Name: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Brand: Richard Prestor
SKU: 9780738503097
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

9780738503097

$24.99

In April 1834, the Green-Bay Intelligencer newspaper reported that a sawmill was being erected in a new settlement on the Milwaukee River. Less than one year later, the paper reported that Milwaukey [sic], which 10 months ago, had only a single trading house, has now some 20 or 30 houses, and two or three saw mills. Yankee settlers and land speculators had moved in and were here to stay. The steady growth of Milwaukee was never wholly due to the influx of ambitious Easterners though. In ever-expanding numbers, Europeans also made their way here, not merely as settlers, but frequently as hard-working business owners, skilled laborers, and artists. They were determined to make Milwaukee their home, and in this new homeland they surrounded themselves (and influenced the entire community) with their old traditions and languages. Thirty years after its first newspaper write-up, Milwaukee was a well-established city brimming with potential.

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Milwaukee's Old South Side

9780738590691

$24.99

A fascinating, illustrated history of the melting pot that is the Old South Side.

The Old South Side has always welcomed ethnic groups. In the late 1800s, the area was developed by immigrant Poles, who became the dominant population for over 100 years. They celebrated their traditions, building churches, businesses, and service organizations and bringing over distinctive features from their homeland. While other Milwaukee ethnic neighborhoods gradually dissipated in the mid-20th century because of assimilation pressures, freeway building, or urban renewal programs, the Old South Side remained solidly Polish. Perhaps for this reason, the area became the destination of the fair housing marches. By the late 1960s, African Americans began demanding legislation that would allow them to live anywhere in the city, including the Old South Side. While African Americans never migrated to the area in great numbers, other populations did. A survey nearly a half century later revealed that people of 110 national backgrounds now lived on the Old South Side, with the three largest groups being Mexicans, Poles, and American Indians. Today, the neighborhood faith communities, businesses, sports, and celebrations strongly reflect the influence of these three communities.

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Milwaukee's Forest Home Cemetery

9781467104890

$24.99

In his book Cream City Chronicles, Milwaukee historian John Gurda wrote, “What lies buried beneath the trees of Forest Home is the foundation of Milwaukee.” In 1849, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church purchased 72 acres in Milwaukee to create Forest Home Cemetery, a cemetery for the city and an eternal resting place for all. Increase Lapham was hired to design Forest Home based on the “garden cemetery” model. More than a thousand trees speak to its name. The first burial occurred in August 1850, and the story continues today with 189 acres of a graceful landscape and Victorian-era monuments that are measured in tons. Beneath its majestic trees are buried the city’s historic founders and developers, mayors, beer barons, industrialists, pioneering women, and Civil War casualties, whose fascinating stories are brought to life through never-before-seen photographs.

Cover image for Milwaukee's Forest Home Cemetery, isbn: 9781467104890

Menominee Indians

9781467116305

$24.99

In Wisconsin history, no single group has been on the land longer than the Menominee Indians. While other tribes were pushed west by the Europeans and Americans, the Menominee stayed firm and held on to their ancestral homeland. Though their territory has been greatly diminished, there is something to be said about raising a family in the same place as your parents and their parents, going back thousands of years. Their interaction with the white man dates back to the days of explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634. Since then, they have been both allies and foes of the Europeans. Tribal leaders distinguished themselves in trade and war, with cities named in their honor: Oshkosh, Keshena, and Tomah. Many other Wisconsin cities have names derived from the Menominee language. The 20th century brought new challenges, but after some setbacks, the tribe forged ahead. Today, it is one of the most prominent tribes in the state, if not the nation, thanks to leaders like Ada Deer and Sylvia Wilber.

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Sheboygan

9780738594262

$24.99

Ideally situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Sheboygan was once known as the City of Chairs, Churches, Cheese, and Children for its abundance of each. Over time, the city's claim to fame has changed. It is now celebrated for bratwurst and hard rolls, great surfing on Lake Michigan, speedy cycling on its city streets, unparalleled sportfishing, and miles of sandy beaches and beautiful dunes in family-friendly parks. A fanciful tale often told to explain the meaning of the name Sheboygan involves an Indian chief who had many sons but no daughters; when his wife presented him with yet another boy, she was rumored to have lamented, She a boy again. In reality, most authorities agree that Sheboygan is a Chippewa word, but the meaning remains elusive. Some say it refers to a passageway near water, while others say it documents a great river disappearing underground.

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Door Peninsula Shipwrecks

9780738540146

$24.99

Door County is the home to numerous shipwrecks of pleasure craft and steamers, on a photographic journey of the treacherous waters and those they have claimed.

Door County is the final resting place of many shipwrecks, from the first Euro American ship to sail the western Great Lakes, LaSalle's fabled Griffin that left Washington Island in 1679 never to be heard of again, to modern-day pleasure crafts that find the shallow inlets and bays hard to navigate. Door Peninsula Shipwrecks takes the reader on a photographic journey around the peninsula and back to a time of wooden ships and iron men. From Sturgeon Bay to the east coast of the peninsula to the northern islands and Green Bay, the journey encompasses early wooden sail craft to steel steamers, the brave sailors who sailed the treacherous waters, and the heroic lifesavers who rescued them.

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Lead Mining Towns of Southwest Wisconsin

9780738551999

$24.99

East of the Mississippi River, and just north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border, the soil was once fertile with huge deposits of lead and zinc. White men discovered these riches in the early 1800s, well before Wisconsin became a state in 1848. Miners, farmers, and merchants flocked to the region, some bringing along their families. Towns with names like Snake Digs, Cottonwood, and Etna grew very rapidly. Roads, bridges, and railroad tunnels soon connected these towns where schools, churches, and businesses developed. Today tourists are invited to visit museums, mines, and shops in the region to explore its colorful past.

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The 1958 Colfax Tornado

9781467103473

$24.99

June 4, 1958, was a muggy and breezy day in western Wisconsin. Across central Minnesota, severe weather was brewing. In the early afternoon, the Minnesota storms crossed the border into Wisconsin. As farmers were tending to milking chores and families were wrapping up the workday and sitting down to supper, one of the worst tornadoes in Wisconsin's history touched down. At 7:07 p.m., what had been multiple, smaller tornadoes combined into one massive F5 tornado that ripped through the village of Colfax, leaving a path of death and destruction that would require months of recovery. In Colfax, 12 people were killed, hundreds were injured, and millions of dollars in damage was done to property. However, in the wake of the storm, a community and its neighbors came together as one to care for the survivors and begin the process of healing and rebuilding.

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Appleton

9781467113304

$24.99

From the Lawrence Institute to hydroelectricity and paper, this Fox City's rich history is chronicled through vintage images.

Appleton's beginnings found their source at the Lawrence Institute, the university in the woods, on the Fox River. Rev. Henry Colman and Rev. William Sampson chose the bluff on the river for the site of the institute. Amos A. Lawrence donated $10,000, and the building began in July 1848. The city was made up of three villages: Martin (Grand Chute), Appleton, and Lawesburg. In 1857, the villages joined together to form the city of Appleton with Amos Story as its first mayor. Appleton's industry grew on the banks of the Fox River.

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South Milwaukee

9780738533490

$24.99

Not to be confused with Milwaukee's South Side, the City of South Milwaukee is in fact a separate and independent community, with a rich and colorful history all its own. It is this spirit of self-sufficiency that has long been a hallmark of South Milwaukee, going back to 1835 when the area was first settled and continuing through the city's remarkable transformation from a small rural settlement to a bustling industrial suburb. Since 1892, the city has been home to Bucyrus International, one of the world's leading manufacturers of heavy excavation equipment. Bucyrus provided employment to South Milwaukee citizens, allowing the city to grow and add more businesses and city services, and to feel an even more confident sense of independence.

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Milwaukee's Town of Lake

9781467110853

$24.99

The Town of Lake was created in 1838 as one of Milwaukee County's seven townships. Its borders were Greenfield Avenue (north), College Avenue (south), Twenty-seventh Street (west), and Lake Michigan (east). Beginning in 1850 and ending in 1954, Lake passed out of existence piecemeal as its farmland was developed. Portions were claimed by the City of Milwaukee or incorporated to become Bay View, Cudahy, and St. Francis. The St. Francis Seminary and Convent, Cupertino tree on the lakefront, Lake Band, Lake Town Hall, Airway Theater, Lakeside Power Plant, Patrick Cudahy Company, Mitchell International Airport, Forest Home Cemetery, St. Josaphat's Basilica, Nunnemacher's Distillery, Grebe's Bakery, Gardetto's Bakery, New Coeln, and the Tippecanoe neighborhood with its landmark water tower are only a small part of what made Lake a unique area of Milwaukee County.

Cover image for Milwaukee's Town of Lake, isbn: 9781467110853

Eagle River

9780738598956

$24.99

As drivers in the 1950s and 1960s traveled the roads of Wisconsin, they often came across billboards inviting them to Eagle River, the nation's vacationland. Then, as now, vacationers and sportsmen came to Eagle River for the clean air, the restful woods and lakes, and the peace and quiet of the Northwoods. Eagle River, created in 1885, is the county seat of Vilas County and is home to the longest chain of freshwater lakes in the world—28 in total. By the late 1890s, the virgin pine forests were depleted, but Eagle River residents recognized that the abundant local hunting and fishing promised a new thriving industry: tourism. Anglers from all over the Midwest were lured to the Northern waters to try their luck. Resorts and summer camps quickly sprang up to accommodate these early tourists along with their families. Their descendants understand that all hearts come home to Eagle River.

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Kenosha's Jeffery & Rambler Automobiles

9781467128643

$24.99

The Thomas B. Jeffery Company existed as an automobile maker from 1902 to 1916 and in that short span created a corporate foundation that would lead to successor firms Nash Motors, Nash-Kelvinator, American Motors, and Jeep. Thomas Jeffery named his automobile the Rambler, after the popular bicycles he manufactured prior to his car venture. The Rambler was a car of outstanding quality and reliability. From its first showing in Chicago in 1902, the Rambler stood out as an unusual value for the money. That reputation carried over when Tom Jeffery's son and successor Charles decided to change the car's name to Jeffery in honor of his late father. In 1916, Charles Nash, then president of General Motors, resigned his position and purchased the Thomas B. Jeffery firm, renaming it the Nash Motors Company. Before long, an all-new Nash car was introduced, and the Jeffery brand faded away. Nash went on to become one of the largest of the American independent automakers.

Cover image for Kenosha's Jeffery & Rambler Automobiles, isbn: 9781467128643

Stevens Point Brewing Company

9781467104029

$23.99

The history of the Stevens Point Brewery tells the history of Stevens Point itself. The city’s identity is tied so closely to its brewery that they are considered synonymous. Indeed, the Stevens Point Brewery predates the incorporation of the city by one year. The lumber boom brought thousands of people to Stevens Point, and two enterprising German immigrants sought to make sure those pioneers would have a quality beer to call their own. The loyalty of the local residents kept the brewery afloat through the dark days of Prohibition and through the 1960s as small, regional breweries were closing due to mass consolidation. Community members have always made sure that theirs would not follow suit. The Stevens Point Brewery will forever be tied to its locale through more than just its name.

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Racine

9781467112192

$24.99

Take a journey through the history of Racine, Wisconsin with local author George Fennell.

When Gilbert Knapp founded Racine in 1834 and the first pioneers settled there, no one had the remotest idea that the wilderness would one day transform into a thriving city. Ideally situated on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River, the site was chosen by Knapp because of its harbor potential.

The prospect of farming on the level prairies surrounding Racine also attracted many of the area's first settlers. Racine County is especially suited for growing wheat, which immediately became the county's leading agricultural product. The town of Racine quickly became a prosperous center serving the needs of the area's farm population. Even Racine's industrial base was founded on wheat; in 1842, J.I. Case invented a wheat thresher that helped Racine to grow into one of the foremost industrial centers in the United States.

Author George Fennell, a lifelong Racine resident and a member of the Racine Heritage Museum, has compiled some of the best images from the extensive photographic archives of the museum to narrate this visual voyage of Racine's transformation from a tiny harbor village into the Belle City of the Lakes.

Cover image for Racine, isbn: 9781467112192

Milwaukee County Zoo

9781467112031

$24.99

From the inception of the Milwaukee County Zoo at West Park in 1892, the citizens of Milwaukee have worked diligently to make it one of the finest zoos in the country. Their tireless effort and faith were rewarded. The zoo experienced many firsts, including the first polar bear born in captivity in North America, and was home to Samson, one of the largest gorillas in captivity. Throughout its history, the zoo also gained fame for innovative exhibit design. The zoo has flourished through the cooperation of Milwaukee County and the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. This public-private relationship has existed successfully since 1910.

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Milwaukee Movie Theaters

9780738584454

$24.99

Prior to World War II, there were 90 single-screen movie theaters in Milwaukee. By 1960, that number had been reduced by half. With the arrival of television for the home market, the golden age of the movie theater in Milwaukee was dead. Yet their ghosts continue to haunt the old neighborhoods. Churches, warehouses, stores, nightspots, and other businesses now occupy the former Tivoli, Paris, Roosevelt, and Savoy Buildings. Others are simply vacant hulks, decaying from the inside out. The Elite, Regent, Lincoln, and Warner are but a few of the many silent sentinels from the days when Milwaukee was in love with the movies.

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Milwaukee Mafia

9780738594439

$24.99

Milwaukee is best known for its beer - and rightfully so. But in the days of Prohibition, the big alcohol suppliers were not Miller, Blatz, Schlitz, and Pabst.

The Mafia had control, and it made its money by running alcohol as far away as Canada and Indiana, as well as with counterfeiting, the numbers racket, and two of the biggest heists in American history. From then on, the sky was the limit, as the Mafia indulged in extortion, protection rackets, and skimming from Las Vegas casinos. The Cream City had its crooked lawyers, corrupt cops, and even a mayor on the take. There was the blood of those who dared to stand in the syndicate's way, who were found dead in ditches or as victims of car bombs. The members of the Mafia included doctors, real estate men, restaurateurs, tavern owners, funeral directors, union presidents, and the most famous Milwaukee gangster of all, Frank Balistrieri. While now considered extinct, the Milwaukee Family was once a dominant force in the Midwest.

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Cumberland

9781467103343

$24.99

Located in northwest Wisconsin and surrounded by Beaver Dam Lake, the city of Cumberland is known as the "Island City." The lake was known to the local Ojibwa tribe as Che-wa-cum-ma-towangok, or "Lake Made by the Beavers."

With over 1,100 acres of open water, the lake's resources brought in loggers to cut the big stands of timber to be milled into wood that would build the northern part of Wisconsin. Soon, an influx of Italian immigrants called Cumberland home, creating one of the largest communities of people of Italian descent in the entire state. The early pioneer families - Miller, Hines, and Ritan - had established stores, mercantile businesses, and livery stables to help the community grow. Over the years, many notable people have come from the area, including Olympic gold medal wrestlers John and Ben Peterson, statesman Thomas St. Angelo, and football standout Julius Alphonse. Stokely Foods, Ardisam, and 3M also call the area home. When the railroads came, the town became a destination for settlement and agriculture. After the timber industry moved away, the community became a popular place for summer cottages and homes.

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Wauwatosa

9780738532325

$24.99

First called Hart's Mills, after its founder Charles Hart who settled here in 1835, early Wauwatosa resembled a New England village, complete with a commons. Its first pioneers were Yankees and New Yorkers, later joined by Germans who would mold the growing community. Wauwatosa became the most highly developed, unincorporated settlement in Milwaukee County. It attained a degree of sophistication with its commercial mix of mills, a pickle factory, inns, modest businesses, and nearby stone quarries and breweries. Vital links to Milwaukee in 1851, the Watertown Plank Road and the state's first railroad through the village center to Waukesha, enhanced this development. In 1852, the County Board selected a site nearby for its poor farm. Wauwatosa incorporated as a village in 1892, attaining city status in 1897. The streetcar of the 1890s and the automobile fueled residential growth. Wauwatosa became known as the City of Homes. In the 1950s, Wauwatosa tripled in size with final annexations and was transformed into a major center of commercial and industrial development, while retaining large public green spaces, parkways, and recreational sites.

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Three Lakes

9781467111539

$24.99

Nestled in the heart of Wisconsin's renowned Northwoods and surrounded by the world's largest inland chain of lakes, Three Lakes has developed into a premier resort and vacation destination while maintaining its small-town character. The pristine woodland trails and picturesque lakeside views that residents and visitors of today are accustomed to were not always here. Three Lakes was founded as a supply station for the massive logging operations of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Much of the area was barren of standing timber by the end of the first decade of the 20th century. The community reinvented itself as an agricultural center and as a vacation destination that played host to such notable individuals as Amelia Earhart, Bob Hope, and Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower. The community has always shown pride in its schools, churches, and local organizations.

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Guarding Door County

9780738534237

$24.99

Jutting out of Wisconsin into the blue waters of Lake Michigan, the scenic peninsula of Door County is endowed with the longest coastline of any county in the nation. Since the mid-1800s, the region has boasted a strong maritime industry, dependent on the constant vigilance and efforts of U.S. Coast Guard units. The county has been home to as many as 12 historic light stations, as well as three life-saving stations. Beginning with Pottawatomie Light in 1837 and Sturgeon Bay Canal Life-Saving Station in 1886, keepers and surfmen survived both boredom and peril to ensure safe navigation and commerce, while rescuing those in distress. Through archival photographs, stories of
shipwrecks, rescues, service, and pride spring to life. Rare rescue images of the Otter, a schooner which wrecked in 1895, are especially noteworthy.

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Milwaukee's Early Architecture

9780738584119

$24.99

Initially dominated by simple renditions of East Coast architecture, Milwaukee developed from three pioneer settlements, those of Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn, and George Walker—three hubs from which three villages radiated outward into one city. Following the Civil War, Milwaukee's growth at the onset of the Industrial Era afforded the city a fanciful array of Victorian streetscapes. The 1890s followed with an era of ethnic architecture in which bold interpretations of German Renaissance Revival and Baroque designs paid homage to Milwaukee's overwhelming German population. At the turn of the century, Milwaukee's proximity to Chicago influenced the streetscape with classicized civic structures and skyscrapers designed by Chicago architects. World War I and the ensuing anti-German sentiment, as well as Prohibition, inevitably had adverse effects on Brew City. By the 1920s, Milwaukee's architecture had assimilated to the national aesthetic, suburban development was on the rise, and architectural growth would soon be stunted by the Great Depression.

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Lost Manitowoc County

9781467106016

$23.99

Originally a part of Brown County, Manitowoc separated and officially became a county of its own in 1836. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Manitowoc County was a agricultural community built on dairy farming and planting corn and wheat as well as lumbering. European immigrants helped the county develop, and pioneers such as Jacob Grimm, Jacob Conroe, Ira Clark, and Judge George Reed took a chance and moved to Manitowoc to start a new life. Today, the county is made up of small villages and ghost towns. Communities such as Grimms, Osman, School Hill, Cato, and others that were once busy with activity were "lost" with time as travel became easier and larger cities had more to offer.

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The Waupaca Chain o' Lakes

9781467104319

$24.99

The Waupaca Chain o’ Lakes are a series of 22 interconnected spring-fed lakes in central Wisconsin.

The lakes’ crystal clear waters, steep tree-covered banks, and other unique natural properties have long attracted people to their shores, starting with the pre-Columbian mound builders and Menominee Indians.European American settlers realized the lakes’ potential for recreation in the 1870s and transformed the Chain o’ Lakes and nearby city of Waupaca into major vacation destinations for tourists from all over the United States.Numerous businesses and attractions delighted vacationers throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, including beautiful resort hotels, rustic inns and cottages, religious camps and retreats, family-run restaurants and shops, marinas, tour boats, natural areas, theme parks, the Wisconsin Veterans Home, and even an interurban railway.Thousands of people, especially families, still enjoy the Chain o’ Lakes today.

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Langlade County

9780738588636

$24.99

The Great North Woods counties of Wisconsin, home to various native tribes, have transformed through several fascinating stages of development. The US government built a military road from Fort Howard (Green Bay) to Michigan's Upper Peninsula soon after the Civil War, causing increased development in what would later become Langlade County and the heavily forested lands that stretched northeastward. The Wolf River proved essential in creating the local logging trade, which in turn drove the expansion of railroad lines. By 1900, logging was slowing down, but the public's growing awareness of Langlade's abundant hunting and fishing resources gave rise to northern Wisconsin's tourism industry. Even Indian tribes gradually participated in the tourist trade. A.J. Kingsbury photographed these transitions. This book reaches beyond Langlade County to portray early-20th-century Ojibwe and Menominee tribes along with loggers, railroads, and tourist attractions.

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Oak Creek, Wisconsin

9780738549231

$24.99

Oak Creek, Wisconsin, is a close-knit community with a long tradition of farming. Authors Anita and Larry Rowe have compiled this volume of photographs from the Oak Creek Historical Society, CNI newspapers, and many longtime residents to trace the history of Oak Creek from the turn of the century, when the community was mostly farmland, to its incorporation as a city in the 1950s. With this glimpse into Oak Creek's past, residents of all ages will delight in discovering the unique heritage of this city in southeastern Wisconsin. The images featured, many of which have never before been published, offer rare views into the daily lives of the area's early settlers at work and at play. Family histories, Oak Creek's struggle for an independent identity outside of the city of Milwaukee, the stories behind the historic buildings at the Oak Creek Historical Museum, and the colorful past of the city's taverns are all brought to life in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

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Phelps and Conover

9781467106375

$24.99

Through historic images, discover the towns of Phelps and Conover nestled in the wooded forests, rolling hills, and lakes of the Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest.

Dating back to the Ojibwa, this region was noted for its dense forests, relying on the many rivers and lakes as the highway for travel until the introduction of the railroad and roadways in the late 1800s. By 1900, businessmen Hackley, Phelps, and Bonnell had journeyed from Chicago, landing in what would later be named Phelps, with prospects of a mill and a community. Shortly thereafter, Conover would take its name from Seth Conover. Conover, a prominent cheese buyer, would inspire the construction of a train station in the very location he traveled to for several years to follow his passion for hunting and fishing. Surrounded by some of the greatest recreational and fishing lakes as well as the mill and lumber industry, the towns of Conover and Phelps continued to flourish. The railroad bustled tourists from the cities to enjoy a piece of the serenity that continues to reside in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Cover image for Phelps and Conover, isbn: 9781467106375

Geneva Lake

9781467112253

$24.99

Geneva Lake was formed by a glacier tens of thousands of years ago. The Oneota left historic footprints with a cultural gift in the form of the shore path.

The path is accessible for all to walk just as the natives did many centuries earlier. Images of America: Geneva Lake illustrates the early history of the communities surrounding the lake—Lake Geneva, Linn, Fontana, and Williams Bay—through scrapbooks, vintage photographs, and storytelling. The chapters in this book cover the history of people, places, pioneers, physical chores, and play at Geneva Lake. Families who have spent time at the lake for generations share enchanting memories, and those new to it can experience lake living years ago.

Cover image for Geneva Lake, isbn: 9781467112253

Manitowoc

9781467111478

$24.99

Founded as a city in March 1870, Manitowoc was a thriving farming and port community with a diverse population of German, Irish, Polish, and Norwegian immigrants that grew into a manufacturing center on the Great Lakes and a picturesque home to generations of hardworking people. Vintage images highlight the people, businesses, and industries that make its fascinating and rich history. From pioneers and civic institutions, to the shops and factories that powered the local economy, to how everyday people worked and relaxed, Images of America: Manitowoc details over a century of memories and milestones through rarely seen archival photographs and a richly textured historical narrative.

Cover image for Manitowoc, isbn: 9781467111478

Brewing in Milwaukee

9781467110952

$24.99

Drink up the history of one of the most famous beer towns in the world.

Milwaukee is most famous for its booming brewing industry, which is directly tied to a surge in German immigration in the 1840s. These new citizens brought along their work ethic, culture, and a love for their native beverage. Not all immigrants arrived from Europe; many, like Richard Owens, came from Britain. Owens has been credited with establishing the first commercial brewery in the area in 1840. Other men followed, many of whom were already experienced in brewing, and seized the opportunity to start new businesses. Brand names were carved on the front of brewery buildings, deals were made with a handshake, partnerships were cultivated, and factory cities were raised. By 1860, nearly 200 breweries were in operation in Wisconsin, with more than 40 in Milwaukee alone. Of the original 40, four have stood the test of time: Blatz, Pabst, Schlitz, and Miller are still brewed in Milwaukee, right where they were born.

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City of West Bend

9781467113861

$24.99

The City of West Bend got its name from its location on a large westward-reaching bend of the Milwaukee River. Settled mainly by German immigrants in the 1840s, the city was bestowed with leaders possessing entrepreneurial know-how. West Bend became an international center of manufacturing with companies such as the West Bend Aluminum Company, Enger-Kress Pocket Book Company, and Gehl Brothers Manufacturing. Knowing how to work hard, West Bend's residents also played hard with a booming downtown area, local sports teams, parks, and cultural entertainment. Recent decades have seen a decline of local industry, but unlike many communities, the historic downtown continues to thrive with shops, restaurants, and lively cultural offerings. Home to unique architecture such as Old Courthouse and Jail, beautiful Victorian homes, and the new Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend continues to thrive and take pride in its past while looking to the future.

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Logging in Wisconsin

9781467125321

$24.99

Logging in Wisconsin explores the 70 years when logging ruled the state, covering the characters who worked in forests and on rivers, the tools they used, and the places where they lived and worked.

Wisconsin was the perfect setting for the lumber industry: acres of white pine forests (acquired through treaties with American Indians) and rivers to transport logs to sawmills. From 1840 to 1910, logging literally reshaped the landscape of Wisconsin, providing employment to thousands of workers. The lumber industry attracted businessmen, mills, hotels, and eventually the railroad. This led to the development of many Wisconsin cities, including Eau Claire, Oshkosh, Stevens Point, and Wausau. Rep. Ben Eastman told Congress in 1852 that the Wisconsin forests had enough lumber to supply the United States for all time to come. Sadly, this was a grossly overestimated belief, and by 1910, the Wisconsin forests had been decimated.

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La Crosse, Wisconsin

9780738550220

$24.99

La Crosse, Wisconsin, a Midwestern town with Midwestern sensibilities, is located in the western part of the state, on the Mississippi River. In the
twentieth century, La Crosse has seen all of the same changes that the rest of the United States has
experienced—two world wars, depression, natural disasters, the emergence of the automobile, great technological advances, and the day-to-day family existence that has defined small-town America. In this new addition to the Images of America series, the La Crosse County Historical Society has drawn from its wonderful collection of historic images to offer readers a glimpse into the area's past. Even if you did not grow up in La Crosse, you will recognize these scenes from everyday life that are a part of us all.

Cover image for La Crosse, Wisconsin, isbn: 9780738550220

Cedarburg

9780738582603

$24.99

Few cities keep their history alive as purposefully as the community of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Today, restored mills and churches serve as a backdrop to a thriving arts and tourist community.

From the original stone mills that are now home to quaint shops to the preserved family homesteads, past and present coexist at every turn in Cedarburg. Settled in the early 1840s by German and Irish immigrants, the city was a hub of farming and recreational activities in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city is now known as much for its festivals as it is for its charming aesthetics.

Cover image for Cedarburg, isbn: 9780738582603

Racine

9780738561332

$24.99

Many activities become short-lived fads. Not so for the drum and bugle corps in Racine. Here, after 150 years, drum and bugle corps activity still flourishes as a proud tradition. Racine is the self-proclaimed drum corps capital of the world. Racine had six competing drum and bugle corps during the 1960s and 1970s—very impressive for a community of 90,000. In fact, it would be difficult to find a longtime resident who is unaware of this activity. Everyone in Racine either was a member of or had family or friends who were members of a drum and bugle corps.

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Merrill

9780738590844

$24.99

Jenny or Jenny Bull Falls, as the city was fondly referred to before the railroad roared into town, was born on the backs of speculators, lumbermen, and businessmen in the mid-1840s. Pursuing wide-eyed dreams in the vast pine forests of the north woods, Jenny's population was around 200 in 1870. The worn trails of the Ojibwe/Chippewa, the area's first occupants, were transformed into logging roads, and by the time the city's name was formally changed to Merrill in 1881, the population had grown to 2,000. Nicknamed the City of Parks in 1903, Merrill is situated on the convergence of the Wisconsin and Prairie Rivers and features four seasons of natural beauty within the city limits. The wonder of Merrill lies in a century of traditions and in the heritage and beauty of its numerous historic buildings and places.

Cover image for Merrill, isbn: 9780738590844

Plymouth

9780738540863

$24.99

Plymouth, originally considered a hub city because of the hub and wheel factory located here, has also earned that moniker for its central location between Milwaukee and Green Bay. Tourists flock to Plymouth year-round to visit the variety of shops, to golf, swim, and ski, or to explore the beautiful Kettle Moraine State Forest. And residents of the city are proud of their heritage, which can be seen at sites such as the Wade House, the Herrling Saw Mill, or the Wesley Jung Carriage Museum, as well as the numerous architectural gems featured on a walking tour of historic homes and businesses. First settled in 1845, it was predicted that Plymouth bids well to become quite a business town, and so it became, earning the nickname of World's Cheese Capital.

Cover image for Plymouth, isbn: 9780738540863

German Milwaukee

9780738560373

$24.99

German immigrants are responsible for making the great town of Milwaukee what it is today.

German immigrants began arriving to Milwaukee in the 1830s. By 1859, over one-third of the city was German. They opened schools and churches, started businesses, ran for office, and introduced professional German theater, art, and music to the city. Milwaukee soon became known throughout the United States--and even abroad--as the ""German Athens of North America."" There is a reason Milwaukee is known as the city of beer and brats, why it is here that the biggest Germanfest in the country takes place, and why still today the German language can be seen and heard throughout the city. As the well-known German newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine stated in 2008, ""Deutscher als Milwaukee ist nirgendwo in Amerika"" (There is nowhere in America more German than in Milwaukee).

Cover image for German Milwaukee, isbn: 9780738560373

Waunakee and Westport

9780738591742

$24.99

Situated within Westport Township's expansive prairies along Six Mile Creek, the village known as Waunakee began as a country road with only a school and blacksmith shop. Because of the initiative of a few citizens, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad decided to locate its depot on that dirt road. Established in 1871, the village of Waunakee sprang up almost immediately and continued to grow and thrive for the subsequent 140 years. Follow the development of the historic village as it unfolds through photographs, many of which were passed down from generations of centennial families who settled in the area. Witness how locals shipped agricultural products and traveled at the Waunakee depot. Discover Waunakee and Westport's best-known citizens, including a famous Victorian poet, a physician who practiced for over 70 years, and a renowned pilot who became president of an airline.

Cover image for Waunakee and Westport, isbn: 9780738591742

Mineral Point, Wisconsin

9780738507736

$24.99

Mineral Point, Wisconsin, recounts the changing fortunes of a once rough-and-ready mining town of the 1820s. Featuring historic photographs from the collection of the Mineral Point Historical Society and Pendarvis-Wisconsin State Historic Site-an exciting history unfolds in these pages, with the arrival of miners from the fledgling United States in the 1820s in search of lead. When the demand for lead collapsed, Mineral Point shifted its focus to the mining of zinc, only to have that market drop after World War I. Mineral Point was reawakened in the 1930s with the influx of artists and others, like Edgar Hellum and Robert Neal, who were interested in historic preservation. The town has transformed itself once again, becoming a vibrant artistic, historic, and architectural center. In 1971, it became the first Wisconsin community to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, with 514 contributing buildings. This fascinating pictorial history celebrates the people of Mineral Point-the early American settlers from Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, and the Cornish, German, Irish, and Italian immigrants. Mineral Point, Wisconsin, also features their legacy-their homes, businesses, schools, and organizations. These historic photos provide glimpses of the extensive zinc works that no longer exist, as well as many of the buildings still standing in the town today.

Cover image for Mineral Point, Wisconsin, isbn: 9780738507736

Fort McCoy

9780738551708

$24.99

From the days of the horse-drawn caisson to today's Humvee, Fort McCoy has played a vital role in the military readiness of America's armed forces. The only federal military installation within the state of Wisconsin, Fort McCoy has seen more than five million military personnel from throughout the United States pass through its gates since its founding in 1909. Fort McCoy exists today primarily because its founder, Maj. Gen. Robert B. McCoy, foresaw that the U.S. Army would need a regional site at which to train and maneuver and then dedicated himself to making that vision a reality. Fort McCoy's mission of supporting training and mobilization has remained constant from those early days on the McCoy ranch to the current global War on Terror. This book chronicles the illustrious history of Fort McCoy from the doughboys of World War I to today's soldiers supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Cover image for Fort McCoy, isbn: 9780738551708

Marshfield

9780738588728

$24.99

Marshfield owes its existence to the twin factors of railroads and timber. The first permanent white settlers, the Rivers brothers, built a two-room hotel in Marshfield because they heard that Wisconsin Central Railroad crews would travel through on the way to Ashland, Wisconsin. The brothers had a saloon, a sleeping room with bunk beds, and food ready and waiting when the railway crews arrived in 1872. Marshfield's central location made it a crossroads for up to five railroad lines, with 1,000 freight cars and 28 passenger trains passing through per day in 1893. Timber led to the establishment of sawmills, stave and heading mills, and shingle and veneer factories. As the timberland was clear-cut, the townspeople turned to agriculture. New industries appeared, including dairies, a pickle factory, a brewery, and several cigar factories. Today, one of the dominant industries is health care, with extensive medical research being conducted at the Marshfield Clinic.

Cover image for Marshfield, isbn: 9780738588728

Horicon and Horicon Marsh

9780738561356

$24.99

The city of Horicon has grown beyond its mill town roots to become home to John Deere, Gardner Manufacturing, and many community events. Meanwhile, Horicon Marsh has loomed to the north with its own story to tell. Over the years, what was once the land of the Winnebagos has been flooded, drained, dredged, and farmed. However, thanks to a restoration movement that began in the 1920s, Horicon Marsh stands today as the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States.

Cover image for Horicon and Horicon Marsh, isbn: 9780738561356

Brookfield and Elm Grove

9780738560700

$24.99

The old town of Brookfield provides an ethnic microcosm of what makes Wisconsin's settlement story so unique. As Native Americans, primarily the Potawatomi tribe, were forced out of the region, in came large numbers of Protestant farmers from New York State. A step and a half behind the New Yorkers came distinct colonies of families from western Europe--Catholics from near Nuremberg, Bavaria; Evangelical Lutherans from Canton Bern, Switzerland; Methodists from Lincolnshire, England; Zion Evangelicals from Sulzback, Württemberg; as well as Catholics from County Sligo, Ireland.

Cover image for Brookfield and Elm Grove, isbn: 9780738560700

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

9780738519319

$24.99

Long before Jacob Leinenkugel, Edward Rutledge, and
William Irvine were associated with Chippewa Falls,
Native American people hunted, fished, and gathered
the abundant food supplies of the Chippewa area. Through
the medium of historic photographs, this book captures the
cultural, economic, political, and social history of Chippewa
Falls, Wisconsin, from the mid-1800s to the present day.
These pages bring to life the people, events, and
industries which helped to shape and transform Chippewa
Falls. With more than 200 vintage images, Chippewa Falls,
Wisconsin includes the largest sawmill in the world under
one roof, some of the earliest residents of the community,
along with century-old nationally renowned businesses.
There was rarely a dull moment in the development of
this community's downtown. The Chippewa Falls Main
Street program, operating since 1989, has created a grass
roots volunteer driven movement to revitalize downtown
Chippewa Falls. Over the years, the downtown has
undergone renovation projects and investments totaling
more than $57 million.

Cover image for Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, isbn: 9780738519319

Menomonie

9780738541273

$24.99

Historic Menomonie lies alongside the beautiful Red Cedar River in western Wisconsin. A town with a rich, diverse history, it grew to become home to a massive lumbering era spearheaded by four innovative pioneer men whose heritage continues to identify the city. Lumbering gave way to the establishment of respected sleigh, brick, piano, and cigar factories in the early 1900s. Throughout these eras, up until the present, inventors, artists, educators, philanthropists, and farmers all put their stamp on the town. Home to the popular Red Cedar Trail, it also is the site of the Mabel Tainter Theatre, an ornate historic building constructed to memorialize a young daughter. Dairy farms still pepper the hillsides, small businesses line Main Street, farmers still market products in the park, and Stout University leads the way in education; and always the arts abound in the nooks and valleys that comprise Menomonie.

Cover image for Menomonie, isbn: 9780738541273

Cudahy

9780738519487

$24.99

In 1892, the Cudahy Brothers Company gave birth to the origins of Cudahy, Wisconsin, now a thriving, industrial city just south of Milwaukee. Patrick Cudahy chose to build his meat packing plant on the 700 acres of land along the shore of Lake Michigan because of its proximity to both water and the railroad. Bolstered by Cudahy's endeavor, the Ponto Hotel and a new train depot were built, attracting more settlers and business until the City of Cudahy was officially incorporated in 1906.

Through the medium of historic photographs, Cudahy, Wisconsin: Generations of Pride captures Cudahy's evolution from the late 1800s to the present day. Featuring over 200 historic images from both the Cudahy Historical Society and Public Library as well as photographs from private resident collections, this book tells the stories of the people who settled there: where they worked and worshiped, how they lived, and how they celebrated. Today, Cudahy is in the midst of downtown redevelopment, and community pride continues to grow with each generation.

Cover image for Cudahy, isbn: 9780738519487

Schroeder's Department Store

9781467128988

$24.99

With financial help from his father, Peter Joseph Schroeder, Peter Schroeder opened a small dry goods business in 1891 at the southeast corner of Eighteenth and Washington Streets in the B. Mayer Building. Over the next five years, his brothers Joseph, John, and Frank joined the operation. In 1899, business was flourishing. The current three-story building was constructed at the northwest corner of Seventeenth and Washington Streets, and the store became a physical anchor in the downtown business district. The Schroeders believe in giving back to the community they call home. Over four generations, the Schroeders and their spouses donated more than 5,000 hours to various civic organizations in Two Rivers. Many changes have taken place at Schroeder's in its 126-year history. Today's store offers a full line of men's and women's apparel and footwear, as well as a coffeehouse and alterations. Schroeder's also leases space to a toy shop, yarn shop, quilt shop, and gift shop.

Cover image for Schroeder's Department Store, isbn: 9781467128988

Land O' Lakes

9780738583167

$24.99

Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, is surrounded by more freshwater than any small town in America. Originally named State Line because it straddled the border of Wisconsin and upper Michigan, Land O' Lakes quickly became a premier vacation destination because of its wilderness beauty. Resorts built from local timber, like the famous Gateway, attracted celebrities including Dwight Eisenhower and Lawrence Welk. In 1946, Stevens Point-based North Central Airlines inaugurated seasonal flights to Land O' Lakes, complementing railroad service by the Chicago and North Western Railway. The word had spread: for the best north woods entertainment, recreation, and beauty, head to Land O' Lakes, "at the top of Wisconsin." This book features the best images available from the Land O' Lakes Historical Society to depict the region's early pioneers, resorts, and businesses.

Cover image for Land O' Lakes, isbn: 9780738583167

Grafton

9781467105514

$24.99

In 1838, Timothy Wooden purchased land on the banks of the Milwaukee River and began the settlement that would become Grafton, Wisconsin. Grafton soon became an agricultural and industrial community as the rich "yellow" earth attracted settlers from Germany, Ireland, and England to raise wheat, grazing grasses, and garden crops. Those early settlers discovered vast limestone deposits throughout the region, and by 1890, there were nine kilns operated by the Milwaukee Falls Lime Company. Industries were also created along the banks of the river, and in 1902, William Roebken opened the Badger Worsted Mills, the only worsted wool mill west of Philadelphia. By the early 20th century, Grafton became a music industry center when New York Recording Studios moved into the previous Wisconsin Chair Factory building on the Milwaukee River. Blues greats from all over the country made the trip to Grafton to record their music. Today's Grafton carries on the traditions of its founders by preserving historic buildings and creating new residential and recreational spaces for its residents. With a revitalized downtown, Grafton has become a commercial center for Ozaukee County.

Cover image for Grafton, isbn: 9781467105514

Maritime Milwaukee

9780738583099

$24.99

In 1778, the first sailing vessel with cargo holds, the Archange, a schooner built for prominent British trader John Askin, found quiet waters in Milwaukee Bay. These quiet waters and the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers made Milwaukee a favorable destination for early settlers. Maritime Milwaukee explores the growth of the city's port and three riverfronts through a variety of photographs spanning the 1800s to the present thanks to the archival preservation of collections by the Port of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.

Cover image for Maritime Milwaukee, isbn: 9780738583099

Maritime Manitowoc

9780738540023

$24.99

From schooners to submarines, Manitowoc has been home to shipbuilders and their craft for over 200 years. Thanks to the vast collections of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Maritime Manitowoc: 1847–1947 uncovers the fascinating and colorful Golden Age of shipbuilding in the area. This book explores the remarkable history of Manitowoc's shipyards and the magnificent ships that were built there. These ships have sailed the Great Lakes as well as open oceans across the world.

Cover image for Maritime Manitowoc, isbn: 9780738540023

Weyauwega

9781467111072

$24.99

Weyauwega is anything but a sleepy little town. At one time, it was on the leading edge of the Wild West. As early as 1843, settlement at Gills Landing on the Wolf River led to the beginning of Weyauwega. The friendly Menominee tribe made settlement easier. Rugged individuals like William Gumaer, Louis Bostedo, Jacob Weed, and Lorenzo and Joseph Post broke ground for a gristmill, sawmills, stores, and streets. The Civil War took the best men away from Weyauwega, many of whom are featured in a recently uncovered pre-Civil War Masonic photograph album. By the 1880s, Main Street stores were being filled with Eastern goods, women were dressed in the latest styles, such as big floppy hats, and William Bauer was making highly prized furniture. It is hard to imagine that it was the edge of civilization when looking through the photographs for this book.

Cover image for Weyauwega, isbn: 9781467111072

Port Washington

9780738583655

$24.99

Port Washington is a picturesque community on the shores of Lake Michigan, just a short drive north of Milwaukee. It celebrates its 175th birthday in September 2010. This book is a vivid description of the city's history, from the Native Americans who lived on these shores when the voyageurs first arrived, through the birth of a thriving and industrious community of immigrants who settled here after leaving Germany and Luxembourg. The pages touch on the early years of industry, focusing on the maritime heritage of Port Washington, and give the reader a wonderful photographic tour of what Port Washington was like over 100 years ago. Some of these photographs have never before been published and some of the buildings no longer exist, which makes this book a treasure trove of historic images to be enjoyed by many generations.

Cover image for Port Washington, isbn: 9780738583655

Chinese Milwaukee

9780738552248

$24.99

The history of Chinese Milwaukee begins in April 1874, with the opening by Wing Wau of a Chinese laundry at 86 Mason Street. Other Chinese soon followed, and by 1888, there were at least 30 Chinese laundries operating in the city. Charlie Toy moved to Milwaukee in 1904 and within two decades had built both one of the largest Chinese trading businesses in the United States and a six-story Chinese-style building in downtown Milwaukee described as the largest and most luxurious Chinese restaurant building in the world. An example of the community's influence as a whole is the period 1937 to 1940, when the community of less than 300 residents contributed more money to the Chinese war effort against Japan than any other Chinese community in the United States except San Francisco.

Cover image for Chinese Milwaukee, isbn: 9780738552248

Menasha

9780738591780

$24.99

Menasha was carved from the northeastern Wisconsin wilderness in the late 1840s. At the confluence of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago, the town's early entrepreneurs and industrialists sought the promise of waterpower to fuel their mills and kick-start the engine of commerce. Taming the Fox with dams, canals, and a lock, Menasha initially made its mark with flour mills and lumber-based industry. At one time, the city was home to the largest manufacturer of wood-turned products in the world. In the late 19th century, however, the tides of change once again washed upon the city and industrial focus shifted to the paper industry. What made Menasha great were dependable waterpower, plentiful rail connections to centers of commerce in Milwaukee and Chicago, and a prolific labor force that coincided with an influx of European immigrants.

Cover image for Menasha, isbn: 9780738591780

Sturgeon Bay

9780738540085

$24.99

Stretching midway across Wisconsin's famous Door County peninsula, Sturgeon Bay has developed into the county's business and industrial center.

Divided by the waterway it's named after, this small city provided a home to a working waterfront that once housed sawmills and docks for shipping ice, quarried stone, and, later, cherries. A canal dug from Sturgeon Bay to Lake Michigan in 1880 enabled ships to avoid the long passage over the tip of the peninsula. Sturgeon Bay became a shipbuilding capital, housing three major yards. The lively downtown districts on each side of the bay sported the typical hotels, taverns, stores, and blacksmith shops. Residents took pride in their newly formed schools, churches, and public services such as the Pioneer Fire Department. Families, fortunate to live in a land of great natural beauty, enjoyed recreational pursuits in the woods and on the water, whether it was perch fishing early on a summer morning or skating over the ice on a crisp winter afternoon.

Cover image for Sturgeon Bay, isbn: 9780738540085

Watertown, Wisconsin

9780738507699

$24.99

Watertown, Wisconsin, nestled in the southeastern part of the state between the largest city, Milwaukee, and the state capital, Madison, was once considered the second largest city in Wisconsin. Founded in 1836 by Yankee settlers from the East coast, these individuals were soon joined by Irish and German immigrants who contributed to Watertown's unique cultural and ethnic make-up. The town was granted a village charter by 1849 and became a city in 1853. Watertown, Wisconsin: 1836–1936, explores this exciting era of growth and expansion in the city's first one hundred years. From the arrival of the stage line in 1844 to the new ideas and inventions presented in the twentieth century, the reader is able to gain insight into the development of this wonderful community. However, amidst all of this change, there is one thing that has remained constant—the people. Within the pages of this book, the lives of the residents of Watertown are represented through the images and the text, thus bringing to life the rich history of this community.

Cover image for Watertown, Wisconsin, isbn: 9780738507699

West Milwaukee

9780738533650

$24.99

Formerly a part of the Town of Wauwatosa and the Town of Greenfield, West Milwaukee became a village in 1906. The influx of industry (Pauling and Harnischfeger located here in 1904), transportation (new roads, railroads, and streetcars to service the area), the swelling of the population to 909, and strong leaders fueled the village's urge for independence. What was once an area west of the City of Milwaukee has become West Milwaukee, the center (or heart of) Milwaukee County. Large farms, estates, summer homes, and gravel pits have become homes, shops, and industries which happily coexist. Ethnicity, once almost purely European, now includes a more worldly cross section of African Americans, Hispanic, and Asian peoples. Many who have moved still have fond memories of growing up in West Milwaukee.

Cover image for West Milwaukee, isbn: 9780738533650

Wisconsin Army National Guard

9781467112673

$24.99

Images of America: Wisconsin Army National Guard is a photographic history containing more than 200 images paired with a descriptive narrative that follows the illustrious story of more than 150 years of wartime service. The book highlights little-known facts about the leaders, soldiers, and units that shaped Wisconsin's military history. It begins with the Civil War legends of Old Abe and the Iron Brigade and continues through the transformational years of the National Guard during the Spanish-American War and Mexican border crisis of the 1910s. It chronicles the unbelievable sacrifices of the 32nd Red Arrow Division during both world wars and recounts the role played by Wisconsin units in the more recent War on Terror. Both historians and general readers of history will value this guide as an enjoyable and enlightening resource.

Cover image for Wisconsin Army National Guard, isbn: 9781467112673

Entertainment in Early Milwaukee

9780738550992

$24.99

What did early Milwaukeeans do to have fun and relax? This book answers that question, covering pop culture from the mid-1800s up to 1950, from the earliest tavern stages hosting traditional German plays and musicals, to the large traveling circus acts that arrived via the railroad, to the beer gardens, nickelodeons, and old grand cinemas that dominated the city's landscape during the first half of the 20th century. In its heyday, Milwaukee had several classic amusement parks with roller coasters, fun houses, water rides, and more. The first movie was shown in Milwaukee in 1896, and by 1920, there were nearly 100 buildings dedicated to motion pictures. And it was two Milwaukee businessmen who discovered the great Charlie Chaplin and also produced the 1915 epic Birth of a Nation.

Cover image for Entertainment in Early Milwaukee, isbn: 9780738550992

Milwaukee's Historic Bowling Alleys

9780738583785

$24.99

From the U.S. Olympic team, to "Bowling with the Champs," to countless corner bars with a couple of lanes in the basement, Milwaukee has lived and breathed this sport. In the late 1800s, German brewers like Capt. Frederick Pabst and the Uihleins offered bowling in their Milwaukee beer gardens. When Abe Langtry brought the American Bowling Congress here in 1905, "Brew City" became bowling central. Today owning a bowling alley is a labor of love, with good reason. It's the place where you rolled that 700 series, met your wife, and taught your son how to bowl in the junior league. Even in this high-tech, immediate-gratification society, bowling still thrives in Milwaukee. Several old-school lanes still have steady business, and this book is a tribute to the people, the places, and the sport that made Milwaukee "America's Bowling Capital."

Cover image for Milwaukee's Historic Bowling Alleys, isbn: 9780738583785

Around Eagle

9781467108256

$23.99

The village of Eagle is a small town with a big smile. Located within the southern Kettle Moraine Forest and a large prairie, the town is identified by its yellow, smiley-faced water tower. Eagle’s modern history began in 1836, when three prospectors came across an expansive prairie with a large bald-headed eagle hovering over it. The early pioneers settled in small communities that blurred into the neighboring towns of Ottawa, North Prairie, Mukwonago, East Troy, and Palmyra. In 1851, the railroad made Eagle Centre the metropolis, thus stifling Jericho, Palestine, Melendy’s Prairie, and Eagleville. Eagle was nearly named Diamond City when it became known that a diamond had been discovered there in 1876. The 1900s saw a transition from wheat and sheep to dairy farming and then to crops of corn and soybeans. Some land was returned to nature as the Kettle Moraine State Forest, and others turned into housing developments and industrial parks. The 21st century brought the acceleration of urban sprawl to once rural areas.

Cover image for Around Eagle, isbn: 9781467108256

New Glarus

9781467113038

$24.99

New Glarus was founded in 1845 by impoverished citizens of Glarus, Switzerland. Much of Europe was in the grips of a severe depression, food was in short supply, and jobs were equally scarce. In response to this crisis, the Swiss government formed the Swiss Emigration Society. The society offered passage to America for anyone who wanted to leave Switzerland. On April 16, 1845, a ship took 193 Swiss to the United States. Four months later, on August 16, these pioneers arrived in what would become New Glarus. The founding of this community might be one of the finest examples of the best of socialism. Each settler received 20 acres of land drawn through a lottery; land could not be exchanged for something better. The oxen teams needed to work the land were communally owned. The settlers looked out for the welfare of all, providing schooling, food, shelter, and health care.

Cover image for New Glarus, isbn: 9781467113038

West Allis

9780738531830

$24.99

Over the years, West Allis has progressed from a busy hamlet on the banks of Honey Creek to a stout industrial city. West Allis came of age in the early 20th century as groups of immigrating Germans, Poles, and Slavs joined original settlers to a build a community that is now quickly approaching 100 years of success and vitality. Home to industrial giants such as the Allis-Chalmers Company and Kearney and Trecker Corporation, West Allis manufactured the machines, parts, and equipment essential to the growth of the nation. The city, host of the Wisconsin State Fair, seamlessly blends industry and community.

Cover image for West Allis, isbn: 9780738531830

Sister Bay, Wisconsin

9780738507200

$24.99

In northern Door County, Wisconsin, there is a tiny village that has maintained its original beauty since its first settlement in the 1860s: Sister Bay. The second largest community on the peninsula, Sister Bay's is explored by author Joseph W. Zurawski using over 200
vivid images depicting the village's early days. There were several attempts to establish a farming community in the region in the late 19th century, however, the genesis of a permanent settlement can be traced to an influential businessman, Andre Roeser. Roeser's large personal residence served as the area's hotel and gathering place for social as well as spiritual services, and in time he established a commercial pier, sawmill,
lumberyard, icehouse, and tugboat service. Incorporation came in 1912, when several other businesses were already thriving and a large hotel and resort attracted hundreds of visitors each year. This trend has continued over the years and today visitors outnumber residents by ten to one on an average summer weekend.

Cover image for Sister Bay, Wisconsin, isbn: 9780738507200

Baraboo

9780738532998

$24.99

Baraboo, a community as unique as its name, had the same beginnings as many other southern Wisconsin cities—but its development throughout the 19th century set it apart. Starting in 1839, several dams were built along the Baraboo River rapids and a typical mill town formed. Baraboo's population began to rise when it became the county seat in 1846. With the arrival of the railroad in 1871, the village doubled in size within a decade. The railroad also brought exposure to the nearby natural beauty of Devil's Lake, increasing tourism significantly. Baraboo's greatest claim to fame began when the Ringling Brothers established a circus there in 1884. America's largest circus enterprise, Ringling Brothers made Baraboo their winter home every year until 1918.

Cover image for Baraboo, isbn: 9780738532998

Milwaukee Jazz

9781467103107

$24.99

Milwaukee's jazz scene has forever stood in the shadow of Chicago's illustrious institution, but it stands strong. Cream City has produced a wealth of talent, attracted top-notch transplants, and hosted legends like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Billie Holiday, and Wynton Marsalis. From the heyday of the 1940s and 1950s to the renaissance of the 1970s, from the streets to the classrooms, from grand ballrooms to outdoor festivals, from swing to bebop, from smoky bars to dimly lit clubs like the Flame, Thelma's Back Door, and the Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee has been a hotbed of improvised music, providing a noteworthy contribution to the story of jazz in America.

Cover image for Milwaukee Jazz, isbn: 9781467103107

Two Rivers

9780738588711

$24.99

The heritage of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, is shaped by water but has rapidly developed into a woodenware manufacturer of world significance.

The heritage of Two Rivers has been shaped by water. The rare conjunction of Lake Michigan with a dual river system compelled the Potawatomi and Menominee as well as the first American settlers. People of the First Nations plied the lake and rivers in search of whitefish, while initial American settlers sought fish and timber and appreciated the commercial potential of the harbor.

As the years went on, Two Rivers quickly grew into a woodenware manufacturer of world significance. When native forests diminished, the community demonstrated patterns typical of a small American town. Businesses, schools, churches and public services grew and thrived. Through periods of growth, decline, and stability, the lake and the rivers have given the community its distinctiveness. Located on a small peninsula almost 90 miles north of Milwaukee, Two Rivers's climate has also earned it a reputation as the coolest spot in Wisconsin.

Cover image for Two Rivers, isbn: 9780738588711

Poy Sippi and Eastern Waushara County

9780738540115

$24.99

In the early stages of Wisconsin's statehood, Vermonters settled in an area in east-central Wisconsin. Poy Sippi is a fine example of the pioneers' thirst for adventure, exploration, and hard work ethic. The lakes, creeks, and swamps did not impede this thirst. A small town nestled between two hills, Poy Sippi reminded the settlers of their eastern homes. The interaction of families within the neighboring communities brought about strong bonds and the development of eastern Waushara County. This is their story, told through vintage photographs.

Cover image for Poy Sippi and Eastern Waushara County, isbn: 9780738540115

Taylor County

9781467112444

$24.99

When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, its densely forested north awaited railroad construction before settlement. Taylor County, the Garden Spot of Northern Wisconsin, was founded on March 4, 1875. Named for then-governor William R. Taylor, the area was primarily forested with eastern hemlock. The county's portion of the Wisconsin Central Railroad was built in 1873, and station sites were named for suburbs of Boston, including Medford, Charlestown, Chelsea, and Westboro. The county's early years were dominated by lumbering and leather tanning, the latter made possible by tannic acid leached from hemlock bark. By 1900, dairy farms dotted its glacial hills. Today, Taylor County's municipalities are home to diverse industries, ranging from snowshoe manufacturing to America's largest pizza plant.

Cover image for Taylor County, isbn: 9781467112444

Milwaukee Fire Department

9780738534343

$24.99

The Milwaukee Fire Department, like the city it serves, boasts a long and proud past, rich with diverse details. The department first formed as a volunteer organization in 1837, evolving into a full-time service by 1874. Steeped in pride and tradition, its penchant for innovation is legendary.

These traits have characterized legions of brave and skillful professionals whose devotion to duty established the department's reputation as a leader in protecting lives and property. Throughout the department's history, its members have left their mark in countless ways, reflecting the background, work ethic, and talent of Milwaukee's citizens.

Cover image for Milwaukee Fire Department, isbn: 9780738534343

The Swiss Colony

9780738540245

$24.99

Each year, millions of Swiss Colony mail-order catalogs featuring more than 30,000 items flow into American homes. Little did Raymond Kubly realize in 1926, when he had the goofy idea of selling cheese by mail, that his then-fledgling company would become a mail-order giant. In those first years, cheese wheels were cut and wrapped in consumer-sized pieces in the Kubly family basement and garage. Soon the company was selling not only cheese but sausages, meats, and pastry desserts, all from the pleasant, little southern Wisconsin city of Monroe. Today the ever-expanding Swiss Colony, having ventured into home furnishings, jewelry, apparel, and more, is one of the largest direct marketing companies in the United States.

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Milwaukee Police Department

9780738551722

$24.99

The Milwaukee Police Department was organized in 1855 with a determined chief, seven pugnacious officers, and little money. The department grew to 21 men by the start of the Civil War in 1861. Law enforcement in the city soon earned the national reputation for honesty, integrity, and fairness it has enjoyed into the 21st century. The Milwaukee Police Department was first in the country to establish a formal officer training school, police bomb disposal vehicle, and "talking squad car." Nefarious criminals handled by the department include the foiled presidential assassin John Schrank, the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and characters with quaint nicknames like "Cat-eye Lil" and "Kelly the Choker."

Cover image for Milwaukee Police Department, isbn: 9780738551722

North Point Milwaukee Lighthouse

9780738582641

$24.99

The North Point Milwaukee Lighthouse, neatly nestled in beautifully landscaped Lake Park on Milwaukee's east side, is a local maritime jewel. Incorporated as part of legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted's grand design for this scenic urban park, North Point rests far atop a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, making it one of the highest light stations on the Great Lakes. Three distinctly different lighthouses have been located here, each with its own unique story. Notable keepers include Georgia Stebbins, who came to North Point as a sickly young woman and was transformed by fresh air and hard work into a feisty, dedicated lightkeeper and served with distinction for over 30 years. Abandoned and boarded up for many years, North Point has been resurrected from near ruin. Today, the North Point Lighthouse Friends see to it that this historic sentinel is preserved for future generations.

Cover image for North Point Milwaukee Lighthouse, isbn: 9780738582641

Milwaukee County Parks

9780738550848

$24.99

Milwaukeeans love their parks, and with nearly 15,000 acres of parkland throughout Milwaukee County, there is much to love. But few know the story behind the development of this great park system. Milwaukee County Parks takes readers on a photographic tour of the area's earliest parks—town squares and beer gardens established by the early settlers—through the creation of city and county park commissions, to the parks today. It will leave one with a better appreciation of the vision and dedication it took to build such a park system and the need to assure it remains intact for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.

Cover image for Milwaukee County Parks, isbn: 9780738550848

Janesville

9780738588650

$24.99

In 1837, Henry Janes, one of the area's first settlers, proposed the name Black Hawk for the small southern Wisconsin settlement he lived in, but the US Post Office chose Janesville. The village along the Rock River was selected as the Rock County seat, and by 1860 it had grown to become Wisconsin's second largest city. Janesville developed into an important railroad town and, because of its waterpower, a milling and manufacturing center. General Motors built a large plant, and George Parker started the Parker Pen Company here. As the city grew, land was donated or set aside for recreation, and today Janesville calls itself Wisconsin's Park Place. Its population has grown to more than 62,000.

Cover image for Janesville, isbn: 9780738588650

Green Bay's West Side

9780738531687

$24.99

A prominent borough for many years, Fort Howard occupied the area immediately west of the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Named after the military garrison that once stood there, Fort Howard-once Green Bay's fierce rival-was incorporated into the City of Green Bay in 1895. Today, the neighborhood is a seamless extension of the city, blending burgeoning commerce with historic homes. This collection of vintage photographs highlights stories of the people and businesses that have made this area unique, from philanthropic businessmen to the bustling Broadway District.

Cover image for Green Bay's West Side, isbn: 9780738531687

Wind Point Lighthouse

9780738550633

$24.99

Several lighthouses have called Racine home, but none is more synonymous with the nautical heritage of the Belle City than Wind Point. Always a beehive of activity, the Wind Point Lighthouse is one of the larger lighthouse complexes on the Great Lakes, and a hardworking keeper, two assistants, and their families made their livelihood here. For over 125 years, the tall stately tower has faithfully stood guard, shining its bright beam out over Lake Michigan nightly. Countless mariners relied on the Wind Point Lighthouse, along with a booming trademark foghorn for safe passage. Today the Wind Point Lighthouse is the most well-known symbol of Racine and is a success story among Great Lakes lights. A devoted friends group, in partnership with the Village of Wind Point, sees that the legacy and history of the Wind Point Lighthouse is preserved for future generations.

Cover image for Wind Point Lighthouse, isbn: 9780738550633

Cana Island Lighthouse

9780738541013

$24.99

The Cana Island Lighthouse is one of the most picturesque of any lighthouses still operating on the Great Lakes today. The beautiful peninsula of Door County has a long and bountiful tradition of maritime history, including its many lighthouses. Cana Island has illuminated the coastline on the Lake Michigan side of Door County for over 100 years. Cana Island's story involves bricks and mortar, engineering marvels, and, most noteworthy, people. The dedication of Cana's keepers and their families over the years was remarkable. Countless mariners relied on them. Lighthouse life could be challenging, at times tedious, but also extremely rewarding. Most visitors will agree that Cana Island is indeed an extraordinary place.

Cover image for Cana Island Lighthouse, isbn: 9780738541013

Delavan

9780738533117

$24.99

Delavan Lake, formerly known as Swan Lake, was once heavily wooded along its banks and flanked further north by prairies and groves of oaks. Eventually, the banks of the lake wouldbecome home to many seasonal dwellings, which sprang up as summertime moved Delavan residents out of town and to the lake in order to escape the heat. By the 1880s, Delavan had become a popular tourist destination and dozens of resorts were built to accommodate visitors. Ultimately, steamers and excursion boats with daily schedules were added to the lake for sightseeing and ease of movement between resorts. This additional influx of people needed entertainment, giving birth to Delavan's ballroom era, which lasted until 1960.

Cover image for Delavan, isbn: 9780738533117

Kaukauna

9781467110907

$24.99

Explorer Jean Nicolet traveled down the Fox River in 1634 and explored an area of three waterfalls. Settlers arrived and began trading at this natural way station in 1760, establishing what became Kaukauna—one of the oldest settlements in the state. In fact, the first land deed ever recorded in Wisconsin happened here. The first state road followed in the 1820s, connecting Kaukauna with Green Bay, and people trickled in to work at the sawmills. Locks and dams were built to harness the river, and the paper mills were not far behind. It was then that Kaukauna was nicknamed the Lion on the Fox, and the boom of a great city began. It is a thriving community today that maintains a small-town feel. Thilmany Pulp and Paper has been the leading employer in the area for more than a century. At the heart of the city remains the Fox River, dividing north and south, and Kaukauna remains the Lion on the Fox.

Cover image for Kaukauna, isbn: 9781467110907

Franklin

9780738560489

$24.99

Franklin is a microcosm of how a sparsely populated farming community may progress into a small city. German and Irish settlers established Franklin's earliest business enterprises--taverns, blacksmiths, farm supply stores, and the annual Labor Day fair, which remains the largest of its kind in Milwaukee County. In 1956, Franklin moved from a township to a city, featuring a single patrolman and an all-volunteer fire department. For entertainment, Franklinites availed themselves of the 41 Twin Outdoor Theater or Saturday night races at Hales Corner Speedway, Little League diamonds in St. Martins or behind the fire station, and dance halls at Heiden's or the White Dove. A new era began when Franklin High School opened its doors to 350 students in 1962. Today, at 36 square miles--Milwaukee's largest suburb--it is noteworthy that Franklin still has room for a functioning stone quarry and the Tuckaway Country Club.

Cover image for Franklin, isbn: 9780738560489

Milwaukee's Soldiers Home

9780738598734

$24.99

As the country sought healing and peace after the Civil War, Wisconsin citizens took up Pres. Abraham Lincoln's challenge to care for him who shall have borne the battle. Their efforts paved the way for the establishment in Milwaukee of one of the original three branches of the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. In May 1867, the first 60 veterans, including a musician from the War of 1812, moved to a single building on 400 rolling acres west of Milwaukee. By the end of the 19th century, the bustling campus boasted its own hospital, chapel, library, theater, and recreation hall, in addition to the grand main building. Subsequent wars and military conflicts created a need for additional buildings and services. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011, the campus continues to offer a healing environment for today's patients and stands as a testimony to advances in veteran health care.

Cover image for Milwaukee's Soldiers Home, isbn: 9780738598734

Elkhorn

9780738533209

$24.99

See for yourself why Elkhorn, Wisconsin, was named of the 100 best small towns in the United States.

Designated the Walworth County seat in 1838, Elkhorn has maintained a slower pace of life despite its exciting history and its growth as a community. Music provided to its citizens entertainment as well as employment, with the establishment of a prosperous band instrument industry. Elkhorn was also once known as the Christmas Card City, when images from around town were featured on several Hallmark cards.

In 1995, Elkhorn was included in Norm Crampton's book, The 100 Best Small Towns in America. Elkhorn's residents agree that their town meets the book's criteria—a spirit of community, a feeling of safety, a commitment to the well-being of its children and a growing population.

Cover image for Elkhorn, isbn: 9780738533209

Forgotten Delavan

9781467112802

$24.99

When they left New York in 1836, brothers Henry and Samuel Phoenix intended to establish a temperance colony where inhabitants could live a life free from demon alcohol. They found the perfect location in the Wisconsin Territory and named it Delavan after temperance leader and abolitionist Edward C. Delavan. The Phoenixes purchased 400 acres of land to sell to friends and family back in New York. The population soon boomed thanks to people like themselves who embraced the belief in an alcohol- and slavery-free society. All deeds were written with covenants prohibiting alcohol, but in 1845 the covenants were deemed unconstitutional. Since then, Delavan has been home to abolitionists, circus performers, and artists. It has drawn tourists from around the Midwest to its ballrooms, resorts, steamers, and beautiful lake. From Delavan's humble beginnings, the community has continued to grow to a population of more than 13,000, and today Delavan thrives on its industry, agriculture, and tourism.

Cover image for Forgotten Delavan, isbn: 9781467112802

Eau Claire County

9780738533957

$24.99

In 1855, Wisconsin's Chippewa County set the wheels in motion to divide itself into three parts. The southernmost section became Eau Claire County. With good forest, good farmland, and the confluence of two scenic rivers, it quickly established its own identity. Eau Claire County followed a classic American path. The county harvested its native natural resources (timber in this case) and started a strong agricultural tradition. In later decades, as its sesquicentennial approached, the county had developed a diversified economy, anchored by health care, retail, higher education, and high-tech manufacturing. But it is the interesting and ever-changing mix of people who built the county, and who have sustained it for 150 years. In 1890, seven of every ten people living in Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley, with Eau Claire County at its heart, were born outside the U.S. or had foreign-born parents. The area still welcomes new arrivals. Through scores of historic photographs, this book captures the hardworking, fun-loving people who have given the county its distinctive place in the American heartland.

Cover image for Eau Claire County, isbn: 9780738533957

Neenah

9781467113236

$24.99

Neenah rests in the heart of the Fox Valley, positioned between Appleton and Oshkosh. The city sits at the junction of Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, which has always been central to its draw for both recreation and business. Flour and paper milling utilized the river's powerful flow and brought Neenah's biggest booms. The successes of paper mills such as Neenah Paper, which opened in 1866, and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, which opened in 1872, led to the natural development of the Paper City nickname. Today, industry continues to flourish in Neenah. The region has become a hub for several major corporations with broad, international reach, yet lifelong residents remain the true community heroes. Vintage photographs highlight the notable lifestyles of Bergstrom, Aylward, and Mahler, as well as the day-to-day activities of shopkeepers, churchgoers, factory workers, teachers, deliverymen, bankers, politicians, craftsmen, and other locals who were better known as friends or neighbors. Featuring both the storefronts and aisles of popular establishments such as Krueger Hardware, Jandrey's department store, and Burts Candies, this book invites readers to take a trip down memory lane. .

Cover image for Neenah, isbn: 9781467113236

Green County

9780738583860

$24.99

This book presents a glimpse into Green County's colorful and historic past. Not only are the communities of present-day Green County included, but also within are the ghost towns Attica, Dayton, Dutch Hollow, Martintown, Postville, and Schultz. While far from a complete photographic history of Green County, the reader will get a glimpse of many of the lesser-known facets of its history, both physical and personal. It is the author's hope that this book will serve as a beginning point for the reader to venture deeper into Green County's collective past.

Cover image for Green County, isbn: 9780738583860

Milwaukee's Brady Street Neighborhood

9780738551746

$24.99

Milwaukee's Brady Street neighborhood, bounded by the Milwaukee River, Lake Michigan, Ogdon Avenue, and Kane Place, is arguably the most densely-populated square mile in the state of Wisconsin. A mix of historic shops, single-family homes, apartments, and condos, Brady Street boasts of great diversity that draws from many distinct eras. It began in the mid-19th century as a crossroads between middle-class Yankees from the east and early German settlers. Polish and Italian immigrants soon followed, working the mills, tanneries, and breweries that lined the riverbank. After these groups had assimilated and many of their descendents moved to the suburbs, the hippies in the 1960s arrived with their counterculture to fill the void. By the 1980s, the area fell into blight, neglect, and decay; now, a true model for new urbanism, the Brady Street neighborhood is in the midst of a renaissance.

Cover image for Milwaukee's Brady Street Neighborhood, isbn: 9780738551746

Lake Lawn

9780738560274

$24.99

Nestled on 275 shaded acres beside beautiful Delavan Lake, Lake Lawn has been a favorite vacation destination since 1878. Much of the area's local history is rooted to this wooded lakeside retreat. It is the site of the highest concentration of ancient Native American effigy mounds in the area. Plus, it was the place where the Mabie brothers first brought their circus, leading to Delavan's designation as 19th-century circus capital of the nation. It was also home to the Lake Lawn Ballroom, one of the most popular dance halls of its day, where a young Lawrence Welk played annually before achieving national fame. In addition to its historical significance, Lake Lawn was the beloved vacation spot for generations of families who enjoyed annual trips to its lakeside cottages and rustic timber lodges.

Cover image for Lake Lawn, isbn: 9780738560274

Clark County

9780738598987

$24.99

Clark County, located in central Wisconsin, was organized in 1853. The first settlers, primarily lumbermen, arrived in the 1830s. After seeing the massive forests of standing timber, they built sawmills and lumber camps. Soon, towns and villages sprang up, complete with businesses, hotels, homes, schools, and churches. The railroad arrived by the 1880s, starting a new chapter for Clark County. As the timber was logged and the land was cleared of tree stumps, the fertile farmland attracted new settlers. People in pursuit of the American dream, including immigrants from European countries, arrived to homestead the land. Images of America: Clark County presents the lumber years, agriculture, businesses, communities, and of course the people of Clark County in photographs from the 1850s to the present day. The final chapter, Unique Clark County, features the people and places that help make the county so special to those fortunate enough to live here.

Cover image for Clark County, isbn: 9780738598987

Milwaukee's Bronzeville

9780738540610

$24.99

With the migration of African American sharecroppers to northern cities in the first half of the 20th century, the African American population of Milwaukee grew from fewer than 1,000 in 1900 to nearly 22,000 by 1950. Most settled around a 12-block area along Walnut Street that came to be known as Milwaukee's Bronzeville, a thriving residential, business, and entertainment community. Barbershops, restaurants, drugstores, and funeral homes were started with a little money saved from overtime pay at factory jobs or extra domestic work taken on by the women. Exotic nightclubs, taverns, and restaurants attracted a racially mixed clientele, and daytime social clubs sponsored matinees that were dress-up events featuring local bands catering to neighborhood residents. Bronzeville is remembered by African American elders as a good place to grow up—times were hard, but the community was tight.

Cover image for Milwaukee's Bronzeville, isbn: 9780738540610

Ephraim

9780738551968

$24.99

With its natural, unspoiled beauty, strong Norwegian heritage, and spiritual values of both the Moravian and Lutheran Churches, the village of Ephraim has long been considered a jewel of the Door County peninsula. Featuring over 200 classic images, many from the archives of the Ephraim Historical Foundation, Ephraim presents the landscapes, people, and events that helped shape this idyllic community, transforming it from a sleepy rural village into a nationally recognized destination for lovers of art, history, and natural beauty. Included are the pristine vistas of the 3,776-acre Peninsula State Park, numerous fine galleries, and charming historic resorts and buildings--still in use today--that captivate the imagination while contributing to Ephraim's rich heritage. The lovely little village of Ephraim has received much public praise throughout the years, most recently being voted the number one small-town vacation getaway by Midwest Living magazine. Discover the reasons for these accolades, as well as the history behind them, through the images in Ephraim.

Cover image for Ephraim, isbn: 9780738551968

Waupun

9781467111256

$24.99

Fondly referred to as the City of Sculpture, Waupun celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2014. From its inception, the decisions, hard work, and determination of Waupun's first citizens were integral in developing the Waupun of today. In 1839, Seymour Wilcox ventured from Green Bay with his family and two friends to the unsettled area of Wisconsin known as Oak Openings. The surveyor of the land, John Bannister, described it the most beautiful and fertile land [he] had ever seen. The land Wilcox purchased bordered the Rock River and lay in both Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties. This division of counties eventually caused some tension within the fledgling town, although it did not deter the town from uniting and prospering in agriculture, business, industry, faith, public works, and play.

Cover image for Waupun, isbn: 9781467111256

Milton

9781467115841

$24.99

When the traveling party with Joseph Goodrich concluded a months-long journey west from Alfred, New York, in the spring of 1838, the strong-willed abolitionist staked out land some 60 miles west of Milwaukee. The area was then a crossroads of militia trails still worn from the Black Hawk War six years prior. Wisconsin's statehood was 10 years away when Goodrich began platting a community. He began with the Milton House, a unique hexagonal structure made of grout and built to serve as a temperance inn. Later, Goodrich used Milton House to aid fugitive slaves fleeing the South, and the inn became the heart of the community. By 1844, Milton had expanded around the town square. That same year, Goodrich founded Milton Academy, which was chartered as a college in 1867. He also facilitated the arrival of railroad lines, which led to the establishment of Milton's twin village, Milton Junction, the rail hub of southern Wisconsin.

Cover image for Milton, isbn: 9781467115841

Beaver Dam

9780738531649

$24.99

In the fall of 1840, Thomas Mackie and his son-in-law discovered rich soil and abundant timber on land along a stream south of Fox Lake. They soon settled there with their families and named the fledgling town after the industrious animal at work just steps away from their log cabins. This collection of vintage images highlights Beaver Dam's history from 1841 to 1941, as Beaver Dam evolved along the stream, drawing industrialists who built their mills on its banks and tourists who traveled aboard the Rambler excursion steam ship on the man-made lake. With a successful dairy industry and renowned iron works, Beaver Dam prospered and grew into a city united by work, faith, education, and play.

Cover image for Beaver Dam, isbn: 9780738531649

Shorewood, Wisconsin

9780738507132

$24.99

From its earliest settlers in 1835 to independence from Milwaukee in 1900, the Village of Shorewood has
heralded itself as tall in stature and big in heart. Nestled between the Milwaukee River on the west and Lake Michigan on the east, Shorewood has flourished in the short century it has graced Wisconsin shores. Beginning as a rich hunting ground for Native Americans, the Village has nurtured its small town life in America throughout the years to produce a thriving, prosperous community. In this new addition to the Images of America series, the Shorewood Historical Society has authored this book as a photographic tribute to past Shorewood villagers. In celebrating Shorewood's century, the authors invite you to revisit the Trojan Horse innocence of the Dummy Line tracks, the amusement parks and resorts reminiscent of Coney Island, and the trams on the bluff at Atwater Beach. Through the use of over 200 images, many of them never before published, the Society spins the tale of early day Shorewood.
We see before our eyes the tiny farms and fledgling industries
of the past swiftly evolving into a community of progress.

Cover image for Shorewood, Wisconsin, isbn: 9780738507132

Prairie du Chien

9780738583563

$24.99

Just above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers lies a 9-mile prairie whose beauty and location have long drawn people to its expanse. At this traditional gathering place of Native Americans, French explorers and fur traders stored trade goods and celebrated on the prairie, in time building homes at la Prairie des Chiens. American soldiers constructed a fort here, at the entrance to the upper Mississippi Valley, to secure the region for settlement. Wave upon wave of people arrived in Prairie du Chien by steamboat and railroad, and by 1900, a bustling city had spread across the plain. But the French heritage and majestic beauty of the river endured. After World War I, tourists came to drift along the banks of the Mississippi, climb the steep bluffs surrounding the prairie, and sample the Friday night fish fries. Wisconsin's second-oldest community, Prairie du Chien retains the attraction that drew the first explorers to its shores.