Images of Modern America

Name: Battle Creek
Brand: Kurt Thornton
SKU: 9781467111577
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

The Images of Modern America book series explores the history of an area from 1950 forward through vintage images. Meet Wrigley Field’s amazing vendors and then visit the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll in Pittsburgh. Ride the beloved roller coasters of Six Flags, tour the Land of Oz, or attend the 1965 New York World’s Fair. From the lost steel plants of the Monongahela River Valley to dinosaur discoveries in Wyoming, the Images of Modern America series bears witness to the rapid growth of America’s most beloved towns and cities. [View all Images of Modern America books]

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Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor

$24.99

Davis

$24.99

Roanoke Island's Boating Heritage

$24.99

The National Training Center and Fort Irwin

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Battle Creek

9781467111577

$24.99

In the 1960s, Battle Creek was a successful industrial town known around the world as the Cereal City due to the area's largest employers, the ready-to-eat breakfast food companies of Ralston Foods, the Kellogg Company, and the Post division of General Foods. As these long-established businesses began to downsize, automate, and relocate, the community met the new economic and social challenges by developing a downtown pedestrian mall, converting a former military base into a vibrant industrial park, and merging two municipalities into the third-largest city (by area) in Michigan. These changes, along with many others, have continued to guide this Midwestern community into the 21st century.

Scranton

9781467134125

$24.99

After incorporation in 1866, Scranton demonstrated an indomitable spirit that made it the Electric City and the Anthracite Capital of the World. Nestled in the scenic Lackawanna River Valley, Scranton carried that spirit through the changing economic landscape of the mid-20th century as its coal, railroad, and textile industries declined. In a cityscape that recalls its past, Scranton continues to find creative uses for its iconic structures. The community of Scranton embraces growth and change while celebrating its rich heritage with traditions like trips to the Saturday farmers' market at the historic Iron Furnaces, rides along the old Laurel Line trolley tracks to a RailRiders baseball game, celebrations of rich ethnic heritage at festivals throughout the year, and many more.

Mystic

9781467116695

$24.99

Since Mystic, Connecticut, celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1954, it has evolved from a working-class village into a tourist-driven community while embracing its quaint New England charm and keeping its rich history alive. The shoreline village of two townships (Stonington to the east; Groton to the west) is divided by the Mystic River, which passes through the downtown center where the iconic bascule bridge unites the community. Many establishments occupy buildings preserved from Mystic's deeply anchored shipbuilding past. Towering wooden ships, beluga whales, creative arts, shops, restaurants, and events overflowing with Mystic's heart and soul attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Pflugerville

9781467128292

$24.99

The Henry Pfluger Sr. family emigrated from Germany, eventually homesteading on the Blackland Prairie northeast of Austin in the early 1850s. As families grew and more people settled in the area, a post office named Pflugerville was established in 1893. By 1965, the century-old agricultural community was ready to incorporate. From that point, it has grown from a city of a few hundred residents to one of the fastest growing areas in the country. To track this transition over the past 50 years, this book chronicles the extraordinary growth of the population, schools, services, events, robust business centers, and spirit of volunteerism. Preserving the quality of life in Pflugerville has always been a common goal of the community.

York

9781467134057

$24.99

York experienced great changes following World War II. People began moving from the city to the suburbs, and many department stores, like Bear's, Wiest's, Jack's, and Gregory's, closed. Long-standing companies such as AMF and York Air Conditioning were sold or moved, while banks, industries, and businesses merged. The York County Shopping Center opened on the East End, attracting customers who had formerly shopped downtown. WSBA TV went on the air in 1952, starting a new era in communication and a business empire that still has a strong presence today. The band Live grew from a group of local high school students to well-known musicians that graced the cover of Rolling Stone. Jeff Koons became one of the most celebrated artists in the world, Kim Bracey became the first African American mayor, and York businessman Tom Wolf became governor. York continues to celebrate its rich heritage as the Factory Capital of the World.

Rio Rancho

9781467133685

$24.99

Rio Rancho's first residents arrived in the mid-1960s seeking what was advertised as 360 sunny days a year and affordable housing. Incorporated in 1981, Rio Rancho is the third-largest city in New Mexico and its fastest growing. It often pops up on those Best Places to Live stories and for good reason. The top-notch schools, safe neighborhoods, great climate, and being noted as an inexpensive place to start a family have turned Rio Rancho into a desirable place to live.

Seattle Chocolatiers

9781467134842

$24.99

On the heels of the coffee bean, Seattle is embracing the cocoa bean. There is a long chocolate history here, from the legendary melt-in-your-mouth Frango Mint originally found at the Frederick & Nelson department store to Dilettante's pioneering espresso mocha drinks and truffles and Fran's Chocolates. They paved the way for today's innovative chocolatiers. Seattle's chocolatiers are inventive and provocative, creating bold flavors and colors. They are responding to changing palates, and even changing dietary needs, while remaining dedicated to social justice, sustainability, and stewardship of the land and the people. Home to the nation's first bean-to-bar chocolate factory, Seattle is forever impacting the chocolate industry, educating people on chocolate quality and global responsibility.

Hasbrouck Heights

9781467134880

$24.99

Hasbrouck Heights was incorporated over 100 years ago as a farming community. However, the building of the railroad brought an influx of people, and this agricultural town located a few miles outside of Manhattan morphed into a commuter's dream. The farms died out, and the postwar housing boom made Hasbrouck Heights into the borough it is today. During the last 50 years, the town has relatively stayed the same. Businesses may change, but the time-tested traditions that make up Hasbrouck Heights have stayed true. One can watch children paint the store windows for Halloween in autumn or attend the Easter egg hunt in spring. New traditions, like the inception of Town Day and the street fair, have sprung up as well and will continue for years. These are just some of the things that make people settle here. Viewing these archival photographs will take readers on a walk down memory lane.

Savin Rock

9781467116947

$24.99

The area surrounding Savin Rock in West Haven followed a traditional New England path that began as farmland for colonists. After the Civil War, however, that path took a new turn when entrepreneur George Kelsey constructed seaside attractions. After nearly a century of being home to the Savin Rock Amusement Park, once a popular tourist destination, the site had seen better days. The buildings were blighted and business had slumped as automobiles gave people the opportunity to visit attractions farther away. In 1964, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson imagined a Great Society and declared a War on Poverty. West Haven took advantage of federal money to reclaim the Savin Rock, creating a mix of business, residences, and open, public space. This transition was not without growing pains as locally owned park concessions were eliminated, long-standing businesses were displaced, and residents were uprooted. When plans were proffered to reconstruct the area and line the shore with residential housing, this spurred a grassroots effort by local citizens who worked to keep the shore open to the public. Consequently, West Haven is home to Connecticut's largest stretch of free, public beach, which is used by thousands every summer.

Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor

9781467117333

$24.99

This collection of Ann Arbor's most iconic local eateries from college hangouts to elegant eateries is sure to satisfy.

What is an iconic Ann Arbor restaurant? Ask anyone who has ever spent time there as a student, traveler, or townie, and they are likely to name several favorites in an instant. From debating the best place to celebrate or console on football Saturdays to deciding where to eat after the bars close, the choices have always sparked passionate conversation. In Ann Arbor, people are known to have strong feelings about the best places for pizza, coffee, beer, burgers, noodles, and burritos. Although many of the go-to hangouts are long gone, a surprising number still thrive. And there are always a few newcomers coming along to win the hearts of the next generation of diners, nibblers, and noshers. Some are fine restaurants and taverns, and others are lunch counters, diners, carry-outs, and drive-ins—but in each and every case, they are unique and together make up a collection of iconic local eateries.

Davis

9781467115780

$24.99

Davis has undergone a major transformation from the mid-20th century to today, growing from a small college town of about 3,000 residents and 1,500 students to a world-class university city of 80,000 area residents and 35,000 students. Major features of this revolution include the creation of a vibrant downtown, environmentally sensitive politics, diverse and innovative neighborhoods, and a citywide system of bike lanes. A thriving University of California at Davis campus was the economic dynamo that attracted talented students and faculty. Their environmentalist values spurred innovations in solar energy, waste recycling, bicycle infrastructure, subsidized public transit, energy-saving construction, and farm-to-fork localization of food supplies, among other new civic directions that remain an essential part of the city's culture today.

The Iowa Caucus

9781467115834

$24.99

For more than 40 years, Iowa has held the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. A vibrant political culture has emerged as a result of this role, and Iowa voters have a unique opportunity to get to know the nation's presidential candidates as they travel the state, attend small-group meetings, and hone their messages. Candidates come to Iowa—where retail politics is the name of the game—early and often. But the campaign trail in Iowa isn't just about candidates. It's about average Americans in small-town diners, church basements, and high school gyms. In an age of public cynicism about politics, the Iowa caucuses continue to demonstrate the importance of real people talking about issues with would-be presidents.

Southwest DC

9781467124218

$24.99

Southwest DC is a unique quadrant in the nation's capital. After a massive 1950s and 1960s urban renewal project demolished much of the area's buildings, Southwest DC began anew with a clean slate. Capitalizing on the waterfront location and utilizing modern architecture, large high-rise buildings were constructed to house thousands of new residents, who would later fight to preserve the architecture in this new planned community located close to the US Capitol. This tight-knit community would once again witness a large-scale construction boom after the turn of the 21st century, as upscale hotels, most noticeably the Mandarin-Oriental, and high-end condominiums were built, complemented by new restaurants, shops, and services. The waterfront area—home to a community of live-aboard houseboats and sailboats—would also later completely transform, anchored by The Wharf project. Biking and walking trails also introduced Washingtonians to this hidden jewel in the capital. Southwest DC remains a community-minded neighborhood with a thriving arts scene, important religious institutions, and nonprofit organizations, as well as government offices.

Brewing in Maine

9781467115698

$24.99

Maine was once a national leader in the temperance movement to outlaw alcohol. In the last 30 years, however, the Pine Tree State has been equally influential in the craft beer movement. Since 1986, when David and Karen Geary opened New England's first microbrewery, more than 50 breweries have opened in Maine. The state not only ranks among the top 10 for breweries per capita, it also boasts two of the 50 largest craft breweries in the country. The personalities and visions of the brewers are as diverse as the beers they create. Some have opened their breweries in the hulking mill complexes of Lewiston and Biddeford or the former factories of Portland. Others have brewed at the scenic mountain resorts of Sugarloaf and Sunday River or on the quaint, historic wharves of Belfast and Kennebunk, and even on distant Monhegan Island. Farmstead breweries have sprung up from Skowhegan to Lyman, while the state's industrial parks are no less fertile.