in Eldora in 1897 and lasted only a few years. The third boom was sparked by the discovery of tungsten by Sam Conger, the same man who made the original discovery of silver in Caribou. The Conger mine eventually became the greatest tungsten mine in the world. During World War I, Nederland's population swelled to 3,000--twice the size it is today--and another 2,000 were estimated to live nearby. In each boom, men came to mine, open stores, and transport goods and ore. They brought families with them, and many towns sprang up, including Caribou, Eldora, Lakewood, Tungsten, and Rollinsville. Some of these communities have survived, while others remain only in memories and photographs.

Around Nederland cover with a sepia photo of townspeople and a horse drawn carriage in a hilly landscape.

San Dimas

9780738559346

$24.99

The Santa Fe Railroad laid tracks from the east and the west beneath the southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains in 1887, meeting in San Dimas and opening the area to more than sparse settlement. The Rancho San Jose formerly included San Dimas in a Spanish land grant of 23,000 acres, given in 1837 to Don Ygnacio Palomares and Don Ricardo Vejar by the king of Spain. The new town became integral to the huge citrus industry that stretched for 65 miles from Pasadena to the Inland Empire. Residential development renewed growth in the 1950s, yet much of today's designated historic portion of this eastern Los Angeles County community remains the same as it was in the early 1900s. Part of the Lemon Association packinghouse still stands, once the largest such packinghouse in the world. San Dimas is a vital city thriving in the midst of Southern California's rush through the 21st century but is also rich in the historical building blocks that created prosperity in the greater Los Angeles region.

San Dimas cover showing a historic downtown block with storefronts and a horse drawn carriage

Chinese in San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley

9780738547770

$24.99

The fertile Santa Clara Valley--once called the Valley of Heart's Delight and later Silicon Valley--has long been home to a substantial Chinese population. Like other immigrants, they arrived seeking opportunity and armed with survival instincts and the ability to persevere, but the struggles they faced were unique. From 1866 to 1931, five distinct Chinatowns existed in San Jose, each one devastated by mysterious fires or stifled by unjust laws. Early Chinese in the region labored relentlessly, building railroads and levees and toiling as laundrymen, grocers, cooks, servants, field hands, and factory workers. In the 20th century, new industries replaced agriculture, and an influx of Chinese invigorated the valley with innovative ideas, helping it emerge as a leader in technology.

Cover image for Chinese in San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley showing a family portrait on a porch.

Japanese Americans in San Diego

9780738559513

$24.99

For over 100 years, Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans have called San Diego County home. Attracted to the warm climate and economic opportunities, Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrants) drifted into San Diego in the 1880s and introduced effective new fishing techniques that contributed to the growth of this industry. From the Tijuana River Valley on the border with Mexico to Oceanside in North County, Japanese American families started small truck farms in the first decades of the 20th century, developing techniques to improve crop production. Surviving the heartbreak of evacuation and incarceration during World War II in desert internment camps, San Diegans returned to rebuild a vibrant community after the war.

Sepia toned cover photo of Japanese American family on a dock in San Diego

Mexican Americans in Los Angeles

9780738580067

$21.99

Mexican Americans established and nurtured the foundation, fiber, and fabric of Los Angeles since the first pobladores arrived in 1781. Pride in family, work, community, and religion coalesces into their legacy from East Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley to the port areas of Wilmington and San Pedro. Men and women of Mexican heritage comprised 47 percent of Los Angeles County's Latino population in the 21st century. The modern Mexican American saga is embodied in the success of Congressman Edward Roybal, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal Allard, dynamic civic leader Dionicio Morales, and Los Angeles County supervisor Gloria Molina. Labor leader Cesar Chavez instilled passion and hope, while prizefighters Art Aragon, Paul Gonzalez, and Oscar De La Hoya and actors Anthony Quinn, Katy Jurado, Ricardo Montalban, and Edward James Olmos provided inspiration. The city's first Mexican American mayor in more than a century, Antonio Villaraigosa, was elected in 2005. This book is a distillation of a proud people's contributions to, and achievements in, a great city.

Mexican Americans in Los Angeles cover showing a street scene with a crowd around a vintage car and a city council banner.

Wrightwood and Big Pines

9780738528991

$24.99

Nestled at 6,000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains, the village of Wrightwood sits amidst a mountain range next to the finest ski slopes east of Los Angeles. This picturesque community has been a cherished mountain retreat removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, where skyscrapers give way to towering pine trees and roads run parallel to trails and ski runs. During the early twenties, the area's appeal as a gorgeous setting for hiking and other outdoor activities led the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to develop a year-round recreational facility west of Wrightwood, known as Big Pines County Park. Now a haven for commuters, Wrightwood remains a close-knit community despite the influx of more than half a million skiers and mountain lovers annually.

Book cover Wrightwood and Big Pines from Images of America with a snowy mountain lodge and crowds in a vintage scene

Granada Hills

9780738547718

$24.99

The modern history of Granada Hills began in 1913 with the completion of the Los Angeles aqueduct and the arrival of abundant freshwater to the former land of Mission San Fernando. Citrus orchards
flourished on the Sunshine Ranch, acreage originally cultivated by former senator George K. Porter. In 1926, the community of Granada was formed as a rabbit-raising colony, promising residents country living and economic prosperity. Granada added "Hills" to its name in 1942 to avoid confusion with a similarly named Northern California town, and
thanks to the postwar baby boom, the population grew by 1,000 percent between 1950 and 1960. The community soon earned a reputation as "The San Fernando Valley's Most Neighborly Town" as residents came together to celebrate the hometown team's 1963 Little League World Series victory and the formation of the nation's first all-girl American Youth Soccer Organization league, and as neighbor helped neighbor
after the devastating 1971 and 1994 earthquakes.

Granada Hills book cover showing a vintage Granada Hills CC team group photo outdoors

Evanston

9780738570273

$24.99

Since the mid-1900s, southwestern Wyoming has been a thoroughfare for travelers--along the emigrant and overland trails of the 1840s and 1850s and the Transcontinental Railroad of the 1860s, then the Lincoln Highway in the 1910s and 1920s, and today's busy Interstate 80. Born when the tracks of the Union Pacific reached this corner of Wyoming Territory in 1868, Evanston has a rich history of railroading, ranching, and mineral extraction. Over the past 150 years, the community has been home to European coal miners and Chinese laborers, railroad workers and oil-field roughnecks, cattle and sheep ranchers, business owners and entrepreneurs, and families whose roots are five generations deep. Its residents have developed a lively social life and a strong sense of identity grounded in Evanston's historic downtown and the surrounding landscape of the Bear River and the Uinta Mountains. In the 21st century, Evanston has become a regional model for historic preservation, ensuring that its past will survive into the future.

Evanston Images of America book cover with a sepia group photo and the Evanston title

Coachella

9781467132664

$24.99

Coachella was founded by Jason L. Rector in 1884 under the name of Woodspur. Rector established a wood siding for the railroad company and cleared the mesquite trees in the local area. As the town developed with the guidance and hard work of the early residents, the town elected to change its name to Conchilla in 1901. However, a clerical error would result in the town's name being registered as Coachella. The growth and development of the town would steadily continue while the agricultural industry took advantage of the year-round growing season. The unique development of the date industry in Coachella and the surrounding towns provided a strong economy for local residents. Flourishing in the unforgiving extreme heat of the Coachella Valley remains a testament to the ingenuity of the people of this desert valley.

Cover image for Coachella, isbn: 9781467132664

San Diego's Balboa Park

9780738547541

$24.99

Balboa Park began in 1868 when San Diego's civic leaders dedicated 1,400 prime acres to create an urban oasis. Originally the land, crisscrossed with canyons and dominated by native scrub, was called
simply "City Park." In later years, Balboa Park hosted two successful world expositions: the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition. The unique evolution of the park included occupation by the U.S. Navy, a zoo, a Native American village, and even a nudist colony. Balboa Park also suffered periods of neglect and demolition before citizens groups united to save and restore the beloved Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.

San Diego Balboa Park postcard history cover featuring a sepia photo of a crowded plaza and historic buildings.

Sacramento's Capitol Park

9780738596884

$24.99

Construction on the California State Capitol began during the Civil War using stone, brick, and iron, showing confidence in the future. The capitol building showed that California had come a long way from the days of its transient, chaotic roots, born of the Gold Rush. Once the capitol was located in Sacramento in 1854, there was still no guarantee that the city would remain its permanent home. When it was completed in 1873, it was the largest structure of its day west of the Mississippi River. Its presence has continued to not only dominate the Sacramento landscape for a century and a half but has also come to shape the very outlook and future of Sacramento and of California itself. The state capitol and its majestic dome have become the iconic symbol of the city.

Cover of Sacramento's Capitol Park by John E. Allen featuring a sepia photograph of the Capitol building

Livermore

9780738596976

$24.99

Mid-century Livermore saw a demographic shift from farms and ranches to suburbanization and continuing support of the existing health care industry, New Deal programs, a naval airbase, and two national laboratories. The health care industry flourished with the dedication in 1925 of a veterans' hospital, which is still operational today; the Livermore Sanitarium for the treatment of alcoholism and mental disorders; and the Del Valle Sanitarium for the treatment of tuberculosis. During the 1930s, Livermore residents supported the Hetch Hetchy Project and numerous efforts of the Works Progress Administration. A naval airbase for training pilots was established in 1942, during World War II. This base became the Lawrence Livermore Radiation Laboratory in the 1950s and was soon accompanied by an extension of Sandia National Laboratories across the street.

Wide sepia downtown street with long exposure light trails and a Livermore title banner.

Mills of Humboldt County, 1910-1945

9781467127769

$24.99

Sequoia sempervirens, California coastal redwood, was Humboldt County's economic mainstay from the 1850s onwards. By the early 20th century, harvesting red gold was the major industry along California's North Coast, with Humboldt at the forefront of the industry. The first half of the 20th century saw technological changes in logging and milling. New uses for redwood included cigar boxes, presto-logs, and core logs for plywood. The industry began reforestation practices, growing their own seedlings as early as 1907. World War I and the Great Depression impacted the industry, as did activism to preserve the redwoods. In the 1930s, the largest stand of old-growth redwoods was preserved, and the turmoil of the 1935 strike resulted in several strikers being killed in Eureka. This book explores Humboldt's early-20th-century lumber industry and day-to-day realities of life in the mills and woods in an era underrepresented in published logging history.

Cover image for Mills of Humboldt County, 1910-1945, isbn: 9781467127769

Mexican Americans in Torrance

9781467127738

$24.99

La Rana (The Frog) is two street blocks located between Crenshaw Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue in Torrance, California. La Rana has a colorful history of immigrants who settled in 1908 from various parts of Mexico with the following surnames: Torres, Ordaz, Grajeda, Flores, Alvarez, Duarte, and Solis. These families fled the Mexican Revolution and religious persecution in search of a brighter future for their children. They attended Torrance schools, such as Torrance Elementary, Nativity Catholic School, Torrance High School, and El Camino College. They earned degrees of higher education from a variety of schools like the University of California, Santa Barbara; California State University Long Beach; Loyola Marymount; the University of Arizona; and American InterContinental University. Today, those progenies include Devin Molina, an anthropologist; James Yanes, a medical doctor specializing in infectious diseases; Eddie Solis, an anesthesiologist; and Maria Dolores White, a nurse practitioner. Other professions include lawyers, nurses, teachers, police officers, accountants, professional baseball players, and a fire chief, as well as many business owners. Their stories are told through vintage photographs gathered from personal collections and commentary from friends and neighbors of the lives they led and the dreams they shared.

Cover image for Mexican Americans in Torrance, isbn: 9781467127738

Point Sur

9780738520940

$24.99

Point Sur Lightstation was carved out of solid volcanic rock more than a century ago. When the light was turned on in 1889, no towns or roads were nearby to support the four families that lived atop the giant "moro" rock located just offshore in Big Sur, California. These vintage images tell the story of Pt. Sur Lightstation with its state-of-the-art lighthouse and fog signal system, and the lightkeepers and their families who kept it operating until 1974. The remote location and treacherous coast were constant adversaries. Today, Pt. Sur's lighthouse is automated. The vacant lightstation buildings are a ghost town that reminds us of our proud maritime heritage and the hearty souls who helped light the way.

Cover image for Point Sur, isbn: 9780738520940

Early Craig

9780738599694

$24.99

Dreams of what the West could offer brought the earliest settlers into the Yampa Valley. After the Homestead Act of 1862 and the westward expansion of the railroad, the first trickle of land seekers arrived in this remote area in the mid-1870s. Interest in the vast coal lands was a main driver for investors seeking to develop the region. But the smaller yet more inherently valuable interests of family, farming, and agriculture were the real deciding factors in the settling of this vastly beautiful and challenging corner of Colorado. During those early years, the homesteaders in Craig managed to capture images of the area they had come to claim as their own. They photographed immense stretches of solitary land, quiet scenes of the family living room, and the optimism of the developing business districts. They left a photographic legacy that proves a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

Early Craig cover featuring a sepia group portrait of a pioneer family on a picnic

Barbers Point NAS

9781467133296

$24.99

Rising from the ashes of the Pearl Harbor attack, Barbers Point Naval Air Station would become a major staging point for US Navy aircraft for the war in the Pacific, culminating with the surrender of the Empire of Japan. With the end of World War II in the Pacific and throughout the Cold War, Barbers Point would be home base for the US Navy's fleet of maritime patrol aircraft that hunted the growing threat of Soviet submarines prowling the vast Pacific. From 1942 until its closing in 1999, Barbers Point was the US Navy's only naval air station in the Pacific.

Placeholder cover image for Barbers Point NAS product, coming soon.

Big Sur

9780738529134

$24.99

Big Sur is a river and a region on California's Central Coast. Extending for 75 miles along the Pacific shore, from south of Carmel to north of San Simeon, the Big Sur Coast is defined by the backdrop of the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains as they abruptly descend to meet the sea. For millennia the home of native people, Americans and Europeans began to settle Big Sur country even before California became a state. This book combines outstanding photographs from 40 collections, ranging from family albums to institutional archives.

Big Sur book cover from Images of America showing a rustic cabin among trees in a sepia landscape

Duarte

9780738569116

$24.99

Mexican Army veteran Andres Duarte was granted 6,595 acres along the southern foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in 1841 by the governor of Alta California. Rancho Azusa de Duarte eventually was carved into 40-acre parcels, and arriving families from the East and Midwest built schools, installed water lines, and grew crops. By 1900, two major rail lines served the area's thriving citrus industry. Duarte's beneficial climate led to the establishment in 1913 of a tuberculosis sanitarium, which became City of Hope, the world-class cancer treatment center. Bandleader Glenn Miller settled in Duarte. The city's location along old U.S. Route 66 brought many visitors to and through town. A strongly independent civic spirit led to a momentous 1987 U. S. Supreme Court decision to disallow the expulsion of the Duarte Rotary from Rotary International for admitting three women. As for Andres Duarte, he is commemorated by a 2007 bronze equestrian statue, located across Huntington Drive from the city hall that bears his name.

Duarte cover with a sepia photo of townspeople standing outside a post office storefront.

Jack London State Historic Park

9781467132626

$24.99

Famed novelist Jack London became America's highest-paid author in 1905, writing about adventures in the Klondike and the Russo-Japanese War and about sailing his self-designed boat halfway around the world. Yet perhaps one of London's finest legacies is his 1,400-acre ranch on the slopes of Sonoma Mountain in California. Sometimes called Beauty Ranch or the Ranch of Good Intentions, the land, buildings, and house museums exemplify both early-20th-century life and London's passionate pioneering efforts in agriculture and architecture. Descendants of Eliza Shepard (London's stepsister and ranch manager) operated the ranch for decades. In 1959, Irving Shepard deeded 39 acres to California to create Jack London State Historic Park. Eventually, 1,400 acres were acquired. Today, more than 80,000 visitors annually enjoy the park, hiking, picnicking, horseback riding, and attending events and touring London's home, gravesite, and farm buildings.

Cover coming soon placeholder for Jack London State Historic Park product

Coal Camps of Sweetwater County

9780738593067

$24.99

In the early to mid-1900s, the coal camps of Reliance, Dines, Winton, and Stansbury emerged from the hillsides and desert in southwestern Wyoming due to the increased need for coal. The miners and their families who came to these coal camps were a true melting pot, bringing with them different races, religions, and customs from all over the world. They forged unique communities and worked and lived harmoniously, depending on one another for survival, entertainment, and camaraderie. Although distanced from one another, the camps were integrated by the mines and activities of the Union Pacific Coal Company, and unified by School District No. 7, which provided the educational foundation for their children. The people who lived in these camps contributed significantly to the development of southwestern Wyoming, the economy of the state, and the welfare of the United States during wartime.

Sepia Coal Camps of Sweetwater County cover with workers and a dog outside a mine office

Hailey

9780738588995

$24.99

When Hailey was founded in 1881, it was one of many boomtowns that sprang up as a result of the lead-silver rush in the northwestern United States. The city was named for John Hailey, a successful entrepreneur who operated a freight hauling business before the railroad reached the Wood River Valley. The new town's strategic location--in proximity to surrounding, rich lead-silver deposits and at the junction of the Wood River and Croy and Quigley Canyons--allowed Hailey to become a bustling center of commerce and mining. Over the years, Hailey grew and changed with the rise and fall of the local mining and sheepherding industries. In recent years, Hailey has reinvented itself yet again, with tourism as the mainstay of the local economy. More than 130 years after its founding, Hailey remains a vibrant and energetic community in the heart of the Wood River Valley.

Historic Hailey street scene with a rider on horseback, musicians, and crowds along a storefront lined dirt road.

San Francisco's Interurban to San Mateo

9780738530086

$24.99

It's strange to think that an electric commuter rail line rivaling BART in efficiency, speed, and comfort ran over 100 years ago between San Francisco and San Mateo, but run it did. The 40 Line, or San Mateo Interurban, began in 1892 with an initial segment operating between Market and Steuart Streets out to the county limits on San Jose Avenue. Three years later, the line reached Baden in present-day South San Francisco, and by 1903 service was opened all the way to downtown San Mateo. During the line's heyday, there was talk of extending it down the peninsula from San Mateo to Palo Alto to connect with the Peninsular Railway to San Jose. The 1906 earthquake put this plan on hold. Following much the same route as today's Mission Street, El Camino Real, and Caltrain, the San Mateo Interurban carried over four million passengers a year along its main and spur lines until 1949, when the system was shut down amidst much fanfare.

Vintage sepia cover showing a San Mateo streetcar on rails with the title San Francisco's Interurban to San Mateo.

Beartooth Mountains

9780738593319

$24.99

The name Beartooth suggests strength, rawness, and force. Indeed, the Beartooth Mountains are a power and are unsurpassed in splendor and beauty.

The voluminous masses are said to compromise one of the largest contiguous areas in North America. Early natives came in search of game in both the high country and rich valleys, especially the Crows, who used the area frequently. Later, miners appeared in search of precious metals and developed gold, chrome, and platinum mines. Geographers came and scaled mountain peaks, defining, naming, and mapping. Cattle and sheepmen were also lured to the lush mountain pastures. Eventually, trails became roads, and the Beartooth Plateau was easily accessible upon the completion of the Beartooth Highway. With the creation of the US Forest Service, forestlands were surveyed and protected by wilderness status. Soon, dudes were upon the landscape, and an industry was created amongst the peaks and prairies of the Beartooths.

Beartooth Mountains cover in sepia tones depicting a rugged mountain landscape with horseback riders.

Atwater Village

9780738574899

$24.99

In the shadow of Griffith Park along the Glendale Narrows section of the Los Angeles River sits Atwater Village, a charming slice of Los Angeles nestled amid Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and the city of Glendale. Atwater's beginnings date to 1868 when W. C. B. Richardson bought the 671-acre Santa Eulalia Rancho. Starting in 1904, the Pacific Electric Red Car offered a convenient commute to downtown Los Angeles, and the Art Tile Company (later Gladding McBean) and Van de Kamps Bakery became key local employers. Stylish homes and bungalows proliferated along the tree-lined streets, built in the Mediterranean, English Tudor, Spanish Colonial Revival, California Craftsman, and Fantasy architectural styles. A library, post office, schools, and churches sprang up along with more than 100 family-owned and corporate enterprises. Nearly 4 miles long and half a mile wide, Atwater evolved as a wholly contained community, prompting residents in 1987 to successfully petition the city to officially add the word Village to its name.

Vintage sepia cover featuring Atwater Village cityscape and a historic bridge

Early Auburn

9781467132763

$24.99

Located at the junction of gold-rich ravines, Auburn was the site of the first gold discovery in Placer County. Though the superficial gold was quickly panned out, by 1850, the town had become an important trading center. Auburn became a center for goods, services, entertainment, and a place for miners to winter-over. More importantly, it became a transportation hub. As the county seat, Auburn's hotels, saloons, and merchants experienced a steady stream of customers as county residents came to town to deal with legal matters. Though plagued by numerous destructive fires, the citizens of Auburn rebuilt, and the town continued to thrive. This book will introduce the reader to some of the individuals who were instrumental in shaping Auburn as it grew into the town it is today.

Around Frederick

9781467130356

$24.99

In the 1880s, Frederick was nothing but prairieland, and its only inhabitants were prairie dogs, rabbits, coyotes, and snakes. Coal brought settlers to the area, and Frederick was incorporated in 1907 as a coalmining town. The mines needed workers, and immigrants arrived from across the globe to help fill this need for labor. Men and their families came from Italy, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, and the Slavic countries to make Frederick their home. While not considered a gold or silver boomtown, Frederick had its share of growing pains. Liquor and illegal gambling were constant sources of problems, and the town saw natural disasters such as persistent flooding as well. As its location on the Union Pacific Railroad helped the miners, farmers, and merchants build a strong community, the history of Frederick provides a classic example of growth and development on the eastern Colorado plains.

Cover for Around Frederick showing a sepia group photo of workers on a ship deck.

Legendary Locals of the Santa Clarita Valley

9781467100274

$24.99

Cradled among chaparral-covered canyons an hour north of downtown Los Angeles is a fascinating place called the Santa Clarita Valley. The history of the valley has significantly shaped the cultural development of Southern California for centuries. But while events are often credited with creating its history, the true
portrait of the valley is painted using the palette of personalities who left their indelible mark on the landscape. It is these stories of cowboys, Native Americans, outlaws, farmers, shepherds, soldiers, miners, range warriors, ranchers, saloon keepers, stagecoach drivers, railroaders, town drunks, teetotalers, engineers, land speculators, explorers, missionaries, actors, and common folk that make the history of the Santa Clarita Valley so compelling. Legendary Locals of the Santa Clarita Valley is a pictorial journey through time, telling tales of the colorful cast
of characters found sprinkled throughout the region's past, and the "legendary locals" who still make history today.

Legendary Locals of the Santa Clarita Valley cover on a tan background with vintage portraits

Yosemite National Park in Vintage Postcards

9780738508849

$24.99

A mere utterance of the word "Yosemite" conjures up images of Half Dome, El Capitan, giant sequoias, and the unmatched beauty this northern California park has to offer. However, the area known today as Yosemite has not always been a place of tranquility. Once the home of Ahwahnee tribe, these Native Americans were forced to surrender their home to armed miners rushing for gold and a California government clutching the philosophy of Manifest Destiny.

Yosemite National Park in Vintage Postcards cover with a sepia valley scene and towering granite cliffs

Chimney Rock National Monument

9781467131612

$24.99

The appreciation of the Chimney Rock region goes back more than 1,000 years. Here in southwestern Colorado, the Ancestral Puebloans inhabited the northern San Juan River Basin as an outlier community of Chaco Canyon. Its function and use has created much conjecture. The site was abandoned by the early 1100s for reasons that some speculate were related to drought, resource depletion, warfare, migration, or a combination of these factors. Over the course of its recorded history, archaeologists, astronomers, regional historians, and visitors have celebrated the rocks, ruins, and landscape that make up this important feature in the Four Corners region. It has been called La Piedra Parada by Spanish explorers, Fire Mountain by Tewa-speaking pueblos, and Tupiwiniri by the Utes. Today, we know it as Chimney Rock National Monument due to a proclamation made in 2012 by Pres. Barack Obama.

Cover image for Chimney Rock National Monument, isbn: 9781467131612

Legendary Locals of Mill Valley

9781467101288

$24.99

Since the 1800s, Mill Valley has attracted spirited freethinkers, entrepreneurs, nature lovers, rabble-rousers, and more than a few rock stars. Early Mill Valley booster Sidney Cushing encouraged tourism with a train up Mount Tamalpais called "the Crookedest Railroad in the World." Laura White, more concerned with protecting Mill Valley's natural beauty than attracting more people, brought the town its "Outdoor Art Club" and a tradition of conservationism. Vera Schultz broke the glass ceiling of local politics in 1946, and in 1973, 10-year-old Jenny Fulle's letter to President Nixon changed the future of America's female athletes. When an elementary school teacher named Rita Abrams wrote a song about why she loved Mill Valley, it became a national hit; so did a song about the heart of rock and roll, written by local boy Huey Lewis, who had attended that same school. The stories of Mill Valley's legendary locals--whether from 1890 or 1980--are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspiring, often humorous, and always fascinating.

Monterey Fire Department

9780738576237

$24.99

For more than 129 years, the firefighters of the Monterey Fire Department have provided outstanding service to the people of Monterey. The department has protected the community since 1882, when the first brigade was a handful of citizens armed with buckets and axes. In 2010, a total of 64 firefighters responded to 6,233 calls. This book is dedicated to the memory of Monterey's firefighters, who have all served valiantly.

Monterey Fire Department book cover featuring a line of firefighters in vintage uniforms in front of a firehouse

Daly City

9780738528670

$24.99

Nestled in the shadow of San Bruno Mountain and known as "The Gateway City" for its proximity to San Francisco, Daly City is much more than a typical suburb. A thriving and diverse community built along El Camino Real (The King's Highway), the road that connected all of the Spanish Missions in California, the city has evolved from a quaint agricultural town to an important business, residential, and transit center. This new collection of images, mostly vintage and rarely seen photographs, tells the city's journey from the original Spanish land grant through its 1911 incorporation and on to modern times. The town has always been cosmopolitan, developed with the help of Irish, German, and Italian settlers, and today's large numbers of Hispanic and Filipino residents. Aside from natural wonders like San Bruno Mountain and the dramatic Pacific coastline, Daly City also has man-made landmarks like the Cow Palace, which has long been host to large-scale events such as the Grand National Rodeo and political conventions. Nearby Colma is known for its cemeteries, but as readers will see in this book, shares a surprisingly rich history with Daly City.

Cover image for Daly City, isbn: 9780738528670

San Francisco's Noe Valley

9780738529059

$24.99

Named for Jose de Jesus Noe, San Francisco's last Mexican mayor, Noe Valley is undoubtedly one of San Francisco's favorite neighborhoods and certainly one of the most picturesque. Yet the area has a rich and varied history reaching far beyond the lovely buildings and lively street scenes familiar to so many citydwellers. Originally part of the Rancho de San Miguel land grant, the area was incorporated into the city and became an early example of a San Francisco enclave situated away from the noise and bustle of the downtown and waterfront areas. Noe Valley gradually became an important residential and business center known for its beautifully restored Victorian homes, as well as for the vibrant commercial corridor on Twenty-fourth Street.

Cover of Images of America San Francisco's Noe Valley with a sepia photo of a hilly San Francisco neighborhood.

Rancho Cucamonga

9780738575001

$24.99

Located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains near the southern end of the Cajon Pass, Rancho Cucamonga has served as a natural crossroads for those traveling to and from Southern California. In 1776, while freedom was being declared on the east coast of North America, Spanish explorers were meeting native Cucamonga Indians for the first time. From that point on, Spanish missionaries, pioneers, gold miners, immigrants, settlers, and businessmen traveled through Cucamonga on the Mojave Trail, the Old Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, El Camino Real, and more recently, former U.S. Route 66. While some continued on, others stayed and built farms, vineyards, and more. Italian immigrants, attracted by stories of Cucamonga's ideal soil and climate, planted vast vineyards of Italian grape stock and produced many world-famous wines. Although Cucamonga's heyday of grapes and winemaking spanned a century, little wine is produced today. Now Rancho Cucamonga attracts people as an excellent place to live. Money magazine placed it in the top 100 in its Best Places to Live rankings in 2006.

Cover image for Rancho Cucamonga, isbn: 9780738575001

San Francisco's Excelsior District

9780738528892

$24.99

The Excelsior District traditionally has not been among San Francisco's "spotlight" neighborhoods, yet this area is an important residential and commercial zone that is home to some 30,000 residents. These rolling hills south of San Francisco's better-known districts are now covered with row upon row of houses, streets, and apartments. But places like the Excelsior were once sparsely populated, agrarian, and even rural. This volume of vintage photographs chronicles the Excelsior's intriguing journey from rugged swamp and farmland to the busy cosmopolitan neighborhood we know today. It is a tale of determined immigrant families putting down roots in a challenging locale and overcoming adversity to stake out a permanent enclave in this famed city. It is also a story of large-scale construction and reclamation to tame the rugged outskirts of San Francisco.

Cover image for San Francisco's Excelsior District, isbn: 9780738528892

Lake Tahoe's Rustic Architecture

9781467116541

$24.99

Lake Tahoe is the gem of the Sierra Nevada. Those who visit this beautiful Lake of the Sky may share Mark Twain's impression of the place as he camped on its shore in 1861: As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords. Twain's quote, from Roughing It, includes the trinity of Tahoe's landscape—sky, mountains, and lake—that people still find inspiring. This explains, in large part, why the man-made environment around the lake is predominantly rustic, a style of architecture noted for its compatibility with its surroundings through the use of natural materials in construction—logs, stone, and wooden shingle—along with muted shades of green and brown. Through its homes, resorts, and other assorted buildings, Lake Tahoe remains the fairest picture.

Cover image for Lake Tahoe's Rustic Architecture, isbn: 9781467116541

A History of Leadville Theater

9781609497118

$21.99

When the West was wild, the glitziest streets in Colorado ran through Leadville, where opera, variety and burlesque lit up Magic City theaters. Theatrical legends Buffalo Bill and Oscar Wilde graced the Tabor Opera House, while revolutionary Susan B. Anthony reached a rough mining audience from a stage atop a bar. Thomas Kemp spared no expense on the risque Black Crook at the Grand Central Theater, complete with a grand waterfall, a trapdoor and dragons. Follow Leadville historian Gretchen Scanlon through these theatrical glory days, from the glamorous productions and stump speeches to the offstage theft and debauchery that kept the drama going even when the curtain fell.

Cover image for A History of Leadville Theater, isbn: 9781609497118

Shasta County

9780738528540

$24.99

Picturesque Shasta County, located at the northern end of California's Sacramento Valley, is known for its colorful history, abundant natural beauty, and unlimited recreational opportunities. First home to native tribes such as the Wintu and Yana, Shasta County was officially established in 1850, and fur trappers, cattle ranchers, and miners, lumber mills, copper smelters, and railroads soon made their indelible mark on the landscape. The region's story continued to unfold throughout the 20th century as its many lakes, parks, rivers, and the snow-capped peak of Mt. Shasta glistening in the distance welcomed visitors and enticed many to make Shasta County home.

Man wearing hat and jacket standing beside a wooden railing in a forested area on the Shasta County cover.

Culver City

9780738528939

$24.99

Part Mayberry and part Peyton Place, Culver City has provided the backdrop for Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, Men In Black, Jerry Maguire, "The Andy Griffith Show," "Batman," "Lassie," and the films of Laurel & Hardy. Gwen Verdon grew up here, and so did The Little Rascals. Gene Kelly sang in the rain. Harrison Ford commanded Air Force One. But before glitz and glamour set up shop, the open fields of Culver City were peacefully inhabited by the Gabrielino Indians. Spanish grazing grants of 1819 set the stage for development, and in 1913, Harry Culver announced his ambition to found a city. Two years later, Thomas Ince broke ground on Culver City's first major studio. A star was born. Images of America: Culver City guides you on a VIP back lot tour of a movie town's pioneering moments.

Culver City cover from Images of America showing a sepia downtown street scene

Marin Headlands

9780738570242

$24.99

The Marin Headlands, those dramatic ridges north of the Golden Gate, were formed millions of years ago when the Pacific Ocean broke through the coastal ranges. These rugged escarpments, technically the foothills of Mount Tamalpais, are named (along with the county itself) for legendary Miwok leader Chief Marin. In the 16th century, Spanish, English, and Russian ships found refuge in the lee side of the headlands, in present-day Sausalito. Governments from Spain, Mexico, and the United States used the headlands as a military companion to the Presidio in San Francisco from the Civil War through the cold war. Forts Baker, Barry, and Cronkite held hidden batteries and housed soldiers in among verdant valleys of orchards and livestock. In 1972, the U.S. Congress transferred the Marin Headlands to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).

Marin Headlands Images of America book cover showing sepia cliffs and a sandy beach

El Monte

9780738546520

$24.99

El Monte became an established community late in the 1850s-much earlier than most cities in what later became Los Angeles County-as the western terminus of the Santa Fe Trail. Its situation between the watersheds of the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River made it one of early California's most fertile farming areas, with English walnut trees and dairy farms dotting the countryside. The city incorporated in 1912 and, in the ensuing decades, became the home of Gay's Lion Farm, where Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer kept the various big cats that roared on a logo announcing 1,001 movies. Crawford's store became known as the "largest country store in the world," and the car culture that enveloped Southern California in the postwar years went through significant developmental chapters in El Monte, home of such regionally famous stops as El Monte Drive-In Theatre, Legion Stadium, and the circular, iconic Stan's Drive-In diner.

El Monte vintage street scene with an early 20th century car in front of a storefront and pedestrians.

Ocean Beach

9781467131988

$24.99

Ocean Beach, a neighborhood of San Diego, California, is known throughout the city, county, and beyond as a unique and quirky place with the feel of a small town, despite being a stone's throw from the center of a major metropolis. Founded in 1887 in a coastal area known for its beautiful cliffs and rock formations, Ocean Beach went through growing pains in the early 1900s before establishing itself as a family-oriented, self-contained beach community by the mid-1930s. Full of mom-and-pop stores and very walkable, Ocean Beach is a favorite destination for thousands of tourists and San Diegans each year.

Cover image for Ocean Beach, isbn: 9781467131988

Angwin and Howell Mountain

9781467106252

$24.99

Stunning vintage photographs from the archives of Pacific Union College provide a glimpse into one of the world’s most celebrated wine-making regions and the small mountainside town that has grown there.

Just a few miles east of St. Helena, Howell Mountain overlooks the Napa Valley. The mountain’s mild Mediterranean climate and extensive forests have drawn people for thousands of years. From the Wappo people to Spanish explorers and Mexican Californios, the region has a rich history. In the 1880s, the mountain was a popular place to establish health resorts like the Rural Health Retreat, which later became St. Helena Hospital. Cornish immigrant Edwin Angwin also opened a resort that hosted visitors such as author Ambrose Bierce. When Angwin retired in 1909, he sold his land to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

That year, Pacific Union College opened on the old resort grounds; the college has been the hub of the tiny town of Angwin ever since. Today, Howell Mountain is one of the most prized wine appellations in the world, and Angwin remains a quiet, rural village in the midst of wine country. It is surrounded by conservation easements and Land Trust of Napa County preserves, making it a unique community in this setting.

Author Katharine Van Arsdale is special collections librarian and archivist at Pacific Union College. Most of the images in this story of Angwin and Howell Mountain come from the college’s archives.

Cover image for Angwin and Howell Mountain, isbn: 9781467106252

Oceanside Police Department

9780738531120

$24.99

The Oceanside Police Department has provided a century of service to a community that has grown from a small seaside resort--doubling as a bedroom community for the U.S. Marine Corps's nearby Camp Pendleton--into a city of more than 170,000 people. City marshals patrolled Oceanside from 1888 to 1906, and it is indicative of the city's formative years that the first lawman, former Texas Ranger Charlie Wilson, was also the first to be killed in the line of duty. The photographs in this remarkable collection inventory the department's past, covering the administrations of city marshal J. Keno Wilson (Charlie Wilson's brother), Chiefs Charles Goss, Ward Ratcliff, and others. Showcased are images from the archives of the Oceanside Police Department and the collection of Delores Davis Sloan, the daughter of former captain Harold B. Davis, Oceanside's top cop of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

Oceanside Police Department cover showing a vintage photograph of uniformed officers posed together.

San Francisco's Fillmore District

9780738529882

$24.99

Today's Fillmore District, while one of San Francisco's most diverse neighborhoods, bears little resemblance to the cosmopolitan place it once was. This district, which has arguably changed more than any other in the city, once held a large Jewish settlement, replete with synagogues, bakeries, and kosher markets. It also had a huge Japanese community, now centered in Japantown but not as extensive as in the prewar years; amusements like the Chutes, Dreamland boxing ring, and theatres; schools, churches, and a celebrated "Jazz District" that hosted the top names in music for many years. And in one of the most controversial displays of civic power, this densely populated area fell to the forces of redevelopment, bisected by the ambitious plan to widen Geary Boulevard, creating a freeway-like road through the district and forcing out thousands of dwellers whose homes were either moved or demolished.

Cover image for San Francisco's Fillmore District, isbn: 9780738529882

The Sutter Buttes

9780738580135

$24.99

A small, mysterious, and isolated mountain range juts up in the center of the flat farmlands of California's sprawling Sacramento Valley. Fifty-thousand travelers pass through the valley every day along Interstate 5 and Highway 99 or overhead by air, noticing the unusual formation and wondering about it. It is the Sutter Buttes. To nearby native peoples it was, and still is, revered as Spirit Mountain. It provoked the curiosity of the first explorers and trappers who sought the promontory for its panoramic strategic value. Later researchers and educators were also drawn to the site to further their understanding of the natural world. Productive farmland around the scenic peaks brought many settlers to "Butte Mountain." Today those who live and work in and around the Buttes feel a deep connection to the landscape. Many of their family histories are featured here, revealing a ranching and farming heritage that has been handed down for generations over the past 150 years, preserving this landmark from development. Most of the Sutter Buttes remain a vestige of California's past.

Book cover for The Sutter Buttes showing a sepia photograph of people in vintage clothing on a hillside

Baseball in San Diego

9780738534121

$24.99

Baseball in San Diego: From the Plaza to the Padres, takes the reader on a seven-decade journey from Horton Plaza, the site of San Diego's first base ball game in 1871, to lower Broadway and the future home of Lane Field. Before the Pacific Coast League, San Diego had three Class D teams. One was the Bears, whose frustrated owner Dick Cooley complained, "I don't believe they'll make baseball pay here in a thousand years." With America's finest year-round climate, barnstorming and black baseball were popular attractions. Rube Foster's Chicago American Giants
practically lived in San Diego in the winter of 1913. All the while, there were constant struggles between the forces of amateur and professional baseball for players, diamonds, and sports coverage.

Cover image for Baseball in San Diego, isbn: 9780738534121

Petaluma

9780738530048

$24.99

Petaluma's past is uniquely reflected in its historic architecture. The town's earliest commercial buildings tightly lined the waterfront of the Petaluma River, at one time the busiest transportation corridor in the North Bay. After the railroad arrived, an already thriving dairy and manufacturing city became the nation's largest poultry and egg producer. A vital economy brought factories like the impressive Sunset Line & Twine plant, hatcheries, vast warehouses, and grain elevators that have become defining Petaluma landmarks. Its handsome downtown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is noted for its Italianate cast iron-front commercial buildings, and a variety of pre-World War II residential styles surround it in charming neighborhoods. A favorite of moviemakers, its classic main streets played a
central role in the film American Graffiti.

Petaluma a History in Architecture cover depicting a vintage street scene with cars and storefronts

Filipinos in the East Bay

9780738558325

$24.99

Filipinos are a community nearly 2.5-million strong in the United States in 2007. At the turn of the 20th century, the first wave of Filipino migration began, continuing until the start of World War II. During this time span, sponsored students, veterans of the Philippine-American War and their families, and young men recruited in the Philippines to serve in the U.S. military or work in California and Hawaii's expanding agricultural industries would all arrive in the United States. On the San Francisco Bay Area's eastern shore, Filipino presence in the labor force transitioned with the region's economic and social evolution from mainly farm and service laborers to industrial workers to professional, administrative, and service workers. Today the East Bay is a vibrant center of the Filipino community's deeply rooted and rich cultural, political, and economic life.

Cover image for Filipinos in the East Bay, isbn: 9780738558325

Yuba Feather Hills

9780738531021

$24.99

The Yuba and Feather Rivers flank a rugged portion of the Sierra Nevada as they rush south. Gold in creeks and streams here attracted thousands of treasure hunters who panned, dug, or scoured the hills with hydraulic jets of water. At the height of the rush, mule teams loaded with supplies and stagecoaches filled with miners passed through every few minutes, heading from Marysville or Oroville to the high Sierra camps. Thriving towns sprang up along the way, one boasting five hotels and seven saloons. Later others came to log the massive pine and fir or make their home in a land they valued for its beauty. Ten towns survive today: Brownsville, Challenge, Clipper Mills, Dobbins, Forbestown, La Porte, Oregon House, Rackerby, Strawberry Valley, and Woodleaf. Although siblings at birth, over the last 150 years, each has developed a unique character and charm.

Cover image for Yuba Feather Hills, isbn: 9780738531021

University of Idaho

9781467117326

$24.99

Chroniclers have deemed the University of Idaho The Beacon for Mountain and Plain and This Crested Hill—both are apt monikers for Idaho's land grant and comprehensive research university. For over 125 years, the University of Idaho has served the people of Idaho, the nation, and the world. Among the institution's more than 100,000 graduates are US senators, members of Congress, and Idaho governors; Olympic gold medalists, professional athletes, and coaches; the country's first Native American astronaut; writers, journalists, and filmmakers; educators; and business and community leaders. Extension offices in 42 of 44 counties and three regional centers bring the University of Idaho to every corner of the state; the institution's economic impact tops $1 billion per year. As the state's first university, the University of Idaho looks to a bright future of serving students and contributing to economic and social progress for Idaho and beyond. This book commemorates the proud heritage and innovative spirit of students, faculty, and staff who have shaped the history of the University of Idaho, featuring images from the library's extensive Special Collections and Archives department.

Cover image for University of Idaho, isbn: 9781467117326

Cemeteries of the Western Sierra

9781467134965

$24.99

Cemeteries are more than final resting places for the dead; they are gateways to an area's shared history. Every hand-carved granite or marble monument, every faded wooden marker, holds a clue. Western Sierra populations boomed with the discovery of gold and often dwindled as gold fever waned. Cemeteries of the Western Sierra uses the lens of the cemetery to glimpse a rich and disappearing history. Displaced indigenous populations, miners, dueling newspaper magnates, Chinese pioneers: all are part of the mosaic of history represented in a historical cemetery. From solitary graves in the forest to almost forgotten graveyards near the center of a town, cemeteries tell a story not just of who may have died but also of who lived and what was meaningful in their time.

Cover image for Cemeteries of the Western Sierra, isbn: 9781467134965

Maritime Contra Costa County

9780738599939

$24.99

San Francisco's opposite shore is showcased for its maritime role in securing the city's financial preeminence. Located minutes from San Francisco by ferry or automobile, Contra Costa County provided deepwater ports for shipping agricultural, mineral, and manufactured goods around the world. Pacific commodity traders made use of these ports to ship products, ensuring California's unique global economic role. Immense wealth was created from goods shipped from maritime Contra Costa County, securing a vibrant economy from the Gaslight Era to the days of Haight-Ashbury.

Cover image for Maritime Contra Costa County, isbn: 9780738599939

Provo

9780738584676

$24.99

Provo is one of Utah's oldest historic sites. Still a medium-sized town, it has kept its pristine antique quality, its quaint buildings, and its relaxed atmosphere, which won it the title "Most Stressless City of the Nation" according to the 2004 Sperling list. Building on faith, dedication, and hard work, early citizens faced settlement challenges to form a sensible government, establish Brigham Young University, and generate devoted intellectuals who made great strides in their fields. It is Provo people who began WordPerfect, helped invent television, and established Novell, NuSkin, and other national companies. Boasting a picturesque collection of buildings, Provo still maintains high standards, a strong work ethic, and a profound commitment toward industrial progress and technology.

Cover of Provo from Images of America depicting a vintage street scene with horses and townspeople.

Columbus and Stillwater County

9780738574622

$24.99

Stillwater County's history is anything but still. In 1875, the trading post and stage stop of Stillwater at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Stillwater Rivers enticed trade with the Crow Indians based nearby at their second Crow Agency. The Northern Pacific Railroad built a station here in 1882, renaming it Columbus in 1894. Columbus soon became an important shipping center for early cattle and sheep ranchers, as well as a starting point for many homesteaders who staked claims in the fertile valleys. Agriculture was a key component in the formation and settling of the communities Park City, Reed Point, Absarokee, and Fishtail. The nearby Beartooth Mountains beckoned miners with ore and eventually supplied the nation with chromium during World War II. A major engineering accomplishment was completed in the mid-1920s with the construction of the power plant and dam at nearby Mystic Lake.

Historic stone building with a wagon and workers in front, cover image for Columbus and Stillwater County

Jungleland

9780738574448

$24.99

In 1926, animal attendant Louis Goebel bought five lots at $10 apiece as a home for his seven African lions along old Ventura Boulevard in a remote, sparsely populated portion of Ventura County just over the Los Angeles County line--where the city of Thousand Oaks eventually grew. Not surprisingly, the big predators became a roadside attraction. By 1929, Goebel added exotic birds and other animals. Premier woman tiger trainer Mabel Stark arrived as Goebel's Lion Farm accrued regional fame, and Capt. Frank Phillips trained Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's famous Leo the Lion after the name changed to World Jungle Compound. The park maintained Hollywood ties, renting animals and hosting scenes for dozens of movies and television shows. Jungleland became the zoo's lasting moniker after name and ownership changes. The enthusiastic opening of Disneyland in 1955 on the other side of Los Angeles inspired big plans for the Ventura County attraction, including a monorail. These plans fizzled, however, and Goebel resumed ownership in 1961. The park closed eight years later, and 1,800 animals were sold at auction. After four decades, the distinctive Conejo Valley lion roars were silenced.

Jungleland book cover with a sepia photo of a man clinging to an elephant's trunk in a dusty outdoor scene

Early Ontario

9781467132404

$24.99

George and William Chaffey, immigrants from Canada, founded a model colony in Southern California in 1882. They named their settlement Ontario, from an Iroquois term meaning beautiful water, not only to pay homage to their home province but to also draw other Canadians to their colony. Utilizing forward-thinking irrigation practices, the brothers laid out plots of land ready for colonists who wanted to farm or raise citrus groves. After just four years, the brothers left for Australia to develop more settlements and passed their model colony on to Charles Frankish and his partners of the Ontario Land and Improvement Company. From its earliest days, the colony became known for its citrus groves, Armstrong roses, Graber olives, Guasti grapes, and the Hotpoint iron. This book, which includes nearly 200 images, focuses on the colony's early development.

Cover image for Early Ontario, isbn: 9781467132404

Rancho Mirage

9780738575018

$24.99

Rancho Mirage is a beautiful residential and desert-resort community nestled along the Santa Rosa Mountains, located between the cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley. Bighorn sheep and the Agua Caliente tribe of Cahuilla Indians were the area's early inhabitants. Date farms and ranchos developed after aquifers were discovered. Guest ranches soon followed and became favorite destinations for the rich and famous in the 1940s and 1950s. By the early 1950s, residential communities designed in classic Desert Modern style were being constructed along with the valley's first two country clubs with 18-hole golf courses. Rancho Mirage soon emerged as the "golf capital of the world" and has since grown to be a premier resort and residential community with a permanent population of 16,870 and several thousand additional winter residents who enjoy the city's 10 country clubs, three world-class resorts, and scores of restaurants.

Book cover for Rancho Mirage depicting a resort poolside scene with loungers and a large building in the background

Tustin

9780738570372

$24.99

Tustin's big early loss was in many ways its salvation. Founding father Columbus Tustin's real estate venture in 1868 found few takers, leading to his fervent campaign to make his town the southern terminus for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The depot duel was won by rival settlement Santa Ana, and Tustin City became just another backwater. Columbus Tustin died embittered, but his namesake, which dropped "City" in 1899, prospered as a pretty place with charming homes. Many early homes and downtown commercial buildings still survive, and where apricot, walnut, and orange trees once grew at mid century, comfortable tract homes and residential innovations such as Tustin Meadows and Enderle Gardens maintain the distinct small-town feel through Orange County's postwar freeway sprawl and identity loss. Tustin's past also included a wild and ramshackle quicksilver mine at Red Hill and two of the world's largest wooden structures--the Lighter-Than-Air (LTA or blimp) hangars--at Marine Corps Air Station Tustin.

Images of America Tustin book cover with a historic building facade and two people at the entrance.

San Francisco's Aquatic Park

9780738530840

$24.99

Aquatic Park has long been the place where San Franciscans and tourists alike go to enjoy an authentic maritime experience. Along Hyde Street Pier and the sandy strip of beach near the Maritime Museum, this area was once called Black Point Cove. It now hosts a dramatic array of historic ships such as the Balclutha (formerly Star of Alaska) and a graceful curvilinear pier with a sweeping vista of the Golden Gate. For most of its history, this park has seen recreational use of every stripe. Members of the delightful Dolphin Club have braved the chilly bay waters ever since the club was founded in 1877. Then there is the South End Rowing Club, which for many decades has carried on its graceful traditions in the protected lagoon.

Cover image for San Francisco's Aquatic Park, isbn: 9780738530840

Idaho State Parks

9781467126168

$24.99

Idaho's state parks have been called the jewels of the Gem State. The story of how those jewels came to be involves political intrigue, much resistance, some philanthropy, and a touch of irony. Sen. Weldon B. Heyburn famously said that state parks were always a political embarrassment. Idaho's first state park was named after him. Today, Idaho's 30 state parks host five million people a year. Visitors come to boat, camp, bike, climb, hike, fish, and make memories in the great outdoors. This book tells the story of Idaho's diverse state parks—from Priest Lake in Idaho's panhandle to Bear Lake in the southeast corner of the state—through a wealth of historical photographs. A variety of parks are featured, including ones that were lost, found, or never came to fruition.

Cover image for Idaho State Parks, isbn: 9781467126168

Diamond Bar

9781467131964

$24.99

As with many Southern California communities, Diamond Bar's recorded history began with a Spanish land grant. One of the area's first settlers was Jose de la Luz Linares, who founded Rancho Los Nogales (Ranch of the Walnut Trees) on the 4,340 acres granted to him by Mexican governor Juan Alvarado in 1840. The grant included Brea Canyon and the eastern Walnut Valley, a portion of which became the Diamond Bar Ranch, founded by Frederick E. Lewis II in 1918. In 1956, the area looked much as it did in 1840, its golden hills peppered with green stands of oak and walnut trees and grazed by large herds of cattle. In that year, the Transamerica Corporation paid $10 million for 8,000 acres of Brea Canyon, with plans to construct Southern California's largest master-planned community and name it Diamond Bar. Incorporated on April 18, 1989, the city of Diamond Bar is home to nearly 55,000 residents and is located at the crossroads of the Orange (57) and Pomona (60) Freeways on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County.

Cover image for Diamond Bar, isbn: 9781467131964

Hot Rodding in Santa Barbara County

9781467132183

$24.99

California's central coast was fertile ground for hot rodding, and all motor sports in general, during the 1940s and 1950s. Hot Rodding in Santa Barbara County takes the reader back in time with a collection of remarkable photographs from the earliest days of the hot rod movement. This book includes images of the first drag strips in the country, rough-and-tumble jalopy racing, early road-racing action, and lots of great hot rods and customs. Follow local hot-rodders as they take trips to El Mirage dry lake and the world-famous salt flats at Bonneville, Utah, and visit a long-lost world as seen through photographs taken from the personal albums of people who contributed to the birth of a culture that would spread across the nation.

Cover of Hot Rodding in Santa Barbara County showing a vintage race car on a winding rural road.

Italians in the Santa Clara Valley

9780738555621

$24.99

Attracted by the mild climate and abundance of fertile land, Italians came to the Santa Clara Valley from all regions of Italy, including Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Beginning in the 1880s, the "Eden of the World" beckoned Italian immigrants as farmers, ranchers, orchardists, vegetable growers, and winemakers. Italian men, women, and children filled the numerous canneries and packinghouses supplying the rest of the nation with fresh produce. Once the largest ethnic group in the valley, Italians' impact on the region has been profound, yet is often overlooked. The photographs in this book present a special glimpse into the lives of a people whose irrepressible optimism, kindness, and can-do spirit overcame the challenges and obstacles put before them.

Sepia toned cover of Italians in the Santa Clara Valley showing a multigenerational Italian American family posed outdoors.

Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars

9780738547916

$24.99

Local rail-borne transit in Los Angeles began with horsecars in 1874, evolving with cable-powered and later electric-powered passenger vehicles. "Yellow Cars" describes the principal local transit system in and around Los Angeles in the first half of the 20th century. The canary-colored local streetcars formed the inner-neighborhood lines between a vast rail network of main lines known as the "interurban" system, primarily the Pacific Electric Railway "Red Cars," which spiderwebbed throughout Los Angeles County and into Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Rail tycoon Henry Edwards Huntington consolidated several independent lines into this great interurban empire. He sold it in 1910 to the Southern Pacific Railroad, keeping the Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars. These evocative photographs illustrate travel during decades of change, progress, economic setbacks, war, and postwar retrenchment, when streetcar service was taken over by bus lines.

Vintage downtown Los Angeles streetcar scene on the cover of Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars

Growing Up in San Francisco's Chinatown

9781467139359

$21.99

Chinese American baby boomers who grew up within the twenty-nine square blocks of San Francisco's Chinatown lived in two worlds. Elders implored the younger generation to retain ties with old China even as the youth felt the pull of a future sheathed in red, white and blue. The family-owned shops, favorite siu-yeh (snack) joints and the gai-chongs where mothers labored as low-wage seamstresses contrasted with the allure of Disney, new cars and football. It was a childhood immersed in two vibrant cultures and languages, shaped by both. Author Edmund S. Wong brings to life Chinatown's heart and soul from its golden age.

Cover image for Growing Up in San Francisco's Chinatown, isbn: 9781467139359

Hermosa Beach

9780738529745

$24.99

Hermosa Beach has been one of Los Angeles County's most eclectic summertime destinations for vacationing families, surfers, sunbathers, fishermen, volleyball players, and other beachgoers. They ranged from students in search of one crazy summer to their spiritual forefathers and mothers who came, saw, and stayed year-round. The city grew through the 20th century from a train stop into a vital mix of residential housing with businesses strung along Pacific Coast Highway. The city has been homey enough to accommodate statesman William Jennings Bryant and television's iconic Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Its nationally recognized nightclubs and other venues included the Biltmore Hotel; the Comedy & Magic Club; and the legendary Lighthouse, home of West Coast jazz.

Sepia-toned Hermosa Beach cover with two people on a Life Box boat and a construction site in the background.

Hercules

9780738574400

$24.99

The history of explosives manufacturing in Hercules began in 1879, when the California Powder Works acquired a site on San Pablo Bay, 20 miles northeast of San Francisco. The powder works, subsequently owned by Dupont and the Hercules Powder Company, produced one of the first internationally branded products: Hercules dynamite. It became the world's leading producer of TNT during World War I. The town of Hercules was incorporated in 1900, and for nearly 75 years its population remained under 300. The company-owned village had no retail district, but its employee clubhouse was the anchor for the city's social life. After the explosives plant closed, buildings comprising a small historic district were restored, while a diverse residential suburb grew rapidly around it. Hercules chronicles the city's industrial past and a vanishing way of life.

Group of men in work clothes posing outside a timber yard on the Hercules cover.

Tomales Bay

9780738596419

$24.99

Tomales Bay is a 6,800-acre estuary on the West Marin coast, 40 miles northwest of San Francisco. The bay occupies the seaward end of a rift valley that was formed by the intersection of the San Andreas Fault with the Northern California coastline. The bay is 12 miles long, one mile wide, and relatively shallow, with an average depth of 18 feet. The bay exchanges water with the Pacific Ocean, thus supporting a unique marine culture and industry begun by the Coastal Miwok Indians 5,000 years ago. American and European pioneers in the mid-19th century saw Tomales Bay as the promised land for beef cattle and dairy ranching, farming, fishing, and logging. This book celebrates these pioneer settlers and their accomplishments in the towns of Marshall and Tomales in particular. On April 18, 1906, the San Francisco Earthquake did not spare Tomales Bay. Nevertheless, West Marin citizens rebuilt their communities and have preserved pasturelands and maritime seashores to the present day. Shoreline Highway 1, from Point Reyes Station north to the Sonoma Border, encompasses the harmonic balance of environmentalism and pristine wilderness.