Weed

9780738569321

$24.99

Weed acquired its intriguing name from its founder, Abner Weed, who began purchasing land for a mill site in the 1890s. By 1905, Weed boasted two mills, a box factory, bunkhouse, boardinghouse, cookhouse, company store, post office, and hospital. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Thomas and Georgeanna "Anna" (Sullaway) Sullivan bought land for a ranch in 1898. When they divided some of their land into lots, Shastina was born, with the first building constructed in 1905-1906. Division Street divided the town in two, with the company town to the north and the once-rowdy town of Shastina to the south, known for its saloon-lined streets, brothels, and private businesses that allowed residents a shopping choice despite company policies.

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Mission Hills

9781467132688

$24.99

Several visionaries shaped the character that defines present-day Mission Hills. First, there was Sarah Miller, stepdaughter of Captain Johnston of the SS Orizaba. She inherited land from him and built a dream home overlooking Old Town and the Pacific Ocean. There was also Kate Sessions, the mother of Balboa Park, whose nursery growing grounds just outside the original Mission Hills subdivision proved difficult for her clientele to traverse, leading her to convince transportation mogul John D. Spreckles to expand the streetcar route to accommodate her business. In 1905, George Marston, a San Diego civic leader, commissioned landscape architect and urban planner John Nolan to implement a development plan for the city. Nolan's plan, however, was never adopted. In 1908, as if to prove what was possible, Marston's syndicate formed the restricted subdivision of Mission Hills. Then, in 1909, the city announced plans to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. The fuse was lit, and the boom that followed brought builders and skilled artisans to San Diego. As a result, Mission Hills became architecturally magnificent.

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Marin County

9780738555713

$24.99

Marin County has long been known for its beautiful woodlands, seashores, and hills, but its towns, people, and architecture tell an equally compelling story. The largest of the Bay Area's nine counties, Marin has an amazingly varied makeup in both its populace and its natural setting. From the sparse, rocky seascapes and sandy beaches along the Point Reyes Peninsula, Bolinas, and Stinson Beach, to the suburban tracts of San Rafael, Corte Madera, and Novato, this county runs the gamut of California lifestyles and landscapes.

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Princeton-by-the-Sea

9780738555836

$24.99

The isolation imposed by the sometimes raging Pacific Ocean and breathtaking coastal barrier mountains helped mold the historic personalities of Princeton-by-the-Sea and neighboring Miramar. In the early 1900s, these towns were placed along the Ocean Shore Railroad to attract visitors and settlers from San Francisco to these peaceful shores. Rumrunners, bootleggers, operators of shady roadhouses, and a brazen red-haired madam were characters here in the 1920s. In the 1940s, wind-gnarled fishermen, funky eateries, and a miniature cannery row stood watch over the northern end of the bay, under the stunning rock landmark of Pillar Point. In these pages are the boats, fishermen, buildings, beaches, and personalities that make Princeton-by-the-Sea and Miramar anything but typical Bay Area suburbs.

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Around Boulder City

9780738558769

$24.99

The original planners of Boulder City, Nevada, did not expect that the community of workers and engineers would outlast the construction of the great Hoover Dam. The subsequent years challenged this assumption, however, as Boulder City continued to grow and thrive even after the dam was completed and the waters of the Colorado River were harnessed. As more families took road trips to visit the dam and other southwestern attractions, Boulder City became a tourism hub. Shops, restaurants, and hotels, including the famous Boulder Dam Hotel, were built, and even more visitors flocked to the nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area after its establishment in 1964. Elton M. Garrett aptly described the city in the masthead of his newspaper, the Boulder Dam Challenge, in 1936: "Boulder City Carries On With Spirit With Which Boulder Dam Challenged Rio Colorado."

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Torrance Airport

9780738546629

$24.99

Californians were panicked by the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941, and civilian flights within 200 miles of the coast were immediately terminated. Airfields were commandeered and new ones hastily built. One of these was the Lomita Flight Strip, known today as Zamperini Field, the Torrance Municipal Airport, or TOA. This 490-acre parcel sent four squadrons of P-38 fighter pilots off to war with one commanded by the judge of the Charles Manson trial, an ex-Flying Tiger. Six other pilots became generals, two became commandants of cadets at the Air Force Academy, and one became the only fighter pilot with combat victories in both World War II and the Vietnam War. Japanese Americans returning from World War II internment camps found temporary housing at the field, and the world's largest manufacturer of civilian helicopters settled there in 1973. The first runway takeoff of a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft was pioneered at TOA, and aerobatic champ Bob Herendeen trained at the site.

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Sacramento

9780738559001

$24.99

California's capital city, Sacramento, has played many roles over time, including Gold Rush boomtown, railroad terminus, regional industrial center, and seat of state government. These varied roles meant dramatic changes as the city grew outward and upward.

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Littleton

9781467132558

$24.99

In 1858, gold was discovered where Little Dry Creek joins the South Platte River, four miles north of what is today Littleton. After the initial rush of gold-seekers, agriculture sustained growth when the gold deposits played out. In 1861, Richard S. Little filed claims for agricultural land along the South Platte River in what would become Littleton. Little was not only a farmer but a land developer, and he filed his plat at the Arapahoe County Courthouse in 1872 for streets and homes on his property. When the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built south from Denver through Littleton in 1871, development soon followed, and Little had no shortage of buyers for his plots of land. Thus began Littleton, and over the years of boom and bust, this early settlement has transitioned from village to county seat to one of Denver's finest suburbs.

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Magalia to Stirling City

9780738530185

$24.99

The West Branch of the Feather River in northern Butte County was once a rich mining region. In 1859, an incredible 54-pound gold nugget washed from the flanks of Sawmill Peak, named for the ridge's other main industry, logging. An intricate web of stage roads, and later railroads, linked the little mining and lumber towns that dotted these peaks covered in giant white and ponderosa pine. Steam engines hauled huge logs to mills like the Diamond Match Company, crossing steep canyons on wooden trestles stretched to heart-stopping heights. Some early mining towns like Magalia (once known as Dogtown—site of the gargantuan nugget) and Stirling City, are still there. Others like Nimshew, Lovelock, Toadtown, Powellton, Chaparral, Coutelenc, and Inskip, are ghost towns, inhabiting only the photographs that memorialize their short heyday.

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Legendary Locals of Moscow

9781467102070

$24.99

The rich and fertile land upon which Moscow sits has sustained a vibrant community of hard working thinkers, creators, and activists for more than 125 years. Just as the area's first inhabitants returned to camas fields in Paradise Valley year after year, pioneers settled in Hog Heaven because they found ready access to life's necessities. Businessmen like Nathaniel Williamson and Frank David tied their fortunes to the local farming economy to the same degree as seed pioneer Willis Crites or sustainability advocate Mary Jane Butters. While the bounty that surrounds Moscow feeds its growth, the town's cultural lifeblood is pumped by the University of Idaho. The university has provided Moscow with inventors such as Malcolm Renfrew, talented athletes like Olympian Dan O'Brien, and colorful characters, perhaps best embodied by Dean of Women Permeal French. The picturesque hills of the Palouse roll through the history of this unique town, rooting tomorrow's leaders in the work of yesterday's groundbreakers.

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Walnut

9780738595474

$24.99

The city of Walnut is approximately 8.9 square miles and is home to more than 32,000 people. It is primarily a residential community, but it has more than 600 businesses. The city has a rural charm that is preserved by a well-defined general plan. Nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains and approximately 22 miles east of Los Angeles at the junction of four counties—Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino—Walnut is considered a bedroom community with rural charm and cultural diversity.

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Crockett

9780738529141

$24.99

The small town of Crockett rests on the shore of the Carquinez Strait, a narrow shipping waterway running from San Francisco Bay into the Sacramento Delta region. Crockett's early history was heavily influenced by the shipping industry, and the shoreline was filled with warehouses and wharves. Twin cantilever bridges across the Carquinez Strait at Crockett distinguish the town's skyline from other ports in the area. A third span was recently added across the strait and named in honor of Crockett native Alfred Zampa. Much of Crockett's identity has been associated with the C&H sugar refinery, and for more than 50 years, Crockett was a devoted company town.

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Baseball in Colorado Springs

9780738599540

$24.99

From Boulevard Park and Memorial Field to Security Service Field (formerly Sky Sox Stadium), Colorado Springs is a baseball town. Professional baseball arrived in 1901; the Brown Bombers, a semiprofessional black team, came in the 1940s; and the original Sky Sox won the Western League Championship in 1953, 1955, and 1958. Local players such as Ed Kent, Bill Everitt, Jim Landis, Sam Hairston, Connie Johnson, Vinny Castilla, and Todd Helton have made it to the major leagues. Rich Goose Gossage, a Colorado Springs native, went directly from Class A ball to the Chicago White Sox, starting his hall-of-fame career in 1972.

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The Norconian Resort

9780738555591

$24.99

The Norconian Resort Supreme was a magnificent disaster. A chance discovery of hot sulfur water in 1926 led entrepreneur Rex Clark to construct one of the finest and most comprehensive recreation facilities on the West Coast. Movie stars, Olympic champions, and the richest of the rich flocked to it. Sadly the Norconian debuted just months before the onset of the Great Depression, and very quickly Rex Clark's $4.5-million dream became known as Rex's Folly. The resort eventually became one of the preeminent naval hospitals in the nation, a top-secret think tank, and a medium-security prison. Miraculously most of the original structures still exist. The old hotel, despite its placement on the National Register of Historic Places, has become a political hot potato and now sits languishing in the middle of the California Rehabilitation Center—abandoned yet stunning, with fabulous chandeliers, tile work, and breathtaking paintings still intact.

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Emigrant Gulch

9780738520780

$24.99

In 1864, an Oregon Trail wagon train of pioneers from Pennsylvania and Iowa found their way to Emigrant Gulch and Park County in search of gold. The first settlers staked 200-foot claims at the mouth of the Gulch, in what had been called the Curry District. One of the oldest mining districts in Park County, the history of the area is reproduced here in almost 200 vintage photographs, and captures America's fascination with the development of the Wild West.

Park County, so named due to its proximity to Yellowstone Park, was established in 1887. Placer gold was discovered in the Gulch in 1864, and with this discovery came miners and prospectors from all over the country, ultimately resulting in the development of Yellowstone City and other communities. While open hostilities with the native Crow Indians in the region would eventually dissuade continual mining in the region, many stayed to populate the area. Pictured here are the miners, residents, businesses, street scenes, and social activities that made Park County what it is today.

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Communities of the Palmer Divide

9780738581903

$24.99

Native American tribes once traversed the east-west anomaly of the Rocky Mountains known as the Palmer Divide as a passage between the high ranges and the Great Plains. Lying between Denver and Colorado Springs, and named for William Jackson Palmer, founder of Colorado Springs, the offshoot range divides the great Platte and Arkansas River systems. Settlers homesteaded, farmed, and ranched the area. Railroad construction in the 1870s led to towns supporting commerce and tourism, particularly in the western section of the Palmer Divide, in what eventually became known as the Tri-Lakes Area. The area drew tourists who enjoyed hiking, wildflowers, and the outdoors, and facilitated such local industries as ice harvesting, lumber milling, ranching, and potato farming. A vast area north of Colorado Springs, the Palmer Divide retains a picturesque rural nature and cohesive small-town feeling--creating such social events as the Rocky Mountain Chautauqua and the Yule Log Festival, as well as the enduring Palmer Lake Star on Sundance Mountain.

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Lake Arrowhead

9780738547022

$24.99

Lake Arrowhead is Southern California's premier alpine resort located in the heart of the scenic San Bernardino Mountains. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the resort's golden years offered city-weary urbanites a sophisticated rural playground of camping, boating, golfing, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, luxurious lodging, and dining—all showcased here in many vintage images never before published. Taken from author Keller's private collection of postcards, this history of Lake Arrowhead offers a true window into the past with images and evocative postcard sentiments about this remarkable community.

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Legendary Locals of Fillmore

9781467101929

$24.99

Since its beginning as a Southern Pacific Railroad town 100 years ago, Fillmore has been the setting of many legends and true tales, like the St. Francis Dam disaster, the 1994 earthquake, and the Hollywood film shoots. Joaquin Murietta hid in the hills, and the story of the T. Wallace More murder in Rancho Sespe in 1877 was the murder of the century. Rancho Camulos, owned by the del Valle family until 1924, signifies the last of the Californios. Today, it is owned by the descendants of August Rubel. Tales of the sycamore tree abound, and it is an icon on Highway 126, as is the tower of the Sanitary Dairy, which was ordered from the Sears, Roebuck & Company in Chicago. Oil was discovered early in Shiells Canyon and brought Texaco to town. The fruit industry prospered, and Sunkist was welcomed. Hugh Warring installed indoor plumbing in the Piru Mansion. The likes of Booty Sanchez, Marcelino Woody Ybarra, Gene Wren, Kevin Gross, Jim Fauver, and Dorothy Shiells still influence the community.

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Santa Monica in Vintage Postcards

9780738520551

$24.99

Santa Monica was founded in 1875 and by 1887, the area was caught up in the real estate frenzy of the time with advertisements suggesting that it had "one of the grandest panoramic views the human eye has ever rested on . . . " In over 200 vintage postcards, here is Santa Monica in all its coastal splendor, including views of the bathing beaches, the Roosevelt Highway, and private citizens' beautiful Chinese Gardens.

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La Plata:

9780738520506

$24.99

Despite some of the darker aspects of the upper San Juan Basin, such as the Meeker Massacre, "Mexican Flats," and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan, the fact remains that Utes, Anglos, and Hispanics have co-existed peacefully together in this region for well over a century. Collected in this new book and accented with over 100 vintage images is an oral history of La Plata County and the surrounding areas, featuring the voices of cowboys and Native Americans, ranchers and miners, outlaws and in-laws alike.

In compiling these stories of local San Juan Basin residents, Fred Wildfang has recreated life during turn-of-the-century Southwestern Colorado. These individual recollections detail the hardships and triumphs of early pioneer families from the San Juan Basin, including tales of the Old West movie sets, arranged marriages, rash elopements, runaway horses, and ancient native rituals. The voices captured here epitomize the spirit of "nan¡-ma"-as the Utes say-"together," a word meant to stand for a spirit of cooperation among all the peoples in this land.

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Around Niwot

9781467133241

$24.99

By the time the Colorado Central Railroad extended its tracks into Boulder County in 1873, much of the land along the foothills was already under cultivation. As rails were laid between Boulder City and Longmont to the northeast, they crossed land belonging to settlers who had first come to the region as prospectors with the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1858. At that time, the area was still the hunting and fishing grounds of Southern Arapaho Indians and their tribal leader, Chief Niwot, translated as left hand in the Arapaho language. Two ranchers, Porter Hinman and Ambrose Murray, whose land was traversed by the new railroad, platted the town of Niwot in 1875 as a shipping point for transporting local farm goods and livestock to distant markets. Thus the only authentic railroad town in Boulder County was founded.

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Security-Widefield

9781467130929

$24.99

On the southern outskirts of Colorado Springs lies the peaceful community known as Security-Widefield. With the installation and expansion of nearby Camp Carson, a vision unfurled of a suburb convenient for military families, including affordable homes, parks, recreation programs, schools, and easy access to the Mountain Post. Fred Sproul first purchased dairy and truck farms in the Fountain Valley and developed the area into Security Village, and later, Jules Watson developed more farmland into Widefield. With no mayor and no town council, the two neighborhoods have uniquely come together through Widefield School District No. 3, which has been instrumental in maintaining the parks and library, as well as delivering top-notch education. Together, the school district and volunteer fire department have provided community activities for nearly 60 years. Many of the first families to reside in the area are now seeing their great-grandchildren reap the blessings of growing up in Security-Widefield.

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MacArthur Park

9781467133456

$24.99

Known as Westlake Park for its first 60 years, MacArthur Park is considered one of Los Angeles's original parks. Throughout its history, it has endured countless challenges as the neighborhood and city that surround it grew to become the current metropolis. Born out of progressive vision and drought, MacArthur Park, due to its elegant design and cultural programming, has been referred as a civic jewel and the West Coast version of Central Park. Like many urban parks, it has also been burdened with a negative image due to its many decades of neglect, crime, and municipal disinvestment. Today, MacArthur Park has survived as a critical green and cultural space for one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the country. More importantly, MacArthur Park has served as an authentic democratic space for local stakeholders and visitors to gather, play, and protest.

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Old Cucamonga

9781467133135

$24.99

To its first inhabitants, the Tongvan Kucamonga tribe, cucamonga meant land of many waters, referring to the area's numerous streams flowing down from the southeastern end of the San Gabriel Mountains. By the 1800s, it was a Mexican land grant named Cucamonga Rancho. Murder, drought, and foreclosure led to the subdivision of the rancho's 13,000 acres. Immigrants from around the world arrived in Cucamonga's renowned wine valley. Italian immigrant Secundo Guasti bought a huge swath of land in southern Cucamonga and planted the world's largest vineyard. Many of Guasti's workers lived north of the winery in an area they named Northtown. Still others planted farms, started businesses, and built schools and churches. The farms are gone, most of the wineries are closed, and parts of the old rancho are now known as Upland and Ontario, but the story of Cucamonga lives on through these and other photographs.

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The Torrey Pines Gliderport

9781467131360

$24.99

As Air Capital of the West, San Diego boasts a rich history in aviation that began with glider flights by John J. Montgomery in the 1880s. By the 1930s, gliding experienced a renaissance as an inexpensive means to take to the skies. Gliderports dotted the West Coast with pilots testing their designs in the prevailing sea breeze. Locations such as Torrey Pines attracted pilots from all over the nation for their idyllic conditions, where humans could soar with birds over the sea. These early pioneers helped define soaring as a sport and left an indelible mark on American aviation. Of the coastal gliderports of the 1930s, only one remains today—the Torrey Pines Gliderport—an aviation landmark that has become famous around the world with aviators who share this unique resource through multiple forms of motorless flight.

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Latah County

9780738531335

$24.99

Its name derived from the Nez Perce language, Latah County is the only county in the United States to have been created by an Act of Congress. The abundance of its natural resources--from blue fields of camas to deep veins of gold, from great stands of white pine trees to vast green grasslands--attracted a diversity of dreamers seeking only the opportunity to build their own futures. Nestled in the heart of the Palouse, an agricultural area of extraordinary production, Latah County is a land of timber and, at Potlatch, was once the site of one of the largest sawmills in the world. At Moscow, it is also the home of the state's land-grant institution, the University of Idaho. From the forests of Troy and the ridges of Juliaetta and Kendrick, from the homesteads of Genesee to Bovill's hunting lodge and Deary's town site, Latah County has had a rich and varied history.

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Pasadena in Vintage Postcards

9780738508191

$24.99

The postcard has been a popular part of American communication for over a century, documenting both the interest of a place and its history. Captured here in nearly 200 vintage postcards is the unique history of this California town, translated in Chippewa as Crown of the Valley. The City of Pasadena, just north of Los Angeles, sits against the majesty of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Incorporated in 1885, the city was originally known as a resort city, filled with tourists from all over the world. Showcased here through the use of the author's personal postcard collection are vintage images of Millionaires Row, the Tournament of the Roses Parade, the Mt. Lowe Railway, and the Alpine Tavern.

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Rancho Sespe

9781467124966

$24.99

In 1833, Rancho Sespe began as a Mexican land grant with 8,881 acres stretching along the Santa Clara River from Piru to Santa Paula. The face of Rancho Sespe is not just the bunkhouse or the family housing that stood on this land; it is, rather, seen in the stories of those who lived and worked on the ranch. Their struggles and triumphs are shared in this book and illustrated with many vintage photographs. The Spaldings developed Rancho Sespe into a very successful ranch for citrus and livestock for over 30 years, and it became a quasi-feudal society as a self-contained working ranch in the 20th century. When the ranch later sold, it ushered in changes for Rancho Sespe to become a part of the modern age, and gone was the worker housing along with other remnants of the past. Many of the families continue to live in the surrounding area generation after generation.

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Atascadero

9780738589169

$24.99

Atascadero, California—located nearly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on US Highway 101—is the brainchild of E.G. Lewis. Thought by some to have been a visionary, Lewis was considered a con artist by others. In spite of his reputation, he founded Atascadero and left in his wake a collection of unique architecture and the first planned community in the state of California. He established roads, water mains, power grids, agricultural cooperatives, and a 17-mile road to the Pacific Ocean. Atascadero was home to an early example of an enclosed shopping mall and magnificent art from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Atascadero's creator also founded University City, Missouri, and Palos Verdes Estates, California.

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University of Wyoming

9780738595993

$24.99

The University of Wyoming was founded in 1886, four years prior to statehood. Provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, also known as the Land Grant College Act, allowed for the teaching of agriculture, mechanic arts, and military tactics but also included literary and scientific studies. With statehood in 1890, the constitution confirmed the establishment of the university, that all students, regardless of gender or race, could attend, and that the cost of instruction may be as nearly free as possible. From a humble beginning in athletics, UW has excelled in football, basketball, and rodeo and has produced such notable figures as Kenny Sailors and Curt Gowdy. Statewide outreach has always been a focus, resulting in a research center in Grand Teton National Park and agricultural farms in many communities. Wyoming's economy relies heavily on the energy industry, and today, the university is a leader in energy-related education and research. Many of the photographs in Campus History Series: University of Wyoming were taken by long-serving university faculty, providing an interesting glimpse of UW's 125-year history.

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Norco

9780738530352

$24.99

Norco's motto, City Living in a Rural Atmosphere, is clearly reflected in this town where horses trot down the street next to cars and are frequently seen hitched up outside of local shops. In the late 1920s and 1930s, Norco was the home of the Norconian Club, an out-of-the-way hot spot for the Hollywood crowd. Built by city founder Rex B. Clark in 1928, the 900-acre luxury resort featured a 55-acre lake, hot sulfur spring, five-story hotel, casino, golf course, and a private airport. The club was sold in 1941 and eventually became the U.S. Naval Warfare Assessment Center, as well as the California Rehabilitation Center. The home of national rodeos and other premium equestrian activity, this unique community of more than 25,000 residents is tucked into Riverside County's southwestern corner and crisscrossed with 90 miles of horse trails. The archival photographs in this chronological compendium depict the founding, growth, and modern development of Norco.

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Cemeteries of San Diego

9780738547145

$24.99

San Diego has a rich and unique cultural history that can be effectively told through the commemoration of its dead. Local cemeteries throughout the city reflect San Diego's multiethnic cultural dynamism and pinpoint marked shifts in power from Native American to Spanish to Mexican to American governance. They also reveal the current struggle for space in a burgeoning metropolis. Graveyards, with their individually detailed and hauntingly beautiful monuments, offer an unrivaled historic yet continuous glimpse at the essence of this diverse community. The story of San Diego's cemeteries is a telling narrative that offers remarkable insight into the evolution of America's Finest City.

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Legendary Locals of Huntington Beach

9781467101868

$24.99

For over 100 years, Huntington Beach, a.k.a. Surf City, USA, has come to represent the true beach culture of Southern California. Originally called Pacific City, it was when railroad magnate Henry Huntington first ran his train line down in 1904 from Los Angeles, approximately 40 miles north, that the then-quaint beach town took on the name that made it famous around the state and around the world. In 1914, the legendary George Freeth put on a surfing exhibition the day the city's vaunted concrete pier was opened, which christened Huntington Beach as a soon-to-be surfing mecca. It became a boomtown after oil was discovered in 1920 and, several decades later, morphed once again into a cradle of aerospace engineering when companies such as Boeing arrived. Throughout its tumultuous and dramatic history, Huntington Beach has always boasted a cast of colorful and profound characters. From the first mayor, Ed Manning, to Medal of Honor–recipient Chris Carr, from the Zamboni family (who invented the ice-cleaning machine) to baseball star Jeff Kent: the list is almost endless. But it is not just professional athletes, actors, and rock stars; it is the teachers, crossing guards, merchants, and activists that give Huntington Beach its well-earned reputation as one of the most interesting and charismatic cities in the state.

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Scotts Valley

9781467115711

$24.99

Nestled among the spreading oaks of Santa Cruz County, just north of Monterey Bay, lies the city of Scotts Valley. First used as a hunting and camping spot on a Native American trading route, and later a stop on the stage route over the Santa Cruz Mountains, Scotts Valley has a long tradition of providing respite to weary travelers. Hiram Scott purchased the 4,447-acre Rancho San Agustin in 1850, built the community's first wood-frame house, and sold parcels of land that became dairies, farms, ranches, and lumber mills. In the 20th century, with the popularity of the family automobile, several attractions were opened throughout the valley. Travelers escaped the summer heat by flocking to the Tree Circus, Santa's Village, and the Lost World. Today, Scotts Valley remains a family-oriented community offering small-town charm and hospitality.

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Ka'u District

9781467133340

$24.99

Ka‘u is the largest district in Hawai‘i and the southernmost. Historically, it is important as the most likely landing area for the first Hawaiians and the location of the first settlement. It was the location of some of the last battles for control of Hawai‘i island, and the decision of Ka‘u's last ali‘i, Keoua Ku‘ahu‘ula, to agree to a meeting with Kamehameha, which he believed would lead to his death, was a crucial event in the creation of a unified Hawaiian kingdom. After Western contact, the sugar industry dominated the economy of Ka‘u, and ranching was also important. Although the sugar industry closed in 1996, the rural character has been maintained, and Ka‘u now enjoys some of the longest stretches of undeveloped highway and coastline in the state. The appeal of the district's natural beauty owes much to the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, and Ka‘u has a unique location between the two segments of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

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Lemon Grove

9780738571935

$24.99

Lemon Grove dates to 1892 when it first appeared in the San Diego County records as Lemon Grove. The tiny, whistle-stop town emerged during the second gold rush, the rise of California's citrus industry, which was facilitated by the 1849 Gold Rush, the break up of the Mexican ranchos in Alta California, and the advent of statehood for California in 1850. Land speculators poured into California, lured by the exquisite climate, five growing seasons, and the possibilities for success in agriculture and business. Lemon Grove became home to gentlemen farmers from the East and Midwest, whose descendants live on in the community to this day.

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Yellowstone National Park (Spanish version)

9781467127295

$21.99

El Parque Nacional de Yellowstone es uno de los lugares más conocidos en el mundo. Fundado en 1872 como el primer parque nacional en el mundo, ha logrado preservar maravillas como el géiser Old Faithful e iconos culturales como el hotel Old Faithful Inn. Durante varios siglos fue el hogar de los shoshones, crow, bannock, pies negros y otras tribus indias. Sin embargo, estos grupos fueron desterrados durante la década de 1870 por los propietarios del parque, que temían que no hubiera afluencia de turistas debido a los indios americanos que vivían allí. Casi inmediatamente después de su fundación, Yellowstone se convirtió en el destino principal para viajes turísticos al oeste de los Estados Unidos tras la Guerra de Secesión. En 1900 era todo un éxito turístico, y actualmente ha sido declarado una reserva de la biosfera y patrimonio de la humanidad.

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Gillette

9780738580265

$24.99

There is an old saying that the Powder River was a mile wide; an inch deep; too thick to drink; too thin to plow, and yet it was fought over many times in the early settlement of northeastern Wyoming. The lure of free land attracted tough pioneer families and rowdy outlaws to the new town of Gillette. Bars and brothels competed with schools and churches for the cowboys of some of the largest cattle and sheep ranches in the state. The coal that was discovered close to the surface, which first supplied settlers through blizzards and prairie winds, now provides one-third of the nation's energy. Ranching is still important in Gillette's economy but the abundant minerals have truly put Gillette, Wyoming, on the map.

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Early San Rafael

9780738559414

$24.99

The Coast Miwok and the early friars of Mission Dolores chose San Rafael both for its good weather and running streams, and the mission was named after the Archangel Raphael, the patron saint of bodily healing. When looking for a country estate, many wealthy San Franciscans sought the clean air and ideal weather here to escape the city's damp fog. San Rafael grew fast thereafter--it was the first city in Marin County to incorporate, the first to build a railroad, and the first to build a luxury hotel. San Rafael is the seat of county government, the center of commerce, and a cosmopolitan community in a natural setting. The dusty village of long ago was refined by fine schools and churches, the coming of the library, and by the ambitious efforts of the San Rafael Improvement Club. These early efforts made this a charming place to live, with Victorian homes, sylvan streets, and historic buildings in the business district. The pioneers would be pleased with the state of today's San Rafael.

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Legendary Locals of Fruita

9781467102292

$24.99

New York City poet and newspaper editor William Pabor headed to Colorado in 1870, heeding Horace Greeley's advice to "go West." After helping to establish Greeley, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins, Pabor continued west over the Rocky Mountains and founded Fruita as a family-oriented, agrarian-based community in 1884. Since its inception, Fruita has attracted farmers, ranchers, shopkeepers, entrepreneurs, writers, and visionaries, who all came in search of community spirit and the wide-open spaces. The area has also been fertile ground for fossil hunters, and Fruita has both its own fossil, Fruitafossor windssheffeli, and its own dinosaur, Fruitadens haagarorum. Fruita is also known for its unusual characters, including a headless chicken named Mike and a feline journalist named Charlie the Cat. From the 1910 apple queen Mabel Skinner to the pizza queens, Anne Keller and Jen Zeuner, of today, presented here are just a few of the stories of Fruita's always fascinating legendary locals.

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Camp Mather

9780738558479

$24.99

Since the 1920s, Camp Mather has beckoned to outdoor enthusiasts to come enjoy restful, carefree times in the Sierra. Bordering Yosemite National Park, Mather was established as a construction camp for laborers building the O'Shaughnessy Dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The camp began welcoming San Franciscans after construction was completed and then, as now, offers a welcome respite from city life. Guests stay in employee cabins and swim in the lake near the site of a former sawmill. Horseback riding, hiking, swimming, and three-squares-a-day have long been hallmarks of the Mather experience. From its humble Hog Ranch beginnings through the Mather Station days, Camp Mather has been a cherished spot enjoyed by multiple generations of San Francisco families.

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Western State College

9781467130950

$24.99

Western State College is located on Colorado's Western Slope, deep in the Rocky Mountains. It began as Colorado State Normal School, which was a two-year institution in 1911. Twelve years later, Colorado Normal became a four-year school—Western State College. Sitting at an altitude of 7,723 feet, it is the highest college or university in the nation. The elevation, the Rocky Mountains, two nearby ski areas, world-class mountain bike trails, stunning scenery, and the nearby Blue Mesa Reservoir (which is Colorado's second-largest tourist attraction) all combine to make Western State College an outdoor mecca, attracting students from all over the nation.

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Alameda County Fair

9780738581934

$24.99

What began as a ranching family's Sunday pastime of horse racing, with cheering crowds and thundering hooves on dusty roads, would give way to the Alameda County Fair that we know today. The Bernal family built the original racetrack in 1859 on their 52,000-acre ranch, which was part of the Northern California land grant, Rancho Valle de San Jose. Looking to turn his newly acquired racetrack into profit, businessman Rodney G. MacKenzie approached a group of county businessmen and ranchers with a proposal to hold a county fair on his property. The first Alameda County Fair ran from October 23 to October 27, 1912. Local leaders sought to form a modern fair, and in 1939 the Alameda County Fair Association was established. Once considered a racing fair, the Alameda County Fair now boasts livestock and agriculture. For young and old alike, the thrilling carnival rides, beautiful quilt exhibits, baking contests, fast-paced horse racing, or just a corn dog and cotton candy provide something for everyone, as the Alameda County Fair now prepares to celebrate its 100th year.

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Madera

9780738529844

$24.99

Madera almost didn't exist. In 1876 there was nothing where this thriving city now stands, but the California Lumber Company was looking for a western terminus for its massive logging flume under construction. Prompted by a deal from early landowners, the company chose this spot and put up a temporary boardinghouse for its workers. Soon
the town was platted out, lots were sold, and the city grew as the completed flume began to bring in lumber from the hills, meeting the railroad. Hotels, stores, a post office, and citizens followed, making Madera (Spanish for lumber) an important place of business, life, and leisure. In 1893, the city became the county seat of the newly minted Madera County, and structures continued to spring up along Yosemite Boulevard and beyond. The flume is gone now, but Madera owes its existence to early logging.

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Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race

9780738596273

$24.99

The Yukon Quest is more than just a sled dog race. It was the dream of two Fairbanksans—a recreational musher and an amateur historian—who conceived of a race closer to the roots of Alaskan dog sledding. The Yukon Quest is a 1,000-mile slog through trails used only for this race that cross mountains, rivers, and lakes in some of the harshest weather on the planet. It celebrates the history of the dogs that carried freight and delivered mail, dogs that many times over saved lives before the advent of aviation and snowmachines made them obsolete. The inaugural Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race of 1984 was a great success with the wholehearted support of the Fairbanks community, and it has become a much-anticipated annual event ever since.

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Banning

9780738529929

$24.99

Comings and goings in Banning often amounted to coming and going. Located in the San Gorgonio Pass between Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto, the city was once a way station for stagecoach travelers, as well as a midway rest stop for motorists making the trip between Riverside and Palm Springs. The headquarters crews that built the Colorado River Aqueduct made longer stopovers. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. bivouacked his tanks in the deserts east of Banning to train prior to their deployment in North Africa's Sahara to fight the Second World War. But many stayed in Banning, too, and ranched the badlands; grew almonds, peaches, and other crops; built plants to dry the fruit and manufacture plastic goods; and generally stuck around the pass, making it much more than just a place in the rearview mirror.

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Hanford

9780738547688

$24.99

Hanford, in the south San Joaquin Valley near the junction of the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers, has grown from its origin as a railroad stop to a modern city and business center while maintaining its agricultural tradition through ranches, dairy farms, vineyards, and other crops. Created by the Southern Pacific Railroad and named for paymaster James Madison Hanford, the town was incorporated in 1891 and named the seat of Kings County two years later. With a penchant for preservation and an appreciation for history, Hanford's residents enjoy living in one of California's true hidden gems.

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La Crescenta

9780738530741

$24.99

Though it has specific geographic borders, La Crescenta is politically split, straddling portions of unincorporated Los Angeles County, Glendale, and even a portion of Los Angeles itself. The Tongva Indians roamed the valley for hundreds of years until cattlemen moved in and loggers harvested the tall trees in the canyons above. Then came orchards, sanitariums, resort hotels, and, ultimately, suburban sprawl. These bucolic hills belied a penchant for archly conservative politics, but the peace of the valley was shattered not by Nazis or Klansmen, but rather by forces of nature: windstorms, fires, earthquakes, and, most severely, flash floods. In his book Man in Control of Nature, naturalist John McPhee wrote extensively about the La Crescenta floods. Despite the turbulence, La Crescenta has evolved into a quiet bedroom community in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

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North Ogden

9780738584607

$24.99

North Ogden is a quiet community nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. The majestic Ben Lomond Peak silently towers over the city to the north with Lewis Peak standing guard to the east. Beautiful panoramic scenery is enjoyed in all directions. During the early 19th century, the city and surrounding areas were inhabited by the Spanish and Native Americans and explored by trappers. North Ogden City was established in 1851, and the challenges facing the pioneer families were numerous. Settlers encountered hostile Native Americans, hungry wild animals, devastating grasshopper invasions, and extreme weather conditions, and the food supplies were often depleted. Regardless, the city's population thrived, and farms, orchards, and businesses prospered. The perseverance of those early settlers is linked to the rich heritage treasured by the citizens of today.

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Modesto

9780738575797

$24.99

At the beginning of the 20th century, Modesto became Stanislaus County's cultural and economic center. From the construction of ornate residences to the addition of prominent businesses and landmarks, the village founded in 1870 by the Central Pacific Railroad grew into a busy inland city. No less than four major hotels located downtown. The intent to build the nation's first municipal airport was incorporated into the city's revised 1910 charter, and the town's iconic arch was added to the landscape in 1912. Modesto left behind its Wild West roots to become a thriving center of commerce in the San Joaquin Valley.

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Corona

9780738546728

$24.99

More lemons once were shipped from Corona than anywhere on Earth, as a dozen citrus packinghouses were located along the railroad tracks in this rural Riverside County enclave known for its circular boulevard and hard-working inhabitants. The postcards collected for this trip down Corona's memory lane reflect its six decades of citrus-industry dominance and portray the past in street scenes, commerce, ranches, schools, churches, homes, and the outlying resorts of Glen Ivy and the Norconian Club. The Corona Road Races-spectacular national affairs in 1913, 1914, and 1916-are also depicted.

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Red Lodge

9780738556260

$24.99

From enchanting downtown architecture to the spectacular Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge wears its vibrant history with pride. A coal-mining boom founded the city and attracted immigrant populations between 1895 and 1920. John "Liver-Eatin'" Johnston
served as constable, and Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, and Frederic Remington paid visits. Though the coal boom eventually faded, Red Lodge refused to become a ghost town. Cattle ranching thrived in the
valleys and foothills, fostering such Rodeo Hall of Fame stars as Turk, Alice, and Marge Greenough and Bill and Bud Linderman. Meanwhile the road through the Beartooth Mountains to Yellowstone National Park, completed in 1936, boosted tourism. Today events such as the Fourth of July Home of Champions Rodeo and the August Festival of Nations celebrate the heritage of this unique Montana community.

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Livingston Roundup Rodeo

9781467130011

$24.99

The Livingston Roundup Rodeo was started in 1926 by a group of local businessmen. Their goal was to create an event to keep travelers in Livingston. The rodeo continued until the onset of World War II and was canceled during the war years. In the late 1940s, a young man approached one of the local businessmen and asked to use money held at the First National Park Bank (today known as First Interstate Bank) to revive the old rodeo. Today, the Livingston Roundup Rodeo is one on the most renowned events of its kind. Visitors come from all over the world to attend this wonderful three-day event that occurs every year from July 2 to 4. Hosting more than 5,000 people every night, the rodeo has seen wedding parties, family reunions, and even a surprise engagement every now and then.

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Black Rock Desert

9781467130202

$24.99

The Black Rock Desert, located in northwestern Nevada, has been the site of many human activities, from ancient hunters to the arrival of the pioneers to present-day motion pictures, land-speed records, commercial photography, and a weeklong art festival. This book focuses on the art history of the Black Rock Desert playa up until 1990, laying the groundwork for the larger, participatory art events of recent history. Events include art from the Lassen Trail; The Winning of Barbara Worth, starring Gary Cooper, in 1926; and a wild horse roundup as documented by Gus Bundy. Also included are recent works of art such as Doobie Lane and a croquet match in which trucks were used as mallets. Historical images feature the towns of Sulphur and Gerlach, nearby ranches, and the Empire gypsum mine.

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Central Americans in Los Angeles

9780738571638

$24.99

The second-largest Latino-immigrant group in Los Angeles after Mexicans, Central Americans have become a remarkable presence in city neighborhoods, with colorful festivals, flags adorning cars, community organizations, as well as vibrant ethnic businesses. The people from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama living in Los Angeles share many cultural and historical commonalities, such as language, politics, religion, and perilous migratory paths as well as future challenges. The distinctions are also evident as ethnicities, music, and food create a healthy diversity throughout residential locations in Los Angeles. During the 1980s and 1990s, an unprecedented number of new Central Americans arrived in this cosmopolitan city, many for economic reasons while others were escaping political turmoil in their native countries. Today they are part of the ethnic layers that shape the local population. Central Americans have embraced Los Angeles as home and, in doing so, transported their rich heritage and customs to the streets of this multicultural metropolis.

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Byron Hot Springs

9780738547008

$24.99

Byron Hot Springs is sometimes called the Carlsbad of the West, after the famed European health spas. The resort hosted the famous, the wealthy, the infirm, and the curious alike during the early 20th century. The 160-acre property, in eastern Contra Costa County near the San Joaquin River, featured three grand hotels designed by renowned San Francisco architect James Reid. Amidst this stylish backdrop were prominent guests in 19th-century finery, early Hollywood royalty, Prohibition entertainments, mineral water cures for various ailments, and secret interrogations of World War II POWs (when it was known as Camp Tracy). Aside from the hot springs themselves, the resort boasts one of the oldest golf courses in the western United States.

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Grand Central Air Terminal

9780738546827

$24.99

From 1923, when it was known as the Glendale Airport, to the World War II era, when the military took it over, Grand Central Air Terminal was the main commercial airport serving Southern California and the ancestral home of what became Convair (General Dynamics) and Hughes Aircraft. The first scheduled transcontinental passenger service was flown out of Grand Central by Charles Lindbergh, with Amelia Earhart among the passengers. Grand Central had the first paved runway west of the Rocky Mountains, and was a terminal for Pickwick, TWA, American, and Pan Am's Mexican subsidiary. After Pearl Harbor, commercial operations ceased and the Army Air Corps turned Grand Central into a training center and a key element in the air defenses for Los Angeles when a Japanese invasion seemed imminent.

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California State Park Rangers

9780738559933

$23.99

The first park ranger in the world was appointed in California in 1866. Galen Clark was chosen as "Guardian of Yosemite," at what was then Yosemite State Park, and the concept of rangers to protect and administer America's great nature parks was born. The tradition continued in 1872 with the establishment of the first national park at Yellowstone. From the earliest days, park rangers have been romanticized; they are explorers, outdoorsmen, tree lovers, animal protectors, police officers, nature guides, and park administrators. The park ranger has become an American icon, whose revered image has maintained itself to this very day.

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Coal in Campbell County

9781467130172

$24.99

In his Annual Report of the Territorial Geologist to the Governor of Wyoming 1890, Louis D. Ricketts wrote, The coal of this district has little other use than that of supplying a local market. Years later, nothing could be further from the truth. The United States uses approximately one billion tons of coal a year, with about 390 million tons coming from Campbell County, Wyoming. Since large-scale commercial coal production began in Campbell County in the mid-1970s, most coal companies have changed names, owners, and boundaries several times. To let those changes go unrecorded would be to lose the very beginning of coal in Campbell County.

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Legendary Locals of Boise

9781467101660

$24.99

Boise of the 21st century is very different from the tiny community established in 1863 at the crossroads of the Oregon Trail and the road to the Boise Basin gold mines. Originally known as Boise City, it existed as a distribution center for supplies and fresh food for miners. The development of irrigated agriculture and the expansion of transportation networks during the 20th century and an influx of pioneers from many regions of the United States helped the city grow into a technology center during the 21st century. Early residents like Tom and Julia Davis helped create a city filled with green parks and walking paths; author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote brought Boise to the attention of the nation with her writing and illustrations; businessmen J.R. Simplot and Joe Albertson established local businesses that grew to national companies. The music of Curtis Stigers, the literature of Anthony Doerr, and the athletic prowess of Kristin Armstrong have helped focus attention on Boise, which is now recognized as one of the country's most livable communities.

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Riverbank

9781467130158

$24.99

In the 1850s, the Riverbank area was little more than a ferry site along the Stanislaus River. A small town grew up there until the Union Pacific Railroad built a line farther east, causing the first attempt at settlement to soon die out. In 1895, however, the Santa Fe Railway crossed the river close to the original site of the ferry, and the town of Riverbank was born. Riverbank's history is a study in change. Its various influences—from the railway and agriculture to its Army ammunitions plant to its days as a country-western music mecca—earned it the motto The City of Action. It has been built by different cultures, including Irish and German immigrants and modern-day Hispanic arrivals. Its founders, movers, and shakers are as diverse, rich, and interesting as its colorful past.

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Napa County

9780738570396

$24.99

The rich history of Napa County spans from the first indigenous American Indians through the Spanish mission period; from the first pioneer white settlers and Gold Rush forty-niners, to the agricultural and viticulture gold rush, and into the tourist destination it is today. As soon as postcards came into being, the enterprising business and resort owners in Napa County began using them to advertise and promote Napa as a destination resort. It is through these windows into the past, sent across the country and the world by visitors and residents alike, that we get a glimpse into life in the Napa Valley during the last century.

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Fountain

9780738595030

$24.99

Historic Fountain lays nestled near the confluence of Fountain Creek and Jimmy Camp Creek. Ute Indians, French fur trappers, covered wagons, and stagecoaches all passed through this fertile valley along the Cherokee Trail until Amos Terrell settled here in the early 1860s, followed by farmers and ranchers. Businessmen soon began to buy town lots as Terrell sold off portions of his land. The railroad eventually pushed its way through town from Denver to Pueblo, while new arrivals of Mexican ancestry came up from the south with their strong work ethic and zesty Southwestern culture. Camp Carson became Fountain's neighbor to the west in 1942, and since then, the small town has seen steady growth as it remains an important hub in the Fountain Valley. Fountain was honored to be named Millennium City in 2000, as it represents the diverse character of the entire country.

Cover image for Fountain, isbn: 9780738595030

Mojave Desert

9780738588872

$24.99

It is a desert like no other, stretching from the eastern outskirts of Los Angeles across the width of Southern California and into parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The Mojave Desert's attractions include Death Valley, the Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave National Preserve, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, Palm Springs, the Cabazon Dinosaurs, Calico Ghost Town, and dozens of Route 66 landmarks. It is the most spectacular desert on Earth, and it draws more tourists each year than all other deserts of the world combined. Mojave Desert is the first book of its kind, using rare and vintage postcards to provide a pictorial, historical grand tour of this American wonderland.

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Mesquite and the Virgin Valley

9780738580722

$24.99

The lower Virgin River basin is located about 10 miles south of the border junction between what is now Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Early explorers told of blistering heat, disease-carrying insects, and scarce, evil-tasting water. But in 1877, the valley offered a haven to a small group of Mormon families who sought to live and practice their religious convictions, settling in Bunkerville on the south side of the Virgin River. On the north side, the struggle to establish Mesquite started in 1880. The third attempt in 1894 was successful after years of merciless floods. Residents have survived a hostile environment, geographic isolation, political gerrymandering, and in the middle of the last century, dangerous radiation fallout from atomic testing. Deep sand roads have given way to a bustling interstate highway, and the area has become a golf and gaming destination. After incorporation in 1984, Mesquite experienced a boom and has been named the fastest growing city of its size in the United States.

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Needles

9780738580647

$24.99

Needles is located at the borders of California and Arizona on the west bank of the Colorado River, once serving as an important transportation hub in California. During the mid-1800s, the steamboat trade flourished here as gold, silver, goods, and passengers were transported along the Colorado River. The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, now known as the Santa Fe, replaced the steamboats when tracks were laid through the area starting in 1883. The charter city was founded in 1913. America's "Mother Road," Route 66, built through downtown Needles in 1926, spurred growth as new businesses opened to serve travelers. Needles was named for its striking rock formations and is famous for its summer temperatures, but it is ultimately known and remembered as a living icon of an early 20th century town on historic Route 66.

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Brentwood

9780738558257

$24.99

The beautiful Brentwood area of Contra Costa County is the oldest continuously populated community in California inland from the great coastal centers. Californios eschewed this challenging portion of the Central Valley, so pioneering physician John Marsh
established a permanent settlement here in 1837 at his Rancho Los Meganos. Soon, the burgeoning viniculture, wheat, orchard, and cattle operations attracted many Gold Rush miners back to their original agricultural callings, now in the California Delta. The 1860s arrival of British agribusiness concern Balfour Guthrie Investment
Company soon established the largest grain-export and fruit-packing venture in the West. Brentwood Township, established in 1878 and named for Marsh's ancestral home in England, includes some of the state's most bountiful land. The region fostered the greatest wheat production west of the Mississippi River during the 19th century.

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Moreno Valley

9780738555690

$24.99

The original inhabitants of Moreno Valley were Native Americans, the Cahuilla and Shoshone. Rock drawings and granite metate bowls used to grind acorns can still be found in this area. This was the setting found by the early Spanish explorers. The first small town to appear in the valley was Alessandro, built in 1888 along old Highway 395, a mile or so south of Alessandro Boulevard and extending a short distance east to what later became Alessandro Flying Field. As agriculture in the area increased water demands, severe drought caused a decrease in the water supply, and a few years later, the entire valley was nearly deserted except for a few dry farms producing wheat, oats, and barley. Two facilities, March Air Force Base and Camp Haan, spurred growth during World War II, and water was imported to the area, resulting in the approximately 175,000-person metropolis of Moreno Valley witnessed today.

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Mexican American Baseball in Orange County

9780738596730

$24.99

Images of Baseball: Mexican American Baseball in Orange County celebrates the once-vibrant culture of baseball and softball teams from Placentia, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Westminster, San Juan Capistrano, and nearby towns. Baseball allowed men and women to showcase their athletic and leadership skills, engaged family members, and enabled community members to develop social and political networks. Players from the barrios and colonias of La Fábrica, Campo Colorado, La Jolla, Logan, Cypress Street, El Modena, and La Colonia Independencia, among others, affirmed their Mexican and American identities through their sport. Such legendary teams as the Placentia Merchants, the Juveniles of La Habra, the Lionettes de Orange, the Toreros of Westminster, and the Road Kings of Colonia 17th made weekends memorable. Players and their families helped create the economic backbone and wealth evident in Orange County today. This book sheds light on powerful images and stories of the Mexican American community.

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Foster City

9780738529080

$24.99

Many of California's cities evolved haphazardly, the natural but disorderly result of an early settlement expanding over time. Foster City, on the other hand, is an example of a community that was carefully envisioned and built according to a master plan. The city was conceived in the 1950s when real estate developer T. Jack Foster and his sons began the arduous task of preparing tidal mudflats on the San Francisco Bay's shore to support a series of roads, housing developments, industrial parks, and a picturesque but functional system of lagoons. Through the years, Foster City has risen from these humble beginnings to become a major Bay Area city, one that is home to 30,000 diverse residents and several important corporations.

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Los Gatos

9781467134217

$24.99

A magical place to grow up and an exceptionally lovely place to live, Los Gatos has transformed from its agrarian roots to an upscale community at the southern tip of Silicon Valley. With its sublime Mediterranean climate and stunning natural setting, the town has progressed while still valiantly protecting its small town character and customs. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hit Los Gatos hard, creating a devastating litany of 481 damaged homes and businesses, many of them historic. Los Gatos made the decision to rebuild and restore what had been lost, with picture-perfect results.

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San Diego Trolleys

9781467126649

$24.99

Starting with the first horse-drawn trolleys introduced by the San Diego Streetcar Company in 1886, San Diego's history included the growth and decline of several trolley systems. After electricity arrived, San Diego was the site of early experimentation for electric trolleys on the West Coast and home to a short-lived cable car system. In the 1890s, sugar baron John D. Spreckels purchased these failed lines and consolidated them into the San Diego Electric Railway. This railway expanded rapidly, leading to the development of new trolley suburbs at the turn of the century, including North Park, Normal Heights, and Mission Beach. Ridership waned with the Depression and the introduction of autobuses, and though it temporarily rose during the war years, this decline led to the dismantling of the trolley system in April 1949.

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Loma Linda

9780738530765

$24.99

A notable sanitarium site in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,the southwestern San Bernardino County area that became known as Loma Linda, meaning pretty hill, was originally dubbed Mound City and now includes the historic communities of Bryn Mawr, Cottonwood Row, and Idlewild. The place evolved further as a center for the treatment of medical and mental illness when the Seventh-day Adventists, particularly one of their visionary authors, Ellen G. White, recognized the need for another sanitarium within the geographic triangle formed by the cities of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Redlands. Citrus fortunes also enlivened the economy from the 1870s through the World War II years, and Loma Linda was incorporated as a city in 1970. The world-class Loma Linda University Medical Center and the Seventh-day Adventists combine to still shape the area's politics, economy, and culture.

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Golden Memories of the San Francisco Bay Area

9780738508757

$24.99

San Francisco, the flamboyant and cosmopolitan city by the bay and its neighboring municipalities, was born to tell stories upon stories. Ranging in ages from 68 to 91, the narrators reflect the ethnic and religious diversity of a metropolis that has been a pioneer of several social, political, and cultural movements. They also stretch across both ends of the economic spectrum. A Japanese-American woman describes the harsh humiliation of internment during World War II, while an Irish Catholic man fondly remembers being a paperboy in the same neighborhood for ten years—until he was 20. An African-American woman from Marin City explains why she'll never sell the quilts she makes. Another woman recalls kissing under the Golden Gate Bridge with the man who eventually became her husband.

The book also utilizes more than 80 photographs from the narrators and the collections of local libraries, museums, and historical societies to complement the poignant, humorous, and revealing portraits of the people and places of the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Christmas in San Diego

9781467134552

$24.99

What is the true meaning of Christmas? The author believes the answer is found in the Golden Rule. Christmas should be about being good to one another. Christmas in San Diego, therefore, focuses on people who bring joy to others. Locals are blessed to have many special individuals who share their spirit to make Christmas in San Diego a special season for everyone. This book is divided into five chapters: the history of Christmas in San Diego, the many Christmas traditions throughout San Diego, the various ways Christmas is celebrated within the communities of San Diego County, unique San Diego Christmas trees, and lastly, some special Santa Diego Santas.

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Denair

9781467134606

$24.99

Rancher John T. Davis first established Davis Ranch in 1871, but it would be over 30 years before the land was declared the town of Denair. Tucked away in the San Joaquin Valley, this small oasis offered an abundance of fertile land and water, as well as close proximity to the expanding railroad. Originally considered the townsite of Elmwood, it was renamed Denair on April 14, 1907, for John Denair, a Santa Fe railroad man and land developer who had purchased 9,000 acres in the area. Over the next 100 years, the settlement of Denair slowly grew. Businesses came and went. Families and farms appeared and then disappeared like shifting sands, only to be replaced by others years later. In Denair, nothing ends—it just changes.

Bridges of Downtown Los Angeles

9781467133531

$24.99

The Los Angeles River was tamed years ago. The river, by nature wanting to be violent and random, doses now in a concrete bed through downtown Los Angeles. In the city's core, there are over a dozen bridges that connect Los Angeles across the river—and these bridges are architectural marvels! These bridges were built in the first decades of the 1900s, and their history continues. The largest and longest bridge, the Sixth Street Viaduct, is in the process of being replaced. Others have been upgraded and enlarged; Spring Street is underway now. Many of the bridges were designed by one man, Merrill Butler, who made each bridge different, yet matching. In this volume, the reader will explore the necessity of the bridges, how they came to be, and where they are going in the future. The time is ripe for a reexamination of these jewels of downtown Los Angeles.

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Around Mt. Helix

9781467133814

$24.99

Every year, the morning of Easter Sunday, thousands of intrepid souls trek to the summit of San Diego County's Mt. Helix. Once there, they experience the nearly century-old tradition of a community-based sunrise service held at the historic Mt. Helix Nature Theater. Constructed for that purpose in 1925, and located in a unique, privately-owned public park, the landmark serves as just one of the reasons this conically shaped peak has become a regional, cultural, and natural icon. Named for a rare gastropod, the 1,375-foot-high pinnacle also serves as a geographic beacon for the mostly unincorporated surrounding communities of Mt. Helix, Grossmont, Calavo Gardens, Casa de Oro, Spring Valley, and the adjacent, historically related municipalities of El Cajon, Lemon Grove, and La Mesa. Today, these semirural communities are renowned for their idyllic, family-friendly neighborhoods; classic early-20th-century Revival–style and custom midcentury Modern architecture; and long-standing commercial and civic institutions.

Reno's Riverwalk District

9780738596716

$24.99

During the mid-1800s, Charles Fuller established the first bridge to cross the Truckee River in Reno. Shortly after, settlers took residence, built a vibrant community, and called the banks of the Truckee River home. From the booming Comstock Lode and the expansion of the Transcontinental Railroad, Reno was a town of growth. By the mid-1900s, Reno showcased some of the state's most historic structures and had become known as the divorce capital of the country. The area of Reno now recognized as the Riverwalk District faced reckless floods, storms, and devastating fires, and yet its rich history and culture has prevailed for more than 98 years.

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Hawai'i

9780738524368

$24.99

Hawai'i is filled with traditions, history, and mythology that are sure to engage and interest any reader.

Although its soils are the youngest in the Hawaiian chain, the Big Island's chronicles are at times epic, tragic, and heroic, but always fascinating. Modern Hawai'i is filled with tradition and mythology, accommodating influences as diverse as its inviting landscape. Kamehameha stood tall to mold this nascent region into a unified kingdom and others fought to sustain it, while outside forces molded and shaped this island in astonishing ways.

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Sacramento

9780738524443

$24.99

Born of a country's collective desire for riches, Sacramento was resolute in its survival while other Gold Rush towns faded into history. It battled catastrophic fires, floods, and epidemics to become the original western hub and laid claim to the capital of a state that would one day have the world's fifth largest economy. The community's flourishing growth is not just a product of its economic viability, but a direct result of the cultural vibrance and fortitude of a diverse populace that remains the backbone of our country's most dynamic state.

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Old Los Angeles and Pasadena in Vintage Postcards

9780738508092

$24.99

Covering the history and geography of Los Angeles and Pasadena between 1900 and 1950, the collection of over 200 vintage postcards compiled in this new volume offers a unique glimpse into turn-of-the-century southern California. As communication by postcards became popular in the late 19th century, those who received them were offered a rare view of the right here, right now aspect that only postcard photography could offer. From the earliest images of the Angels' Flight in Los Angeles, to the Tournament of Roses parades gliding down Colorado Street, the authors celebrate the history of these two beautiful cities through the personal medium of vintage postcards.

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San Bruno

9780738528595

$24.99

As members of the Portola Expedition of 1769 climbed to the top of Sweeney Ridge, they looked upon what is now San Bruno, and beyond it the unspoiled beauty of the San Francisco Bay. Since that time, San Bruno has grown into a major metropolitan area and residential suburb of San Francisco. Along the way it has been home to an important U.S. Navy base, a popular horse-racing track, and a World War II Japanese internment camp.

Shown here in 200 vintage photographs is the story of San Bruno from its initial settlement of a handful of people, through the raucous early years of gambling and watering holes, to its gradual development into a modern, commercial city.

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Wyoming's Dinosaur Discoveries

9781467134415

$24.99

Wyoming is home to some of the world's most famous dinosaurs. As early as 1872, dinosaurs were excavated, placed on railcars, and shipped east. For the past 140 years, paleontologists have scoured Wyoming to excavate tens of thousands of dinosaur bones, now displayed internationally. It was not until 1961 that a dinosaur from Wyoming was mounted and placed on display at the University of Wyoming's Geological Museum in Laramie.

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Theatres of Oakland

9780738546810

$24.99

Oakland has a rich theatre history, from the amusements of a gas-lit downtown light opera and vaudeville stage in the 1870s to the ornate cinematic escape portals of the Great Depression. Dozens of neighborhood theatres, once the site of family outings and first dates, remain cherished memories in the lives of Oaklanders. The city can still boast three fabulous movie palaces from the golden age of cinema: the incomparable art deco Paramount, which now offers live performances and films; the stately Grand Lake gracing the sinuous shores of Lake Merritt; and the magnificently eccentric Fox Oakland, with its imposing Hindu gods flanking the stage. The Paramount and Grand Lake still stir the heartstrings of patrons with showings preceded by interludes on their mighty Wurlitzer organs.

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Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park

9780738571898

$24.99

Located on the edge of one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, the Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park is comprised of several seashore habitats found in Southern California. All are within easy walking distance of each other near the main channel of the Port of Los Angeles. They include a windswept beach and a protected harbor beach separated by one of the largest breakwaters in the world, as well as tide pools, a fishing pier, a man-made mudflat, and coastal cliffs that provide living spaces for coastal marine organisms. The combination of natural and man-made habitats here bordering the San Pedro neighborhood of the huge metropolis of Los Angeles makes this an unusual environment, representative of an urban ocean.

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Halcyon

9781467129510

$23.99

The glistening white pillars of the Blue Star Memorial Temple lead to the federally recognized historic district of Halcyon, founded in 1903 as an intentionally formed community by the Temple of the People. This theosophical group came west from New York to establish a community dedicated to living the principles of unity and brotherhood on the coast of Central California. More than 100 years later, this community continues to thrive. The town was constructed on the principle of form follows function, and some of the homes from the early 1900s still shelter families. Currently, Halcyon covers 130 acres and has 60 buildings. These include the Halcyon Store and Halcyon Post Office, the temple, two meeting halls, and the W.Q. Judge Library. Growth has been limited, and Halcyon has always been protective of its open space, particularly the Builder's Grove Park in the center of town.

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Atwater

9780738528915

$24.99

The town of Atwater was rich in a different kind of treasure than the gold usually sought by people flocking to California in the 1850s. Named for Marshall D. Atwater, a tenant on several of founder John W. Mitchell's 2,000-acre parcels, the community boasted a mineral-rich alluvial soil that made it an extremely productive agricultural area. When the Central Pacific Railroad came through—thanks to lobbying from Mitchell, along with several strips of free land deeded to the railroad—a switch was laid next to Atwater's warehouse. The train switch and the building became known as Atwater Station, and in time, the town itself bore his name.

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Butte

9781467106542

$24.99

Discover through historic postcards how Butte, Montana went from a small placer gold mining camp to and on to become “The Richest Hill on Earth.”

Butte, Montana, began in 1864 as a small placer gold mining camp. By 1870, the placer deposits were depleted, and most miners left. A few remaining miners found significant silver ore in the nearby quartz lodes, but by the late 1870s, copper was the major ore in the district, and Butte became “The Richest Hill on Earth.” Thousands of immigrants came to Butte from throughout Europe to operate the underground mines, and the city grew to an unofficial estimate of about 90,000 residents in 1917–1918. The population of Butte slowly declined to about 35,000 residents when fewer miners were necessary after open-pit mining began in 1955. Today, Butte remains a city of great character and cultural diversity. The postcards in this book illustrate some of its history.

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Buena Park

9780738529448

$24.99

Once a part of Rancho Los Coyotes, Buena Park is today home to 80,000 people within its 10 square miles. In 1887, a Chicago grocer, who purchased land for a cattle ranch, was persuaded by the Santa Fe Railroad to found a town instead. But it was the Southern Pacific Railroad that made Buena Park an agricultural railhead. The Lily Creamery was built in 1889, marking the town's first industry. Today Buena Park, a city of residential, commercial, and industrial development, is famous for tourist attractions such as Medieval Times, Movieland Wax Museum, and Knott's Berry Farm.

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Fruita's Historic Moon Farm

9781467109857

$23.99

In the summer of 1954, Wallace and Ella Moon moved their family to an 80-acre resettlement farm north of Fruita, Colorado. Over the next six decades, the family would transform the property into a children’s wonderland. Wallace and Ella constructed 30 unique playhouses and museums influenced by their pioneering history growing up in Utah. Fruita’s Historic Moon Farm details its transformation from a family farm to a field-trip destination, children’s day camp, pumpkin patch, vacation rental hub, and place to be enjoyed by kids of all ages. The nonprofit Grand Valley Equine Assisted Learning Center has taken the reins from the Moon family and plans to continue the farm’s vacation rental and pumpkin patch traditions.

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Fairfield

9780738528885

$24.99

Now a fast-growing city of over 100,000, Fairfield was once the home of the Patwin Suisuni Indians, whose famous Chief Solano became one of the few native landowners in California in the 1830s. Halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento on the route to the gold fields, the town was founded by clipper ship captain Robert Waterman. A shrewd trader, Waterman offered the new Solano County government free land and cash to relocate to his new city, making it the county seat. Soon the railroad, and later the state highway, chose a route through Fairfield, creating an urban center for the beautiful agricultural valleys that surround it.

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Calistoga

9780738555942

$24.99

Calistoga is a name unlike that of any other city in America, first uttered by a man who had intended to develop the "beautiful land"--or Tu-la-halusi as the land at the foot of Mount St. Helena was known to the region's native Wappo tribe--into a resort area rivaling that great eastern resort of similar geological character, Saratoga Springs, New York. During a promotional event, the developer, Samuel Brannan, was about to declare that he would make his hot springs resort community the Saratoga of California, when he transposed the names and declared he would make it the Calistoga of Sarafornia--and the town's name was born. The name resonated with locals at the time and has come to represent the pioneer spirit, optimism, and determination of those who would make their way to this secluded region of northern Napa County. Men and women have come in pursuit of their dreams--farming, bottling the local mineral water, and building a community in the spirit of early Calistoga.

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Lake Tahoe

9780738558493

$24.99

Lake Tahoe has hosted a variety of visitors and residents through the years, from the early days of Washoe settlements, to rough logging camps, to today's extravagant resorts. When early settlers arrived after John C. Fremont's 1844 expedition, they would come by train to Truckee and then by wagon or narrow-gauge rail to Tahoe City. Over time, majestic resorts began to dot the lakeshore, such as the Tahoe Tavern, which included a ski hill, golf course, stables, movie theater, and bowling alley. Summer residents often extended their stays, until many lived here year-round. The lake gained fame during the 1960 Winter Olympics, and fast growth followed in these sleepy mountain towns.

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Historic Cemeteries of Long Beach

9781467117135

$24.99

The stories of those who lived in the city by the sea begin long before the 1878 date on the oldest headstone found in the city. Long Beach was the site of ceremonies, and perhaps the burial grounds, for the Tongva tribe. Many of those who later settled the city are buried in one of the four known cemeteries, Municipal, Sunnyside, Forest Lawn Long Beach, and All Souls. Two of the cemeteries hold the graves of several hundred Union and Confederate Civil War veterans, one Medal of Honor recipient, and a slave who served in the 1st Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment. The histories of the Municipal and Sunnyside Cemeteries include the 1921 discovery of oil, which made national news as descendants of the deceased fought for the oil underneath the graves. The fight resulted in a second Sunnyside Cemetery that later became Forest Lawn Long Beach. The scene of oil derricks surrounding the cemeteries was so surreal that it caught the attention of Ansel Adams, whose photographs of Sunnyside Cemetery are included.

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Baseball in Ventura County

9780738547398

$24.99

Baseball on the West Coast dates back to 1847, when the New York Volunteer Regiment stationed in Santa Barbara batted around a cowhide-covered ball with a stick made from a mesquite branch. By 1873, Venturans were playing baseball at Seaside Park. The first local player to reach the major leagues was Charley Hall, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 1906, followed by Fred Snodgrass, who brought along his New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox to Ventura County in 1913. The county has produced a major-league Most Valuable Player in Terry Pendleton, who won the honor in 1991 as the leader of the Atlanta Braves, and a No. 1 overall draft pick in Delmon Young, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2003. The county has also served as the home for minor-league teams affiliated with the Yankees, Braves, and Blue Jays.

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Early Lakewood

9780738574417

$24.99

Since Lakewood's settlement in the 1860s, it has been a community in search of an identity, fluctuating from farm center to factory town, from Denver streetcar suburb to the map's stopover point between the big city and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Once known for its fruit orchards and dairy and poultry farms, Lakewood in modern times has been home to the western third of the nation's longest commercial street, Colfax Avenue, and houses more federal agencies than any community outside of Washington, DC. Most of the buildings associated with Lakewood's agricultural and manufacturing past are gone, but the can-do spirit of the men and women who forged and fashioned the city's destiny as a microcosm of western American life from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries is recalled in these pages.

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Hill County

9780738569338

$24.99

With the establishment of Fort Assinniboine in Montana Territory in 1879, the development of Hill County has progressed from the wild frontier to modern communities without losing the true Western spirit. The arrival of the St. Paul, Manitoba, and Minneapolis Railroad, the precursor to the Great Northern Railroad, coupled with the Homestead Act, brought many settlers to the area. With their determination and talents, Hill County was carved in 1912 from Chouteau County and has seen both good times and bad. When Prohibition was passed, Hill County's proximity to Canada allowed for the booze to flow. Some made their fortunes in illegal trade, such as Christopher "Shorty" Young. Others chose a different route, becoming merchants, delving in agricultural related fields, or working on the railroad.

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Douglas County

9781467109208

$23.99

Douglas County, established in 1861, is one of Colorado’s original counties. Mining, agriculture, sawmills, and railroads contributed to the growth of this territory, which includes two state parks and dozens of landmarked properties. Over 46 percent of the county’s land is public or protected. While retail is now the largest industry in the area, this book will highlight some of the working ranches, original structures, and open spaces that remain thanks to cultural and historical stewardship.